The Big West had a complex 2023 season. It was a highly competitive year, with six teams finishing within three games of first place. UC San Diego, in just its third season in the conference, emerged as the first-time champion. However, there were disappointments as well. UC Irvine was unjustly excluded from the NCAA Tournament selection process, and UC Santa Barbara missed out on the tournament after being swept by Hawaii in the final weekend of the regular season. Consequently, the Big West became a one-bid league, with the league champion unable to participate in the postseason due to NCAA regulations for teams transitioning from Division II. This marks the fourth time in the last five NCAA Tournaments that the Big West has been limited to one bid. The conference’s decline can be attributed to various factors, including broader trends in college sports and its own deficiencies.
Looking ahead to 2024, the Big West appears poised to produce multiple NCAA Tournament teams. UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara boast talented rosters and are expected to be strong contenders this spring. Cal State Northridge has been on an upward trajectory, and other teams have the potential to make a push as well. Regardless of the RPI or other tournament selection metrics, the Big West offers compelling college baseball that should not be overlooked. UCSB possesses one of the nation’s top pitching staffs, while UCI retains all of its starters from a lineup that ranked 27th in scoring—an achievement unmatched by any Big West team since UCSB ranked 13th in 2004. CSUN is coming off its best season since 2002, and UCSD aims to surprise once again and defend its title.
While college sports undergo significant changes, it is important not to overlook the quality baseball being played on the West Coast. Now, let’s delve deeper into the Big West as we examine the predicted order of finish based on the teams’ 2023 records:
1. UC Irvine (38-17, 19-11)
2. UC Santa Barbara (35-20, 18-12)
3. Cal State Northridge (34-17, 20-10)
4. Hawaii (29-20, 18-12)
5. UC San Diego (34-18, 21-9)
6. Cal State Fullerton (32-24, 20-10)
7. Cal Poly (21-35, 11-19)
8. Long Beach State (33-22, 17-13)
9. UC Davis (17-37, 7-23)
10. Cal State Bakersfield (18-34, 9-21)
11. UC Riverside (11-41, 5-25)
According to the Source baseballamerica.com