This week
The Point Loma baseball team will welcome in Concordia (OR) for a three-game series starting on Friday, Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. The teams will also play a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 27 starting at 11:00 a.m. All three games in the series will be nine innings.
 
Follow along
If you are unable to attend this week's games they will all be available for fans to follow on live stats and live video. Live stats will be free of charge while video stream will vary in price based on the venue. PLNU home matches are $8.95 on a pay-per-view basis. To access both live stats and live video visit plnusealions.com/gameday.
 
Fiesta Fridays return
For the second consecutive year, Point Loma will be holding a Fiesta Friday celebration at all its Friday games. This season the Sea Lions have teamed up with Miguel's Cocina to provide chips, salsa and their famous white sauce at every Fiesta Friday. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
 
Little League Day on Saturday
The Sea Lions will host their first Little League Day of the season this Saturday, Feb. 27 when they welcome in Peninsula Little League. Members of the Little League will be joining the Sea Lions when they take the field, in addition to assisting with lineup announcements and participating in on-field activities. For more information on future Little League Days at Carroll B. Land Stadium email Emily Jurenka at ejurenka@pointloma.edu.
 
A look at the Sea Lions
Point Loma has won eight straight games, including a four-game sweep of Eastern New Mexico, to improve to 8-3 this season. They are now 6-0 at Carroll B Land Stadium this season. In the four-game set, PLNU outscored ENMU 54-10 and the Point Loma pitchers posted a 2.38 earned run average and a 1.06 WHIP. That series helped PLNU lower its season era to 2.02 (second in PacWest). The offensive outburst in the ENMU series helped all the Sea Lions raise their batting averages significantly. PLNU is now averaging 6.6 runs and 11 hits per game, while batting .331 as a team.
 
Harrison Ramey raised his average from .350 to .500 in the series by going 10-for-14. He now leads the PacWest with that .500 batting average. Ramey is one of five Sea Lions in the starting lineup with a batting average over .400. Ryan Garcia is hitting .425 this season and leads the PacWest in home runs (five), RBI (22) and slugging percentage (.875). Devin Carter is tied for the league lead with 13 runs scored. He is hitting .439 on the season. AJ Derr is pacing the PacWest with a .578 on-base percentage. He has 15 hits, 10 walks and a hit by pitch in his 44 plate appearances this season. Matt Jervis stepped into the starting lineup in the No. 2 hole last week and hit .467 (7-for-15) with a .500 on-base percentage. He scored seven runs in the series.
 
All four of the Sea Lions' starting pitchers have an earned run average at 2.77 or below. Kellen Sheppard paces the staff with a 2.00 era over 18 innings. Trevor Abshire and Kevin Lillicrop, PLNU's day two pitchers, are tied in era at 2.12. Both have allowed just four earned runs in 17 innings of work. Abshire leads the staff with 13 strike outs. Eric Pierce has given up just 11 hits in 13 innings and has a 2.77 era. The bullpen has also thrived, delivering a 1.57 era in 28.2 innings of work. Coleman Huntley III has saved four of the Sea Lions' eight wins, and Nathan Bennett has also notched a pair of saves.
 
Garcia named PacWest and NCBWA West Region Player of the Week
Ryan Garcia's huge week against ENMU garnered the attention of the PacWest and the region. It earned Point Loma's junior first baseman the PacWest Player of the Week award in addition to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Player of the Week honors (Feb. 23). Garcia hit .667 going 10-for-15 with two doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI and six runs scored. He walked four times to put his OPS at 1.900. He was 5-for-6 with three RBI in the series opener. He drove in seven runs, including a grand slam, in a 20-0 victory in the third game.
 
A look at the Cavaliers
Concordia (OR) is 2-5 this season with all seven games coming on the road. Last week, the Cavaliers split a four-game series with Sonoma State after being swept in its opening series by Lewis-Clark State. Jarren Goddard leads the team with a .296 batting average and five RBI. As a team, Concordia is hitting just .197 with a .259 on-base percentage. Harrison McGhee leads the staff with a 1.50 era. Gerhett Moser has pitched the most innings with 14. He has a 3.86 era and opponents are hitting .231 off him.
 
Next week
Point Loma will face the daunting task of making the Hawaii road trip. PLNU will open with a four-game series against Hawaii Pacific on Monday, Mar 7, before facing Hawaii Hilo in a four-game series on Friday, Mar. 11.