Cal State Monterey Bay has been voted the favorite in the CCAA preseason coaches poll. The Otters collected 116 points and seven first-place votes to edge out Cal Poly Pomona by seven points.
 
The Broncos earned 109 points and three first-place votes. Chico State finished third with 102 points and the remaining first-place vote. Cal State Dominguez Hills (85 points) and Cal State San Bernardino (69) rounded out the top 5.

 

2023 CCAA Baseball Preseason Poll
Cal State Monterey Bay (7)	116
Cal Poly Pomona (3)	109
Chico State (1)	102
Cal State Dominguez Hills	85
Cal State San Bernardino	69
Cal State East Bay	58
Sonoma State	54
Cal State LA	52
San Francisco State	31
Stanislaus State	29
Cal State San Marcos	21
first-place votes in parenthesis

Cal State Monterey Bay returns a multitude of letterwinners to a team that went 38-17 in 2022 and captured the CCAA regular-season title at 31-9. CCAA Most Valuable Player Brady Miguel (.395 avg, 63 runs, 46 RBI, 17 SB) returns at shortstop to lead the Otters at the plate and in the field. Cal State Monterey Bay's greatest strength last year was its pitching, as it led the CCAA in earned run average by over a half-run per game (4.25). They will return arms throughout the staff, including starter Ryan Platero (5-2, 4.42 ERA) and All-CCAA closer Chris Tonna (2.72 ERA, five saves).
 
Cal Poly Pomona finished second in the regular season standings before sweeping through the CCAA Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Regional. The Broncos finished 35-19 in 2022, including a 23-6 mark at home. CPP will have to replace 2022 CCAA Pitcher of the Year Will Rudy in the rotation, but they know who will be behind the plate with the return of All-CCAA first-team catcher Johnny Pappas. He hit .308 in 2022 with 18 doubles, 38 RBI, and a .442 on-base percentage. Fellow All-CCAA selection Jacob Lopez (.337) will be the Broncos' top returning hitter.
 
Chico State was in the race for the CCAA regular-season title until their final series against the Otters. The Wildcats finished the season at 34-15, posting winning records at home (19-8) and on the road (15-7). Chico State tied for the league lead with three returning all-conference selections. Jeffrey Ray (2B), Jacob Jablonski (3B), and Kyle Dobson (OF) will all be back in a lineup that paced the CCAA last season in team batting average (.344) and runs per game (9.37).
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills was the last team to qualify for the CCAA Tournament, but their bats came alive in the postseason to propel them into the championship game. Tournament MVP Scott Ogrin led the CCAA last season with 24 home runs and a 1.174 OPS. He returns along with CCAA Newcomer of the Year Eric Smelko and three of their other top 5 hitters from last season.
 
Cal State San Bernardino matched Chico State with three returning All-CCAA selections. The Yotes will bring back second-team selection Austyn Coleman (6-5, 4.16 ERA) on the mound along with his batterymate Jake Borst (.304, 12 HR, 38 RBI). CSUSB will also return All-CCAA second baseman Deshawn Johnson (.343, 38 runs, 13 SB) along with six other regulars in the lineup that came up just one game short of playing for the CCAA Tournament Championship.
 
Voting for the sixth spot in the poll was very close, with three teams finishing within six points. Cal State East Bay finished on top of this group collecting 58 points to place just ahead of Sonoma State (54) and Cal State LA (52).
 
Cal State East Bay finished one spot out of going to the tournament last season, but this year the coaches are expecting them to improve one place in the standings and reach the CCAA Tournament in Seaside, Calif.
 
Sonoma State made a run late in the year to earn a spot in the CCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. They will look to build off that momentum with two starters returning to the rotation, and five are expected to be back as regulars in the lineup.
 
Cal State LA will boast one of the top pitchers in the region with the return of first team All-CCAA selection Owen Hunt. Last season as a junior, he led the conference with a 2.57 ERA and tied for third with seven wins. The Golden Eagles closed the season by winning six of their last seven games to grab momentum heading into the offseason.
 
San Francisco State (31), Stanislaus State (29), and Cal State San Marcos (21) completed the poll.
 
The 2023 season begins Wednesday, Feb. 1, when Stanislaus State travels to Academy of Art for a game under the lights at 6 p.m. Almost every team is in action for a weekend series starting on Friday, Feb. 3.
 
All 11 teams will be vying to finish in the top portion of the league to earn one of the six spots in the CCAA Baseball Tournament at Seaside on May 10-13. To learn more about the CCAA Baseball Tournament, click here.
 

Baseball Preseason Watchlist
Jake Borst	Jr.	C	Cal State San Bernardino
Austyn Coleman	Sr.	P	Cal State San Bernardino
Kyle Dobson	Jr.	OF	Chico State
Owen Hunt	Sr.	P	Cal State LA
Jacob Jablonski	Sr.	3B	Chico State
Deshawn Johnson	Sr.	2B	Cal State San Bernardino
Jacob Lopez	So.	DH	Cal Poly Pomona
Brady Miguel	So.	SS	Cal State Monterey Bay
Scott Ogrin	Sr.	IF	Cal State Dominguez Hills
Johnny Pappas	Jr.	C	Cal Poly Pomona
Jeffrey Ray	Sr.	IF	Chico State
Luke Reece	So.	SS	Cal State San Marcos
Ethan Rivera	So.	UT	Cal State San Marcos
Eric Smelko	Jr.	OF	Cal State Dominguez Hills
Chris Tonna	Sr.	RP	Cal State Monterey Bay