The Big West is angry my friends. They know when they’ve underperformed. The 2013-adjusted RPI will help everyone out in this conference, but its not like anyone here needs any handouts. It’s just time to go out there, rip some heads off and make amends.

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2011 in a Paragraph:

The Big West lost a lot of clout last season, finishing behind conferences like the Sun Belt, the MVC, the Southland and the A-Sun in the conference RPI rankings, dipping all the way down to No. 10. Now, you and I both know that’s big-time bullshit and the BWC is better than that horrible rating system. (The ISR had the BWC at No. 6, as noted below). For the third straight season, conference warfare saw only three teams finish above .500 in Big West play and for the second year in a row got only Fullerton and Irvine into the Big Dance. The Titans have put together a 40-8 mark in conference play the last two seasons, which included last year’s three-game padding to take the regular season crown. But it was the Anteaters of Irvine who got hottest in June, coming within a strike of beating Virginia on the road and returning to Omaha, until cruel fate twisted its knife (more about that in a bit). No other teams in the Big West finished with more than 30 wins last year, and two of them (UC Davis and Pacific) didn’t even win 20. The term “down year” is an understatement.

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Conference ISR: 6

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HOW THEY’LL FINISH IN 2012:

- The Big West.

1- UC Irvine

2- Cal State Fullerton

3- Long Beach State

4- UC Riverside

5- Cal Poly

6- Cal State Northridge

7- UC Santa Barbara

8- UC Davis

9- Pacific

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2012 in a Paragraph:

With five new head coaches in the last two years and a large exodus of star power from just about every team, this is a conference that is in the midst of having a makeover. For the first time in quite a while, it appears as if Fullerton might not be the team to beat. Yes, wait for that to sink in. But Irvine returns the most mound experience and judging by their finish last season, the Anteaters will be breathing fire to make amends for how it all ended. But don’t freak out people, the difference between Irvine and Fullerton is pretty nominal at best. And the emergence of one or two players can make a wholesale of difference. So don’t expect this to be anything but a donnybrook between these two Orange County rivals once again as they seem as even as ever. Long Beach State is slowly getting back up to speed and could be a major player once again with almost the entire pitching staff back and a real star in the making in middle-infielder Matt Duffy. Riverside and Cal Poly both have the potential to make a lot of noise, especially if some new talents exceed expectations. Northridge will make a sizable jump this season, so don’t let last year’s last place finish fool you. Improvement is imminent across the conference – it can’t get much worse than last season – and a return to the Big Six should take place in 2012.

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Favorites: UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton

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Contender: Long Beach State

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Darkhorse: Cal Poly

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Can’t-Miss Series of the Year: As usual, Cal State Fullerton at UC Irvine, Apr. 13-15.

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Best Non-Conference Series: Cal State Fullerton at Florida, Feb. 17-19.

Close Second: Cal State Fullerton at Texas A&M, Mar. 9-11

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Hot Coach: Mike Gillespie, UCI

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Hot Seat Coach: None

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The “You Gotta See” Pitcher: Matt Whitehouse, UC Irvine

The “You Gotta See” Player: OF Michael Lorenzen, Cal State Fullerton

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Three Non-Conference Series The Big West Better Not Overlook:

1- Oral Roberts at Cal State Fullerton, March 22-24.

2- Washington at UC Irvine, Feb. 24-26.

3- UC Riverside at Sam Houston State, Mar. 2-4.

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Three Bold Predictions:

1- I’ve got UC Irvine in my national Top 10, bold enough for ya’?

2- Long Beach State makes a return to the NCAA tournament.

3- J.D. Davis earns Freshman All American honors and some regular All American honors as well.

