Pac-10 Baseball Preview

The Baseball Analysts have compiled a good Pac-10 baseball preview for this coming season. Basically it's a reminder of who the players to watch are and how the teams may fare.

The Baseball Analysts: Pac-10 Baseball Preview: Leave It To Beavers

1. Oregon State

2005: 46-12 | College World Series | 7th in final poll | 9th RPI
Coach: Pat Casey (341-234-4, 11 years)
Preseason Rankings: (8th by Baseball America, 3rd Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA)

A "feel good" story last year, Oregon State now has to live up to the huge expectations placed upon the program. Picked by the coaches to finish eighth in the league before the year began, the Beavers surprised everyone by winning the conference with a school-record 46 wins and advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1952.

Led by one of the best pitching staffs in the country, OSU was selected by seven of the nine coaches to capture the Pac-10 title this year. The team's three starting pitchers--Dallas Buck (12-1, 2.09 ERA with a .194 BAA), Jonah Nickerson (9-2, 2.13 with a nearly 4:1 K/BB ratio), and Anton Maxwell (11-1, 4.33)--return for their junior years. Ace reliever Kevin Gunderson (6-4, 14 saves, 2.76)--all 5-foot-8, 155 pounds of him--is back as well.

Buck wasn't as sharp in the Cape Cod League as he was the summer before but is still expected to be no worse than a mid-first round selection in the June draft. Nickerson and Gunderson, meanwhile, pitched for Team USA last summer.

Whether Buck, Nickerson, and Maxwell can combine to go 32-4 again will be largely determined by how well the offense performs this year. Senior Tyler Graham (.307 with 0 HR and 21 SB), a speedster who was drafted in the 15th round by the Chicago Cubs, takes over for first-round draft pick Jacoby Ellsbury in CF and at the top of the lineup. Sophomore shortstop and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Darwin Barney (.301, 2 HR, 44 RBI), sophomore catcher Mitch Canham (.325 with a team-leading 8 HR), and senior third baseman Shea McFeely (.319, 5 HR) will be asked to generate power in the middle of the order.

Put it all together and the Beavers are not only the favorite to win the Pac-10 title but are a legitimate contender for the national championship.

Whoa, that's putting the pressure on.

Here's a USC preview from the Daily Trojan:

Clearing the fence

Taking the mound will be Ian Kennedy, undisputed ace and preseason first-team All-American. In two years, the right-hander is 19-5 with a 2.70 ERA. He has amassed 278 strikeouts in 209.2 innings, while walking just 69.

"He's a star," said USC coach Mike Gillespie. "Only an injury keeps him out of the first round (of this year's MLB Draft), only an injury keeps him from being a long-time major leaguer."

Kennedy headlines an able, yet inexperienced staff. Junior college transfer Shawn Olsen should be the team's second starter. Freshmen Tommy Milone and Ryan Cook will also get looks as starters.

"Our starting pitching is the best since I've been here," Kennedy said despite being the only returning starter.

Should be a good race in the Pac-10.