2024 WAC Baseball Release - Week 1

THE 2024 NCAA BASEBALL SEASON BEGINS!
The 2024 NCAA baseball season officially begins on Feb. 16 with nonconference games across the country. All 11 WAC baseball members will be in action to kick off the season.

GRAND CANYON AGAIN TABBED AS WAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL FAVORITE
Grand Canyon was voted the top team in the preseason 2024 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Baseball Coaches Poll that was released on Feb. 6. All 11 WAC baseball head coaches cast votes for the preseason predicted order of finish and all-conference honors. Grand Canyon received nine first-place votes and 99 voting points at the top of the 2024 conference preseason coaches poll.

CALIFORNIA BAPTIST’S SIMON, UTAH VALLEY’S DICKINSON PRESEASON CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
California Baptist senior infielder Mitchel Simon and Utah Valley sophomore infielder Daniel Dickinson were named 2024 WAC Preseason Players of the Year. Simon was tied for the conference lead with 21 doubles while hitting .309 with 19 home runs and 54 RBI overall last season, bolstered by nine home runs and 30 RBI in 31 conference starts. Dickinson burst on the scene as a true freshman and batted .376 with 19 doubles, nine home runs, 42 RBI and 59 runs scored for Utah Valley last season, including a .410 average with 19 extra-base hits, 29 RBI and 31 runs in 28 WAC starts in 2023.

GCU’S AVITIA REPEATS AS WAC PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Grand Canyon junior pitcher Daniel Avitia repeated as the WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Avitia was 7-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) last season, striking out 81 batters while issuing just 19 walks over 82.2 innings pitched. Avitia was a perfect 6-0 in WAC regular season games with a .248 batting average against in 10 conference starts as a sophomore.

EXCITING 2023 SETS STAGE FOR FUN-FILLED 2024
After being tabbed 11th in the 2023 preseason coaches poll, Utah Valley ultimately advanced to the WAC Championship series from the winner’s bracket last season. Top-seeded Grand Canyon was upset in back-to-back WAC Tournament games and eventually saw three players drafted in the first five rounds of the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

THE WAC IN THE PRESEASON RANKINGS
Grand Canyon was among the teams receiving votes in the 2024 NCBWA preseason poll. The Lopes joined 29 other teams receiving votes in the poll.