PLNU BASEBALL LOOKING TO BE TOUGH IN 2025

(SAN DIEGO) The West Region has run through The Point in two of the last three seasons, as PLNU Baseball has won three-straight PacWest Conference crowns and made two trips to the NCAA Division II World Series during that time.

As the Sea Lions seek a return trip to Cary, North Carolina and strive to win more championships in 2025, the team’s focus entering the new year has been being tough.

“In order to do that, you have to be tough,” Head Coach Justin James said. “That's been the main theme since they've stepped on campus to right before Opening Day. It doesn't really matter how good you are; if you're not tough, we're not going to get that big time pitch or hit or at bat out of you when it matters the most.

“I think we've trained them pretty well in that aspect but obviously you're not going to know until you get into the fire, but I think that's how you sustain success is with good players who are tough.”

That toughness has been fostered through various situations in offseason practice.

“We’re putting them through a lot of different scenarios and getting them used to certain situations, so they can have a clear mind and a slow heartbeat in those moments,” James said. “Focusing on a singular task at hand is probably the key. We have different ways to teach that, but I think once you have that recipe a lot of wins will go your way.”

PLNU enters the year ranked No. 5 in several preseason national polls and picked to win the PacWest Conference yet again.

“We’ve been really good as a baseball program for 30-40 years, so it's something that we don't necessarily ever talk about,” James said of preseason expectations. “It's just kind of what the standard is. Our goal is not any different than anyone else’s.

“We look at ourselves and we go about our work as if we are a postseason team that needs to earn it. When you have that and that's the expectation, you don't really need to talk about all the other stuff like rankings and all of that until it actually matters.”

Overall, James has a positive outlook on his roster for the upcoming season.

“We brought in a lot of new guys and lost a lot of guys, but who we brought in we really like,” James said. “There was a little bit of a transition period naturally that happened, but these guys are really good and, in the fall, learned the standards and the expectations, so I think they're ready to step in and play pretty good baseball.”

RETURNERS

Point Loma brings back 12 players from last year’s team, including four All-PacWest performers from a season ago.

That includes two-time All-West Region performer Jake Entrekin, a senior who was named to the D2 Baseball Preseason All-American Team.

“Jake has continued to get better and better every year, not only as a hitter but as a leader as well,” James said of Entrekin, who can line up at catcher, first base or designated hitter. “His flexibility of where we can put him is also an asset.”

All-PacWest Third baseman Bryson Hashimoto, a senior, is also back in the middle of PLNU’s lineup after starting in all 60 games a season ago.

“Hashimoto is probably our overall team leader in everything,” James said. “He does everything at a 10 out of 10 level and he's had a couple of good years for us as well, so I'm looking forward to his season.”

Senior Ray Cebulski will anchor PLNU’s starting rotation after earning a second straight All-Conference nod last year.

“Ray has thrown in some massive games for us and has been very successful in those,” James said. “He knows the system and knows what big-time pitching looks like.”

All-PacWest relief pitcher Christian Williams, a senior, is also back to fortify the bullpen, with James describing his pitching last season as dirty.

Sophomore Branden Jackel, who made eight starts on the mound as a freshman, is expected to play a significant role in the team’s starting rotation.

Junior Owen May, previously an infielder, has shifted to center field after appearing in 70 games the last two seasons. Sophomore catcher Tommy Molina is also returning after starting in 33 games behind the plate last year.

“We have some other guys who have gotten a little taste of some big opportunities,” James said. “We’re hoping they make that next jump which you need to have to get better every year.”

NEWCOMERS

Point Loma added 20 new players ahead of the 2025 season, including 11 transfers.

That group is led by graduate transfer Luke Reece, an All-West Region player last season at Cal State San Marcos, who was named an NCBWA Preseason All-American.

“Luke Reece is a very hard worker and is a very good player,” James said of the second baseman. “We're excited to have him and we're expecting big things out of him because he's been a big-time player every year he's played college baseball. We really like how he fits into our system and what he's learned in the past few months.”

Colin Driscoll joined Reece on the NCBWA Preseason All-West Region Team after earning GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Year honors last season at Saint Martin’s.

Fellow pitchers Bobby Brown (Biola), Brock Mayer (Chaffey College) and Kenny Esposito (Los Medanos College) are also expected to pitch several innings this season.

“Driscoll brings some stability and has a lot of innings under his belt,” James said. “Then you also have Bobby Brown whose started several games in our conference and knows what it takes.

“We brought in a bunch of guys who were starters and very good pitchers at their previous place, but Brock Mayer looks like he's going to have a really good chance to start for us. Another one, Kenny Esposito. Both have shown flashes that they can handle that workload.”

Graduate transfer Nathan Ward will be a key arm in the back of PLNU’s bullpen after previously serving as the closer at NCAA Division I Grand Canyon, tallying seven saves last season.

Senior Chris Larkin (Bluefield State) and junior Noah Meffert (George Fox) were both All-Conference players at their previous schools and will occupy the corner outfield spots for the Sea Lions this season.

The team also brought in nine freshmen, with James highlighting infielders Matt Bernath, Levi Ham and Josiah Rodriguez, along with pitcher Owen Peake.

“This might be my favorite freshman class I've had since coming here just in in terms of them being able to jump in right away and contribute,” James said.

SCHEDULE

Point Loma opens its season with a three-game set in Carroll B. Land Stadium against Chico State, beginning on Friday at 1 p.m.

PLNU will then host Colorado School of Mines in another three-game series, Feb. 7-8.

“Both programs are coached well so it should be pretty good baseball the first couple of weekends to start the year,” James said. “I like the test to see where we're at and what we need to get better at. Then obviously you set yourself up within the region with some good quality opponents.”

After those two non-conference series to open the season, the Sea Lions will then begin its 44-game PacWest slate on Feb. 14 at Biola, as the team seeks a fourth straight conference championship.

“I think the conference is really underrated and very hard to navigate through from the first game to the last game,” James said. “That’s why I cherish conference regular season championships because it just proves the longevity of a really good team. It's hard to sustain that and especially in our conference where there are a lot of good coaches and good players.

“There's a lot of adversity in our conference that I think people don't realize how hard it is, so when you have a chance to win the conference and this and that it's about as special as it gets.”

The PacWest Championships, which PLNU won for the first time last season in the second ever edition of the conference tournament, will be hosted by Fresno Pacific May 7-9.

The NCAA West Regional is scheduled for May 15-17, with the Super Regionals to follow May 23-24. 

Cary, North Carolina will then once again serve as the host of the NCAA Division II World Series, May 31-June 7.

“The hard goals are always the same – 40-win season, win the conference, get into a regional, hopefully host a regional and get to an eighth World Series,” James said. “Those are the hard ones but the process in which to get there goes back to we have to play the game right, we have to play hard, and we have to understand that there are people who are looking to knock us off.”

For the team’s full schedule, click HERE.