For all of its struggles in several prominent winter sports, the Pac-12 is shaping up to be one of the top baseball conferences in the nation. With the league schedule beginning tomorrow, several conference schools have distanced themselves from the pack. @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/2012-bsb-schedule.pdf@@
1. Stanford (13-2)
Ranked No. 2 in the latest Baseball America poll, the Cardinal has thrived despite facing one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the nation. Most recently, Stanford took two of three from then-No. 4 Rice, highlighted by a 14-strikeout performance by staff ace and top MLB prospect Mark Appel. The Cardinal has statically dominated foes during the season’s first 15 games, outhitting opponents .317 to .193 and notching a 2.63 team ERA compared to a 7.59 ERA for the opposition. @@http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Baseball/Standings.aspx@@ @@http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2012/2613094.html@@ @@http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/stan-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/030912aaa.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/stan.htm@@
2. UCLA (13-3)
Losing a pair of top-five MLB draft picks from last season’s team hasn’t slowed the No. 9 Bruins in 2012. UCLA is on a 11-game winning streak that includes three victories over No. 18 Georgia. The Bruins have been powered by outfielder Jeff Gelalich, who is hitting an incredible .483 and leads the team in stolen bases, hits, runs scored, home runs and on-base percentage. His OPS (on base-percentage plus slugging percentage) is a staggering 1.281. By comparison, Joey DeMichele of Arizona State, the 2011 leader, had an OPS of 1.031 last season. @@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/ucla-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/ucla-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/ucla.htm@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2010-11/HTML/asu.htm@@
3. Arizona (13-3)
The No. 6 Wildcats impressed during their season-opening 15-game home stand, winning series from Auburn, UC Davis, Harvard, Eastern Michigan and North Dakota State. Arizona has the highest team batting average in the conference (.337) and has stolen a league-high 41 bases. Infielder Alex Mejia is one of the conference’s top hitters (.413 batting average), and starting pitcher Kurt Heyer (4-0, 0.58 ERA in 31 innings pitched) might be the league’s best hurler.@@http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/ariz-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/lgsumm.htm@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/ariz.htm@@
4. Oregon (12-3)
Like it did last season, No. 17 Oregon’s pitching has carried the Ducks’ through their nonconference schedule, which was highlighted by a 10-game winning streak. Oregon’s 2.64 team ERA has overshadowed the offense posting the second-lowest batting average in the Pac-12. Sophomore reliever Jimmie Sherfy has been a revelation for the Ducks, striking out 31 batters and allowing only eight hits in 17.2 innings. @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/ore.htm@@
5. Arizona State (11-4)
Although they’re not eligible for the postseason because of NCAA sanctions, the No. 11 Sun Devils were one of the Pac-12’s best teams in the nonconference season. Arizona State leads the league in team ERA (2.14) and team on base percentage (.419). Nonetheless, after opening the season by winning eight of their first nine games, the Sun Devils lost three of their past six against more sturdy competition. They’ll rely heavily upon star second baseman Joey DeMichele, who’s second in the conference in batting average, hits and RBI’s as the Pac-12 season begins. @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/asu.htm@@ @@http://www.thesundevils.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/asu-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/lgsumm.htm@@
6. Oregon State (11-5)
Despite being towards the bottom of the Pac-12 in both batting average and team ERA, No. 25 Oregon State has found a way to be successful early this season. The Beavers have a winning record despite a staff ERA of 4.36, one of the worst marks in the Pac-12 conference. It’s worth noting, however, that those stats are skewed by a pair of blowout losses — an 18-2 loss to San Diego State and a 13-5 defeat to Kansas State. More importantly, the Beavers have won six of their past seven games and are playing well as they prepare for the start of Pac-12 play. @@http://www.osubeavers.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/orst-m-basebl-sched.html@@
7. California (11-4)
Junior infielder Tony Renda has lived up to the hype for Cal so far this season. The first-team preseason All-American and Golden Spikes Award watch list member leads all Bear regulars with a .385 batting average and a .467 on-base percentage. Renda is also responsible for nearly 50 percent of Cal’s stolen bases (he has six) and is a big reason why Cal was successful in the nonconference schedule. The Bears did struggle when they went on the road however, combining to go 3-4 at Long Beach State and Nebraska. @@http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/renda_tony00.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/cal.htm@@ @@http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/cal-m-basebl-sched.html@@
8. USC (12-4)
The Trojans have an impressive record, but have had most of their nonconference success against second-rate competition. When facing top Division I competition, USC struggled, losing four of five games to bigger name schools Pepperdine, North Carolina and UCLA. Nonetheless, the Trojans are well-stocked with talent. Stephen Tarpley (2-0, 2.28 ERA) is one of the best starting pitchers in the conference, and infielder Matt Foat is in the top-10 in the league in on-base percentage (.493). @@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/usc-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/usc.htm@@
9. Washington (10-6)
The Huskies picked an inopportune time to start to struggle. On the heels of a six-game winning streak earlier in the season, Washington has now lost three of its past four heading into Pac-12 play. The biggest problem for Washington is scoring – they’ve scored three or fewer runs in three of their past four games. However, with a team ERA of 3.64, the Huskies’ pitching staff has been solid, and starters Aaron West (1-1, 2.25 ERA) and George Asmus (0-1, 2.70) have been among the best in the Pac-12. @@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/wash-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/wash.htm@@
10. Washington State (9-5)
Earlier this week, Washington State notched its best win of the season when they beat No. 15 Cal State Fullerton 9-8 in 11 innings. The victory capped off an uneven performance in the nonconference schedule for the Cougars, who had to endure several games being postponed or suspended due to inclement weather. Perhaps because of the unpredictable schedule, the Cougars’ pitching staff has been inconsistent at times and has the third-worst ERA (4.22) in the conference. However, Washington State does have the third-best slugging percentage (.452) in the Pac-12. @@http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/wast-m-basebl-sched.html@@
11. Utah (4-11)
If their performance in the conference schedule is any indication, the Utes will struggle to make the transition to the Pac-12. Utah had by far the worst showing of any Pac-12 team in the nonconference season by almost all accounts. In addition to posting the worst record, the Utes have the worst batting average and team ERA in the conference. Senior infielder James Brooks, who has a team-leading .323 batting average and .585 slugging percentage, has been one of the few bright spots for Utah. @@http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/utah-m-basebl-mtt.html@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/utah.htm@@
**N/R: Colorado (Colorado is the lone Pac-12 school without a baseball program.)**