UCLA.Conference: Pacific-10 Conference The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I. Membership Full members Coach: John Savage John Savage may refer to:
2004: 35-29 (14-10, third place) Key newcomers: Kris Kasarjian, So., OF; Brendan Lafferty. Fr., LHP LHP Left-Handed Pitcher LHP Left Hand Path LHP Lighthouse Point (Broward County, Florida city) LHP Left Half-Plane LHP Lead Hollowpoint (bullet) LHP Living History Project LHP Landslide Hazard Program ; Tommy Lansdon, So. IF; Michael Metzger, Fr., OF; Eric Taylor, So., IF. Key returnees: Hector Ambriz, So., RHP rhp abbr. rated horsepower ; Chris Denove, Jr., C; Brett McMillan, Jr., 1B; Jarrad Page Jarrad Page (born October 19, 1984) was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 7th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played for UCLA in his collegiate career. Before attending UCLA, Page grew up in San Leandro, California, attending San Leandro High School, where Page was the top , So., OF. Why they'll win: Baseball America calls Denove the conference's best defensive catcher and he's no slouch slouch v. slouched, slouch·ing, slouch·es v.intr. 1. To sit, stand, or walk with an awkward, drooping, excessively relaxed posture. 2. To droop or hang carelessly, as a hat. v. at the plate either. The third-year starter has a .302 career average and tied for the team lead in RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in (47) last season, when he also ranked second in home runs (eight). The athletic Page, who is a safety on the football team, should be another bright spot as he shows off his speed and power while trying to cut down on strikeouts. Why they won't: There are several holes to fill and little experience together after a school-record 10 players from last season's team turned pro. The pitching staff was particularly hard hit with all three weekend starters being drafted. If healthy, Ambriz has the potential to be an ace, but he is recovering from a shoulder injury that caused him to redshirt last season. Another factor in the Pac-10 coaches picking the Bruins to finish eighth out of nine teams is an offense in which Denove is the lone returnee re·turn·ee n. 1. One who returns, as from a journey or to school after a long absence. 2. A person returning from military duty overseas. See Usage Note at -ee1. with more than five starts last season who batted better .255. CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge Conference: Big West Coach: Steve Rousey, third season 2004: 19-38 (5-16, tied for seventh place) Key newcomers: Bobby Paschal, Jr., LHP; Eric Sweeney, Fr.,RHP; Jeff Tezak, Fr., IF; Paul Wilson, Jr., U. Key returnees: Johnny Coit, So., OF; Michael Paulk, Jr., 1B/OF; Alberto Quintana, Sr., 3B/C B/C Because B/C Broadcast B/C Boundary Conditions B/C Biological & Chemical ; Ray Ravago, So., SS; John Voita, Sr., OF. Why they'll win: These guys can hit. Most of the players who accounted for last season's conference-best 60 home runs are back, and seven of the projected starters batted better than .300 last season. Paulk, who batted .356 with a team-high 17 home runs and 59 RBI last year, is a preseason All-American and on the watch list for the national Player of the Year Wallace Award. Coit, Quintana and Voita also are all-conference honorees. Why they won't: The Matadors have lost 80 games the past two seasons. Avoiding a repeat of 2004's last-place finish requires contending in a conference where half of the eight teams, led by World Series champion Cal State Fullerton, earned postseason berths. Pitching was the biggest trouble spot last year - CSUN had a conference-worst 6.98 staff ERA - and this season's staff features many of the same arms while losing last year's only member with a winning record. PEPPERDINE Conference: West Coast Conference Coach: Steve Rodriguez, second season 2004: 30-32 (19-11, first place West Division, WCC WCC n abbr (= World Council of Churches) → COE m (Conseil œcuménique des Églises) WCC n abbr (= World Council of Churches) → Weltkirchenrat m champion) Key newcomers: Donald Brown, Fr., OF; Jason Dominguez, Fr., OF/RHP; Barry Enright, Fr., RHP; Adam Olbrychowski, Fr., RHP; Adrian Ortiz, Fr. OF; Drew Saberhagen, Fr., 1B/LHP. Key returnees: Steve Kleen, Sr., 1B/RHP; Kea Kometani, Sr., RHP; Chad Tracy, So., C; Luke Salas, So., OF; David Uribes, Jr., 2B. Why they'll win: When the young Waves hit their stride last season they could play with the best - in the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Regionals they upset top-seeded Arizona State and forced eventual World Series champion Cal State Fullerton to an elimination round - and they look to play at that level on a more consistent basis now that they have experience on their side. The 22 returnees, including seven starters, are joined by a recruiting class which Collegiate Baseball ranked seventh in the nation. Ortiz, a speedster speed·ster n. 1. One who drives very fast. 2. A fast car. out of Puerto Rico, was rated by Baseball America as the fastest high school prospect in last year's draft. He is expected to make an immediate impact as the starting center fielder. He'll be surrounded by all-conference honorees in Kleen, Salas, Tracy, Uribes and Kometani. Why they won't: A lack of pitching depth was painfully evident last season when the Waves were outscored a combined 31-4 in two losses on the final day of the Regionals. Several promising arms have been added, but they are unproven against college hitters and won't have last year's ace Jacob Barrack BARRACK. By this term, as used in Pennsylvania, is understood an erection of upright posts supporting a sliding roof, usually of thatch. 