file/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior Brad Hassey fields a grounder earlier this year at Sancet Field.

The UA baseball team was picked Tuesday to finish in the same position it ended last season in - fifth place, according to the 2002 Pacific 10 Conference baseball coaches' poll.

After a 33-23 overall and a 12-12 conference record the Wildcats look to improve this season with new head coach Andy Lopez.

The Pac-10 coaches have selected Stanford as the favorite in the conference after its loss to Miami in the national championship last season.

Last season's preseason favorite and eventual conference champion, Southern California, received one preseason first-place vote in this year's poll.

After posting a 37-20-1 overall record and a 17-10 record in the Pac-10, Arizona State was picked to finish third in the conference.

The Wildcats will wrap up their intersquad schedule tomorrow at 3 p.m. and Saturday at noon.

Senior outfielder Kevin Anderson, a transfer from Chico State, re-strained a muscle in his back over Christmas break while practicing on his own.

He met with a doctor Tuesday and will undergo an MRI scan today. The procedure will determine how long the right-hander will be on the DL.

"I don't know how long I'll be out for, but hopefully it will be just for a couple of weeks," he said.

Anderson has limited his practices to receive treatment on his back. He has continued light batting practice and throwing exercises and has been working out his lower back and abdominal muscles to reduce the strain.

Lopez said he hopes Anderson will be available so he can bring much-needed muscle to the plate.

"He's an outfield candidate that would bring a lot power at the plate," Lopez said.