Cal State Fullerton comes in at No. 12 in pre-season baseball ranking

Cal State Fullerton ranked No. 12 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s initial Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I preseason poll released last month.
The Titans are coming off a 2017 campaign that saw them reach the College World Series for the 18th time in program history.
Cal State Fullerton has now been ranked within the top 23 in all 20 preseason polls since Collegiate Baseball implemented its own preseason poll before the 1999 season. Fullerton is the second highest ranked team on the West Coast, only behind fellow 2017 Omaha participant No. 2 Oregon State.
In addition, Fullerton leads a group of five Big West squads that have been placed in the preseason rankings, as Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and UC Irvine all received votes in the poll.
Defending national champion Florida is ranked No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
For the Titans, it’ll be a good mix of returners and newcomers that should make up a team worthy of its top-12 preseason ranking.
Fullerton welcomes back two all-conference performers from a year ago in sophomore infielder Sahid Valenzuela and junior pitcher Brett Conine. The Titans will also be under the leadership of four-time Big West Coach of the Year Rick Vanderhook, who enters his seventh season as head coach.
Pitcher Colton Eastman and Conine were both named to Collegiate Baseball’s All-American Preseason Second Team last month.
Fans will get their first opportunity to see the 2018 Titans on Jan 27 at Goodwin Field, as Fullerton will hold its annual Alumni Game at 1 pm.
Source: Cal State Fullerton Athletics
Source: Oc Register