Feb. 5, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

STANFORD, Calif. - In a close final tally, Stanford has been picked to finish third in the 2009 Pac-10 baseball race, according to a vote of the league's coaches. The Cardinal was one of five clubs to receive a first-place vote, while finishing with 64 points - three behind second-place UCLA and five shy of defending league champion and the coaches' 2009 favorite, Arizona State.

Coming off a 2008 season which saw the program make its 16th trip to the College World Series, Stanford has been ranked in the preseason top-20 in four major national polls - including a trio of top-10 rankings. Heading into the 2009 campaign, the Cardinal has been tabbed the No. 5 team in the country by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, No. 6 by the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll, No. 9 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 15 by Baseball America.

Stanford returns 18 letterwinners, including six starting position players, a trio of starting pitchers and a Freshman All-America closer from last year's College World Series club.

Head coach Mark Marquess will open his 33rd season at the helm of his alma mater when Stanford plays four home games at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond the weekend of February 20-22, 2009. The Cardinal will host Southeastern Conference power Vanderbilt (Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21), along with UC Riverside (Sunday, Feb. 22 doubleheader). Stanford will begin Pac-10 play with a three-game series at California from March 21-23.

2009 Pac-10 Coaches Poll
School (First Place Votes)	Points
	1. Arizona State (3)	69
	2. UCLA (3)	67
	3. Stanford (1)	64
	4. Oregon State (2)	58
	5. Arizona (1)	56
	6. California	42
	7. USC	38
	8. Washington State	24
	9. Washington	23
	10. Oregon	9