Pre-Season Polls Tab Gonzaga Fifth In WCC Baseball
1/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 25, 2000
SPOKANE, Wash. - Coming off its most successful season since 1995, Gonzaga's baseball program has been tabbed to finish fifth in two pre-season polls. The West Coast Conference coaches poll, released today, has the Bulldogs slated to finish fifth in the overall WCC race and third in the Coast Division. Last season, Gonzaga finished second in the Coast Division behind NCAA tournament participant Pepperdine. The Bulldogs finished 27-23-2 while posting a 14-14-1 WCC record, their best since joining the WCC baseball ranks in 1996. This season Pepperdine jumps to the West Division while two-time WCC Champion Loyola Marymount enters the Coast Division.
In a pre-season Baseball America poll released late last week, the Bulldogs were also picked to finish fifth overall and third in the Coast Division. Baseball America also selected four Gonzaga players to its pre-season All-West Coast Conference team. Senior outfielder Jason Bay (.360, 20 HR, 74 RBI), junior first baseman Adam Stokey (.353, 15 HR, 67 RBI), junior designated hitter / pitcher Barry Matthews (.300, 12 HR, 46 RBI / 3-5, 7.38 ERA), and senior pitcher Steve Bennett (6-1, 2.95 ERA, 62 K) were the four Bulldogs receiving pre-season honors.
Gonzaga opens the 2000 season on February 11 with a three-game weekend series against Washington State in Pasco, WA. The Bulldogs first home series of the season will be March 3-4 with a three-game set against Pepperdine. The series will open with a single game on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. followed by a double-header on Saturday at 11 a.m. The West Coast Conference Champion will be determined with a best-two-out-of-three series played between the division winners on May 19-20, the WCC Champion receives the conference's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament.
PRE-SEASON POLLS LISTED BELOW
West Coast Conference Coaches Pre-Season Poll (first place votes in parenthesis)
1.) Pepperdine (6)2.) Loyola Marymount (1)3.) San Francisco (1)4.) San Diego5.) Gonzaga6.) Santa Clara7.) Saint Mary's8.) Portland
Coast Division Predictions
1.) Loyola Marymount2.) San Francisco3.) Gonzaga4.) Santa Clara
West Division Predictions
1.) Pepperdine2.) San Diego3.) Saint Mary's4.) Portland
Baseball America Pre-Season Poll (national ranking in parenthesis)
1.) Loyola Marymount (17)2.) Pepperdine (30)3.) San Diego (60)4.) San Francisco (62)5.) Gonzaga (83)6.) Santa Clara (NR)7.) Portland (NR)8.) Saint Mary's (NR)
Coast Division
1.) Loyola Marymount2.) San Francisco3.) Gonzaga4.) Santa Clara
West Division
1.) Pepperdine2.) San Diego3.) Portland4.) Saint Mary's
