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Team Improves To 8-0…

Omaha, NE – Gerrit Cole (UCLA) worked six strong innings allowing one run and striking out seven as Team USA defeated Japan 4-1 Wednesday night at Rosenblatt Stadium in a friendly international game. With the win the Collegiate National Team (CNT) improves to 8-0 on the summer.

Gerrit Cole

Cole (1-0) was impressive from the outset retiring nine of his first 10 batters with three strikeouts and allowed just one extra base hit on the night. Team USA’s bullpen was just as impressive as Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) and Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) worked the final three innings allowing two hits with a pair of strikeouts. Ramirez recorded his team-best third save on CNT’s tour.

Takayuki Fujii (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits with six walks and three strikeouts. The right-hander threw 143 pitches on the night and faced 39 batters.

Nolan Fontana (Florida) gave USA an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when he grounded out to second scoring Drew Maggi (Arizona State) from third base. Maggi lead off the game lacing a triple to right center, Team USA’s second three-bagger of the summer tour.

Team USA pushed across two more runs in the second taking a 3-0 lead. Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) walked to start the frame then took second on Steve Rodriguez’ (UCLA) first hit of the summer, a shot back up the middle. A double-steal by Esposito and Rodriguez moved runners in scoring position before Maggi lifted a ball to center with one out scoring Esposito. Jackie Bradley, Jr. (South Carolina) singled to right with runners on the corner scoring Rodriguez for the second run of the inning before Fontana was hosed at the plate.

Japan scratched across a run in the fourth cutting USA’s lead to 3-1 when Takasi Ikusima doubled home Ryunisuke Kobayasi with a shot to left center.

Team USA scored its final run in the eighth inning when Mike Mahtook (LSU) touched home on a passed ball for a 4-1 lead. Mahtook singled up the middle with two outs then stole second and moved to third on Fontana’s bunt single back to the pitcher.

Offensively Team USA pounded out double-digit hits (11) for the third-straight game and fourth time this summer.

The Collegiate National Team will be back in action Thursday when they square off against The Strike Zone at Westside High School. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (CST).

Notes: Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) extended his current hitting streak to six games with his single to center in the third inning … Steve Rodriguez, who recorded his first career hit for Team USA, was 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored … Nine members of Team USA (Jackie Bradley, Jr., Gerrit Cole, Nolan Fontana, Sean Gilmartin, Brian Johnson, Drew Maggi, Brad Miller, Steve Rodriguez and Kyle Winkler) are among a select group of college players who played in the last College World Series and suited up for the last amateur baseball game ever at Rosenblatt Stadium … Also joining the players on this list is Team USA’s athletic trainer Danny Wheat (Texas Christian) … Team USA will participate in a closed clinic Thursday morning at Creighton University starting at 10 a.m.

(USA Baseball Release)

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39 Players Invited – 22 Will Make Final Roster…

USA Baseball Collegiate Team 2010 Schedule

Gamecocks Down UCLA For First National Title …

2010 CWS MOP Jackie Bradley, Jr.

South Carolina (54-16) won the best two-of-three CWS Finals 2-0, with a 7-1 game-1 victory on Monday.  Centerfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player.

“Thank you very much for your enthusiasm. Thank you for your support,” South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner told the crowd at Rosenblatt after his team was presented its championship trophy. “And to UCLA, the greatest club we played all year and a class act.”

The win makes South Carolina only the third school from the SEC (along with LSU and Georgia) to win the College World Series. The Gamecocks also are the first team east of the Mississippi to win the title since Miami in 2001.

More notes and thoughts from CB360 Editor Sean Stires …

• UCLA (51-17) was trying to become the first school ever to win both the NCAA baseball and softball World Series in the same year. The 51 wins are the most in the history of UCLA baseball.

• South Carolina entered tonight’s game with the best team batting average (.294) and ERA (2.41) during the CWS. UCLA was third with its .282 BA and 3.89 ERA.

• The Bruins plated five runs in the 1st inning of Saturday’s 10-3 win over TCU to advance to the CWS Finals, but they scored single runs in two of the 20 innings in their two Finals losses.

