College baseball preview
The college baseball season opens this weekend, and all of the Bay Area teams are in action. Here is a look at how Cal, Saint Mary’s, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Stanford and USF look heading into the 2017 campaign.
CAL Coach: David Esquer, 18th season 2016 record: 32-21. Season opener: Friday vs. Cal Poly, 7:05 p.m. Outlook: The Bears were projected to finish near the bottom of the Pac-12 in the preseason coaches poll. With the departure of Pac-12 Player of the Year Brett Cumberland, Cal is going young, painfully young. 18 new players will be in the fold for 2017. Tanner Dodson (4-5, 3.36) returns after a solid freshman season and will anchor the rotation. Newcomer Jared Horn, a power arm seen as a potential firstround talent out of Vintage High School in Napa, will pitch Saturdays. Junior lefty Matt Ladrech (3-4, 4.30) will go on Sundays. Erik Martinez returns as the team’s closer. He had a 3.13 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. SAINT MARY’S Coach: Eric Valenzuela, fourth season 2016 record: 33-25. Season opener: Friday vs. UC Davis (UNLV Tournament), 2:05 p.m. Outlook: The Gaels experienced their most successful season in school history by reaching an NCAA regional for the first time. Their WCC-winning 33 victories were the most by the school since 1977. Infielder Zach Kirtley batted .323 with 43 RBIs and returns as a 2017 Preseason All-American. Outfielder Joey Fiske also returns to the leadoff spot after hitting .310 with 17 stolen bases. 18 letter winners from last year’s championship are returning, including 2016 All-WCC Second Team pitcher Johnny York (7-5, 3.25.) Saint Mary’s seems to be in a three-team race with BYU and Gonzaga as it looks to defend its title. BYU is seen as the preseason favorite.
SAN JOSE STATE Coach: Jason Hawkins, first season 2016 record: 17-39. Season opener: Friday at
UCLA, 6 p.m. Outlook: After struggling to another last place finish, the Spartans hired associate head coach Jason Hawkins from 2016 Pac12 champion Utah as their new head coach. Returning pitcher Josh Nashed (Leland) will be leaned on heavily once again. He will be the starting pitcher on Friday and play on the field or DH on days he is not pitching. Nashed hit .246 last season with a 4.76 ERA on the mound. Outfielder Chris Williams (De La Salle) returns to San Jose State after spending last season at Delta College where he hit .322 with seven home runs. Infielder David Campbell (.342/.406/.474) returns as the team’s leading hitter. Pitcher Joseph Balfour also returns after redshirting his sophomore year and is expected to challenge for the closer role. SANTA CLARA Coach: Dan O’Brien, 6th season 2016 record: 23-29. Season opener: Friday vs. Washington, 6 p.m. Outlook: The Broncos have 18 players returning, including outfielder Tyler Meditz (.284/.373/.468.) Steven Wilson (5-5, 3.92) returns as the team’s top starting pitcher. O’Brien said the team is still battling for lineup positions, but expect shortstop John Cresto (6 HRs) to bat somewhere near the middle. Freshman Andre Nnebe outfielder (Saint Mary’s HS) will begin the season playing every day. Of the 16 incoming freshman to Santa Clara, O’Brien said, “This is by far the best recruiting class we’ve had. I’ve never been more excited to coach a club in my entire life.” O’Brien also brought in former Baylor head coach Steve Smith as an assistant. Smith led Baylor to 13 regionals and one College World Series
appearance. STANFORD Coach: Mark Marquess, 41st season 2016 record: 31-23. Season opener: Friday at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m. Outlook: Marquess enters the final year of his coaching career with all of his starting pitchers and most of his bullpen and starting position players returning. The strong returns were enough for coaches to pick Stanford to finish second in preseason polls. Pitcher Tristan Beck (6-5, 2.48) is a preseason All-American and will start on Fridays. Colton Hock is expected to close games for the Cardinal. He struck out 61 batters in 57.2 innings with a 2.03 ERA. Catcher Alex Dunlap (.292/.392/.447) anchors a strong Stanford defense which finished ranked No. 1 in the nation last season with a .983 fielding percentage. Preseason All-American Quinn Brodey (7 HRs) also returns to the middle of the order. USF Coach: Nino Giarratano, 19th season 2016 record: 22-34. Season opener: Friday vs. Northern Colorado, 2 p.m.
Outlook: The Dons begin the season at home for the first time in 12 years at the newly renovated Benedetti Diamond. USF is hoping 27 returning players is a recipe for a bounce-back season. Shortstop Nico Giarratano (.985 fielding percentage) returns as the reigning WCC Defensive Player of the Year. Infielder Allen Smoot (.321/.434/.429) will be slotted right back in the middle of the lineup. Joey Carney, who missed most of last season after donating 50 percent of his kidney to his mother, returns as the team’s closer. 1B Manny Ramirez Jr. hit .145 in 55 at-bats, but Giarratano is expecting a breakout year.