Tritons Earn Top Spot in National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association Preseason Poll
| Jan. 31, 2011
Returning All-American Tim Shibuya set a UCSD single season record with 13 wins in 2010.
The UC San Diego baseball team, after breaking a school record with 54 wins and advancing to the national championship game in 2010, unanimously earned the No. 1 spot in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) West Region Preseason Poll released Thursday. In addition, seven Tritons were named to the NCBWA's Preseason All-West Region First Team.
The preseason accolades are rolling in on a regular basis. On Wednesday, UCSD was the unanimous choice of California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) coaches to repeat as the league's regular season and tournament champion. In December, the Tritons were featured at No. 2 nationally in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Preseason Poll and No. 1 in the College Baseball Lineup Preseason Top 30 Poll.
On Feb. 3, NCBWA officials will announce the national top 25 as well as the preseason All-America teams.
Coming in at No. 2 in the NCBWA West Region Top 10 is Chico State, a team that finished 35-20 last season. Featured in the third spot is Cal State Dominguez Hills, a program that finished second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2010 with a 27-13 conference mark. The Sea Warriors of Hawai'i Pacific, after losing to UCSD in the West Region title game last season, return in 2011 to take the fourth position in the NCBWA preseason rankings. Cal State San Bernardino rounds out the top five.
Of the seven Tritons on the NCBWA Preseason All-West Region First Team, two of them —- Aaron Bauman and Tim Shibuya —- were unanimous selections. Both were All-Americans in 2010, Bauman as an outfielder, Shibuya as a right-handed starting pitcher. Bauman batted .413 to go along with an on-base percentage of .553 and a slugging percentage of .637, while Shibuya racked up a school record 13 wins as the Tritons' staff ace in 2010.
Also named to the NCBWA Preseason All-West Region First Team were utility player Evan Kehoe, starting pitcher Guido Knudson, catcher Kellen Lee, outfielder Kyle Saul and relief pitcher Daniel Simmons. Lee and Saul were tabbed All-Americans last season.
On Saturday, history was made as the team played its first-ever night game at Triton Ballpark.
NCBWA DIVISION II WEST REGION PRESEASON POLL (2010 records shown)
1. UC San Diego (7 first-place votes; 54-8; 70 points)
2. Chico State (35-20; 53 points)
3. Cal State Dominguez Hills (41-20; 51 points)
4. Hawaii Pacific (39-12; 46 points)
5. Cal State San Bernardino (29-17; 43 points)
6. Western Oregon (34-15; 41 points)
7. Cal State Stanislaus (23-26; 29 points)
8. Dixie State (31-19; 20 points)
t-9. Grand Canyon (28-24; 10 points)
t-9. Sonoma State (24-28; 10 points)
Others receiving votes: Northwest Nazarene (29-20; 6 points), Cal Poly Pomona (26-27; 3 points), Cal State L.A. (18-31; 2 points), San Francisco State (22-32; 1 point)
NCBWA DIVISION II PRESEASON ALL-WEST REGION FIRST TEAM
Catcher: Kellen Lee, SR, UC San Diego
First Baseman: Kale Sumner, SO, Hawaii Pacific
Second Baseman: Carlos Leyva, SR, Cal State Dominguez Hills
Third Baseman: Abel Medina, SR, Cal State Dominguez Hills
Shortstop: Alex Todd, SR, Sonoma State
Utility Player: Evan Kehoe, SR, UC San Diego
Outfielders: Aaron Bauman, SR, UC San Diego; Kevin Pillar, SR, Cal State Dominguez Hills; Kyle Saul, SR, UC San Diego
Starting Pitchers: Guido Knudson, SR, UC San Diego; Tim Shibuya, SR, UC San Diego; Michael Ward, SR, Western Oregon
Relief Pitchers: Leonardo Giammanco, SR, Cal State Stanislaus; Daniel Simmons, SR, UC San Diego
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