The last five full baseball seasons in the Pacific West Conference have seen either Azusa Pacific or Point Loma hoist a trophy as the end of the campaign. 

 

2024 PacWest Baseball Poll
1.	Azusa Pacific (4)	76
2.	Point Loma (5)	75
3.	Fresno Pacific	59
4.	Concordia	50
5.	Westmont	43
6.	Biola	36
7.	Hawaii Hilo	28
8.	Hawaii Pacific	27
9.	Chaminade	11
First-place votes in parenthesis

According to the PacWest coaches, you wouldn't expect 2024 to be any different. 

The Cougars are the preseason favorites by one poll digit, edging the Sea Lions 76-75. But Point Loma had more first place votes (5) than APU (4). Last year, the Sea Lions won the regular season title, but the Cougars claimed the crown for the first-ever PacWest tournament. 

That's business as usual lately in the PacWest. 

The Cougars won the PacWest regular season title in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Their were no championships in 2020 or 2021 (Covid-19), and when full play resumed it was the Sea Lions winning in 2022 and 2023. The Cougars have been to the NCAA postseason six straight times and PLNU has advanced past the regular season in four of the last five seasons. 

Both are loaded and ready to title track again. Azusa Pacific has 11 returning players with starting experience, paded by 2024 preseason picks Omar Lopez (UTL), Isaac Mendoz (SP), Jake Vargas (RP) and Spencer Rasmussen (1B). Lopez was a First Team All-PacWest pick and all-west region honoree, hitting .306 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI. His 16 doubles were tops in the conference. Mendez was a Second Team selection (4-4, 4.12 ERA), Vargas was a Third Team pick (3-1, 3.37 and seven saves) while Rasmussen hit 10 home runs and platted 40 Cougars. 

Third-year head coach Kirk Nieuwenhuis also welcomes back PacWest Third Team pick Jeffrey Castillo (infield) along with Cade Marshman (.291) and Cameron Lee (.272). In all 29 returnees dot the roster from a team that went 35-19 last year.

Point Loma is heavily armed as well. Sixth-year head coach Justin James has 24 returnees from the 2023 squad that went 36-16. That includes the Preseason Player of the Year Scott Anderson (ss) and PacWest Preseason selections Dylan Miller (SP), Jake Entrekin (DH), Jack Malone (OF) and Esai Santos (OF), a transfer from Holy Names. 

Anderson is a three-time All-PacWest shortstop and was a first team all-conference and all-region pick last year. He hit .395 in 2023 with a PacWest best 83 hits. He had 40 RBI, 11 home runs, 16 doubles (tied with Lopez for tops) and 53 runs scored. He was the 2022 PacWest Defensive Playerr of the Year and was also named to the 2023 all-west defensive team. 

Miller led the PacWest in strikeouts last year (83) and had a 6-1 record and 3.87 ERA. Entrekin was a first team all-conference and all-region selection driving home 43 runs. Malone was also a double conference and region pick and was second in the conference in RBI with 56 with 13 home runs and 15 stolen bases. James was also fortunate to add Santos, one of the top players in the PacWest last year while with the Hawks, leading the conference in on-base percentage (.518), triples (4) and walks (42).

Hunter Otjen is back (First Team) as a pitcher and fielder, hitting ten home runs last year while spinning a 2.06 ERA on the hill. The only major challenge for the Sea Lions is replacing Jakob Christian, the conference MVP who led the league in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scores, RBI and home runs. 

Fresno Pacific may be a quiet third place selection, but they have the guns to make a run at the PacWest title. They have the 2023 PacWest Defensive Player of the Year and 2024 Preseason Team pick in catcher Jordan Smith and Preseason selection Tommy Rover at second base. Smith hit .298 and Rover batted .319, both earning First Team accolades last spring. Additionally, one of the top hitters in the PacWest returns in Andrew Valdez, a .396 batter. Valdez was a Second Team All-PacWest and All-West Region selection. 

The Sunbirds also secured 2023 Second Team selection Gabe Henderson, who became available after Academy of Art cut its program. FPU, under head coach Oscar HIrschkorn has the tough task of replacing two of the best pitchers in the league in Justin Fuson and Garrett Cooper The Sunbirds finished third in the PacWest last season and was 17-12 overall. 

