Cougars picked 5th, Shaver named to preseason team

Sophomore Colton Shaver was BYU’s only selection to the preseason team by West Coast Conference baseball coaches who also picked the Cougars to finish fifth.

San Diego was picked to regain the WCC title, while two-time defending league champion Pepperdine was picked runner-up. Loyola Marymount and Saint Mary’s tied for third, followed by BYU, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Pacific and Portland.  Pepperdine and LMU also received first-place votes.

In addition to the WCC selection by the league coaches, preseason WCC predictions have BYU third (by D1baseball.com and College Sports Madness) and fifth by Perfect Game.

Perfect Game and College Sports Madness also selected Shaver, a catcher/designated hitter from Riverton, to the All-WCC preseason team. Shaver was a freshman All-WCC selection by the league coaches at the end of last season.

In addition to Shaver, other 2016 first team All-WCC preseason selections from BYU not picked by the league coaches include Brennon Lund, Hayden Nielsen and Michael Rucker by Perfect Game.

Second team All-WCC preseason selections from BYU include Nielsen and Eric Urry by Sports Madness.

BYU outfielder Kyle Dean was also selected as the preseason WCC Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, D1Baseball.com and College Sports Madness.  The league coaches did not select a preseason freshman of the year.