5 Whart. R. 429. USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. Conference: Pacific-10 Conference Coach: Mike Gillespie, 19th season 2004: 24-32 (10-14, tied for sixth place) Key newcomers: Matt Cusick, Fr., IF; Lucas Duda, Fr., RHP/1B; Zack Kalter, Jr., RHP/OF; Jack Spradlin, Jr., LHP. Key returnees: Brett Bannister, Jr., RHP; Jeff Clement, Jr., C; Baron Frost, Jr., OF/C; Billy Hart, Jr., 3B; Ian Kennedy, So., RHP; Daniel Perales, So., OF; Blake Sharpe, Jr., SS. Why they'll win: Unlike a year ago, the Trojans are healthy. Bannister is back after two injured seasons on the sidelines On the sidelines An investor who decides not to invest due to market uncertainty. on the sidelines Of or relating to investors who, having assessed the market, have decided to avoid committing their funds. and joins a rotation anchored by freshman All-American Kennedy, who posted a conference-best 2.91 ERA last season. Kennedy and his Team USA teammate Clement form one of the nation's top batteries. Why they won't: Despite plenty of talent, the Trojans have not had a winning season the past two years, and Pac-10 coaches anticipate the struggles continuing as they picked USC to finish fifth. Finding pitching depth and solidifying a defense that committed 96 errors in 56 games last season will be pivotal if the Trojans want to avoid becoming just the fifth team in Gillespie's 19-year career - but potentially the third in a row - not to qualify for the postseason. LMU LMU Ludwig Maximilians Universität (München) LMU Loyola Marymount University LMU Leeds Metropolitan University (UK) LMU Lincoln Memorial University LMU Location Measurement Unit Conference: West Coast Conference Coach: Frank Cruz, ninth year 2004: 32-22-1 (20-7, first place Coast Division) Key newcomers: Andy Beal, Fr., RHP/OF; Eric Farris, Fr., IF; Jason Lefkowitz, Jr., IF; Brad Meyers, Fr., RHP. Key returnees: James Cooper, Jr., OF; Joe Frazee, Sr., OF; Kyle Huddy, Jr., RHP; Stephen Kahn, Jr., RHP; Kyle Mura, Jr., 3B; Jonathan Oller, Sr., U; Jeff Stevens, Jr., RHP. Why they'll win: Kahn earned WCC Pitcher of the Year honors last season, then pitched well enough in the summer with Team USA that he is being hailed as a potential first-round draft pick. Kahn, a preseason All- American, is joined in the rotation by fellow All-WCC pick Stevens, and Huddy, who posted a team-best 3.81 ERA in 2003 but redshirted last season because of injury. The staff also has depth in arms such as Meyers, who was a 14th-round draft pick of the New York Mets
FISU Fill-In Signal Unit FISU Foundation for International Spiritual Unfoldment World University Championships in Taiwan. Cruz was recently selected International Coach of the Year by the International Baseball Federation. WCC coaches picked the Lions to edge Pepperdine and San Diego for the conference title. Why they won't: The departure of all-conference veterans Jonathan Higashi (C), Billy Lockin (SS) and Clint McGill (2B/RHP), two of whom turned pro, leave the Lions looking to youth to fill a big void up the middle and in the offense. Oller, who started at first base last season, attempts to replace Higashi behind the plate by starting at his third position in three years. MUST-SEE MATCHUPS Tulane at Pepperdine, Feb. 25-27: The No. 1 team in Baseball America's preseason poll is one of seven nationally-ranked teams Pepperdine faces before beginning defense of its WCC title. USC at Public Storage Classic, Mar. 11-13: UC Irvine, Wichita State and Texas Tech come to Dededaux Field, where they join the Trojans in the event featuring three nationally ranked teams. UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX at USC, Apr. 8-10: The crosstown rivalry further intensifies when first-year Bruins coach John Savage returns to the school where he coached three Pac-10 pitchers of the year. Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Northridge, Apr. 8-10: The Matadors' first Big West home series should be one of the toughest as CSUN faces the defending World Series champions. Cal State Fullerton at Pepperdine, Apr. 19: These teams met three times in last year's NCAA Regionals, but Fullerton's two lopsided victories on the final day left Pepperdine hungry for another chance to prove itself. Loyola Marymount at Pepperdine, Apr. 29-May 1: The matchup is a rematch of last season's WCC championship series and could be a preview of this year's as both teams are favored to win their division. Stanford at USC, May 27-29: USC hopes to be in playoff contention when it finishes the regular season against two-time defending Pac-10 champion and preseason favorite Stanford, which is ranked sixth in national preseason polls. - Heather Gripp CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: Brett McMillan, Jr. Box: (1) NUMBER GAME (2) LOCALS IN DIVISION I |
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