The Pac 12 was one of the strongest conferences in college baseball last season, as the Arizona Wildcats were the last team standing in Omaha. 2013 wont be any different. The Pac 12 is still one of the strongest baseball conferences with six teams in the top 25, three of which are ranked in the top 10.
No. 5 UCLA and No. 11 Oregon State have starting pitching staffs that may be among the best in the nation. No. 6 Oregon should be one of the best teams in the league as well as the entire country and for a good reason. Although they lose Thomas Brett, who led the team with a .313 batting average, the Ducks return seven position players that started last season.
No. 14 Arizona will be looking to repeat but lost some of its firepower from the 2012 squad. That being said, the Wildcats are poised to make another run at the college baseball crown behind junior Johnny Field.
No. 8 Stanford will rely on the right arm of first-team All-American Mark Appel, who many have considered to be near the top of next years MLB Draft.
Unlike 2012, the No. 17 Sun Devils will be able to compete in postseason play and should be very eager to do so. Arizona State welcomes back junior right-hander Trevor Williams, who picked up first team Preseason All-Ameican honors. To say Williams was dominant last season is an understatement. The righty finished 2012 with a 12-2 record while posting 2.05 ERA.
After that, the Pac 12 gets pretty rough as far as baseball goes. Finishing near the bottom will be Cal, USC, Washington, Washington State and Utah. Besides the Huskies, the rest of the conference played below-average baseball.
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Michael Conforto, Oregon State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Mark Appel, Stanford
Projected Standings:
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