• After making his first start of the season in last Friday’s elimination game vs. Clemson, South Carolina’s Michael Roth made his second start tonight. The lefty had tossed a 3-hitter with four strikeouts in Friday’s 5-1 win. Roth left tonight’s game trailing 1-0 after five innings. In his two CWS starts, the young southpaw totaled 14 IP, 9 hits, 2 ER, 7 K and 3 BB.

• Clemson lefthanded batters were only 1-for-20 in the Friday game, with the only hit coming in the 9th inning. UCLA’s Beau Amaral (also a LH hitter) matched that tonight with a 1st-inning infield single. Amaral then legged-out a double in his next at-bat, with one out in the 3rd inning.  UCLA lefties were 2-for-7 vs. Roth.
  

  Gerrit Cole (12) talks to Orel Hershiser before Tuesday's game.

• Before the game tonight, former L.A Dodger and current ESPN analyst Orel Hershiser was on the field with Monday’s starter, Gerrit Cole of UCLA.  Hershiser was tutoring Cole on gripping pitches.

• UCLA starter Rob Rasmussen had to stand behind the mound for a good 30 seconds prior to the start of the bottom of the 6th inning, because Hershiser was finishing some kind of demonstration on ESPN. (We could not hear what they were saying on TV in the press box, but we had monitors & could see it). Do we really need the fundamentals of the game explained to us just because it’s a college game and not MLB? The pace of CWS games is already an issue.If they have to do gimmick demonstrations, can’t they do it in a picture-in-picture small screen so the game can keep moving? It’s not like anyone’s going to miss 30 seconds of play-by-play.

• Rasmussen tossed six shutout innings in his second CWS start. The junior threw 109 pitches and finished with 5 Ks.

• I was dumbfounded when a wave broke out in the bottom of the 8th inning tonight. The score was 1-0 UCLA and South Carolina had the tying run at first base. Shouldn’t that be enough to hold your attention?

• When South Carolina reliever Matt Price walked Steve Rodriguez to load the bases with two outs in the top of the 9th, it was the Gamecock bullpen’s first free pass allowed in 18 IP at the CWS. After a mound meeting, Price struck out Niko Gallego on three pitches to escape any harm.

• With the score tied 1-1 and South Carolina batting in the bottom of the 9th inning, there were cameras flashing on every pitch.  The flashes continued through the 11th inning with the anticipation that each pitch to a Gamecock batter could be the last of the season and the last at Rosenblatt Stadium.

• After committing the error in the bottom of the 8th that allowed the tying run to score for the Gamecocks, UCLA first baseman Dean Espy punched a wooden dugout bench. He came out of the game defensively in the 9th. TV cameras showed him with an ice pack on his knuckles in the 10th inning. Adrian Williams entered and went to second base, Cody Regis moved from second to third and Trevor Brown went from third to first base.

• As the game moved to the 10th inning, a young blond girl (when I say young I’m guessing teenage to early 20s) came out of the leftfield stands and ran to center field. At least a dozen security guards scampered to the outfield grass to “apprehend” her. “Bye Blatt” was painted on her stomach.

• Not to be outdone, a guy jumped out of the leftfield bleachers in the bottom of the 10th. It took seven security guards to wrestle and subdue the skinny guy who was wearing only his underwear.

• Yesterday we had a sighting of South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, and today UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel was here. Neuheisel was chatting it up with ESPN’s Erin Andrews in the top of the 4th inning, while Spurrier was sitting in his press box booth.

• Attendance for Tuesday’s game was 24,390 – the largest crowd at this year’s CWS. The 16-game total was 330,922 for an average of 20,683. Last year’s Series drew a total of 336,076.

• A bugle player gave us a rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” to close the last college game ever played at Rosenblatt Stadium, after a video tribute and fireworks display.

• Not everyone who coached at Rosenblatt Stadium is in awe of tradition.  Former LSU head coach Skip Bertman told the Omaha World-Herald this week: “I’m not going to miss anything [about Rosenblatt]. I think the NCAA and Omaha have taken Rosenblatt as far as it can go.  “There are so many great college baseball facilities, it doesn’t make sense to come to Omaha and have a less-than-perfect locker room. There’s not enough room in the concourse. The restrooms are small. We saw it a couple years ago when they redid Yankee Stadium, and I haven’t heard anyone say ‘Man I miss that old place’ … They’ve got a wider seat, better bathrooms and concession stands, and they’re going to love it here.”
  

