BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The Cal men's water polo team is once again expected to be in the mix for a national title as the Bears were ranked No. 4 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) preseason top 20 poll on Wednesday.
 
The Bears went 18-6 overall in the 2018 campaign, narrowly missing out on a NCAA Tournament berth. Cal finished fourth in the final 2018 CWPA poll and is just three seasons removed from claiming its 14th NCAA title. A talented freshman class will mesh with a core group of returners, including All-Americans Safak Simsek and Bernardo Carelli and All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honorable mentions Jordan Hoover and Nikos Delagrammatikas.
 
Familiar MPSF foes rank atop the poll, as defending national champion USC was tabbed No. 1 (98 points) and is followed by UCLA and Stanford, which are tied for second with 92 points apiece. Every opponent on Cal's schedule is at least receiving votes in the preseason poll.
 
The Bears open preseason camp Wednesday in anticipation of their season-opening weekend at the UC San Diego-hosted Triton Invitational on Sept. 7-8. Cal will face Whittier College and Loyola Marymount at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively, on Sept. 7. Opponents for day two of competition will be determined based on the results of Saturday's opening matches.