Pac-12 Baseball Weekly Rundown - March 14, 2024

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LEADING OFF:  Week 2 of conference play gets going this weekend with OREGON STATE becoming the last Pac-12 school to play a conference game.  The Beavers are 15-1 on the season and riding a 10-game win streak, finding themselves in the Top 5 of every major poll including being ranked #1 by the NCBWA.  Travis Bazzana continues to lead an offense that is in the Top 25 in the country in runs per game, batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.  Mitch Canham's squad will visit a UTAH team that took 2 of 3 in Pullman last weekend.  The Utes have been blazing on the base paths this season, leading the Pac-12 with 26 stolen bases with Core Jackson and Kai Roberts tied for 2nd in the league with 6 each.

CALIFORNIA is the lone Pac-12 team to start 3-0 in conference play after a 3-game sweep of UCLA.  Freshman PJ Moutzouridis is 2nd in the Pac-12 with a .467 batting average and 17 RBI in 14 games.  A win over OREGON on Friday would make the Golden Bears 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2013.  The Ducks have won 5 of their last 7 games with 16 home runs in that span and Jacob Walsh has 4 home runs  and 11 RBI in his last 6 games.

ARIZONA and ARIZONA STATE continue their in-state rivalry in Tucson this weekend.  The Wildcats took 2 of 3 from the Trojans in Los Angeles last weekend and have been getting plenty of support from the bat of Mason White, who leads the Pac-12 in home runs (7) and RBI (24).  The Sun Devils have recorded double-digit strikeouts in 11 of their 16 games so far this season with Thomas Burns racking up 29 strikeouts in just 18.2 innings.

STANFORD has won 7 of their last 9 and is averaging over 11 strikeouts per 9 innings on the season.  The Cardinal have brought home Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks with Matt Scott & Christian Lim.  David Esquer's squad will host USC this weekend.  After going hitless in the season opener, Trojans catcher Jacob Galloway has at least 1 hit in the last 15 games he's played, boosting his average to .383, 9th best in the conference.

WASHINGTON STATE heads into the weekend coming off an 11-3 win at UC RIverside, already the 5th time this season the Cougars have put up 10 runs or more in a game.  Max Hartman drove in 6 runs for the Cougars in that game and leads the team with 17 RBI while topping the conference with 8 stolen bases.  WSU will stay in Southern California to face a UCLA team still looking for its first conference win on the year.  Despite their struggles, UCLA has struck out 10+ batters in a game 6 times this season.

WASHINGTON is the lone Pac-12 team playing out of conference this weekend as they visit #24 Texas.  The Huskies lead the conference with a 3.26 ERA and have allowed 4 runs or less in 3 straight games.  Washington has 4 pitchers in the Top 10 in the league in ERA, led by Isaac Yeager whose 2.70 mark is 3rd in the Pac-12.

Rankings

• USA Today Coaches:  #3 Oregon State   RV:  Oregon, UCLA, California

• Baseball America:  #4 Oregon State

• D1Baseball:  #3 Oregon State

• NCBWA:  #1 Oregon State   RV: California, Oregon, Utah

• Perfect Game:  #4 Oregon State, #25 California

RPI:  Through games of Wednesday, March 13, Oregon State is the highest rated Pac-12 team at #7 thanks to their 15-1 record.  The Pac-12 has 6 teams in the top 75, with Utah the 2nd highest ranked squad at #24.  

NATIONAL AWARDS:

• Perfect Game National Players of the Week

  • Feb. 20 - INF Travis Bazzana, Oregon State (co-winner)

BEAVERS EARLY FAVORITES:  Oregon State, who has finished 2nd in the regular season standings each of the last 2 seasons, was picked by the Pac-12 coaches as the favorite to win the conference.  The Beavers received 8 of the 11 first place votes and are looking for its first Pac-12 title since 2017.  Stanford, who’s won the last 2 regular season titles, was 2nd and had 2 first place votes while UCLA was picked 3rd and received the other first place vote.

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM:  For the 2nd straight year, the conference released a Preseason All-Conference team as voted on by the league’s 11 coaches.  Oregon State, Arizona State and California all led the league with 5 selections each. The 33-person team featured 18 players that earned Pac-12 honors last spring including 8 all-conference selections highlighted by preseason All-Americans Travis Bazzana (Oregon State), Malcolm Moore (Stanford), Austin Overn (USC), Duce Gourson (UCLA) and Micah Ashman (Utah).

