When springtime rolls around, it is time for baseball and softball season at California Baptist University to begin.
Softball began its season Feb. 3 with a doubleheader at home against California State University, San Marcos.
The Lancers lost the first game with a final score of 2-3. However, they won the second game with a final score of 8-0.
Bill Baber, head coach of softball, said he felt good about the team’s results in the doubleheader.
“We always like to win both games,” Baber said. “We started out slow in that first game, but we picked it up and played well in the second game.”
Baber also said the games did not go as he expected.
“I thought we would come out a little more aggressive in the first game like we did in the second game,” Baber said. “The first game was a little tentative and the game got away from us.”
Despite the loss, Baber said the team keeps getting better every day.
“Our goal is to keep working toward a conference championship,” Baber said. “Then, hopefully, do well in the playoffs.”
Halle Rosario, junior criminal justice major and utility player, mentioned how she felt about the results of the first doubleheader.
“We started off a little slow in the beginning of the first game,” Rosario said. “In the end, we’re a hard-working team and no matter what we do, we can overcome anything as long as we keep our heads on our shoulders and work together as a team.”
Rosario also said she hopes to win a conference title again.
“We are a strong team and are capable of fighting through what we need to fight through,” Rosario said.
Baseball began its season with a three-game series that took place Feb. 8-10 against California State University, Dominguez Hills.
The first game took place on the road with the Lancers taking a 4-5 loss. The Lancers won the second game at home, pulling off a 5-1 win. The third and final game of the series took place back on the road with the Lancers taking home a 15-4 win, winning the first series 2-1.
Bryce Macy, senior kinesiology major and catcher, said he thinks the team played well in the series.
“We came out with a 2-1 win in the series,” Macy said. “There are still some things we need to work on but I can see us going toward the right path to where we need to be.
“We had some hiccups here and there, but it was our first series and we will continue to learn throughout the season.”
Macy also said his expectations are to play the game the way the team knows how to play the game.
“We want to make it to the national title game and win the championship,” Macy said.
Ryan Williams, senior kinesiology major and outfielder, said the team was able to show some potential in this series.
“In the first game, we were just trying to do a little too much and it wasn’t able to click,” Williams said. “Then we came back home and we finally just felt comfortable. We just had the talent to compete and were able to rest into the game.”
Williams also mentioned his feelings about this series.
“In the first game, even when we were losing, we expected to come back because that was the resilience that coach (Gary Adcock, head coach of baseball) has taught us,” Williams said. “In the second and third games, we had the offense and the pitching to carry us to two good wins.”
Softball will be in action again Feb. 17 on the last day of the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona, and play a doubleheader that day with the first game taking place against Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma at 10 a.m.
The second game will take place against Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado at 12:30 p.m.
Baseball will also be in action Feb. 17 at home, which will be the third and last game in a series against Colorado Christian University at 12 p.m. at James W. Totman Stadium.
