Two teams from the Big West made an NCAA regional last year with one, Cal State Fullerton, advancing to the College World Series.
By BWC standards, that was a down year.
A strong year like this season could potentially see the conference as a four-bid league, with six of the nine teams entering BWC play with an RPI of 88 or higher.
Five teams have won at least two-thirds of its games and that doesn’t include Cal State Fullerton, which has made 24 consecutive NCAA appearances.
UC Irvine coach Mike Gillespie, who led the Anteaters to the CWS two years ago, when four Big West teams made NCAA appearances, says the conference has improved since he was hired by UCI in 2007.
“I think this conference is just way better from top to bottom than it was nine years ago,” said Gillespie, who won a national championship at Southern California at 1998. “It’s crystal clear that the toughest part of our schedule is ahead of us. (The conference) is going to be a dogfight.”
CSUN leads the way with 20 wins but has played the easiest schedule according to rankings from BoydsWorld.com.
Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara are ranked 17th and 18th respectively in this week’s Baseball America Top 25 with CSUN and Cal Poly receiving votes in at least one of the major polls.
Hawaii (11-14) is one of three teams with a losing record entering league play but is trending up with five wins in its past seven games.
UH finished at .500 for the first time in BWC play last season at 12-12 after going 14-34 in its first two BWC campaigns.
Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso sees a similar league to the one two years ago.
“Like every year it’s always a good league but it’s reminding me right now of 2014, when four teams got in, because we have so many teams that are either ranked or receiving votes and having really good years,” Trapasso said.
The Rainbow Warriors rank fourth in the conference with a 3.67 ERA and junior right-hander
Brendan Hornung is tied for second in the Big West with 40 strikeouts.
The move to a three-game series should help UH, which is 8-5 when either Kyle Von Ruden or Alex Hatch is on the mound.
Hornung has dealt as the team’s No. 1 starter with a 2.52 ERA, but is only 2-5. Hawaii has been shut out three times and held to one run or fewer four times in series openers.
“I feel like if we can get out there and swing the bats a little bit and put a few runs on the board, we can upset (a lot of teams),” said UH shortstop Jacob Sheldon-Collins, who is fourth in the Big West with a .386 batting average. “We know coming into conference the teams are going to be very good, but I think we’re on the right path.”
Hawaii’s team batting average is .253, good for sixth in the league ahead of Long Beach and Fullerton. Only the Titans, CSUN and the Dirtbags have a better ERA.
Big West baseball teams
Here’s a look at each team in order of the Big West preseason coaches poll (RPI and SOS numbers from BoydsWorld.com; Coaching records at current school):
1. Cal State Fullerton (13-11)
>> Head coach: Rick Vanderhook, fifth season, 172-91
RPI/SOS: 80/18
>> Key players: RHP Blake Quinn, Jr. (3-1, 1.59 ERA, 34 IP, 39 K, .126 BAA); RHP Connor Seabold, So. (1-2, 2.63 ERA, 27 1/3 IP, 29 K); RH Colton Eastman, Fr. (4-2, 2.09 ERA, 38 2/3 IP, 32 K); SS Timmy Richards, Jr. (.284 BA, 6 2b, 4 HR, 18 runs); 1B Tanner Pinkston, Sr. (.258 BA, 6 2b, 1 HR, 17 RBIs)
>> Notes: The Titans lead the Big West with a 2.36 ERA, ranking ninth in the country, but are dead last in the BWC with a .236 batting average … The Titans’ 0.85 WHIP leads the nation and their 6.4 hits allowed per nine innings rank second in the country … CSF has won the Big West in five of the past six seasons … The current string of 24 consecutive NCAA appearances is third longest behind Miami (43) and Florida State (38).
2. UC Irvine (15-7)
>> Head coach: Mike Gillespie, ninth season, 322-174
RPI/SOS: 69/64
>> Key players: LHP Elliot Surrey, Sr. (2-1, 3.00 ERA, .204 BAA); INF/OF Keston Hiura, So. (.463 BA, .552 OBP, .817 SLG, 4 2b, 2 3b, 7 HR, 25 RBIs); INF Cole Kreuter, So. (.313 BA, 7 2b, 14 runs, 13 RBIs); LHP Cameron Bishop, So. (4-1, 3.34 ERA, 29 2/3 IP, 27 K).
