Introduction:
Head coach Joe Schaefer and the 2013 PLNU squad took the field the first day back on campus for the Spring term looking to erase the memories of 2012 and get back to the winning ways the Sea Lions grown accustomed to in Schaefer's first four seasons at the helm.

Last year Point Loma struggled to a 18-31 record but can attribute many of their losses to lack of execution in run scoring opportunities. Last season, 28 of PLNU's 49 games were decided by two-runs or less, in which the Sea Lions went just 10-18. Coach Schaefer and his staff knew a key to this season would be getting those runs across the plate when opportunities presented themselves and made it a point of emphasis all offseason.

The offseason:
In addition to hitting the weight room, taking grounders and swings in the batting cage to prepare for the 2013 opening day on Feb. 1, the Sea Lions have been working on their offensive execution.

"We put lots of emphasis on offensive strategy and being able to move base runners this offseason," said coach Schaefer. "We need to be able to score runs without getting hits. Scoring runs any way possible when you have the chance.

"We are going to take a lot of pride in being able to move runners, steal bases, hit-and-run and be able to score a guy from third base and less than two out 90 percent of the time," Schaefer continued. "We weren't good at it last year and we have drilled it to death this Fall and have become quite good at it. I expect to see those results this season."

However the thing that impressed coach Schaefer most this offseason was the cohesion of this team and how seamlessly the slew of newcomers has bonded with the returning student-athletes.

"The guys are meshing extremely well," Schaefer said. "This is one of the best groups of guys I've had the privilege to be around. They give a consistent effort every day. They listen to what the coaches tell them and they are fun to be around."

Around the diamond:
PLNU brought back starters at eight positions and its top two pitchers from last season's squad. Coach Schaefer supplemented his talented but young team with a number of talented transfers and highly touted freshmen during the offseason.

Catcher
The first spot Sea Lions fans will notice a change is behind the plate where PLNU will look to a committee to replace 2012's leading hitter and MLB draftee Ricky Gingras. Point Loma will turn to Kyle Cameron, who redshirted for the team last season as well as a pair of freshmen, AJ Derr and Michael Randel.

"We were happy to have Cameron coming back but catching four games in two days can be tough on anyone," explained Schaefer. "So we were happy to add AJ and Michael. Both are outstanding young players that excel defensively and are tough to run on."

First base
At first base the Sea Lions will have newcomer Jack Spohn along with returner Andy Littlefield. Last season, Littlefield started 40 games for PLNU at first base. He hit .236 with a .331 on-base percentage. Spohn joins the Sea Lions out of Damien High School where he was a first team all-league selection after hitting .343 with four home runs and a .576 slugging percentage.

Second base
Coach Schaefer added transfers Zach Allen and Kyle Desimone to compete for the second base job. Allen joins PLNU out of Jones County CC where he had a .489 on-base percentage to go along with 15 steals and 30 RBI. Desimone transferred in from Cal State Bakersfield where he played the last two seasons. 

"Both are infield/utility guys that will see time at second base," said Schaefer. "Kyle might even see some time in the outfield. Zach is a scrappy leadoff hitting type of guy. He's very savvy on the base paths and finds a way to get on (base)."

Shortstop
One position that offers no question marks coming into the season is shortstop, where Clinton Harwick will return to man the position for the third straight season. After hitting .297 last season and leading the team in doubles, runs and stolen bases, Harwick is expected to be back in the No. 3 hole for the Sea Lions.

Third base
One of the best battles throughout the Fall and in practice this Winter has been the competition between Tyler Nordgren and Joe Keller for the starting spot at the hot corner. Nordgren hit .257 for PLNU last year with 26 RBI and a .347 on-base percentage. Keller played at the Chino Hills High School where he was a first team All-CIF selection and MVP of the Sierra League.

"Both are outstanding players and very solid offensive guys," Schaefer explained. "Finding a way to keep them both in the lineup will be difficult but a challenge we as coaches like."