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- CAL POLY (27-26, 15-9)

2011 ISR: 63

Starters Returning: 6

Weekend Starters: 1

Mid-Week Starters: 2

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 0

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All Conference Candidates:

SS Mike Miller (.306, just 4Es, HM All Big West)

RHP Joey Wagman (4-3, 3.62, .228OBA)

RHP Chase Johnson (2-5, 3.67, .265OBA)

OF Mitch Haniger (.275-6-27)

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The Good News:

Coach Larry Lee can never be underestimated, just when you think things are hitting rock-bottom (like 2010′s 23-33 record), the old cowpoke rallies the troops and puts together a winning campaign. In fact, 2011 saw his charges rebound to a 3rd place finish in the Big West and on the cusp of at-large land. On April 29th, the Mustangs were in 2nd place in the conference and had just seen its RPI jump from 107 up to No. 62. If THAT kind of effort can be maintained, the ‘Stangs could make hay this season. Nothing makes coach Lee smile more than having a senior leader at SS in Mike Miller, who led the Alaska Baseball League last summer with a .359 average. And yes, you read that right above, just four errors in the field all last season. He’ll be joined in the infield by 2B Denver Chavez (.277) and 3B Evan Busby (.223, just 7Es in 41 games), who helped the defense become a strength (.970 fielding percentage). The pitching improved from a league-worst 6.75 in 2010 to 3.60 last season, which was the best mark in school history, as was the fewest walks (152), opponents batting average (.254) and earned runs (184). Only three pitchers of note return, but they combined for 24 starts and they’re stout, especially the two you see above in Joey Wagman and Chase Johnson (just look at the opponents batting averages). But they’ll also get back lefty Kyle Anderson, who was 3-5, 4.26 in his frosh year. The incoming class wasn’t as highly lauded as Fullerton, Irvine or Long Beach’s classes, but watch for some newbie arms to emerge, especially RHP Nick Grim (who was a 14th round pick of the Marlins last June) and lefty Matt Imhoff, a robust 6’5″, 230-pound power arm who should be a weekend guy. In the meadow, the fleet feet of Alex Michaels and Nick Torres should help kill some gap shots.

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The Bad News:

Closing out games became a real problem for the ‘Stangs last season as they lost 10 games by a single run or in extra innings. A tougher mentality must be implemented right away, especially since the bullpen has been decimated by defections from last season’s squad including saves leader Jeff Johnson and fellow closer Frankie Reed. Coach Lee admits, “We have a lot of work to do” to repair the pitching staff, especially with the losses of Friday starter Mason Radeke (2nd in Big West in Ks) and Saturday starter Steven Fischback. The other big problem last season was a punchless offense that didn’t make many late-inning comebacks, hitting just .264 as a team. In a conference full of speed, the Mustangs didn’t pose much threat on the basepaths, stealing a Big West-low 34 bases last year. That may need to change.

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Schedule Note:

Hit the ground running, though painful it may be.

The youthful Mustang pitching staff will have plenty of early tests this season, especially with Oklahoma State coming to San Luis Obispo in week one and trips to Minnesota, LMU and San Diego before Big West play kicks in. The conference slate won’t be as favorable as last year either. After hosting Long Beach and Irvine in the first two weekends, four of the final six Big West weekends will come on the road as they’ll go to Northridge, Fullerton, Davis and Riverside down the stretch.

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- CAL STATE FULLERTON (41-17, 19-5)

2011 ISR: 8

Starters Returning: 6

Weekend Starters: 0

Mid-Week Starters: 0

Key Relievers (25+inns.): 2

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All Conference Candidates:

OF Michael Lorenzen (.342-3-31, 20SBs)

OF Ivory Thomas (.294)

2B Anthony Trajano (.313)

RHP Dylan Floro (4-2, 4.23)

DH/OF Carlos Lopez (.342-2-34)

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The Good News:

