CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the first time, the Cascade Collegiate Conference has enough baseball teams to vie for its own automatic qualification for the NAIA postseason, retiring the old NAIA West moniker. In the 2021 CCC Baseball Preseason Poll, Lewis-Clark State College was picked as the favorite to win the first CCC championship.
Teams have unfinished business to tend to after last year's season unfortunately ended prematurely due to the coronavirus. The season is set to start in February, with the championship being held following the completion of the regular season at the site of the regualr season champion.
The Warriors picked up five of the six first-place votes for 35 points. LC State was last year's preseason favorite as well and after a rough start to the season, the Warriors picked up the pace with the help of some new bats and breakthrough pitching performances. LC State ended the shortened season with a record of 15-5.
UBC sits in second with one first-place vote and 31 points. The Thunderbirds had won six of their last eight games before the season was canceled, finishing the shortened year with a 12-8 mark.
The College of Idaho was picked to take third with 21 points, while Corban University followed with 18 points. Oregon Tech (14 points) and Eastern Oregon University (seven points) closed out the poll. EOU reinstated its program after a 14-year hiatus.
2021 CCC Baseball Coaches' Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Lewis-Clark State College (5) 35
2. British Columbia (1) 31
3. College of Idaho 21
4. Corban University 18
5. Oregon Tech 14
6. Eastern Oregon University 7
The first NAIA national poll is set to be released on Nov. 4.