Ranked matchups highlight week two of Pac-12 Baseball

COMPLETE RELEASE

PREVIEWING THE WEEK:
Two top-25 matchups highlight the coming week for Pac-12 Baseball. No. 25 OREGON STATE is on the road for the second week in a row for its series opener at No. 6 Mississippi State. No. 15 STANFORD travels to Texas to compete in the Round Rock Classic this week. The Cardinal have a challenge ahead as they face third-ranked Texas Tech, along with Houston and Tennessee in Round Rock Texas. ARIZONA and USC will take a trip to San Diego where both teams will compete in the fourth-annual Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament.

NOTABLES:
• After one weekend of play, No. 8 UCLA remains the only Conference team unbeaten this season, holding a perfect 4-0 record. The Bruins completed a season-opening sweep of UC Riverside on Sunday afternoon with an 8-0 shutout win, securing a sweep in their first series for the third consecutive season and sixth time overall in the John Savage era (since 2005).
• The Wildcats look to build off a strong offensive start as they currently have the fourth most doubles in the nation (16) . Arizona’s Austin Wells helped the Wildcats to a three-game series sweep of Albany last week, with four runs scored, four doubles, one home run and eight RBI.
• USC finished its first week in the top-10 nationally in batting average (.369), on-base percentage (.490), stolen bases per game (3.00), and scoring (11.7). The Trojans took two of three from Western Michigan (2-1) in its home opener in Los Angeles last week.

IN THE RANKINGS:
The USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll features four Pac-12 teams. 2019 Pac-12 Champion UCLA leads the way at No. 8, followed by Arizona State at No. 13, STANFORD at No. 15, and Oregon State at No. 25.The Bruins and Sun Devils are also in the top 12 of the Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball’s preseason polls. Arizona is receiving votes in the poll, while also earning  a No. 22 rank in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25, No. 26 in the NCBWA Top 40, and No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 40.

PRESEASON NODS:
The Pac-12 has nine total preseason All-America selections from three different schools. Four student-athletes were named to all five preseason All-America lists, including Arizona’s Austin Wells, Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson, and UCLA’s Holden Powell and Garrett Mitchell. Junior infielder Torkelson was selected first team for all five lists, and was also named the 2020 Collegiate Baseball Projected Player of the Year. Junior pitchers Erik Tolman of Arizona State and UCLA’s Powell were selected to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.

GOLDEN SPIKES:
The Pac-12 is home to nine Golden Spikes Award winners, leading all other conferences, after former Beaver Adley Rutschman claimed the league’s second-consecutive award last season. Six Pac-12 student-athletes were named to the 2020 Golden Spikes Award watch list, including consensus preseason all-americans Arizona catcher Austin Wells and Arizona State infielder Spencer Torkelson. The list is further highlighted by fellow Sun Devil infielders Alika Williams and Gage Workman, and UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell and right-handed pitcher Holden Powell. Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the nation with this award, given each year to the player who best exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship.

STOPPER OF THE YEAR:
The Pac-12 has two student-athletes on the 2020 NCBWA Preseason Watch List, including 2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year UCLA’s Holden Powell and sophomore Erik Tolman of Arizona State. The NCBWA presents the Stopper of the Year Award to the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball for the 16th straight year at the College World Series on Saturday, June 13, 2020.

MLB DRAFT
Seventy Pac-12 student-athletes were selected in the 2019 MLS Draft, including former Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles, giving the Conference an NCAA-best seven No. 1 overall draft-picks. For the eighth-straight year, all 11 league programs had at least one player drafted. Additionally, the Pac-12 averaged 6.36 student-athletes drafted per team, the best average of any conference. The Conference had three picks in the top 10 for the first time since 2006 with California’s Andrew Vaughn being selected with the third pick and Arizona State’s Hunter Bishop chosen with the 10th pick. UCLA’s 13 selections are tied for the most of any school in the nation. After UCLA, Stanford had the second-most picks in the Pac-12 with nine, followed by California, Oregon State and USC with seven selections apiece.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

PRESEASON NATIONAL HONORS 

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
Austin Wells, C,  ARIZ
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Holden Powell, RHP, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, IF,  ASU
Alika Williams, IF, ASU
Gage Workman, IF, ASU

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List: 
Holden Powell, Jr , UCLA
Erik Tolman, So., ASU

Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans
First Team 
Holden Powell, RHP, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, 1B,  ASU

Second Team
Jake Mulholland, LHP, OSU
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Garrett Mitchell, OF,  UCLA

Collegiate Baseball Projected Player of the Year
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU

D1Baseball.com Preseason All-Americans
First Team
Spencer Torkelson, DH, ASU
Alika Williams, SS, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Holden Powell, UCLA

Second Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ

Perfect Game Preseason All-Americans
First Team
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Holden Powell. RP, UCLA

Second Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Alika Williams, SS, ASU

Baseball America Preseason All-Americans
First Team
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, UCLA 

Second Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Gage Workman, 3B, ASU
Alika Williams, SS, ASU

NCBWA Preseason All-Americans
First Team 
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Matthew Dyer, DH, ARIZ
Holden Powell, RP, UCLA

Third Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Trevor Hauver, OF, ASU