STANFORD, Calif. - Coming off its first College World Series appearance since 2008, Stanford has been voted by the Pac-12 coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2022 conference title. The Cardinal, led by Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer in his fifth season, received eight first-place votes and 98 points to be picked first in the preseason coaches' poll for the first time since 2013.
Stanford, which last won the conference title in 2018, is ranked in the top 10 in all six national polls - including a No. 5 ranking in the USA Today baseball coaches poll.
Oregon State picked up one first-place vote and 84 points to finish second in the poll, followed by defending Pac-12 champion Arizona in third with 77 points. UCLA received two first-place votes and 75 points to finish fourth in the poll, with Oregon (70 points) placing fifth.
Rounding out the poll are California (53 points), Arizona State (46 points), USC and Washington State (34 points apiece), Washington (19 points) and Utah (15 points).
Non-conference play is scheduled to begin next week with all 12 schools opening on Friday, February 18 with conference play starting Friday, March 11. The Cardinal will begin the season at home with a three-game series against Cal State Fullerton.
The season will conclude with the inaugural Pac-12 Baseball Tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. which is scheduled for May 25-29 at Scottsdale Stadium.
Junior Brock Jones highlights a talented group of returners for the Cardinal, as Jones is a unanimous preseason All-America selection. Jones, who competed last summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, was a second-team All-American according to Baseball America, Perfect Game and D1Baseball a year ago.
Stanford finished the 2021 season 39-17 and 17-10 in Pac-12 play to claim third place in the conference standings. After winning the Stanford Regional and punching a ticket to Omaha with a sweep at Texas Tech in the Super Regionals, the Cardinal made its 17th College World Series appearance in program history. Stanford dropped back-to-back games just once in 2021 and finished the year 12-1 in weekend series.
2022 Pac-12 Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | Points (first-place votes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Stanford | 98 (8) |
| 2. | Oregon State | 84 (1) |
| 3. | Arizona | 77 |
| 4. | UCLA | 75 (2) |
| 5. | Oregon | 70 |
| 6. | California | 53 |
| 7. | Arizona State | 46 |
| 8. | USC | 34 |
| Washington State | 34 | |
| 10. | Washington | 19 |
| 11. | Utah | 15 |