  Skip Bertman

• A lot of what Bertman says makes sense, and he should know since he’s been in and out of Rosenblatt as much as anyone in the past 20 years. I’ve never favored the move downtown, but I do think it is going to give that area a sorely needed boost. However, when they built the new Yankee Stadium they did everything they could to replicate the look and feel of the House That Ruth Built. That’s probably my biggest problem with the new stadium. With the exception of the partial red brick facade, nothing about it says tradition. Would it have been so hard to build a place that has even a hint of either Rosenblatt Stadium or any kind of retro feel that so many other new ballparks around the country have embraced?

• The College World Series has been on center stage for more than a week now, but here’s a cool college baseball note from outside of Omaha.  Houston Mayor Annise Parker declared today “Anthony Rendon Day” in honor of the Rice star.

• Which is worse: (a) when your hotel room key doesn’t work; (b) when you see that housekeeping is in a room near yours, so you leave for several hours only to return to an uncleaned room; or (3) when you leave again and come back to find the housekeeper is cleaning your room? All three happened to me today … and I got a parking ticket. Is somebody trying to tell me something?

Bruins Keep Rolling With Big Pitching & Hitting

UCLA is off to the best start in program history.  The Bruins are 13-0 heading into this weekend’s 3-game series vs. Oral Roberts. Most thought the Bruins would have a good pitching staff, with guys like sophomores Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer on the hill.  However, UCLA’s offense had some big holes to fill from a team that didn’t even make an NCAA Regional in 2009.

The Bruins returned just four players who combined to hit 13 of the team’s 54 home runs last year, but they have already belted 18 long balls this season.  That total currently leads the Pac-10.  Senior leadoff man Blair Dunlap set the tone early when he homered the very first pitch UCLA saw this season in the season-opener against Bethune-Cookman.  He enters this weekend’s action riding an 8-game hitting streak.

Blair Dunlap

Sophomore catcher Steve Rodriguez is on his way to a breakout season at the plate.  Rodriguez batted just .179 with 17 hits, two home runs and 10 RBIs as a freshman last year, but he’s currently hitting .375 (15-for-40) with 12 RBIs and a Pac-10 leading five home runs.

Tyler Rahmatulla is another sophomore who’s off to a great start after a pedestrian freshman season.  The second baseman has started all 13 games and is hitting a team-best .420 while sharing team leads with five stolen bases and 13 runs scored.

As a team the Bruins are batting .355 with 18 home runs, a .536 slugging percentage, a .434 on-base percentage, and they’re averaging 8.6 runs a game.  Heading into Friday’s match-up with Oral Roberts UCLA has nine players with at least 20 at-bats this season who are hitting .300 or better.  Top wins in the 13-0 start have come against Vanderbilt (14-2) and Oklahoma (16-2).

As good as UCLA’s hitting has been, its pitching has been even better.  The staff boasts a 2.00 ERA with a Pac-10 best 173 strikeouts and just 35 walks in 117.0 innings.  Freshman Scott Griggs has made one appearance this season, and he gave-up one run in one inning for an ERA of 9.00.  Otherwise, the worst ERA on the staff is held by Bob Rasmussen, who has a 2.79 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 19 1/3 IP in four starts.  The staff has totaled at least 10 strikeouts in 11 of 13 games so far.

Gerrit Cole

Cole (4-0, 2.10 ERA) leads the staff with 41 Ks and just 4 BB in 25 2/3 IP after last weekend’s 15 strikeout performance against Texas A&M Corpus Christi at the Whataburger Classic.  Classmate Trevor Bauer (3-0, 2.38 ERA) fanned 15 the next day in a win over Mississippi State.  He has 38 Ks with 6 BB in 22 2/3 innings so far.  Rasmussen didn’t have the gaudy strikeout totals that Cole and Bauer did, but the left fanned seven in 6 IP in Sunday’s win over OU to snap the Sooners’ 10-game winning streak.

The UCLA relief corps been just as dominant as the team’s starting pitching.  The bullpen is 4-0 with 3 saves, a 1.23 ERA and .213 opponent batting average.  Closer Dan Klein has three saves with 14 strikeouts and just two BB in 11.0 innings and nine appearances, while set-up man Erik Goeddel (2-0, 2.70 ERA) has 12 Ks with 4 BB in 10.0 innings of work.

