WCC programs hope to change perceptions

Unless you’re Gonzaga or Loyola Marymount, last season is worth forgetting for every West Coast Conference team.

The Bulldogs surprised many by compiling an impressive 36-18 record and winning the conference title to advance to an NCAA regional.

LMU also was a great story. In just coach Jason Gill’s first season with the program, the Lions notched 30 wins and also finished WCC play with a solid 13-8 record.

San Diego, Pepperdine and Santa Clara had campaigns to forget.

Gonzaga and LMU would love to build off their 2009 campaigns. Other teams, though, hope to improve enough this fall and make their last campaign a distant memory.

It’s time to go inside fall workouts in the WCC.

Gonzaga

Biggest loss. C Tyson Van Winkle

What to watch. The Zags made a huge statement last season by winning the WCC title and reaching an NCAA regional. But in order to return to the postseason in the spring, there are a few things that must go their way. First, the offense has some work to do with the departures of four of their five top hitters, including Tyson Van Winkle, Anthony Synegal, Evan Wells and Ryan Wiegand. GU must also shore up the pitching staff, which must replace starting pitchers Steven Ames and Matt Fields in addition to A.J. Proszek, who recorded 49 innings last season. Drew Heid is the key to the offense and returning pitchers Cody Martin and Ryan Carpenter must rise to the occasion.

Loyola Marymount

Biggest loss. OF Angelo Songco

What to watch. The Lions finished last season with an unimpressive overall record, but still made huge strides by reaching the WCC final. Now second-year coach Jason Gill and his program hope to take yet another step forward. That’ll take some work. The Lions are fine on the mound this fall with the return of starting pitchers Ramiro Carreon and Alex Gillingham in addition to relievers Chris Eusebio and Xavier Esquivel. However, the offense may be another story. The Lions lost several players in the offseason, including big-time hitters Angelo Songco and Ryan Wheeler. LMU could be fine at the plate if Ryan Hawthorne and Jonathan Johnson step up this fall. The offense will determine the team’s fate in the spring.

Pepperdine

Biggest loss. P Nick Gaudi

What to watch. The Waves would just prefer to forget about last season. They entered the campaign with high expectations and failed miserably by compiling an unimpressive 31-23 record. The Waves need to get back to business between now and the spring. That is dependent on the offense showing immense improvement. The Waves finished last season with a .284 batting average and welcome back five key hitters, including Colin Rooney, who batted .327 with six homers last season. Pepperdine also has some work to do on the mound with Cole Cook and Matt Bywater the only reliable returning arms. Look for this program to be extra motivated this fall.

Portland

Biggest loss. OF Bryant Kraus

What to watch. The Pilots at least made some noise in the WCC last season. They could make even more noise in the spring. Portland has some key hitters to replace with the departure of Bryant Kraus and others. But they still welcome back at least three key bats in Riley Henricks, Kris Kauppila and Craig Smith. On the mound, though, is where this team should excel this fall and in the spring. The Pilots had a respectable staff last season and welcomes back almost every productive pitcher, including stud Zach Varce, who made 23 appearances last season and had a 2.69 ERA in 60 1/3 innings. Portland shouldn’t finish at the bottom of the standings in ’10.

San Diego

Biggest loss. SS Sean Nicol

What to watch. Even with a rash of injuries last season, the Toreros still managed to finish the campaign with a 29-25 record. Now San Diego hopes to regroup this fall and return to the postseason in the spring. There’s a great chance that happens considering they’ll be the WCC favorite entering the ’10 campaign. USD welcomes back several key hitters from an offense that finished last season with a .317 batting average. It also will enter the spring with an incredibly strong pitching staff with Kyle Blair, AJ Griffin, Matt Hauser, Darrin Campbell and Matt Thomson leading the way. The Toreros have the personnel to be an Omaha team in the upcoming season.

San Francisco

Biggest loss. OF Zach Kim

What to watch. The Dons finished last season two games out of first place in the WCC. They hope to once again compete for the conference crown in the spring. There’s a good chance that happens. Sure, the Dons have a few key hitters to replace, including leading slugger Zach Kim. But the pitching staff is expected to be one of the strongest in the WCC and perhaps even in the state of California. The Dons welcome back Matt Lujan, Matt Hiserman, Cameron Love, Doug Murray and Jonathan Abramson, among others. USF can accomplish much more than just a great conference finish if the offense improves between now and the spring.

Santa Clara

Biggest loss. SS Jon Karcich

What to watch. What a nightmare last season was for the Broncos. They were expected to finally take a huge step forward and notch a regional bid. However, the season ended in disappointing fashion with a deplorable 19-34 record. Now the Broncos hope to surprise everyone in the spring. That’ll take some work this fall. The Broncos welcome back three of their top four hitters in Geoff Klein, Kevin Madden and Andrew Biancardi. They also welcome back Tommy Medica, who missed much of last season because of an injury. On the mound, though, is where the Broncos must improve the most. They finished last season with a 6.31 ERA, but the silver lining is that they welcome back their top four pitchers this fall. SC will be an interesting team to watch.

St. Mary’s

Biggest loss. OF Kyle Jensen

What to watch. The Gaels were another WCC team expected to take a step forward last season. However, they finished the campaign with an unimpressive 28-27 record. The Gaels hope to make a statement once and for all in the spring. St. Mary’s has some tough holes to fill at the plate, but has a solid nucleus with the return of three key hitters, including Troy Channing, who finished last season with a .379 batting average, 20 homers and 75 RBIs. On the mound, the Gaels are without Brian Justice and Scott Schneider, which combined for 24 starts last season. However, they welcome back four productive pitchers from last year’s club. St. Mary’s has plenty work to do on the mound and at the plate to become a regional contender.