Baseball practice began Friday at Stanford, and several changes were readily apparent. For one thing, nobody will call the head coach by his jersey number.
What’s more, technological advances that other schools have embraced are now in evidence at Sunken Diamond. A FungoMan device sprays balls to fielders, and FlightScope monitors track the projected distance and trajectory of each batted ball in the cages.
Wonder of wonders, there will be an actual computer in the skipper’s office.
For the first time in 42 years, Mark Marquess — or “Nine,” as he was known in the Cardinal baseball community — is not around. He retired after a career that included back-to-back national titles in the 1980s, more than 1,600 wins and 23 postseason appearances.
The proudly old-school Marquess is advising his successor, former Cal head coach David Esquer, who played shortstop on Stanford’s 1987 national championship team.
“We’ve had lunch seven or eight times,” Esquer said. “He’s been very helpful, and I’m grateful for that.”
Esquer, 52, took Cal to the postseason five times in his 18 years. Most memorably, the Bears reached the 2011 College World Series after the program was threatened by the budget-cutting ax.
Stanford’s class of recruits for next fall was all but set when Esquer was named in June. He and pitching coach Thomas Eager, who came with him from Berkeley, immediately began recruiting for 2019 and ’20. At Cal, they concentrated on in-state players. At Stanford, the hunt is nationwide.
Esquer said “quite a few” of last year’s Cal players could have gotten into Stanford.
“I’ve always gravitated toward that type of student-athlete,” he said. “Cal academically is rigorous. You just do better with kids who are going to do well in the classroom. They’re just going to give you more on the field if they’re not stressed about their academics or feeling like they’re barely hanging on.”
Stanford, ranked No. 9 in preseason by Baseball America, opens Feb. 16 at home against No. 11 Cal State Fullerton. The Titans ousted the Cardinal in a regional at Stanford in June.
The Cardinal went 42-16 last season and finished second in the Pac-12 with a 21-9 record, but Oregon State went 56-6 (27-3 in conference) in what Esquer called “one of the best seasons in college baseball in the last 25 years.” The Beavers lost to LSU in the CWS.
The return of Tristan Beck from back problems that kept him out all of 2017 gives the starting rotation the right-hander it needs after lefties started 56 of the 58 games last year. Lefties Kris Bubic and Erik Miller are back, and much-improved righty Jack Little probably will be the fourth starter, Esquer said. Colton Hock departed with his school-record 16 saves, and so did stellar setup man Tyler Thorne. Sophomore Will Matthiessen probably will head the bullpen.
Shortstop Nico Hoerner and second baseman Duke Kinamon, both All-Pac-12 selections, and designated hitter Daniel Bakst, who hit .311, return. Freshman Nick Brueser, who hit 24 homers in his high school career in Arizona, “has the promise to be the best defensive first baseman I’ve ever coached,” Esquer said.
As for the skipper, only a few puckish alums will refer to him by his jersey number, he said with a smile. Nobody else will call him “Eight.”
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tfitzgerald@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tomgfitzgerald