Feb. 12, 2013

STANFORD, Calif. - There's no turning back now. Three days away from the season opener at Rice. Pitchers and catchers have reported to MLB training camps. First pitch can't come soon enough.

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It's nearly a full-time job keeping up with the preseason rankings, accolades and polls. Let's get caught up on all of them.

Top 25 - Stanford is a consensus preseason top-10 choice.
No. 4 - Perfect Game
No. 7 - USA Today/ESPN
No. 7 - National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
No. 9 - Collegiate Baseball
No. 9 - Baseball America

Pac-12 Poll - The bull's eye is on the Cardinal's back.
According to the league's preseason coaches' poll released Feb. 8, Stanford was picked to win the Pac-12 title. The Cardinal has not won a Pac-12 title since copping back-to-back crowns in 2003 (College World Series runner-up) and 2004 (NCAA Regional).

On the Watch - After thy game, remember thy name.
Mark Appel • Sr. • RHP
Perfect Game Preseason First Team All-America
Louisville Slugger Preseason First Team All-America
NCBWA Preseason First Team All-America
Baseball America Preseason First Team All-America

Austin Wilson • Jr. • OF
Perfect Game Preseason First Team All-America
Baseball America Preseason First Team All-America
Louisville Slugger Preseason Second Team All-America

Brian Ragira • Jr. • 1B
Perfect Game Preseason First Team All-America
Baseball America Preseason First Team All-America
Louisville Slugger Preseason Third Team All-America

Alex Blandino • So. • 3B
Louisville Slugger Preseason First Team All-America

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Stanford typically holds its annual team banquet during the calendar year's Big Game week. As the 2012 Big Game was played in October, the baseball banquet was pushed back to February and was held last weekend at the Palo Alto Sheraton.

Guests knew they'd be taken care of by the Sheraton staff even before entering the banquet hall. After all, head coach Mark Marquess' photo is featured prominently in the hotel lounge along with shots of Stanford icons John Elway, Bill Walsh and Jim Plunkett.

The buffet featured enough overflowing portions to feed a ship of Vikings. The prime rib was primo. The dessert table necessitated a second visit.

Marquess began the ceremony by recognizing a number of former players from teams of recent and long ago. The skipper then lauded the continued efforts and dedication of the program's long-time bus driver and bat boy.

Award recipients were not subjected to a public speaking cameo. Even more frightening, they had to open their gifts in front of an audience waiting to share its `ooohhhhs' and `aaahhhhs'.

The gifts included engraved baseball bats, designer watches, sunglasses, dress shirts, jackets and an alarm clock. Yes, an alarm clock (given to the Most Valuable Freshman, of course).

Envelope, please. And the winners are ...

Most Valuable Player - Mark Appel, Stephen Piscotty
Presented by the Team of 1913

Most Improved Player - Eric Smith
Presented by Dick Keeble

Come Through Award - A.J. Vanegas
Presented by Bill Alhouse

Most Valuable Freshman - Alex Blandino
Presented by Charles Gundelach

Most Inspirational Player - Christian Griffiths
Presented by Charles Gundelach

"I remember traveling to see Christian for an in-home visit," recalled associate head coach Dean Stotz before handing out the award. "He lived way outside of Los Angeles. So far off the beaten path that the GPS wouldn't pick up his home address. I arrive to his home sitting on a hill and not located close to anything at all. Yet it was surrounded by a fence. `Why the fence?' I asked. `To keep the rattlesnakes away.' I will never, ever forget that moment."

Bruce R. Cameron Memorial Award - Sahil Bloom
Presented by Baseball Alumni Donors in memory of the late Bruce R. Cameron, star 3B/SS who played for the Cardinal from 1949-51. Awarded annually to a player with outstanding proficiency in baseball, leadership and academic performance.

"This award goes to someone who every person on this squad is proud to call their teammate," Stotz said before announcing Bloom as the winner.

Jack Shepard Memorial Award - Brian Ragira, Stephen Piscotty
Presented since 1995 by Stanford Baseball in memory of the late Jack Shepard, an All-American catcher who played for Stanford from 1951-53. Awarded annually to the player with the team's highest batting average that meets the minimum standards.

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Hearts were heavy as for the first time in decades the team banquet was not attended by Harry Press.

Press, a longtime San Francisco newspaperman and Stanford administrator, passed away Feb. 6 at a Palo Alto care facility. He was 93.

A loyal fan of Stanford sports, particularly baseball, Press was a fixture at Sunken Diamond with his first wife, Martha, who died in 1999. He accompanied the Cardinal to Omaha for five College World Series.

