DENVER - Fresno State has been selected to win the 2006 Western Athletic Conference regular season baseball crown in a vote by the league?™s seven head coaches. The coaches also voted on a preseason all-WAC team, and Fresno State placed four players on the team while Hawai'i had three. Fresno State junior outfielderNick Moresi was named the preseason player of the year while his teammate, senior Doug Fister, was picked the preseason pitcher of the year.
Fresno State received 36 points and six first place votes after a 30-29 season last year and a second place finish in the WAC with a 16-14 conference mark. Hawai'i and Nevada tied for second with 28 points followed by San Jose State with 21, New Mexico State with 14, Louisiana Tech 11 points and Sacramento State with nine.
The preseason all-WAC team included four Fresno State players: senior outfielder Nick Moresi, junior shortstop Christian Vitters, sophomore third baseman Beau Mills and senior pitcher Doug Fister. Moresi was picked as the preseason player of the year after hitting .352 last year with 54 RBI, 11 home runs and 10 doubles. Fister was selected the preseason pitcher of the year after posting a 7-6 record with a 4.28 ERA last season.
Hawai'i had three players on the team: senior outfielder Matt Inouye, senior catcher Estaban Lopez and junior reliever Darrell Fisherbaugh. Nevada placed two on the team in senior outfielder Shawn Scobee and junior pitcher Ryan Rodriguez. Sophomore first baseman Luke Hopkins and senior second baseman Jason Long represented New Mexico State. San Jose State also placed two on the team in junior outfielder Ryan Angel and senior pitcher Branden Dewing. Louisiana Tech's lone representative was senior DH Ben Tabor.
The 44th year of WAC baseball begins Friday, January 27 when Fresno State travels to Cal Poly for a three-game series. The WAC welcomes two new additions this season in new member New Mexico State and affiliate member Sacramento State. For the first time since the 1999 season, the WAC will hold a baseball tournament. The six-team tournament will be held in Fresno, Calif., May 25-28.
2006 WAC Baseball Coaches?™ PollRk. Team (1st Place Votes) Points1. Fresno St. (6) 362. Hawai'i 28 Nevada (1) 284. San Jose St. 215. New Mexico St. 146. Louisiana Tech 117. Sacramento St. 9
Preseason All-WAC Team
OF-Nick Moresi, Jr., Fresno State
OF-Shawn Scobee, Sr., Nevada
OF-Ryan Angel, Jr., San Jose State
OF-Matt Inouye, Sr., Hawai'i
1B-Luke Hopkins, So., New Mexico State
2B-Jason Long, Sr., New Mexico State
SS-Christian Vitters, Jr., Fresno State
3B-Beau Mills, So., Fresno State
C-Estaban Lopez, Sr., Hawai'i
DH-Ben Tabor, Sr., Louisiana Tech
SP-Doug Fister, Sr., Fresno State
SP-Ryan Rodriguez, Jr., Nevada
SP-Branden Dewing, Sr., San Jose State
RP-Darrell Fisherbaugh, Jr., Hawai'i
Player of the Year
Nick Moresi, Jr., OF, Fresno State
Pitcher of the Year
Doug Fister, Sr., Fresno State