More on UCLA Through 13 Games…
- UCLA has opened the season with a 13-0 record, the best start on record in school history (dating to 1955).
- UCLA last won 13 straight in 1969, when they entered the College World Series on a 13-game win streak.
- Through Tuesday’s national action, UCLA (13-0) and Arizona State (16-0) are the only undefeated NCAA Division I ballclubs in the country.
- The Bruins have out-hit their opponent in all 13 ballgames, having outscored the opposition by a 112-31 margin.
- The offense ranks third in the Pac-10 in batting average (.355) and first in homers (18) through Tuesday.
- The pitching staff has posted a league-best 2.00 ERA and .188 opponent average through Tuesday.

A Look At Teams Trending In Different Directions

Event Highlights Southern California College Media Day

Top Chef winner Steve Rodriguez of Pepperdine (Photo Matt Brown)

Media Day event. Combined with the SoCal Media Day was the second annual NCAA Baseball Coaches Cook-Off as coaches from the Big West, Pac-10, Mountain West and West Coast conferences showed off their skills behind the hot plate.

Competing from the Big West in this “Iron Chef”-style competition were Larry Lee (Cal Poly), Dave Serrano (Cal State Fullerton), Steve Rousey (Cal State Northridge), Mike Gillespie (UC Irvine), Doug Smith (UC Riverside), and Bob Brontsema (UC Santa Barbara). Joining them in the competition were defending champion Chad Kreuter from USC, Jason Gill from Loyola Marymount, John Savage from UCLA, Rich Hill from San Diego and Steve Rodriguez from Pepperdine.

Coaches teamed with an ESPN Zone chef to prepare an entree in a 20-minute time period and present their creations to a panel of judges. The dishes were

USCB's Bob Brontsema (photo Matt Brown)

graded on presentation, creativity, and most importantly taste. Along with competing for top honors in all three categories the coveted “Top Chef” honor was also awarded for the highest overall score.

Serrano redeemed himself from last year where he won the “Dug Out” award, given to the lowest scoring entree, with the most creative award this year as his Hot Corner spicy tacos impressed the judges. For the second straight year, Brontsema came out on top as the winner for best presentation. His secret…showing his school spirit by spelling UCSB in red peppers on the side of the dish. Completing a Big West-sweep of the three honors was Lee, who used a family secret recipe for his cajun tacos that garnered him best taste accolades.

As the Big West coaches were celebrating the sweep of the three initial awards, they were quickly silenced when Rodriguez was announced as the “Top Chef” of the event with his delicious spicy chicken alfredo dish.

The most surprising announcement of the day was the recipient of the “Dug Out” and “Kitchen Nightmare” awards. Both honors were handed to Kreuter, last year’s “Top Chef” winner, for his chicken pasta creation. Along with the title of worst chef, he was given a Paula Dean cookbook, bottle of Pepto Bismol, Easy-Bake oven and a fire extinguisher.

“I have now been on both ends of the spectrum,” commented Kreuter. “Sometimes you get knocked down and you just have to get back up and fight. I will be back next year swinging.”

(Release)

Gonzaga Looks For WCC Repeat After Winning First Crown

Reigning WCC Player of the Year James Meador of San Diego

Student-Athletes: Four WCC players were named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSida Academic All-District VIII First Team, the most by any conference in the district.  Evan Wells of Gonzaga, Ryan Wheeler of Loyola Marymount, Bryant Kraus Portland, and Drew Johnson of San Francisco all made the team.

The West Coast Conference looks to rebound from a down year in 2008.  After sending three teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and two in 2008, only Gonzaga made it in 2009.  The Bulldogs go after their second straight WCC crown after capturing their first ever conference title last year.  However, several contenders are ready to make a run this year led by San Diego and Pepperdine.

Gonzaga

2009 Season: (36-18, 14-7)

Nickname: Bulldogs

Head Coach: Mark Machtolf

Location: Spokane, WA

Vitals: .299 BA, 39 HR, .390 OPB, .971 Fld%…4.44 ERA, 11 SVs, 422 K, 180 BB, .284 Opp. BA

Outfield Strength: CF Drew Heid (.355 BA, 8 triples) and LF Matt Castellitto (.278 BA, team high 9 HR) returns to lead the Bulldog offense.