I suppose we’ll eventually see if this is a “good news” or a “bad news” item, but a coaching change was made in Tuffyland and a true Titan returns to the program as Rick Vanderhook, another in a long line of Augie disciples, will take his significant experience and nearly unmatched passion to the head honcho position in one of the best programs in America. Welcome back where you belong Hooky. (On a personal note, I can’t wait to see how he does here. But I digress.). And before I get into things too far, I have to admit, there was a lot of concern on my part after all the losses from last year’s team. But when Fullerton went to Vanderbilt in the fall and started lacing the Commodore pitching and won both games of the weekend (yes, I realize these were scrimmages, but still), it got my mindset turned around a bit on these guys. There is a lot of star power back to the Titan dugout this year, especially in All American candidate Michael Lorenzen, possibly the top outfielder in the country this side of Tony Kemp. Also, coach Hook thinks that Ivory Thomas could be a Big West Player of the Year type of performer as he heads toward his draft-eligible year. Dylan Floro will go from the mid-week to the Friday night spot in the rotation and should be another stellar Titan arm. The infield has an overflow of gloves who could come in and play typical Titan defense, led by mighty-mites at SS in Richy Pedroza (.331, 10SBs) and at 2B in Anthony Trajano (.313), a great double-play combo. But also keep an eye on part-timers like Matt Orloff (.160) and Keegan Dale (.264) to make some noise in the field. Longtime mainstay Carlos Lopez, who always seemed to come up with the clutch hit at the right time last year, looks to take over at 1st base and will join along with C Jared Deacon (.298) and fleet-footed Austin Kingsolver (.241, 10SBs) to take on big roles this season. Again, a lot of these guys could be interchangeable and may end up in multiple positions. Another high-quality class of recruits comes to Fullerton, ranked at No. 15 by Collegiate Baseball. The biggest stud is J.D. Davis (5th round pick, Rays), a player who Coach Vanderhook says reminds him of Mark Kotsay as a viable prospect to start at 3rd base and possibly even in the weekend rotation on the mound. (Is THAT heady stuff or what?). Another two-way threat comes to campus in LHP Kenny Matthews (12th round, Mets) who could also figure into the weekend rotation, or another major role in the ‘pen. The outfield could be further bolstered by another burner in OF Austin Diemer (25th round, Indians).

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The Bad News:

Oh mercy. THIS is the news you knew was coming 500 miles away; the Titans will lose gobs and gobs of talent from last season, including Noe & Nick, the Ramirez boys, Tyler Pill, Collin O’Connell and Jake Floethe all off the mound. I mean, the Titans always have a turnstyle-like job to do in replacing talent, but this time it’s 91 percent of their pitching staff from last season. Oy vey. That leaves a large crater-sized dearth in the weekend rotation, in middle-relief and in the closer position. Also, 3rd baseman Joe Terry oozed potential, but is now in pro ball. And, stating the obvious here, for the second year in a row there was a lot of coaching changes in the program, this one involving the head man in Dave Serrano leaving, as pointed out above. Although chances are it’ll be fine, you never know how a new staff will adjust, particularly at this level of college baseball. The schedule is a Jack-the-Ripper type that could keep CSUF from hosting a Super Regional, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Finally, and I hate to get out the disciplinarian stick here, the Titans can’t allow the same rudder-less mentality to take over the team like last season. How the ultra-experienced 2011 team ended up with a lack of junior-senior leadership was total bullshit. Without players stepping up and setting examples, a lot of bonehead off-field incidents took place, causing a real rift in this program. You know, like the kind of dumb things this program has never been known for. Clean it up guys and you just might find yourselves back in the Omaha discussion again.

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Schedule Note:

Couldn’t love these guys any more.

God Bless the Titans. Just… God Bless ‘em. Nobody has bigger balls and more guts than these guys, traveling to places like Florida, Texas A&M and Arizona State. And then taking on teams like TCU, ORU and Washington State at home. Who the hell does that in this day and age? No one. (Dear college football, take note of a schedule like this). Sure, the down side is that sometimes their sanity comes into question, but you know with this slate that even if they finish a game above .500, they’ll get a bid to the Big Dance. Of course, as mentioned above, the other down side is this is a rebuilding/reloading team and a lot of early Ls could translate to going on the road in the post-season, regardless of how they finish. Let’s see how the Titans nut-up when it counts. It could play some big benefits in the end.

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- CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (23-33, 6-18)

2011 ISR: 172

Starters Returning: 7

Weekend Starters: 2

Mid-Week Starters: 2

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 4

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All Conference Candidates:

OF Adam Barry (.288)

C Marty Bowen (.320)

RHP Vince Roberts (3-6, 3.44, .232OBA)

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The Good News:

Well, best of all, the first year jitters for head coach Matt Curtis and his staff should be out of their system this coming spring. So expect a little smoother sailing ahead.  In the very least, he’ll have a host of familiar faces coming back to the diamond as the returnee numbers above show. The Mats are going to be a mostly junior-senior outfit this season. Seniors Vince Roberts and Justen Gorski (3-5, 6.10) combined for 20 starts and 129 innings of work last season. Watch closely for a pair of juniors who could become leaning posts this season in RHPs Alex Muren (2-1, 4.69, .270OBA) and Josh Goossen-Brown (4-3, 4.73, a 43-8 K-to-BB ratio). The infield was the main impetus for the .968 defense and returns Tommy Simis (.251-4-29) and Kyle Attl (.241, just 7Es), who mostly played the left side of the infield. Of course, having a backstop like Marty Bowen (just 2Es) doesn’t hurt either. Most of all, focus on OF Adam Berry, who hit an unconscious .414 in the Cal Ripken League last summer and should be primed for big things in ’12. Once again, the recruiting class is pretty solid. The staff is excited about OF Cal Vogelsang and INF Brett Balkan, plus a pair of draftees in RHP Jordan Johnson (a 42nd round, Rockies) and C Alex Mercado (40th round, Mets)

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The Bad News:

Stuck in a rut. Since winning the BWC and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2002, CSUN has won just 54 Big West games in nine seasons. Obviously, there were a lot of growing pains for coach Curtis and his Matadors last season, his first at the helm. Despite having all three weekend starters and seven of eight field starters coming back, the Red & Black still finished 2011 in last place in the Big West. They finished the season going 6-16 from Tax Day onward. Got to keep better focus and hope for good health in 2012. Of course, losing Drew Muren and Ridge Carpenter from the batting order and two versatile arms like Paul Tremlin (who had 10 starts and 3saves) and Ryan Jaurez (who went 4-6 with 2saves) will all leave big holes to be filled.

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Schedule Note:

Look for a big kick in the end.

The Matadors could have a chance to make a big push at the end of the season with three of the final four weekends coming against UC Riverside, UC Davis and Pacific. On top of that, the pre-conference slate also features a load of winnable games with visits from teams like Rhode Island, Indiana and Northwestern coupled with visits to Portland, St. Mary’s and the opening weekend against Sacramento State. Okay Matadors, time to say “Ole’” to some old bugaboos.

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- LONG BEACH STATE (29-27, 12-12)

2011 ISR: 47

Starters Returning: 8

Weekend Starters: 2

Mid-Week Starters: 0

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 7

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All Conference Candidates:

2B/SS Matt Duffy (.266, 2nd team All Big West)

1B/DH Ino Patron (.277-3-24)

OF Brennan Metzger (.267, 12SBs, 39career HBPs)

OF/2B Jeff McNeil (.271)

RHP Shawn Stuart (4-4, 3.16)

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The Good News:

The T-Buck Effect didn’t take long to be enacted as the first-year head coach (Troy Buckley being his full moniker) led the Beach out of the basement of the Big West to a 4th place finish in 2011, going from 7-17 in Big West play in 2010 to 12-12 last year. Nice work. As mentioned in this space last year, the Beach is never down for long. This year could be even more of a breakthrough as the Dirtbags return eight of the nine starters in the batting order and a wealth of pitching – always a good sign considering Buckley is so renown for his maestro-like work with pitching staffs. Speaking of the arms corps, its going to be crazy-deep this season. As you see above, there are seven returning relievers who logged at least 10 appearances last season. Some of them will take on bigger roles this season. Sophomores like RHP Jon Maciel (0-1, 1.25, .211OBA), LHP Jake Stassi (0-1, 3.50, .246OBA) and RHP Kyle Friedrichs (4-2, 3.99, .254OBA) should step up in their second season at the Beach. Weekend starters RHP Shawn Stuart (4-4, 3.16) and LHP Ryan Strufing (3-2, 4.70) are solid, but with all that talent around them, are they still going to be starters in mid-season? (That’s a GOOD problem for coach Buck to have.). This is a big shout out to watch for infielder Matt Duffy, who had a spriteful summer up in the prestigious Cape Cod League, finishing 3rd in batting average. He’ll move to the shortstop position for 2012 and should be a Big West stud. Lots of interchangeable pieces in the infield as the search is on for the next Evan Longoria/Troy Tulowitzki/Bobby Crosby type of sweeper. A handful of new talents have the coaches excited, led by freshman OF Richard Prigatano (16th round pick, Blue Jays) and JC All American RHP Matt Anderson (41st round pick, Marlins). Also watch for glove whiz Chaz Meadows, who had a strong fall and could take over the 2nd baseman spot as a frosh.

