WAC becoming more than one-team league

Perhaps Fresno State lit a fire under the rest of the WAC two seasons ago.

The Bulldogs entered last season with some holes to fill. San Jose State and Louisiana Tech finished the regular season with better conference records. But in the end, it still was Fresno State that earned a bid to the postseason after winning the league tournament.

Still, the fact that teams such as San Jose State and New Mexico State compiled impressive records last season speaks volumes about the direction of this league.

San Jose State and Louisiana Tech have some huge holes to fill between now and the spring. But Fresno State, New Mexico State and Hawaii have squads capable of not only reaching an NCAA regional, but also making some noise.

There’s still plenty work to do.

It’s time to dissect the WAC this fall.

Fresno State

Biggest loss. 3B Tommy Mendonca

What to watch. After winning the national title two seasons ago, coach Mike Batesole made it perfectly clear he believed it would take two seasons for the Bulldogs to return where they want to be. Fresno struggled for much of last season, but still managed to reach an NCAA regional. Now the Bulldogs hope to return to Omaha. The offense welcomes back several key cogs, but also must replace big-time hitters Tommy Mendonca and Alan Ahmady. Getting shortstop Danny Muno back this fall is huge, though. On the mound, the Bulldogs must replace Holden Sprague. However, they welcome back Josh Poytress, Matt Morse, Derek Benny and Zac Bischoff. Fresno will have a very solid team if it finds a way to replace Mendonca and Ahmady.

Hawaii

Biggest loss. 3B Vinnie Catricala

What to watch. There actually was a time last season when Hawaii appeared to be in great shape to make an NCAA regional. But the Warriors didn’t finish the season on a high note and ended the campaign with a 32-26 record. Now the Warriors hope to improve enough between now and the spring to return to the postseason. This squad should be much improved. Hawaii has the tough chore of replacing leading hitter Vinnie Catricala, but welcomes back several key cogs including Kolten Wong, who batted .341 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs last season. The Warriors also will be improved on the mound. They had a 5.74 ERA last season. They welcome back Sam Spangler, Matt Sisto, Jesse Moore, Nate Klein and Connor Little. There’s no reason why the Warriors can’t compete for a regional bid in ’10.

Louisiana Tech

Biggest loss. 3B Chris Kersten

What to watch. Offense was the reason the Bulldogs finished second in the WAC standings and compiled a 29-22 record last season. But the Bulldogs have a plethora of holes to fill at the plate with the departures of four of their top five hitters, including Chris Kersten and Patrick Thomas, which combined for 25 homers last season. The silver lining is the Bulldogs welcome back Devon Dageford, who finished last season hitting .385 with 23 homers and 68 RBIs. More important than the offense, the Bulldogs must improve on the mound. They finished last season with a deplorable 7.24 ERA. Tech could have an improved team if the pitching staff wakes up.

Nevada

Biggest loss. OF Matt Bowman

What to watch. The Wolf Pack would love to forget about last season. They entered the campaign with high hopes, but finished it with a dismal 25-31 record. The solution is pretty simple for Nevada: the pitching staff must improve. Nevada finished last season with a 6.14 ERA. The silver lining, though, is the fact it returns three of its better pitchers in Daniel Tinlin, Tyler Graham and Jayson McClaren. At the plate, the Wolf Pack must find a way to replace Matt Bowman. However, they welcome back four of their top six hitters, including Nick Melino, who batted .352 with four homers and 39 RBIs last season. Nevada has the personnel to improve on its .287 batting average last season. The pitching staff, though, has much work to do.

New Mexico State

Biggest loss. SS Bryan Marquez

What to watch. The Aggies might’ve reached an NCAA regional last season had their 44-17 record been accomplished against a decent schedule. With that said, the ’10 club has a chance to be even better than the ’09 squad. The Aggies must replace Bryan Marquez and other key hitters, but still welcome back four key cogs, including Mike Sodders, who batted .422 with 13 homers and 68 RBIs last season. Still, the biggest key for this team is improving its numbers on the mound. NMSU finished last season with a 6.26 ERA. That’s simply unacceptable. The Aggies welcome back most of their top pitchers, including Daniel Simon, Jared Jordan, Scott Coffman and Daniel Reyes. The Aggies have an opportunity to be a regional team in the spring.

Sacramento State

Biggest loss. OF Tim Wheeler

What to watch. The Hornets finished at the bottom of the WAC last season. And unless something drastic changes between now and the spring, there’s a good chance they’ll be back in the basement once again in the spring. The Hornets finished last season with a .318 batting average, but must replace four of their five top hitters, including leading hitter Blake Crosby and power hitter Tim Wheeler. With the offense in rebuilding mode, all pressure is on the pitching staff, which compiled a deplorable 6.33 ERA last season. The Hornets welcome back some of their better arms, but that is relative considering how bad the staff was last season. Sacramento State must improve on the mound or it’ll be another campaign to forget.

San Jose State

Biggest loss. SS Kyle Bellows

What to watch. The Spartans won the WAC regular season title and compiled an impressive 41-20 record last season. But come postseason time, the Spartans were nowhere to be found after Fresno State won the conference tournament to earn the automatic bid. SJSU heads back to the drawing board with a plethora of holes to fill. The Spartans are fine at the plate, though. Sure, they have the tough chore of replacing stud hitter Kyle Bellows and others. But they still welcome back six hitters that had important roles last season. The pitching staff is a different story. SJSU is without all three weekend starting pitchers and also has other pitchers to replace. The Spartans can once again compete for the WAC crown if the pitching staff reloads between now and the spring.