The California Baptist University softball team has had a tough schedule to open the 2022 season. The Lancers have faced some of the top teams in the country in their first campaign, with a tournament appearance in Arizona at the Kajikawa Classic and a game against local competition in the cross-town showdown against the University of California, Riverside.
On Feb. 10, the Lancer softball team played their first game of the spring 2022 season against Arizona State University, a top-25 ranked team and member of the competitive PAC-12 conference. According to a press release by CBU athletics, the CBU softball team played hard against the ASU Sun Devils but lost 0-8.
The next day, the Lancers played another top-25 ranked opponent, battling the No. 15 Duke University. The CBU softball team scored four runs against the Blue Devils in the top of the first inning, according to a CBU press release, but Duke responded decisively, and the Lancers lost, 4-15.
The CBU softball team played a double-header on Feb. 12, facing No. 2 Oklahoma State University and unranked Missouri State.
The Lancers fought hard against one of the highest-ranked teams in the country and played a very successful game. After Oklahoma scored one run, the CBU team responded with a run of their own. The Lancer defense fought hard to keep the tie, but ultimately fell to the Oklahoma State onslaught, according to a CBU press release. The final score was 3-1, Oklahoma State.
After playing a difficult game against Oklahoma State, the CBU softball team quickly refocused and played against Missouri State. The Lancers opened the game in dominant fashion, scoring six runs in the top of the first, according to a CBU athletics press release. The Lancer softball team eventually went on to win the game, 8-2, marking their first win of the 2022 season.
The Lancers finished their first tournament of the 2022 season against the University of Utah Utes. As a member of the PAC-12 conference, Utah was poised to offer stiff competition and did not disappoint. The CBU softball team fought hard and scored one run, but ultimately fell to the Utes, 1-11, according to a CBU press release.
The CBU Lancers will play another tournament in San Diego starting on Feb. 18.