Tough to Replace: The Bulldogs must fill the holes left by C Tyson Van Winkle, who led the team with a .362 BA, 27 doubles, and a .543 Slg%, and WCC Pitcher of the Year Matt Fields, who posted an 8-1 record with a 3.47 ERA and 74 Ks.

Strong Like Bull(dog): A challenging non-conference schedule awaits Gonzaga.  Included are matchups against Missouri, Kansas, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and UC-Irvine.

Loyola Marymount

2009 Season: (30-29, 13-8)

Nickname: Lions

Head Coach: Jason Gill

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Vitals: .297 BA, 42 HR, .380 OBP, .971 Fld%…5.65 ERA, 9 SVs, 404 K, 198 BB, .304 Opp. BA

Who’s Next: Loyola Marymount has to deal with the loss of their top two offensive threats due to the graduations of OF Angelo Songco and 1B Ryan Wheeler.  Songco (.360 BA, 15 HR, 63 RBI) led the Lions in nine offensive categories and was the only WCC player to be a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award given annually to nation’s top collegiate baseball player.  Wheeler finished the 2009 season with a .319 BA while pounding out 20 doubles, 9 HR and 48 RBI.

Feast or Famine: 2009 saw its ups and downs for the Lions.  After winning 8 of their first 10 games, LMU lost their next 10 only to win the next 8.  Wins included victories over 5^th-ranked UC-Irvine, 6^th-ranked Cal State Fullerton and a four-game sweep of defending national champion Fresno State.

Jump right in: The Lions open the 2010 season with a three game series against 8^th-ranked UC-Irvine.

Pepperdine

2009 Season: (31-23, 12-9)

Nickname: Waves

Head Coach: Steve Rodriguez

Location: Malibu, CA

Vitals: .284 BA, 43 HR, .361 OBP, .982 Fld %…4.52 ERA, 12 SVs, 477 K, 223 BB, .240 Opp. BA

Pepperdine's Denny Duron

Golden Gloves: Pepperdine led the WCC with a .982 fielding percentage, committing only 36 errors all season, 23 fewer than the second place team, Gonzaga.  INF Denny Duron earned WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors going 42 games while committing only 3 errors.

Big Arms: The Waves top two pitchers, Jr. LHP Matt Bywater (6-1, 3.57 ERA, 66 K, .217 Opp BA) and So. RHP Cole Cook (7-3, 3.69 ERA, 79 K, .195 Opp. BA, 1 SV) return to lead one the top pitching staffs in the WCC.

Nothing But the Best: A challenging non-conference slate features games against Cal State Fullerton, UC-Irvine, LSU, Stanford, and UCLA.

Portland

2009 Season: (25-26, 7-14)

Nickname: Pilots

Head Coach: Chris Sperry

Location: Portland, OR

Vitals: .290 BA, 50 HR, .361 OBP, .969 Fld %…5.32 ERA, 12 SVs, 295 K, 171 BB, .298 Opp. BA

Taking Flight: Portland’s 25 wins a year ago is the highest total in the 12 year tenure of head coach Chris Sperry.

Foundation for the Future: 20 of the 32 players on the 2010 roster are freshman or sophomores.

Key Returners: So. RHP Kyle Kraus (4-6, 4.00 ERA) and Jr. RHP Zach Varce (3-5, 2.69 ERA, 9 SVs) lead the young pitching staff, while Jr. INF Riley Hendricks (.344 BA, 31 RBI) and So. INF Kris Kauppila (.336  BA, 20 doubles, 8 SB) return to lead the Pilot offensive attack.

San Diego

2009 Season: (29-25, 11-10)

Nickname: Toreros

Head Coach: Rich Hill

Location: San Diego, CA

Vitals: .319 BA, 47 HR, .381 OBP, .961 Fld %…5.07 ERA, 12 SVs, 425 K, 190 BB, .274 Opp. BA

Big Hitters: San Diego was the top hitting team in the WCC in 2009 with a .319 team BA.  They were led by Jr. James Meador (.376 BA, 80 H, 45 RBI), who was named the WCC Player of the Year, and So. Zach Walters (.377 BA, 13 doubles, 4 triples).