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS

D1 Baseball

• 1st Team - 2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• 3rd Team - OF Austin Overn (USC)

Baseball America

• 1st Team - C Malcolm Moore (Stanford)

• 2nd Team - C Caleb Lomavita (California), 2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• 3rd Team - 2B Duce Gourson (UCLA), SP Matt Scott (Stanford)

NCBWA

• 1st Team - 2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• 2nd Team - RP Austin Anderson (Oregon)

• 3rd Team - RP Micah Ashman (Utah)

Perfect Game

• 1st Team - INF Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• 2nd Team - 2B Duce Gourson (UCLA), DH Malcolm Moore (Stanford)

PRESEASON AWARD WATCH LISTS

Golden Spikes Award

• INF Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• OF Rodney Green Jr. (California)

• C Caleb Lomavita (California)

• C Malcolm Moore (Stanford)

Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger

• Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• Emilio Corona (Arizona)

• Elijah Hainline (Oregon State)

• Malcolm Moore (Stanford)

• Bennett Thompson (Oregon)

• Jacob Walsh (Oregon)

• Mason White (Arizona)

NCBWA Stopper of the Year

• Austin Anderson (Oregon)

• Micah Ashman (Utah)

• Josh Emanuels (Washington)

• Chase Grillo (Washington State)

• Rashad Ruff (UCLA)

D1BASEBALL PRESEASON POSITIONAL PLAYER RANKINGS

Catchers (Top 50)

• #6 Malcolm Moore (Stanford)

• #7 Caleb Lomavita (California)

• #10 Ryan Campos (Arizona State)

• #49 Bennett Thompson (Oregon)

First Basemen (Top 50)

• #15 Mason Guerra (Oregon State)

• #44 Jacob Tobias (Arizona State)

• #50 Jacob Walsh (Oregon)

Second Basemen (Top 50)

• #1 Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• #4 Duce Gourson (UCLA)

• #45 Owen Cobb (Stanford)

Shortstops (Top 50)

• #8 Cam Clayton (Washington)

• #12 Cody Schrier (UCLA)

• #16 Elijah Hainline (Oregon State)

• #17 Mason White (Arizona)

• #50 Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (USC)

Third Baseman (Top 50)

• #15 Trent Caraway (Oregon State)

• #18 Drew Smith (Oregon)

• #46 Nu’u Contrades (Arizona State)

Outfielders (Top 100)

• #8 Austin Overn (USC)

• #19 Rodney Green Jr. (California)

• #20 Gavin Turley (Oregon State)

• #22 TJ Clarkson (Utah)

• #29 AJ Guerrero (Washington)

• #32 Justin Cassella (Oregon)

• #78 Micah McDowell (Oregon State)

• #86 Brady Kasper (Oregon)

• #88 Harris Williams (Arizona State)

Starting Pitchers (Top 150)

• #36 Aiden May (Oregon State)

• #39 Matt Scott (Stanford)

• #47 Caden Aoki (USC)

• #79 Ian May (California)

• #91 Luke Jewett (UCLA)

• #106 Jacob Kmatz (Oregon State)

• #128 Jackson Kent (Arizona)

• #133 Nick Dugan (Stanford)

• #144 Grant Taylor (Washington State)

• #145 Tyler Stromsborg (USC)

Relief Pitchers (Top 50)

• #41 Micah Ashman (Utah)

• #45 Cody Delvecchio (UCLA)

• #48 Josh Blum (USC)

Impact Transfers (Top 130)

• #15 RHP Aiden May (Oregon State via Arizona)

• #24 INF Elijah Hainline (Oregon State via Washington State)

• #60 OF Justin Cassella (Oregon via Elon)

• #99 RHP Kassius Thomas (Stanford via Duke)

• #117 RHP Xavier Martinez (USC via Cal State Northridge)

• #119 OF Jeffery Heard (Oregon via Sacramento State)

BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON LISTS

• Best Pure Hitter - #2 Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

• Fastest Runner -  #2 Austin Overn (USC)

• Best Defensive Outfielder - #3 Austin Overn (USC)

• Best Outfield Arm - #3 Nick McLain (Arizona State)

• Closest to the Majors - #3 Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

FIELD OF 64 PRESEASON PROJECTIONS:

Baseball America:  Oregon State (1 seed), Stanford (2 seed), UCLA (2 seed), Oregon (3 seed), USC (3 seed), Arizona State (First Four Out)

D1Baseball:  Oregon State (1 seed), Stanford (2 seed), Arizona State (3 seed), Oregon (3 seed), UCLA (3 seed), USC (3 seed)

MADE IN AMERICA:  3 current Pac-12 players made the 2023 Collegiate National Team Roster that went 7-3 this summer, sweeping 5 games with Taiwan and going 3-2 against Japan. The Pac-12 was represented by INF Duce Gourson (UCLA), OF Rodney Green Jr. (Cal), and C Malcolm Moore (Stanford).  Former Stanford OF/P Braden Montgomery was also on the team prior to his transfer in August.

2024 PAC-12 BASEBALL TOURNAMENT: Once again, the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament returns to Scottsdale Stadium May 21-25, 2024 for year 3 at the Spring Training home of the San Francisco Giants. The tournament will once again feature pool play, with the top 9 teams in the Conference standings will earn berths to the tournament. The teams will be split into three pools based on their regular season finish with the top team from each pool advancing to the semifinals. The fourth semifinal spot will be determined by the top record of the non-advancing teams, with any tiebreakers going to the higher seed.  

The champion will receive the Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

ON DECK (Full Schedule) 

2024 CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings) 

2024 PAC-12 WEEKLY AWARDS