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The Bad News:

Don’t wear your arms out patting the Dirtbags on the back for all the improvement they made in 2011. A 29-27 record will never win you a lot of smiles in the proud ports of Beachland. So let’s get crackin’ for more in 2012. Saying goodbye to staff ace Andrew Gagnon and top hitters Matt Hibbert and Mike Mariama will be tough. And it’s just weird to see the Dirtbags having the worst defense in the Big West (.965 fielding) and suffering the second-most strikeout totals at the plate (LB batters K’d 289 times). And of course, the offense has been a struggle for the last few years now, last season’s order hit just .258, including just 10 home runs. (Yeah, I know, the Beach is never known for power numbers – especially not in cavernous Blair Field – but still…). It’s been since 2008 that LB has posted a 30+ win season and since 2004 for a 40+ win season. As usual, the schedule is tougher than a Venzuelian prison and will play a huge factor in their win total again. More about that below.

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Schedule Note:

Two words: Brew-tall

Yep, Long Beach will live up to its reputation for brutal slates (last year’s ranked 6th-toughest in the country). The non-conference will come close to rivaling Stanford’s ridiculous slate as the Dirtbags will host Cal and Arizona State and also travel for weekends at Oregon, Wichita State, and, oddly, at Big West rival Fullerton for a non-conference series in mid-March. The good news is that the Beach will spend most of the stretch run in May in their own cozy confines, including 16 of their final 25 games at home. The last two weekends of Big West play will take place at Blair Field vs. Pacific and Fullerton again.

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- PACIFIC (17-37, 9-15)

2011 ISR: 175

Starters Returning: 7

Weekend Starters: 0

Mid-Week Starters: 1

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 4

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All Conference Candidates:

3B Dustin Torchio (.369)

OF Riley Allen (.290-4-38)

RHP Chris Larsen (1-3, 4.58, 5svs)

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The Good News:

I’m still not so sure the Tigers are all that far off the grid, especially considering they owned wins over teams like USC, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, Fullerton and even CWS alums Cal. Dang. Of all the returnees, most of them are seniors, which is good news for coach Ed Sprague. The infield should be a real strong point as Dustin Torchio returns to the hot corner and was the top hitter in the Big West at .369. He’ll have some reliable cohorts back with him in SS Josh Simms (.237) and 2B in Tyger Pederson (.285), who was also a leadoff hitter. The defense played at a .966 level last year and with those guys around it could be much more stable in 2012. Jason Taasaas (.205) was a part-timer at catcher last year, and should have the position all to himself this season. Also watch for the emergence of DH/OF Daniel Johnston (.264-4-27) and OF Brett Christopher (.211) who both stole 15 bases last season. The coaching staff is really high on a pair of incoming frosh in 3B Taylor Murphy (40th round pick, Padres) and 6’4″ RHP Michael Benson, a product of Sauguro High in Arizona.

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The Bad News:

Going from 31 wins in 2010 to just 17 last season wasn’t the kind of backsteps coach Sprague and Co. were hoping to see, especially with an experienced arms staff that last year’s squad had returning going into the season. And this year, things could get even hairier for the Black and Orange since there is quite a dearth of pitching coming back to the roster. UOP lost their two biggest mound studs, Jake Hummel and Marcus Pointer, who combined for 32 starts and 203 innings of work last season, almost exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays. In fact, only 11 starts from last year’s 54 games come back for 2012 as the Tigers went through an entire brigade of Sunday starters, never quite finding the answer. Seniors Chris Larsen and Jared Wagner (0-4, 6.03) are the only returning pitchers with ERAs you’d want to tell your friends about. Although Pacific was 4th in the Big West in hitting (at .277), they also struck out 377 times and drew the second-lowest walk total at 145 for the season.

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Schedule Note:

Arrested Development.

