As California Baptist University gears up for yet another athletic season, it is important to look back on what some of the teams accomplished last season.
Baseball started off the season 15-0, which gave the team confidence moving forward, and they found themselves ranked in the top-10 in all of NCAA Division II. They ended their season with a PacWest record of 20-12 and an overall record of 39-12.
Caleb Dirks, Trevor Oaks and Blair Moore were three players who lifted the baseball team by getting them to the fourth round in the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship.
The men’s basketball team had a historic season as well, because of its well-rounded senior leadership and powerful freshmen. A key game was when they defeated No. 12-ranked Dixie State by a score of 100-90 led by freshmen guard Ryan Berg, who scored 34 points. The Lancers were ranked as high as No. 7 in the top-25 standings and went on to record their first ever PacWest championship.
The men’s basketball team ended with a PacWest record of 18-2 and an overall record of 24-4. Look for both men’s basketball and baseball to be right back at the top of their games thanks to their experience and upcoming talent.
Going forward, another team that had a great season was the softball team. Rachel Meyer, senior psychology major, and Marshean August, senior criminal justice major, were the only two seniors on the team, and were looked to as key leaders.
The softball team had an exceptional year as they started off the season not ranked nationally. That changed quickly as they beat ranked teams such as St. Martin’s and University of California at San Diego, as well as going undefeated in the Desert Stinger Tournament.
As the season continued, they were ranked as high as No. 2 in the updated standings. They ended their season with a PacWest record of 27-5 and an overall record of 46-13, where they split a PacWest championship with Dixie State. With losing only two seniors, look for another great year from these Lancers.
As for the men’s soccer team, they ended up having a great season, as well. After a slow start, they found their groove in the middle of the season. One key game that helped their tournament chances was a victory won in overtime against Norte Dame de Namur that ended in a 1-0 score in Belmont, California. The team finished with a 9-3 PacWest record and an overall record of 10-6-1.
The teams plan to improve for the coming season, building on the success of last season.
