United Athletic Conference

 

The 2023 NCAA baseball season gets started on Feb. 17 with nonconference games across the country. All 13 WAC baseball members will take part in the season’s official opening day.

 

Grand Canyon was voted the top team in the preseason 2023 WAC Baseball Coaches Poll that was released on Feb. 9. The Lopes received 10 first-place votes and 141 voting points at the top of the preseason coaches poll.

 

Sam Houston senior outfielder Carlos Contreras and Grand Canyon junior shortstop Jacob Wilson were named 2023 WAC Preseason Players of the Year. Contreras batted an even .400 with 14 home runs and 89 RBI for Sam Houston last season, including a .447 clip with 24 extra-base hits and 61 RBI in 30 WAC starts in 2022. Wilson hit .358 with 12 home runs and 65 RBI overall last season, which included a .382 average with seven home runs and 35 RBI in 29 conference games. Both Contreras and Wilson were recognized on a myriad of national preseason All-America teams, including DI Baseball, Baseball America (Wilson) and the NCBWA (Wilson).

 

Grand Canyon sophomore pitcher Daniel Avitia was named the 2023 WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Avitia was 8-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 15 appearances (12 starts) last season, striking out 111 batters while issuing just 19 walks over 84.1 innings pitched. Avitia shined in WAC games with a 7-1 mark, 2.69 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in nine appearances (eight starts) as a freshman.

 

Both NM State and Grand Canyon reached 2022 NCAA Regionals, with NM State winning the WAC Tournament for the conference’s auto bid and GCU snagging an at-large selection. It was the first time the WAC had multiple conference selections for NCAA Regionals since 2012.

 

Grand Canyon checked in ranked 36th in the initial Collegiate Baseball Division I Poll of the 2023 season. California Baptist, Sam Houston and UTRGV each received votes from Collegiate Baseball, while CBU, GCU and Seattle each received votes in the NCBWA preseason poll.