Irvine, Calif. – The PacWest Conference released their Preseason Polls, Teams, and Awards this morning.
 
After a 24-26 (17-15 PacWest) season that saw the Sharks finish fourth in the conference, HPU was voted to finish fourth again in the coming 2023 campaign. The Sharks ended 2022 on a seven-game win streak and have reloaded for a push toward a conference championship.
 
Also highlighted in the Team portion of the preseason voting was Noel "Tita" Saunders in the outfielder's category. In 2022 she claimed the team batting title with a .327 average. She also put up a healthy 51 hits, a team-leading 11 doubles, and 24 RBIs. The super-senior will bring her veteran knowledge to the field this year in an attempt to grab the PacWest title.
 
The Sharks begin their season this week with the Concordia Kickoff Classic on Friday at 7 a.m. against Western Oregon University in their first of five games this weekend.