Crosstown rivalries headline packed week of Pac-12 baseball

COMPLETE RELEASE

PREVIEWING THE WEEK:
No. 1 UCLA leads a strong Pac-12 baseball field that boasts four teams ranked in the top 10, tied for the most nationally, including two in the top three along with No. 3 Stanford. The week ahead features a pair of rivalry series between Arizona and No. 9 Arizona State as well as USC hosting the top-ranked Bruins. Pac-12 Networks is set to broadcast 10 games this week, including both three-game tilts.  

Some of the hottest bats in the country this will ping in the desert this week. The Wildcats’ and Sun Devils’ offenses have been exceptionally productive. Arizona ranks third in the country in runs (231) and on base percentage (0.428) while Arizona State ranks second in batting average (0.344) and slugging percentage (0.557).

Another series to watch for this week is a rematch of an elimination game from last year’s NCAA College World Series where Oregon State knocked out Washington. Both CWS trips were historic for these programs, as Washington reached the CWS for the first time in program history and OSU went on to claim its third all-time NCAA title. With Washington’s first program appearance in the 2018 CWS, all 11 Pac-12 programs have now reached the College World Series. The only other league to have all of their baseball programs reach the CWS is the SEC. The Huskies look to avenge that defeat as they host the No. 7-ranked Beavers with the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games broadcast on Pac-12 Networks.

WEEKLY RECAP:
Last Saturday’s Conference games provided all the thrills, as three games featured extra-inning walk-offs, courtesy of Oregon’s Evan Williams, Stanford’s Kyle Stowers and Washington’s Braiden Ward. All five Pac-12 matchups on Saturday were decided by two runs or less.

Oregon snapped ASU’s season opening win streak of 21 games with a walk-off home run from Williams in the 12th inning for a 5-4 Ducks’ victory. The Sun Devils went on to clinch the three-game tilt and are one of only two teams in the country with just one loss (N.C. State). ASU was the lone remaining undefeated team in the country entering Saturday night. The Sun Devils’ 21 consecutive wins to open 2019 are tied with the 1961 team for the second-best start in program history.

Oregon has made of habit of playing close games with 14 of its 22 games decided by one or two runs. In the one-run games, UO is 8-3 with a three walk-off wins and another ninth inning come-from-behind road win.

Washington needed two extra-inning walk-off hits to sweep USC in its Pac-12 opening series, as the Huskies have now clinched seven-straight Conference series dating back to April 29, 2018.  

IN THE RANKINGS:
Four Pac-12 teams are ranked in the top 10 in the latest USA Today Coaches poll, including the two of the top three spots. After ASU entered the top 10 last week, it marked the first time four Conference teams were ranked in the top 10 since the 2013 preseason coaches poll. UCLA held on to its No. 1 spot, Stanford is No. 3, Oregon State is No. 7 and Arizona State moves up a spot to No. 9. Also receiving votes are Oregon and Washington. The Bruins, Beavers, Cardinal and Sun Devils rank in the top 15 in all five national polls.

Nine of 11 Pac-12 programs rank in the top 100 in the NCAA RPI rankings. Oregon State tops the RPI list, with UCLA right behind at second, followed by Stanford at seventh. Oregon and Arizona State rank 11th and 12th, respectively.

BY THE NUMBERS:
Pac-12 pitchers have brought the heat this season as five teams rank in the top 15 in ERA, the most teams of any other conference to rank in the top 15 in that category. Stanford has the best ERA in the nation at 2.43. UCLA’s pitching staff has an ERA of 2.53, which is good for third-best. Arizona State is ninth-best at 2.68, Washington comes in at 13th with a 2.79 ERA and Oregon State is right behind ranking 14th with an average of 2.88.

Individually, Pac-12 pitchers have also been racking up the victories. ASU’s Alec Marsh is tied for the most wins in the country this season with six in just seven appearances. Marsh’s teammate RJ Dabovich and Oregon State’s Brandon Eisert are tied for fifth with three wins apiece. Also of note is OSU’s right-hander Bryce Fehmel, who is the active career leader in Division I with 30 victories. The Pac-12 career mark of 47 wins was set by Arizona State’s Kendall Carter (1981-84).

The league’s top hitters have found ways to get on base this year at exceptionally high rates. Four student-athletes rank among the top 15 in on base percentage. OSU’s Adley Rutschman has the second-best average (0.588) and Washington’s Nick Kahle has the fourth-best (0.575). Hunter Bishop of ASU ranks ninth at 0.545 and Cal’s Andrew Vaughn is 11th at 0.544.

STAR POWER:
ASU’s Hunter Bishop has been on an absolute tear, winning his second Pac-12 Player of the Week award this season. The national home run leader homered four times in four games last week to extend his lead to 14. He also claims the best slugging percentage in the country at an impressive 1.034, the third-most runs (36) and seventh-most RBI (36).

UCLA’s Ryan Garcia picked up his first-career Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honor after allowing just one hit and retiring 21 of the final 22 batters he faced, including 11 straight to end his outing, in a 3-1 win over Arizona. The junior boasts a 1.20 ERA over 15.0 innings with 19 strikeouts on the year.

