Grand Canyon Named 2023 Favorite In WAC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
ARLINGTON, Texas – Grand Canyon was voted the top team in the preseason 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Baseball Coaches Poll that was released on Thursday. All 13 WAC baseball head coaches cast votes for the preseason predicted order of finish and all-conference awards.
Grand Canyon received 10 first-place votes and 141 voting points at the top of the 2023 preseason coaches poll. Sam Houston received the final three first-place votes to register 131 points. California Baptist (115 points), Abilene Christian (100 points), UTRGV (100 points) and Sacramento State (100 points) rounded out the top five teams.
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.
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.
Contreras and Wilson were both unanimously selected to the 14-player preseason WAC All-Conference team by the conference head coaches, with Avitia also named to the preseason all-conference roster. Grand Canyon led the way with four total selections, followed by Abilene Christian with three players named. California Baptist and NM State each had two honorees for preseason all-conference.
2023 WAC BASEBALL PRESEASON HONORS
2023 WAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Rank
|
Team (1st-Place Votes)
|
Points
|
|
1.
|
Grand Canyon (10)
|
141
|
|
2.
|
Sam Houston (3)
|
131
|
|
3.
|
California Baptist
|
115
|
|
4.
|
Abilene Christian
|
100
|
| |
UTRGV
|
100
|
| |
Sacramento State
|
100
|
|
7.
|
NM State
|
88
|
|
8.
|
Utah Tech
|
54
|
|
9.
|
UT Arlington
|
47
|
|
10.
|
Tarleton
|
40
|
|
11.
|
Utah Valley
|
38
|
|
12.
|
Seattle U
|
36
|
|
13.
|
Stephen F. Austin
|
24
|
2023 WAC Preseason Players of the Year: Carlos Contreras, Sr., OF, Sam Houston
Jacob Wilson, Jr., SS, Grand Canyon
2023 WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Daniel Avitia, So., RHP, Grand Canyon
2023 Preseason All-WAC Team
C – Tanner Tweedt, Sr., Abilene Christian
1B – Logan Gallina, Jr., NM State
2B – Kevin Jimenez, Sr., NM State
SS – Bash Randle, Jr., Abilene Christian
SS – Jacob Wilson, Jr., Grand Canyon*
3B – Mitchel Simon, Jr., California Baptist
OF – Carlos Contreras, Sr., Sam Houston*
OF – Brandon Pimentel, Sr., UTRGV
OF – Grayson Tatrow, Sr., Abilene Christian
DH/UTL – Elijah Buries, Jr., Grand Canyon
SP – Daniel Avitia, So., RHP, Grand Canyon
SP – Connor Markl, Jr., LHP, Grand Canyon
SP – Drew Necochea, Sr., RHP, California Baptist
RP – Jack Zalasky, Sr., RHP, Sacramento State
* - unanimous selection
--WAC--