Toreros Talk

SAN DIEGO (USD) - San Diego was chosen to repeat as West Coast Conference champion in the 2008 preseason baseball poll, as selected by conference coaches. The Toreros, who have been ranked as high as No. 5 in the national preseason polls, received the maximum number of points, garnering all seven possible first place votes and 49 overall points to take first place in the listing. Pepperdine was picked second with 42 overall points, while Santa Clara received the remaining first place vote and checked in at No. 3 in the poll with 32 points. LMU edged out Gonzaga for the fourth place spot, as the Lions received 29 points and the Zags garnered 28 points to grab the No. 5 spot. San Francisco was tabbed for a sixth place finish with 24 points, while Portland and Saint Mary's were picked to finish seventh and eighth with 12 points and eight points, respectively.

Women to Play in Nationally Televised Game
The University of San Diego women's basketball team (9-10, 0-5 WCC) is hoping that a nationally televised game against Loyola Marymount University on Thursday night at 8 p.m. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion will snap its five-game losing streak and give them their first West Coast Conference win of the season. Loyola Marymount enters the contest with a 11-9 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the WCC after picking up a 70-57 win over travel partner Pepperdine this past week. Other than conference foes, USD and LMU have one common opponent on the season in Cal State Bakersfield, with LMU downing the Roadrunners 95-90 in double overtime and USD falling to CSUB 76-66 in their season-opener. The Toreros hold a 28-24 edge in the all-time series between the two schools including inning both contests against the Lions this past season.