5 pitchers to know for the 2023 Pac-12 baseball season
The 2023 Pac-12 baseball season is nearly here, with first pitch scheduled for Friday, Feb. 17. To prepare for what should be another thrilling year, Pac-12.com is highlighting some of the top student-athletes across the conference. First up? Five Pac-12 pitchers you should get to know ahead of the season, in no particular order.
Quinn Mathews — Stanford
Mathews was edged out for Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year by teammate Alex Williams last year, but don’t be surprised if he takes home the hardware in 2023. Matthews was taken in the 19th round of the 2022 MLB Draft but decided to return to The Farm for his senior season. He will lead a Stanford team that is one of the preseason favorites to win the Men's College World Series.
Mathews did it all for the Cardinal last year, starting games and closing them out while ranking second in the league in strikeouts (111), wins (9), and saves (9). He cut his ERA in half from 2021 to 2022 down to a paltry 3.08.
Alonzo Tredwell - UCLA
One of just two true freshmen pitchers named to last season’s All-Pac-12 Team — the other being teammate Ethan Flanagan — Alonzo Tredwell was incredibly effective for a 19-year-old. Coming out of the bullpen, Tredwell amassed 62 strikeouts in just 47 innings pitched while opposing batters hit just .195 against the 6-foot-8 right-hander.
Big things are expected from Tredwell for his sophomore campaign as he earned 2023 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American honors and was named to the Perfect Game USA All-Pac-12 Preseason Team. With Tredwell anchoring the staff, UCLA is in an excellent position to make its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
TJ Nichols - Arizona
In 2022, his sophomore campaign, TJ Nichols led the Wildcats with 84 strikeouts, a testament to his overpowering arm strength. Nichols’ fastball regularly hits the mid-90s on the radar gun. The righty can experience wild stretches, also leading Arizona in walks and wild pitches, but with two years of experience under his belt, he should be well suited to put his control issues behind him. Pundits expect this to be the case as Nichols was named to the 2023 Perfect Game USA All-Pac-12 Preseason Team.
Grant Taylor - Washington State
After finishing towards the bottom of the Pac-12 the past two seasons, Washington State appears poised to make noise in the conference this year, thanks in part to the right arm of Grant Taylor.
The junior led Cougar starters in most pitching statistics last season, including strikeouts (71) and ERA (4.67). And he finished 2022 on a high note, pitching a two-hit complete game shutout against Arizona State in his final start to win Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week. Taylor will aim to take momentum from that gem into the 2023 season and lead the Cougars back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
Isaac Ayon - Oregon
Oregon has reached the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons but is still looking to advance to Super Regionals for the first time since 2012. Thankfully, junior Issac Ayon looks primed to help them the next step.
A workhorse in 2022, Ayon ranked in the top-10 among Pac-12 pitchers in starts (16), innings (88.1) and strikeouts (84) and was the league's only pitcher besides Alex Williams to throw multiple complete games. An innings eater like Ayon is an asset for any team. Expect Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski to lean on him in big moments.