Coaches Propose Schedule Change

The Big West baseball coaches have proposed that a 30-game regular-season conference schedule decide the champion and NCAA automatic playoff berth beginning next season.

Divisions would be eliminated.

The proposal will be sent to conference athletic directors and would need approval by the Big West Council and ultimately the university presidents to take effect.

“The recommendation was unanimously approved by the coaches,” Cal State Fullerton Coach George Horton said Thursday. “The tournament will be eliminated, as they wanted, but we would also eliminate a playoff between the division winners. I like it, and I think it will put more emphasis on every game during the regular season.”

The proposal calls for each team to be assured of playing six games each year against a natural rival, Horton said. Those matchups would be Fullerton against Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Nevada against Pacific and New Mexico State against Sacramento State.

The rest of the schedule would be rotated on a yearly basis to include six games with two additional teams, and single three-game series with four other teams.

“The games with your natural rival will be in the fifth and 10th weeks of the league season, which means we would close the season with Long Beach,” Horton said.

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Cal State Fullerton’s Benny Flores was chosen pitcher of the year and Long Beach State’s Paul Day earned player of the year honors on the Big West Conference all-star baseball team, announced Thursday.

Fullerton’s George Horton earned his first coach of the year award in the conference after the Titans finished first in the Southern Division and had the conference’s best record at 25-5.

Flores finished the regular season with an 11-0 record and is the winningest unbeaten pitcher in the nation. His 3.36 earned-run average is the conference’s best.

Day leads the conference in batting (.438) and is fourth in runs batted in (77). Day played at Capistrano Valley High and Saddleback College.

Six Titans were named to the first team. Erasmo Ramirez joined Flores as one of three starting pitchers, and Adam Johnson was the relief pitcher. Also named were outfielder Aaron Rowand, second baseman David Bacani and Greg Jacobs as a utility player. Long Beach outfielder Terrmel Sledge also was chosen.

The all-star teams:

FIRST TEAM--Catcher: Corky Miller, Nevada. Infielders: Steve Wood, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; David Bacani, Fullerton; Paul Day, Long Beach; Andre Champagne, New Mexico State. Outfielders: Aaron Rowand, Fullerton; Terrmel Sledge, Long Beach; Lyle Overbay, Nevada. Utility: Greg Jacobs, Fullerton. Designated hitter: Josh Payne, Sacramento State. Pitchers: Benny Flores, Fullerton; Erasmo Ramirez, Fullerton; Jim Brink, Nevada. Relief pitcher: Adam Johnson, Fullerton.

SECOND TEAM--Catcher: Justin Lehr, UC Santa Barbara. Infielders: Jason Story, New Mexico State; Justin Martin, Nevada; Chris Weekly, New Mexico State; Justin Hall, Long Beach State. Outfielders: Pete Fukuhara, Fullerton; Chuck Lopez, Long Beach; Jason Bolton, Sacramento State. Utility: Jason Berni, Long Beach. Designated hitters: Don Price, Nevada, and Bryan LaCour, UC Santa Barbara; Pitchers: Caleb Balbuena, Long Beach; Darin Moore, Pacific; Dustin Tubb, Sacramento State. Relief pitcher: Mike Gallo, Long Beach State.