Linfield Heavy Favorite to Reclaim Title in Baseball

(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).

Linfield Picked to Finish First in 2011 NWC Baseball Coaches Poll

Spokane, Wash. - Linfield College, fresh off of a third-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Division III baseball championships, is a strong favorite to repeat as Northwest Conference champions according to the preseason poll of NWC coaches.

The Wildcats picked up seven out of nine first place votes and a total of 85 points in the poll.  Head coach Scott Brosius welcomes back the 2010 NWC Pitcher of the Year in junior Ryan Larson.  Senior Cole Bixenman, his battery-mate at catcher, was also a First Team All-NWC selection last spring.  All-NWC junior Zack Boskovich returns in the outfield.

Pacific Lutheran University garnered the other two first place votes and 72 points in the preseason poll.  All-NWC infielder Corey Moore and All-NWC reliever Ryan Frost, both juniors this spring, along with two-time All-NWC senior outfielder Ryan Aratani, will lead the way.

George Fox University is third in the poll with 65 points.  Second Team All-NWC outfielder Dan Winterstein will lead the Bruins.

Willamette University is fourth in the poll with 49 points. The Bearcats hope to get another All-Conference season out of senior outfielder T.C. Lee.

The University of Puget Sound edged Whitworth for fifth place.  UPS had 42 points, just ahead of the Pirates (38 points).  Sophomore pitcher Matt Robinson earned Second Team All-NWC as a freshman for the Loggers.  Whitworth will be led by junior third baseman Landon Scott, who claimed the 2010 NWC batting title.

Pacific University is seventh in the poll with 38 points.  The Boxers graduated all three of their 2010 All-NWC honorees.

Whitman College was eighth with 18 points, while Lewis & Clark was ninth with 15 points.

The first weekend of NWC games is scheduled for March 5-6.