Outfield
Outfield should be a source of depth for Point Loma this season where it returns all three starters and added some talented newcomers. Back in center field is sophomore Trey Hunt. He is expected to be flanked in right field by Lucas DiCiccio and in left by either Brian Burkhead or Mike Marcoux. Hunt is another year older after hitting .319 as a freshman and leading PLNU with 60 hits. Burkhead is the Sea Lions' biggest power threat. Last year he led the team with nine home runs and 92 total bases. He is also their top returning run producer with 34 RBI. DiCiccio hit .283 last season with nine stolen bases and a .396 on-base percentage. Marcoux is a speedy left handed hitter that runs the bases very well and profiles as a No. 2 hole hitter that can play either corner spot.

Starting rotation
The key for any baseball team's success all starts on the mound. PLNU returns its top two pitchers from last year, Justin Lawrence and Tyler Garkow, and added Sebastian Santos and Mickey Dunleavy to complete the rotation. Last year, Lawrence led the Sea Lions with five victories and had a 3.36 ERA. Opponents hit just .252 off Garkow and he had a 3.43 over 89.1 innings pitched. Dunleavy comes into to Point Loma after pitching the last two seasons at Irvine Valley College. Santos was at UC Irvine the last two seasons where he helped the Anteaters reach the NCAA Super Regionals.

"Adding Mickey Dunleavy and Sebastian Santos to our rotation has been huge," explained Schaefer. "We had a lot of youth on our pitching staff returning so to add some older guys to that pitching staff to take the pressure off is going to be big."

Bullpen
While PLNU has experience in its rotation, its bullpen is still a young group that needs innings to gain experience.

"We have a young bullpen but we made progress since beginning of this Fall," Schaefer explained. "We will try to get them into games early in the year to get them comfortable on the mound.

"We have no go-to closer right now but have some key arms in the pen with Chad Etchison, Jake James, Sam Sadler and Josh Dexheimer."

Offensive approach:
When teams walk into Carroll B. Land Stadium the first thing they notice are the short fences but as the Sea Lions have learned over the years the park plays much bigger than its dimensions, and PLNU has tried to build a team to suit its ballpark.

"We like to build our team around speed," explained coach Schaefer. "We want guys that even if they have power they can still run and keep consistent pressure on the defense. We recruited team speed pretty heavily this year so we have lots of team speed which is encouraging. The guys are also very savvy base runners that understand the game and have great instincts on the bases." 

"Everybody in our lineup can handle the bat and know what we are trying to do," continued Schaefer. "We don't have lots of team power but in our yard it is not something you need. Being able to keep pressure on the defense, putting guys in motion and putting the ball in play consistently is what is going to help you win, and we definitely have that personnel this year."

The PacWest:
This season will also be a new chapter in the history of the Sea Lions baseball program as they start their first season of play in the Pacific West Conference as part of its transition to NCAA Division II.

"We are excited to play in the PacWest," Schaefer said. "The first thing people notice when looking at the PacWest is the geography. Our guys are excited to take the longer trips, get on the airplanes and see some new ballparks. That is exciting itself but also to get to play some very quality programs. This has become a very good baseball conference from top to bottom."

PLNU baseball fans will notice some changes in the rules they have been used to in the NAIA. The NCAA uses a more traditional rulebook that closer resembles the MLB rules. No longer will re-entry or courtesy runners for the catchers will be allowed. Instead coach Schaefer and his coaches will rely on the team's depth.

Team Goals:
Point Loma will enter the season with a number of goals outlined, but apart from the goal of competing for a conference title, coach Schaefer wants to see that competitive spirit in his team on a daily basis.

"Even more than competing for a conference title we are trying to get our guys to buy into the day to day mentality of 'win the day,'" said Schaefer. "We want them to compete each day and win that day. Whether that is a single-nine, a doubleheader, an intrasquad or just a practice day, we want to teach our guys to be competitive consistently."

Conclusion:
The Sea Lions have reloaded for the 2013 season with new weapons on offense and on the mound, but just as they saw last year the success of their season will depend on their ability to execute.