Marquess and the banquet's attendees dedicated a moment of silence to Press, who requested his memorial service be held at Sunken Diamond.

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Tyler Gaffney is still a former Stanford outfielder, but he's no longer a former Stanford running back.

Gaffney announced Feb. 11 that he is returning to The Farm after spending last season playing baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Gaffney will be completing work toward his degree and will play with the Cardinal football program next season.

Selected in the 24th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Gaffney hit .297 in 38 games for the Pirates' Class-A affiliate State College Spikes.

Because he signed a professional baseball contract, Gaffney is no longer eligible to play collegiate baseball.

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ESPN's Teddy Mitrosilis recently wrote that the baseball pendulum is swinging in a positive direction toward the Pac-12 after becoming a recent fixture in the Southeast Conference. According to Mitrosilis, college baseball feels like a true tug-of-war again, with a rope that reaches to both coasts and has an equal number of hands pulling on each end. It has the feel of two eras, separated by change and joined by championships, culminating in one fight for college baseball's balance of power.

"It goes in cycles with your pitching, but this looks like a strong year for us," Marquess was quoted for the front page feature on ESPN.com's college site.

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Welcome back to the Bay Area! The Oakland Athletics acquired former Stanford All-American Jed Lowrie two weeks ago from the Houston Astros. Lowrie batted .244 with 16 home runs and 42 RBI in 97 games with Houston last year, posting career-highs in home runs, runs (43), hits (83), walks (43) and games played.

Lowrie led the Astros in walks and finished second on the club in home runs, despite spending nearly two months of the season on the disabled list. The 28-year-old switch-hitter committed just eight errors in 93 games at shortstop for a .980 fielding pct., which was the best among National League shortstops with 70 or more games.

Lowrie has appeared in 240 games at shortstop in his career in addition to 83 games at third base, 34 at second base and 11 at first base. Lowrie hit .338 in his career at Stanford with 31 home runs and 162 RBI in 179 career games.

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Brian Ragira and Mark Appel joined Marquess to represent Stanford at the Bay Area Baseball Media Day held Feb. 7 on The Farm.

Local media came out to speak with the Stanford contingent along with players and coaches from Cal, St. Mary's, San Jose State, Santa Clara and USF.

Each head coach delivered an opening statement before fielding questions from the media.

Marquess noted Appel's return to college for his senior season would be a good thing for the game.

St. Mary's head coach Jedd Soto addressed the length of the grass in his facility's infield.

Santa Clara head coach Dan O'Brien talked about creating an old-school atmosphere for the Broncos.

USF head coach Nino Giarratano laid out the plan to regroup his Dons to make another West Coast Conference title run.

Cal head coach David Esquer announced upgrades to the Golden Bears' Evans Diamond, including lights and a renovated scoreboard.

Sporting a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt, Dave Nakama was asked how it felt to replace longtime San Jose State head coach Sam Piraro.

Nakama: "Well, we're different."

Reporter: "Define `different' please."

Nakama: "Different."

Reporter: "Different."

Nakama: "Well, I'm a bit more, well, laid back than Sam. In a different way."

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Speaking publicly for the first time since announcing his return to The Farm for his senior season, Appel, the only unsigned player among 31 first-round picks last year, handled the barrage of questions with the same poise and composure he shows on the mound.

On not signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates crossing paths with the team's fans down the road: "If they're going to boo me, then so be it. I'd love to sit down and have a meal with them after the game."

On prepping for the 2013 draft: "Everybody said, `If you don't sign, you're pushing your major league career back a year.' I don't see it that way. I don't understand how people can say that I can't keep working and keep getting better at Stanford. It might be a different situation and scenario than a minor league team, but I still have the opportunities to improve my game, get better, to just grow as a baseball player and a teammate and prepare myself for the next level."

On what he's learned about himself throughout the process: "It's not all about money for me. There are a lot of things I value greater than money. Money means a lot to a lot of people. It seems like a social status. I'm not defined by how much I earn or will earn."

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Stanford held its Cardinal & White Intersquad Scrimmage on Feb. 9. Several hundred fans watched from the warm seats of a sun-soaked Sunken Diamond as the team competed in a friendly Saturday fashion.

The only hiccup on the day came when Stanford took the field with one squad wearing cardinal uniforms and the other wearing grey uniforms.

Andy Sikic, who handles the marketing efforts for the baseball program, was unavailable to comment on whether or not the event will be labeled the `Cardinal & Grey Intersquad Scrimmage' in 2014.

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