NCBWA Stopper of the Year candidate OSU’s Brandon Eisert has been one of the most impressive relievers on the mound. In a conference with some of the strongest pitching staffs in the country, the junior southpaw boasts the best ERA in the Pac-12 (0.38) and the second-best opposing batting average (0.148) while claiming five victories. Through eight appearances, he has allowed just one earned run, 12 hits, three walks and has yet to give up a home run.

PRESEASON NODS:
The Pac-12 has 20 total preseason All-America selections from seven different schools. Six student-athletes were named to all five preseason All-America lists and 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner Cal’s Andrew Vaughn, 2018 CWS Most Outstanding Player OSU’s Adley Rutschman and All-Pac-12 selection UCLA’s Chase Strumpf were named to the first team by five national outlets. Rutschman was also tabbed the Projected Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. Baseball America highlighted several league student-athletes as All-American Best Tools with Vaughn earning best hitter, Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson selected as the best power hitter and Rutschman tabbed as the best defensive catcher.

GOLDEN SPIKES:
The Pac-12 is home to eight Golden Spikes Award winners after Andrew Vaughn claimed the award last season, tying the ACC and SEC for most of any conference. This year, ten student-athletes from seven different league schools were named to the preseason Watch List, including Vaughn. He is just one of four Golden Spikes Award recipients all-time to return to school after winning the award. Oregon State, UCLA and Stanford each boast a pair of student-athletes on the prestigious list. The preseason watch list features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players. The 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation on June 14, 2019.

STOPPER OF THE YEAR:
The Pac-12 has seven student-athletes from five different Pac-12 schools on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, the second-most selections of any conference. Stanford’s Jack Little is featured on the list after being named a finalist for the 2018 season. The NCBWA presents the Stopper of the Year Award to the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball for the 15th straight year at the College World Series on Saturday, June 15. 2019.

---

2019 PAC-12 BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Feb. 19	Spencer Torkelson, Arizona State	Bryce Fehmel, Oregon State
Feb. 26	Andrew Vaughn, California	Brandon White, Washington State
March 5	Braiden Ward, Washington	Josh Burgmann, Washington
March 12	Hunter Bishop, Arizona State	Erik Miller, Stanford
March 19	Adley Rutschman, Oregon State	Zach Pettway, UCLA
March 25	Hunter Bishop, Arizona State	Ryan Garcia, UCLA

---

NATIONAL HONORS 

Senior CLASS Award Candidate
Bryce Fehmel, P, OSU

College Sports Madness National Baseball Players of the Week:
Feb. 18 - Ryan Holgate, OF, ARIZ (Field Player)

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List:
Kevin Abel, RHP, OSU
Jack Little, RHP, STAB
Nick Quintana, IF, ARIZ
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU
Kyle Stowers, OF, STAN
Chase Strumpf, IF, UCLA
Michael Toglia, IF, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, IF, ASU
Andrew Vaughn, IF, CAL
Kenyon Yovan, RHP, ORE

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List: 
Brandon Eisert, Jr., OSU
Jack Little, Jr., STAN
Connor Lunn, Jr., USC
Jake Mulholland, Jr., OSU
Ryne Nelson, Jr., ORE
Jacob Palisch, So., STAN
Holden Powell, So., UCLA

Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans:
First Team 
Kevin Abel, RHP, OSU
Jack Little, RHP, STAN
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, CAL
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA
Second Team
Bryce Fehmel, RHP, OSU
Kenyon Yovan, RHP, ORE
Jeremy Ydens, OF, UCLA
Third Team
Brendan Beck, RHP, STAN
Jake Mulholland, LHP, OSU
Nic Kahle, C, WASH
Michael Toglia, 1B, UCLA
Nick Quintana, 3B, ARIZ

Collegiate Baseball Projected  Player of the Year:
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU

D1Baseball.com Preseason All-Americans:
First Team
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, CAL
Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, DH, ASU
Kevin Abel, SP, OSU
Jack Little, RP, STAN
Second Team
Michael Toglia, 1B, UCLA
Cameron Cannon, 2B, ARIZ
Kenyon Yovan, SP, ORE
Third Team
Nick Quintana, 3B, ARIZ
Brandon Eisert, RP, OSU

Perfect Game Preseason All-Americans:
First Team
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, CAL
Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Kevin Abel, SP, OSU
Jack Little, RP, STAN
Second Team
Bryce Fehmel, SP, OSU
Third Team 
Michael Toglia, 1B, UCLA
Nick Quintana, 3B, ARIZ
Jake Mulholland, RP, OSU 

Baseball America Preseason All-Americans:
First Team
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, CAL
Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA
Kyle Stowers, OF, STAN
Second Team
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Erik Miller, SP, STAN
Jack Little, RP, STAN
Third Team
Nick Quintana, 3B, ARIZ
Ryne Nelson, SP, ORE

Baseball America Preseason All-American Best Tools:
Best Hitter
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, CAL
Best Power
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Best Defensive Catcher
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU

NCBWA Preseason All-Americans:
First Team 
Adley Rutschman, C, OSU
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, CAL
Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Kevin Abel, SP, OSU
Bryce Fehmel, SP, OSU
Jack Little, RP, STAN
Jake Mulholland, RP, OSU
Second Team
Nick Quintana, 3B, ARIZ
Joe Wainhouse, DH, WASH
Third Team
Michael Toglia, 1B, UCLA
Kenyon Yovan, UT, ORE
Brendan Beck, SP, STAN
Brandon Eisert, RP, OSU