SAN RAMON – Defending West Region Champion Cal Poly Pomona was unanimously selected to finish as the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s top baseball team in 2016, following a poll of the league coaches, it was announced Thursday.
With the addition of Cal State San Marcos, this season’s schedule has changed its format and with the expansion to 12 teams the CCAA has split into two divisions. All teams will now play a four-game series against teams within the same division and a three-game series against all teams outside of the division.
In addition, the Conference's post-season tournament, which will return to Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton for the third time in four years, has also changed its format, expanding the field six teams. The top three teams in the each division, following regular-season play, will earn a bid to post-season play.
The reigning CCAA Regular-Season and Conference Champion Broncos were tabbed to win the South Division with a whopping 61 points and 11 first-place coaches’ votes. UC San Diego was picked second with 51 points. Cal State LA was third with 35 points, while Cal State Dominguez Hills (30), Cal State San Marcos (23), and Cal State San Bernardino (16), respectively, rounded out the division.
In the North, the votes were much tighter, with Chico State edging Cal State Monterey Bay and Sonoma State as the Division’s standings leader with 52 points. The Otters, who were the only other team to garner a first-place coaches’ vote, tied with the Seawolves for second with 47 points. Stanislaus State was picked to finish fourth in the North, followed by closely by Cal State East Bay with 26 points. San Francisco State was sixth with 17 points.
CPP is coming off of a stellar season, which included records of 46-17, and 28-12 in CCAA play. The Broncos played deep into June and fell just shy of the programs fourth national title with its 9-6 loss to Catawba in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II World Series. Despite the loss of many key players — starting pitcher Cody Ponce, starting pitcher Chris Powell, catcher Christian Kelley and outfielder Kyle Garlick — head coach Randy Betten still has many familiar faces to call upon to lead this year’s team.
The Broncos bring back six of the team’s top hitters from last year’s lineup, including seniors — Ryan Webberley, Nick Bruno, Michael Erb, Caleb Romo, and Michael Zidek . Top returning arms are CCAA Newcomer of the Year and All-America selection Ryan Olson, senior Max Bethell, and junior Michael Koval. Olson was outstanding in his first year with with CCAA, going 12-0 and posting a Conference-leading 1.73 ERA. Last season, he led his team with 92 strikeouts in 88.2 innings and allowed just six extra base hits.
Chico State is expected to return to the top of the CCAA standings, after experiencing its first losing season at the helm of head coach Dave Taylor. The Wildcats, who finished 18-25 overall and 17-23 in Conference play, bid farewell to all-but-five starters. Clayton Gelfand will highlight the teams overall efforts after finishing 3-3 in nine starts and hitting .309 in 2015. Assisting Gelfand offensively is expected to be second baseman Andrew Carillo, who last season led his team with a .325 average and 17 RBI.
Two CCAA teams have been named in the Collegiate Baseball’s Preseason Poll. Cal Poly Pomona debuts at No. 10 and UC San Diego at No. 26.
2016 play is slated to begin this Friday, Jan. 29 with Cal State Monterey Bay and Stanislaus State opening the season with non-Conference doubleheaders against Holy Names and Williams Jessup, respectively. CCAA play will begin on Saturday, Jan. 30.
California Collegiate Athletic Association
2016 Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| NORTH |
|
|
| Rank |
Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Chico State |
52 |
| t-2. |
Cal State Monterey Bay (1) |
47 |
| t-2. |
Sonoma State |
47 |
| 4. |
Stanislaus State |
27 |
| 5. |
Cal State East Bay |
26 |
| 6. |
San Francisco State |
17 |
|
|
|
| SOUTH |
|
|
| Rank |
Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Cal Poly Pomona (11) |
61 |
| 2. |
UC San Diego |
51 |
| 3. |
Cal State LA |
35 |
| 4. |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
30 |
| 5. |
Cal State San Marcos |
23 |
| 6. |
Cal State San Bernardino |
16 |