Southland college baseball season opens Friday

The Southland’s 10 Division I college baseball programs are scheduled to open the season Friday, with the usual suspects appearing primed for a run toward a regional invitation.

UCLA and USC, regional teams last season, are expected to be among the top contenders in the Pac-12 Conference, with defending champion Cal State Fullerton and perennial contender UC Irvine the favorites in the Big West Conference, and Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount expected to be among the stronger teams in the West Coast Conference.

Here’s a look at each of the local teams:

Pac-12 Conference

UCLA

2015 record: 45-16, 22-8 in conference (1st).

2016 opener: home vs. North Carolina, 6 p.m.

Top returners: Brett Stephens, Jr., OF, .298, 12 SB; Luke Persico, Jr., 1B, .285, 43 RBI, 11 SB; Trent Chatterton, Sr., 2B, .280; Eric Filia, RSr., OF, was top contributor on 2013 championship team; Grant Dyer, Jr., RHP, 4-2, 1.83 ERA, .176 batting average against; Griffin Canning, So., RHP, 7-1, 2.97 ERA, 11-1 K/BB ratio.

Top newcomers: Kyle Molnar, Fr., RHP, Aliso Niguel HS; Brian Gadsby, Fr., RHP, Crescenta Valley HS; Daniel Amaral, Fr., OF, Huntington Beach HS; Justin Hooper, Fr., LHP, Concord De La Salle HS.

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USC

2015 record: 39-21, 18-12 in conference (T-3rd).

2016 opener: home vs. North Dakota, 6 p.m.

Top returners: Kyle Davis, Sr., RHP, 3-3, 6 SV, 4.05 ERA; Timmy Robinson, Sr., CF, .295, 7 HR, 53 RBI, 19 SB; Jeremy Martinez, Jr., C, .296, 45 RBI; A.J. Ramirez, Sr., RF, 9 HR, 45 RBI; Marc Huberman, Sr., LHP, 6-4, 4 SV, 2.36 ERA; Brent Wheatley, Sr., RHP, 4-4, 4.50 ERA.

Top newcomers: Dillon Paulson, Fr., 1B, Santa Fe Christian HS; C.J. Stubbs, Fr. C/RHP, Torrey Pines HS; Marrick Crouse, Fr., RHP, Dana Hills HS; Lars Nootbaar, Fr., Inf., El Segundo HS.

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Big West Conference

CAL STATE FULLERTON

2015 record: 39-25, 19-5 in conference (1st).

2016 opener: at Stanford, 6 p.m.

Top returners: John Gavin, So., LHP, 7-3, 3.66 ERA; Connor Seabold, So., RHP, 5-4, 3.26 ERA, 76K/69IP; Josh Vargas, Sr., OF, .332, 13 SB; Chad Hockin, Jr., RHP, 2.95 ERA; Tim Richards, Jr., Inf., .229; Scott Hurst, So., OF, .250.

Top newcomers: Ruben Cardenas, Fr., OF, Mission Hills Alemany HS; Coby Kauhaahaa, Fr., Inf., Placentia Valencia HS.

Cal State Fullerton’s Tim Richards Jr. gets doused with water after scoring against Vanderbilt during College World Series on June 14.

(Mike Theiler / Associated Press)

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CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

2015 record: 33-24, 8-16 in conference (8th).

2016 opener: home vs. Cal State Bakersfield, 2 p.m.

Top returners: William Colantono, Sr., Inf., .280; Yusuke Akitoshi, Sr., SS, .286, 11 SB; Rayne Raven, RHP, Sr., 7-4, 2.18 ERA; Conner O’Neil, Jr., RHP, 3-2, 1.89 ERA, 12 SV; Joe Ryan, So., RHP, 3-0, 1.48 ERA, 32K/30 1/3 IP.

Top newcomers: Branden Berry, Sr., 1B, transfer from Washington; Mathew Troupe, RJr., RHP, transfer from Arizona; Michael Russo, RFr., OF, Crescenta Valley HS.

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LONG BEACH STATE

2015 record: 28-26, 11-13 in conference (6th).

2016 opener: home vs. Holy Cross, 6 p.m.