Last year’s schedule was crazy-tough. This year’s slate is even more of a bitch. The Tigers will play teams like Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, San Diego, San Diego State, Kansas State, San Francisco, Creighton and Gonzaga before Big West play kicks in. And the beginning of Big West play, you ask? Just a trip down to UC Irvine, that’s all. Yikes, right?! Three of the last four weekends of the season are going to be home weekends, vs. Cal State Fullerton, UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge, with the lone roadie being at Long Beach State.

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- UC DAVIS (18-36, 10-14)

2011 ISR: 169

Starters Returning: 6

Weekend Starters: 2

Mid-Week Starters: 1

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 3

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All Conference Candidates:

OF David Popkins (.321-4-23)

LHP Anthony Kupbens (5-8, 2.36, .250OBA)

RHP Tom Briner (3-1, 2.57, 6svs, .197OBA)

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The Good News:

New blood. That’s plain and simple, yet still the best news of all. Maybe a giant change is just what this program needed. Matt Vaughn, who has been around the Aggie program for going on two decades, takes over the reigns of the UCD fortunes. So he’s a familiar face and has been awaiting this experience. The good part is that he’ll have a lot of returnees to work with coming back and most of them are seniors too. David Popkins leads the hitters and will have fellow four-year guys like OF Brett Morgan (.271, team-high 10 doubles, 10SBs) and C Eric Johnson (.258-3-22, 10SBs). On the mound, weekend starters Anthony Kupbens and LHP Dayne Quist (2-7, 5.14) could be joined by mid-week stud RHP Harry Stanwyck (1-3, 5.64, 9starts). Senior relievers RHP Tom Briner, Ryan Lucas (0-3, 3.90) and RHP David Popkins (0-0, 1.37, 13apps) will help build the bullpen. The coaching staff is hoping JC transfers Ben Burke (Santa Ana Col), Patrick Hennessey (Cabrillo Col) and Chris Levy (Cabrillo Col) can come in and pay dividends right away.

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The Bad News:

The Aggies had a lot of experience and hope going into 2011, but just never got going on that uphill ice track they seemed to be on all season long. Now, 2012 comes around and they’ll have to adjust to no longer having coach Rex Peters around to help out as he took off for an assistant gig down at UCLA. Even though most of the fielders/hitters return, keep in mind this was off a team that hit a Big West-low .252 and drew just 146 walks all last season. And also, David Popkins is the only hitter that was better than .271 coming back. Not to state the obvious, but lots of improvement is needed at the dish. And in a weird twist, the running game must improve dramatically as Davis runners got thrown out 33 times and were successful just 37 times on steal attempts. Despite the 36 losses, the Aggies were plenty competitive but lost too many close games: 16 Ls came by a run or two.

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Schedule Note:

Staying down in the Valley.

The Aggies won’t have to stray far in pre-Big West play as they’ll play 15 home games and roadies at San Jose State, Cal State Bakersfield, Stanford and San Jose State in the first month of the season. But they will travel widely to play a pair of games at Arizona and then a big time travel trip to Hawaii right before conference play kicks in. The Big West slate has them playing at home in three of the final four weekends of the season with Cal Poly, Long Beach and UCI coming to the Farm.

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- UC IRVINE (43-18, 16-8)

2011 ISR: 14

Starters Returning: 5

Weekend Starters: 2

Mid-Week Starters: 2

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 4

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All Conference Candidates:

SS D.J. Crumlich (.300)

1B Jordan Fox (.323, 10SBs)

RHP Phillip Ferragamo (2-0, 2.03, .237OBA)

2B Tommy Reyes (.290)

LHP Matt Whitehouse (4-0, 2.12)

RHP Crosby Slaught (7-2, 3.80)

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The Good News:

