The 2008 Pac-10 baseball season was a challenging one for the Washington State Cougars.  Despite owning a respectable 30-25 record overall, the Cougars were just 8-15 within the conference, placing them in last place in the competitive Pac-10.  Arizona State finished atop the conference standings with 16-8 mark.  

The Washington State lineup was productive, with six regulars posting a .300 average or better.  Second baseman Travis Coulter had a splendid season, starting 52 games and leading the Cougars with a .333 batting average and 11 stolen bases.  The big offensive star, though, was first baseman Jim Murphy.  The 6-foot-3, 247-pound senior hit .324 with a team-leading 16 homeruns and 61 RBIs.  Infielder Paul Gran was also a major contributor, batting .313 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs.

When it comes to pitching, senior Jayson Miller was nearly unbeatable.  The left-hander compiled a sterling 8-1 record with a team-best 74 strikeouts through 99.2 innings of work.  Senior Andrew Davis placed second on the team in wins with a 5-3 record.  Junior Matt Way lead the Cougars with a 4.01 ERA, but it only resulted in a 4-4 record.         

The Cougars suffered a number of near-misses this season, falling just short of victory on countless occasions.  The season finale against USC was a perfect example.  The Cougars rallied with six runs over the final too innings but couldn't quite finish the miraculous comeback, losing 8-7.  With a little more luck, the Cougars should be back near the top of the Pac-10 next season.