Top returners: Garrett Hampson, Sr., SS, .296, 18 SB; Chris Mathewson, So., RHP, 6-6, 1.94 ERA, .187 batting average against; Luke Rasmussen, So., DH, .315, 6 HR; Brock Lundquist, So., OF, .289, 14 SB; Ty Provencher, Sr., RHP, 3-2, 1/80 ERA, 7 SV.

Top newcomers: Jarren Duran, Fr., 2B, Cypress HS; Brooks Stotler, Fr., OF, Rancho Buena Vista HS.

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UC IRVINE

2015 record: 33-23, 15-9 in conference (3rd).

2016 opener: at San Jose State, 6 p.m.

Top returners: Keston Hiura, So., CF, .330, 7 HR, 18 2B, 52 RBI; Mike Duarte, Sr., SS, .345, 78 H, 43 R; Mitchell Holland, Sr., Inf., .325, 5 HR; Elliot Surrey, Sr., LHP, 6-6. 4.02, 88K; Cameron Bishop, So., OF/LHP; .240, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 2-0, 2 SV, 4.55 ERA.

Top newcomers: Griffin Mazur, Fr., C, Moorpark HS; Ben Ritchey, Jr., RHP, Sacramento City College; Calvin Faucher Jr., RHP, Southwestern College.

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UC RIVERSIDE

2015 record: 15-40, 4-20 in conference (9th).

2016 opener: home vs. Kansas State, 6 p.m.

Top returners: Vince Fernandez, Jr., OF, .316, 7 HR, .542 slugging percentage; Angel Landazuri, Jr., RHP, 3.55 ERA; Thomas Walker, RSr., OF, injured last season but was first-team All-Big West in 2014; Drake Zarate, RSr., C, .326.

Top newcomers: Austin Sodders, Jr., LHP, Riverside City College; Casey Worden, Jr., C, Saddleback College; Matt Hardy, Fr., OF, Riverside La Sierra HS; Cameron Haskell, Fr., Inf., Temecula Chaparral HS; Michael Farris, RJr., Inf., Golden West College.

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UC SANTA BARBARA

2015 record: 40-17-1, 16-8 in conference (2nd).

2016 opener: home vs. San Francisco, 2 p.m.

Top returners: Shane Bieber, Jr., RHP, 8-4, 2.24 ERA, 7.3-1 K/BB ratio; Andrew Calica, RJr., OF, .329, 15 SB; Clay Fisher, So., SS, .240.

Top newcomers: Michael McAdoo, Fr., OF, Concord De La Salle HS; Noah Davis, Fr., RHP, Huntington Beach HS.

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West Coast Conference

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

2015 record: 33-21-1, 16-11 in conference (T-3rd).

2016 opener: at Texas Christian, 4:30 p.m.

Top returners: Austin Miller, Jr., CF, .314, 3 HR, 43 R, 15 SB; Sean Watkins, So., LHP, 4-1, 1.89 ERA; J.D. Busfield, Jr., RHP, 4-2, 1.89 ERA, 14 SV.

Top newcomers: Niko Decolati, Fr., Inf., Las Vegas Cimarron HS; Seaver Whalen, Jr., Inf., Lower Columbia College; Blake Redman, Jr., RHP, Oxnard College.

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PEPPERDINE

2015 record: 32-29, 17-10 in conference (2nd).

2016 opener: home vs. Oakland, 2 p.m.

Top returners: Ryan Wilson, So., LHP, 8-3, 3.78 ERA; A.J. Puckett, Jr., RHP, 7-5, 4.35 ERA; Max Gamboa, So., RHP, 2.89, 8 SV; Brandon Caruso, Jr., OF, .309, 19 2B; Brad Anderson, Sr., 1B, .278, 10 HR, 41 RBI; Aaron Barnett, Jr., CA, .303; Matt Gelalich, Jr., OF, .289.

Top newcomers: Easton Lucas, Fr., LHP, Grace Brethren HS; Matthew Kanfer, Fr., OF, LACES Prep; Tyler Smith, Fr., SS, Bellflower St. John Bosco HS.

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Twitter: @MikeHiserman