Here’s how you KNOW Mike Gillespie can coach his ass off. The ‘Eaters had zero returning starters on the mound going into last season. Yet, as the stat sheet will show, starting pitching was one of the strengths of this team. John Savage told me in the off-season that “nobody gets more out of less than Gillespie does.” His Irvine teams haven’t been chock-full of 1st round draftees, yet there he is with his teams playing at incredibly high levels year-in, year-out. Just to think this team came within a strike of going to Omaha last year is pretty freakin’ incredible. Can’t wait for the encore here Skip. And history shows that if you give him experience and strength up the middle, its going to be another banner year for his charges; which is what the ‘Eaters have this season. C Ronnie Shaeffer (.264, just 3Es) will team with SS D.J. Crumlich, 2B Tommy Reyes and CF Christian Ramirez (.282) to form a solid core of what should be another standout defense. And yes, all four are seniors. As is 1B Jordan Fox, a very athletic fielder with a steady stroke at the dish. It’s almost strange to see the usually pitching-heavy Anteaters to lead the Big West in hitting, like they did in 201 at .296 as a team. And most of the components of another good offense return. But if we’re talking UCI, we’ve gotta talk pitching. There were a few losses, but last years’ mound brigade was deep and disciplined, issuing just 161 free passes and holding opponents to a miserly .239 average. Only one ERA on the entire team was above 4.00 (sorry to bring it up Kyle Hooper – 3-0, 4.06 in 44.1inns). LHP Matt Whitehouse and RHP Crosby Slaught form a good one-two punch on weekends again and the hulking presence of 6’8″ Phillip Ferragamo (2-0, 2.03, .207OBA) and crafty lefties Andy Lines (5-2, 2.57) and Jimmy Litchfield (2-1, 2.68), who combined to issue just 14 walks in 75 innings of work. The Anteaters don’t usually get top notch mention for recruiting classes (mostly because coach Gillespie is such a good developer of talent), but this year’s frosh could be the best unit this staff has brought in, featuring uber-athletic infielder Taylor Sparks, who could’ve been drafted higher if not for signability concerns and may take over at third immediately. Also watch for OFs Kris Paulino and Jeff Stevens to make big splashes.

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The Bad News:

Arrrrrgh! Nobody has had more painful endings to their seasons than the Anteaters the last few years. And I mean, nobody in the history of college baseball. Cruel but fair to say. One stinkin’ strike. That’s all they needed. Just one. And they would’ve gone to the CWS and been crowd favorites in Omaha again. But the baseball Gods are not spun with sugar to these poor souls. Personnel-wise, I know there’s a lot of pitching left over,  but losing Friday starter Matt Summers (11-4) and relief ace Brian Hernandez (12svs) are big roles to fill. Hernandez was also a lock-down 3rd baseman when he wasn’t on the mound late in games. UCI will also have to venture on without top two hitters Hernandez and Drew Hillman, along with mainstays like Jordan Leyland (who transferred) and Sean Madigan.

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Schedule Note:

A little bit better.

The non-conference schedules have been an albatross to these guys the last few years, dragging down their RPIs and undervaluing their real worth. This year’s non-conference slate – though not top flight – could help out a little bit more. The Anteaters will take on Baylor, Cal State Bakersfield, Washington and Washington State, all of whom figure to have much better seasons. The back end of the Big West schedule coasts to an end with weekends against UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Northridge and UC Davis.

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- UC RIVERSIDE (29-23, 11-13)

2011 ISR: 51

Starters Returning: 4

Weekend Starters: 2

Mid-Week Starters: 0

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 3

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All Conference Candidates:

OF David Andriese (.307-4-30)

RHP Eddie Orozco (5-2, 2.29, .241OBA)

RHP Trevor Frank (2-3, 3.35)

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The Good News:

One thing coach Doug Smith can smile about is the quality pitching he’ll have back from the third-best arms staff in the Big West (team ERA of 3.40, down from 5.85 in 2010), headed by returning weekend starters Trevor Frank and Eddie Orozco, who can go pitch-to-pitch with just about anyone in the Big West. Those two should give the Highlanders a chance at pulling a W anytime they’re on the hill. LHP Dylan Stuart (1-1, 1.72) threw bee-bees as a Freshman and will see his role increase this season. Also, juniors like LHP Mark Garcia (1-2, 4.68) and RHP Mitch Papito (1-3, 5.75, 6svs) will help steady what should be an improved bullpen. The offense will rally around OF David Andriese, who pulled in some freshman All American honors last season. Phil Hollingsworth will join him in the meadow and should have a better year at the dish (.279) and 2B Eddie Young (.241, 10SBs) committed just five errors all last season. And I don’t know how he does it (nor do I know how he always gets ignored by the recruiting rankings) but coach Smith and his crew have put together another good incoming class which should provide instant help, particularly hard-flinging RHP Cody Dill and fleet-footed OF Cody Stewart who both come to school after getting drafted by the Red Sox and Yankees respectively last June.