>> Notes: The Anteaters are 9-4 against the RPI top 100 … Center fielder Keston Hiura has reached base in 37 consecutive games and currently leads the Big West in AVG./OBP/SLG and is in the top 11 nationally in all three categories … Head coach Mike Gillespie became UCI’s all-time winningest coach on March 1 (322 career wins) … LHP Elliot Surrey tossed a six-hit shutout vs. Hawaii last year with seven strikeouts.
3. Long Beach State (16-8)
>> Head coach: Troy Buckley, sixth season, 164-141
RPI/SOS: 74/54
>> Key players: SS Garrett Hampson, Jr. (.363 BA, 6 2b, 10-16 SB, 21 runs); RH Chris Mathewson, So. (3-2, 3.55 ERA, 38 IP, 40 K); 3B Zack Domingues, Sr. (.377 BA, 11 runs); RHP Darren McCaughan, So. (4-0, 1.62 ERA, 39 IP, 34 K, .170 BAA); RH Chris Rivera, Fr. (0-1, 2.92 ERA, 10 SV, 12 1/3 IP, .167 BAA)
>> Notes: The Dirtbags have won all six weekend series they’ve played, including victories over Arizona State, Oklahoma and Cal State Fullerton … LBSU is 15-1 when leading or tied after five innings … This is the first time Baseball America has ranked the Dirtbags since 2008 … LBSU is fifth in the nation with a .982 fielding percentage … Sophomore outfielder Brock Lundquist is tied for the BWC lead with nine doubles.
4. UC Santa Barbara (18-5)
>> Head coach: Andrew Checketts, fifth season, 155-91-2
RPI/SOS:13/25
>> Key players: RHP Shane Bieber, Jr. (4-1, 2.93 ERA, 40 IP, 29 K); CF Andrew Calica, Jr. (.282 BA, 5 2b, 2 3b, 1 HR, 25 runs); 1B Austin Bush, So. (.329 BA, 3 2b, 2 HR, 21 RBIs); RHP Noah Davis, Fr. (2-0, 2.78 ERA, 35 2/3 IP, 31 K); OF Josh Adams, So. (.282 BA, 3 2b, 4 HR, 14 RBIs)
>> Notes: The Gauchos are ranked in four of the five major polls … Calica leads the league with 25 runs scored and is third in the country getting hit by a pitch 12 times and 18th in the country drawing 23 walks … Reliever Kyle Nelson has a 0.63 WHIP to rank third in the nation … UCSB leads the Big West averaging 6.8 runs per game … UCSB hosted an NCAA Regional last year for the first time.
5. CSUN (20-5)
>> Head coach: Greg Moore, third season, 70-67
RPI/SOS: 88/210
>> Key players: RHP Rayne Raven, Sr. (1-1, 2.59 ERA, 31 1/3 IP, 29 K); LHP Kenny Rosenberg, So. (4-0, 1.96 ERA, 41 1/3 IP, 57 K); SS Yusuke Akitoshi, Sr. (.308 BA, 5 2b, 2 3b, 24 runs 15-16 SB); OF Branden Berry, Sr. (.345 BA, 6 2b, 6 HR, 22 RBIs); RHP Connor O’Neil, Jr. (4-0, 1.91 ERA, 5 SV, 28 1/3 IP, 35 K)
>> Notes: Rosenberg is the only player to win two Big West pitcher of the week awards … CSUN leads the conference in batting average (.281), doubles (41), hits (239), home runs (15), shutouts (9) and stolen bases (40). Leadoff hitter Fred Smith is the toughest player to strike out in the conference, averaging one every 22.6 at-bats … Rosenberg ranks second in the nation with 57 strikeouts.
