| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
2004 Overall |
2004 NWC |
| Linfield College |
9 |
90 |
32-11 |
20-4 |
| George Fox University |
|
72 |
40-10 |
20-4 |
| Pacific Lutheran University |
|
58 |
23-16 |
15-9 |
| University of Puget Sound |
|
50 |
20-18 |
14-10 |
| Willamette University |
|
45 |
17-19 |
10-14 |
| Whitworth College |
|
43 |
13-26 |
9-15 |
| Pacific University |
|
21 |
18-21 |
10-14 |
| Whitman College |
|
20 |
10-26 |
7-17 |
| Lewis & Clark College |
|
16 |
13-25 |
3-21 |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Linfield is Unanimous Choice to Regain Title
Spokane, Wash. - Linfield College, which shared the Northwest Conference title with eventual NCAA Division III champion George Fox University last season, is a unanimous choice to repeat as league champions in 2005, according to a preseason poll of conference coaches.
The Wildcats picked up all nine first place votes to total 90 out of 90 possible poll points. The Wildcats return five First Team All-Northwest Conference selections from 2004, including third baseman David Moore, outfielder Tommy Paterson and starting pitcher Alex Justus. Linfield earned the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament and advanced to the semifinals of the west region tournament in 2004.
The George Fox Bruins picked up all nine second place votes to finish with 72 points in the poll. The defending NCAA champions, George Fox must replace national player of the year Scott Hyde, as well as All-NWC first baseman Joshua Sargent. But the Bruins do return all-conference shortstop David Peterson.
Pacific Lutheran University was third in the poll with 58 points. The Lutes, who finished with the second highest win total in school history last year, will rely on All-NWC outfielder Jason Miller.
The University of Puget Sound (50), Willamette University (45) and Whitworth College (43) finished fourth through sixth in the poll, respectively, separated by only seven points. UPS has All-NWC pitcher Taylor Thompson back again, while Willamette returns All-NWC second baseman Dane Woldseth.
Pacific University was sixth in the poll with 21 points, followed by Whitman College (20) and Lewis & Clark College (16).
The season gets underway February 10 when George Fox plays Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in Honolulu, Hawaii.