IRVINE, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton has been selected to take home the 2018 Big West Conference championship by the coaches of the conference. The Titans earned 57 total points and received four first-place votes in the preseason poll.
The Titans are coming off back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 after an unreal run through conference play last season. They went on to win 12 straight BWC matchups en route of becoming back-to-back champs for the first time in over a decade. It's the first time in over a decade that Fullerton won consecutive championships.
The team went 35-23 last season and 16-5 in conference play. They clinched the conference title in the second to last weekend of the season sweeping CSUN with ESPN on site covering the game. The sweep capped off a 12-game conference winning streak that started in the middle of April.
The Titans will have a good mix of returners and newcomers this season giving them a very strong chance to make their third consecutive championship run. The team returns starters Sammie Vandiver (LF), Ari Williams (CF), Emily Randall (3B), Shianne Brannan (SS), and Zoe Richard (1B). The nine newcomers are headlined by freshman pitcher Taylor Dockins who was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year for 2017. The team cruised through their fall schedule going 7-1 with the lone loss coming at the hands of UCLA.
Fullerton's 57 points in the poll edged out Long Beach State who received 53 points and three first-place votes. Third place went to CSUN who tallied up 43 points. Fourth place goes to Hawai'i who received 32 points. UC Riverside and Cal Poly tied for fifth at 31 points. UC Santa Barbara (29) and UC Davis (12) rounded out the final two spots.
Coaches Poll Results
1. Cal State Fullerton (4) - 57
2. Long Beach State (3) - 53
3.CSUN - 43
4. Hawaii - 32
T5. UC Riverside (1) - 31
T5. Cal Poly - 31
7. UC Santa Barbara - 29
8. UC Davis - 12
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Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitans.com/Tickets. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.
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