Mound Marvel: Sr. RHP A.J. Griffin became a starter during conference play last year posting an 8-3 record with a 3.33 ERA and 3 SVs.  His 28 career saves are tied for most in WCC history.

Close to Home: The Toreros leave the state of California only three times this season.  The first is March 26-28 for a three game series against Coastal Carolina.  An early April trip to Tempe to play a pair against Arizona State, and a five game swing to Oregon to face Portland, Oregon and Oregon State in May complete the interstate road trips.

San Francisco

2009 Season: (28-28, 12-9)

Nickname: Dons

Head Coach: Nino Giarratano

Location: San Francisco, CA

Vitals: .296 BA, 41 HR, .375 OBP, .968 Fld. %…5.09 ERA, 9 SVs, 371 K, 194 BB, .278 Opp. BA

Fleet Feet: Sr. OF Zach Kim swiped 42 bases in 2009 breaking the single-season USF record.  For the year, the Dons stole 107 bases in 129 attempts, a staggering 83 % clip.

Strong Arm Returns: 1^st team All-WCC P Doug Murray returns to head the USF staff.  As a junior, Murray went 9-0 in 18 starts posting a 3.77 ERA while striking out 45.  Murray was the only WCC pitcher to finish the season undefeated.

Save the Dates: USF hosts Rikkyo University from Japan in a special exhibition game at Benedetti Stadium March 3^rd.  The Dons also take on St. Mary’s April 16^th at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

Santa Clara

2009 Season: (19-34, 6-15)

Nickname: Broncos

Head Coach: Mark O’Brien

Location: Santa Clara, CA

Vitals: .286 BA, 24 HR, .356 OBP, .966 Fld. %…6.31 ERA, 7 SVs, 399 K, 170 BB, .312 Opp. BA

Key Returners: Two of the three Santa Clara players that garnered 1^st team All-WCC honors last year return this year’s squad.  Sr. C Geoff Klein (.379 BA, 81 H, 56 RBI) led the WCC in batting average and hits in 2009 and anchors the everyday lineup this year.  Sr. RHP Nate Garcia (7-5, 4.33 ERA, 96 K, 3 CG) will lead one of the younger pitching staffs in the conference.

Youth is Served: The Broncos’ 2010 roster includes 20 first-year players and 14 true freshman.

Welcome back: RS JR. Tommy Medica played in just 9 games last year before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.  He was leading the team with a .429 BA while scoring 9 runs and collecting 7 doubles at the time of his injury.  For his career, Medica is a .361 hitter, 3^rd best in SCU history, and the WCC batting champ his freshman year in 2007.

St. Mary’s

2009 Season: (28-27, 9-12)

Nickname: Gaels

Head Coach: Jedd Soto

Location: Moraga, CA

Troy Channing

Vitals: .288 BA, 50 HR, .374 OBP, .965 Fld. %…5.35 ERA, 9 SVs, 364 K, 180 BB, .295 Opp. BA

Young Gun: 3B Troy Channing earned WCC Freshman of the Year honors after winning the conference triple crown becoming just the third player in WCC history to accomplish that feat.  For the season, Channing hit .379, crushed 20 HR, and drove in 75.  Channing also was just one of two freshman to be a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.

Tough Road to Hoe: Trips to UC-Irvine, Tulane, Southern Mississippi, and Stanford highlight a challenging non-conference road schedule.

Need a Staff: Three of the Gaels top pitchers from a season ago are gone.  Brian Justice, Scott Schneider and Nathan Gonzalez combined to earn 15 of the team’s 28 wins in 2009.  Sr. RHP Brandon Berl (2-2, 4.01 ERA, 6 SVs) and So. RHP Kyle Barraclough (4-5, 4.70 ERA) lead the staff.

West Coast Conference Predictions

2010 Champion: Pepperdine, with San Diego fighting with them down to the wire

2010 Player of the Year: James Meador—San Diego

2010 Pitcher of the Year: Matt Bywater—Pepperdine

(By Collegebaseball360.com contributor Shawn Lewallen)