Owls Picked 5th in First CCC Baseball Coaches’ Poll
Men's Baseball
October 19, 2020
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon Tech has been chosen to finish 5
th in the 2021 Cascade Collegiate Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll while perennial powerhouse Lewis-Clark State College was picked as the favorite to win the championship. This is the first time the CCC has enough baseball teams to vie for its own automatic qualification for the NAIA postseason, retiring the old NAIA West moniker.
"We are excited about the depth of quality programs in our conference," said first year head coach
Jacob Garsez. "It is our goal to win each day by slowly enhancing the energy that surrounds our program, in the areas of focus, conviction, attitude, body language, and effort…. Our vision for success excites us and motivates us to take one step forward each day in defining what it means to be a Tech baseball player!"
Coach Garsez and the Owls return 7 starters and 19 of 24 overall from last year's team.
Tech starts the 2021 season with a 12-game road trip starting February 26 at British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. The Owls will have stops in La Grande, Ore. against Eastern Oregon University on March 5th and 6th and then in Caldwell, Idaho on March 12th and 13th against College of Idaho. Oregon Tech will have its home opener on March 19 and 20th against Lewis-Clark State at Kiger Stadium.
All six CCC baseball teams have unfinished business to tend to after last year's season unfortunately ended prematurely due to the coronavirus. The 2021 season is set to start in February, with the championship held following the completion of the regular season at a site yet to be determined.
The LCSC Warriors picked up five of the six first-place votes for 35 points. LC State was last year's preseason favorite as well and after a rough start to the season, the Warriors picked up the pace with the help of some new bats and breakthrough pitching performances. LC State ended the shortened season with a record of 15-5.
UBC sits in second with one first-place vote and 31 points. The Thunderbirds had won six of their last eight games before the season was canceled, finishing the shortened year with a 12-8 mark.
The College of Idaho was picked to take third with 21 points, while Corban University followed with 18 points. Oregon Tech (14 points) and Eastern Oregon University (seven points) closed out the poll.
2021 CCC Baseball Coaches' Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Lewis-Clark State College (5) 35
2. British Columbia (1) 31
3. College of Idaho 21
4. Corban University 18
5. Oregon Tech 14
6. Eastern Oregon University 7
The first NAIA national poll is set to be released on Nov. 4.
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