6. Cal Poly (16-7)
>> Head coach: Larry Lee, 14th season, 438-318-2
RPI/SOS: 75/94
>> Key players: C/1B Brett Barbier, Jr. (.395 BA, 6 2b, 1 2b, 2 HR, 19 runs); OF John Schuknecht, Sr. (.330 BA, 9 2b, 2 3b, 3 HR, 27 RBIs); RHP Erich Uelmen, So. (4-0, 2.76 ERA, 42 1/3 IP, 35 K) LHP Kyle Smith, So. (3-1, 2.86 ERA, 44 IP, 36 K); OF Alex McKenna, Fr. (.270 BA, 4 HR, 15 RBIs)
>> Notes: Cal Poly has not lost a game this season when leading after the second inning (11-0) … The Mustangs won the Big West for the first time in 2014 but finished only .500 last season (27-27) … The Mustangs’ top two pitchers, Smith and Uelmen, have each thrown two complete games this season … Schuknecht is tied for the BWC lead with nine doubles and leads the conference with 27 RBIs.
7. Hawaii (11-14)
>> Head coach: Mike Trapasso, 15th season, 414-406
RPI/SOS: 223/138
>> Key players: SS Jacob Sheldon-Collins, Sr. (.386 BA, 6 2b, 14 runs); RHP Brendan Hornung, Jr. (2-5, 2.51 ERA, 46 2/3 IP, 40 K); RHP Kyle Von Ruden, Sr. (3-1, 2.61 ERA, 51 2/3 IP, 5 BB, .233 BAA); C Kekai Rios, Fr. (.338 BA, 4 2b, 14 RBIs); OF Matt LoCoco, Sr. (.253 BA, 3 2b, 3 3b, 2 HR, 17 runs, 21 BB).
>> Notes: UH is one of eight teams to turn a triple play in Division I this season … Von Ruden leads the conference, allowing 0.87 walks per nine innings and is ninth with an 0.97 WHIP … LoCoco is the only player in the BWC with three triples and is second with 21 walks drawn … Hornung ranks second in the league with 40 strikeouts … UH has walked 79 batters with 38 coming in one series … Take out the UNM series and UH would rank second in the country with 1.97 walks allowed per nine innings.
8. UC Riverside (10-13)
>> Head coach: Troy Percival, second season, 24-53
RPI/SOS: 192/103
>> Key players: OF Vince Fernandez, Jr. (.378 BA, 4 2b, 1 HR, 17 runs); C Casey Worden, Jr. (.291 BA, 4 2b, 2 HR, 12 RBIs); LHP Austin Soddera, Jr. (2-2, 3.08 ERA, 26 1/3 IP, 34 K); INF Colby Schultz, So. (.315 BA, 3 2b, 1 2b, 2 HR, 11 runs)
>> Notes: The Highlanders have hit 12 home runs this season and are on pace for 31, which would be their highest total since 2010 … UCR has a .976 fielding percentage, which would tie their best mark since joining the BWC … Former head coach Doug Smith, who coached at UCR for 35 years, will have his No. 12 uniform retired on Friday … Fernandez is on a 10-game hitting streak.
9. UC Davis (6-13)
>> Head coach: Matt Vaughn, fifth season, 105-137-1
RPI/SOS: 222/68
>> Key players: INF Ryan Anderson, Fr. (.281 BA, 3 2b, 2 HR, 14 RBIs); OF/INF Alex Aguiar, So. (.269 BA, 4 2b, 2 HR, 12 runs); OF Tanner Bily, Sr. (.254, 1 2b, 6-8 SB, 13 runs); RHP Nat Hamby, Sr. (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 25 2/3 IP, 26 K); LHP Robert Garcia, Fr. (1-1, 0.32 ERA, 1 SV, 28 IP, 38 K)
>> Notes: Garcia is currently third in the nation in ERA, allowing one earned run in 18 innings … Garcia limited opponents to a .124 batting average, which is tops in the BWC … Two of the Aggies’ six wins have come against Santa Clara and Michigan … UCD ranks in the bottom two in the league in walks, batting average, doubles, ERA, fielding percentage, hits, home runs, runs scored, triples and WHIP.
