| School
| (1st)
| Pts.
| 2009 Overall
| 2009 NWC
|
| Pacific Lutheran University
| (6)
| 84
| 31-9
| 27-5
|
| Linfield College
| (2)
| 72
| 28-12
| 22-10
|
| George Fox University
| (1)
| 67
| 36-11
| 27-5
|
| Willamette University
|
| 43
| 21-17
| 18-13
|
| Pacific University
|
| 42
| 19-20
| 14-18
|
| Univ. of Puget Sound
|
| 42
| 16-23
| 13-18
|
| Whitworth University
|
| 34
| 10-26
| 8-20
|
| Lewis & Clark College
|
| 17
| 8-26
| 8-21
|
| Whitman College
|
| 14
| 3-34
| 2-29
|
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on
10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
PLU Picked to Finish First in 2010 NWC Baseball Coaches
Poll
Spokane, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran University received six of
nine possible first place votes to finish atop the 2010 Northwest
Conference baseball coaches preseason poll, in what is expected to
be another competive race among the top three finishers from last
season.
The Lutes, who tied for the 2009 NWC title with George Fox
University, sit atop the poll with 84 total points. PLU will
be led by 2009 NWC Pitcher of the Year Robert Bleeker, who returns
for his senior season. Fellow Lute seniors Trey Watt, Ben
Shively and Josh Takayoshi are returning First Team All-Conference
honorees. Bleeker and Watt should give PLU a formidable 1-2
punch as starting pitchers.
Linfield College picked up two first place
votes and totaled 72 total poll points. The Wildcats, who won
the title in 2008, hope to return to the top behind the All-NWC
battery of senior pitcher Reese McCulley and junior catcher Cole
Bixenman.
George Fox defeated PLU in last season's one-game playoff and
advanced to the NCAA DIII tournament for the eighth time. The
Bruins had the final first place vote and 67 points in the
poll. First Team All-NWC relief ace Chad Jones, along
with three Second Team All-NWC selections, return to lead GFU
this season.
The next three schools were bunched closely. Willamette
University is fourth in the poll with 43 points. The Bearcats
graduated Kyle Stalker, the most prolific power hitter in the NWC
over the last two seasons. Pacific University and the
University of Puget Sound had 42 points each to tie for fifth
place in the poll. All-NWC senior pitcher Tyler Frandsen
will power Pacific, while All-NWC catcher Mark Rockey will
lead the Loggers.
Whitworth University is seventh in the poll with 34
points. The Pirates will have to overcome the graduation of
utility man Chad Flett, their only All-NWC player in 2009.
Lewis & Clark College was eighth with 17 points. Junior
Tucker Laurence was first team All-NWC as a freshman and honorable
mention last season.
Whitman College rounds out the poll in ninth place with 14
points. The Missionaries will look for improvement under first-year
head coach Jared Holowaty.
The first weekend of NWC games is scheduled for March 6-7.