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The Bad News:

Maybe I put too much pressure on Coach Smith and his blue crew last season, making them my pre-season No. 25 team and all. The Highlanders fell a little flat, finishing with a non-descript 29-23 mark and middle-of-the-road in the Big West rigors. Sorry guys. I mean, I don’t believe in curses, hexes or jinxes, but maybe I shouldn’t have given you guys that albatross. The good news about the bad news (if that makes sense) is that the Highlanders won’t have any high expectations to live with this year. There was a lot of attrition from last year’s team, particularly in the offense, which will lose three of the top four bats, which went .293 or better. Also, staff ace Matt Andriese has high-tailed it from campus, along with 7-game winner Dustin Emmons. The bullpen needs to be re-worked and will need some new blood to step in right away and contribute. Also, RHP Mitch Patito needs to revert to his Frosh All American form where he was 3-0, 1.33 and threw with more confidence. Oh and the defense will need a near-total makeover with infield spots at SS, 3B and 1B needing to be filled by capable hands.

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Schedule Note:

Highlanders taking the high road.

Coach Smith always likes to challenge his team in the non-conference, and this year is certainly not going to stray from that mind-set. UCR will go to snakepits like Arizona State, Sam Houston State and Fresno State in the first month of the season, hoping to build up a good callus for the rest of the season. The yearlings will certainly have to grow up quick, especially since the roadies in the Big West will be tough as well with trips to UC Irvine and Fullerton on deck.

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- UC SANTA BARBARA (26-26, 10-14)

2011 ISR: 89

Starters Returning: 3

Weekend Starters: 1

Mid-Week Starters: 0

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

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All Conference Candidates:

OF Joe Wallace (.222, 15SBs)

SS Steve Moon (.256)

RHP Matt Vedo (6-6, 4.32, .240OBA)

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The Good News:

Youthful enthusiasm. That’s what new head coach Andrew Checketts brings to this program. In fact, the dude is so youthful looking, he makes me look ancient (Damn him). But Checketts also has a big pedigree behind him, having worked under head coaches like George Horton and Doug Smith in recent years. Getting a pitcher like Matt Vedo back will help, after he started 16 games and returned to campus despite getting drafted by the Angels last June. Lefty relievers Cameron Cuneo (1-1, 3.95, .220OBA) and Zak Edgington (0-0, 3.10, .252OBA) will help rebuild the bullpen. The Gauchos can also count on a strong left side with SS Steve Moon and 3B Ryan Palermo (.278) coming back from a defense that fielded at a .971 clip. If you’re looking for a player to cheer for, RHP Kevin Galinas has been drafted twice by the MLB, but has had the last two seasons erased by injuries. Revamped facilities and numerous upgrades will be forthcoming at Gaucho Park/Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, which should invigorate the program and make recruiting a little bit easier. Not that the beach-side location and impressive female student body aren’t a big enough draw as is.

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The Bad News:

Okay, first things first people. Things are going to get a little worse before it gets a lot better. That’s just the nature of turning a new program all the way around with a new staff. Longtime coach Bob Brontsema stepped down, meaning a Gaucho-at-heart is gone from the dugout. Of course, the biggest downside that you could point out about the incoming staff is that coach Checketts has never been a head coach before which is part of the reason he brought in former head men Jason Hawkins (Occidental) and Eddie Cornejo (Riverside C.C.) to be his assistants. That usually means there will be plenty of rough patches ahead before a winning habit can be formed. The losses to the roster were numerous, including Mark Haddow and Sean Williams, the top two hitters and just about every pitcher this side of Matt Vedo.

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Schedule Note:

Your hometown comes to town.

New coach Andrew Checketts is a former Oregon State pitcher, and now welcomes his old team to town for his opening weekend as a head coach. The Gauchos will host the Beavers for four games to begin 2012 in what could be a harsh slap of reality right off the bat. UCSB will also head up to the Bay Area for weekends at San Jose State and USF. The slate won’t get much easier either as the Gauchos will also hit the road for 17 of their final 24 games of the season from April 13th onward. Not a good way to usher in a lot of young guns, is it?