Lining up fourth in the poll are the Concordia Golden Eagles. CUI has the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in Riley O'Sullivan, who as a starter had a light's out 1.42 ERA and 7-1 record. That ERA was tops in the PacWest, as was his opponent batting average of .214. The big right-hander was a First Team All-West Region selection and a Second Team All-American. He was a master of consistency, with just eight walks allowed in 82.1 innings pitched. 

The Golden Eagles also return Preseason Team outfielder Michael Dixon II. Dixon hit .371 last season to earn Third Team All-PacWest honors and Second Team All-West Region. Brett Finnel returns on the hill with a 5-2 record, fanning 61 batters in 54.1 innings. He was a Third Team All-PacWest pick. In all, head coach Joe Turgeon has 12 returnees with starting experience from a team that just missed the PacWest tournament last year by one game. 

It's a rare occurance when a national champion is picked fifth the following year in a preseason poll, that is the case with PacWest newcomer Westmont. The Warriors ended their NAIA membership in style with a national title in 2023 and a sterling 48-9 record. Head coach Tyler LaTorre accomplished that in his first season at the helm at Westmont, and now has a new challenge in moving up to Division II. LaTorre has some key pieces to replace but does return a 1-2 pitching punch in Bryan Peck (10-1, 3.11 ERA) and Chase Goddard (10-1, 3.94 ERA).

Biola checks in at No. 6, led by Preseason pick AJ Ortiz at third base. Ortiz blasted 13 home runs last season and earned First Team All-PacWest honors and Second Team All-Region. Head coach Jesse Rodgers also has four players returning that earned all-conference recognition in Bobby Brown (Second Team SP), Taylor Justus (Second Team catcher), Sam Lisiak (Third Team DH) and Wyatt Duncan (Third Team 1B).

Hawai`i Hilo takes the seventh spot, just one voting point ahead of rival Hawai`i Pacific. The Vulcans return Third Team pick Alec Yamauchi, but must replace five-year star Casey Yamauchi. The Vulcans went 25-19 last season under veteran head coach Kallen Miyataki. HPU has a impressive list of returnees including 2023 PacWest Newcomer of the Year Kota Suzuki, along with Second Team pick Nick Jio and Third Team selection Tejean Smith. Chaminade joins the fray in 2024 as a first-year program under head coach Chad Konishi.

First pitch for the 2024 season is on Feb. 1. To see the complete schedule, click here.


 

2024 PRESEASON ALL-PACWEST BASEBALL TEAM
Name	School	Pos.	Class	B/T	Hometown/Previous School
Jordan Smith	Fresno Pacific	C	Sr.	R/R	Fresno, Calif. / Reedley JC
Spencer Rasmussen	Azusa Pacific	1B	Sr.	L/L	Orange, Calif. / Canyon HS
Tommy Rover	Fresno Pacific	2B	Jr.	S/R	Brentwood, Calif. / Heritage HS
AJ Ortiz	Biola	3B	Sr.	R/R	Montebello, Calif. / Schurr HS
Scott Anderson+	Point Loma	SS	Sr.	R/R	Carlsbad, Calif. / Sage Creek HS
Michael Dixon II	Concordia	OF	Sr.	R/R	Oakland, Calif. / Univ. of San Diego
Esai Santos	Point Loma	OF	Gr.	L/R	Berkeley, Calif. / Holy Names Univ.
Jack Malone	Point Loma	OF	Jr.	L/R	Phoenix, Ariz. / Desert Vista HS
Jake Entrekin	Point Loma	DH	Jr.	R/R	San Diego, Calif. / Steele Canyon HS
Riley O’Sullivan^	Concordia	SP	Sr.	R/R	Poway, Calif. / Valhalla HS
Isaac Mendez	Azusa Pacific	SP	Sr.	R/R	Pomona, Calif. / Bonita HS
Dylan Miller	Point Loma	SP	Sr.	R/R	Jacksonville, Florida / Coronado HS
Jake Vargas	Azusa Pacific	RP	Sr.	R/R	West Covina, Calif. / CS Fullerton
Omar Lopez	Azusa Pacific	UTL	Sr.	R/R	Chula Vista, Calif. / Otay Ranch HS

                                                                                                                                +Preseason Player of the Year                    ^Preseason Pitcher of the Year