Eagles hold onto first place in GSAC and move into seventh in NAIA
It was a good week in baseball for the Eagles after losing only one of their games this week and maintaining first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Biola has an impressive 17-5 record in conference play and 23-11 on the season. The Eagles also moved all the way up to seventh place in the NAIA national rankings this week.
Coach John Verhoeven gave a little insight on why he thinks the team has been so successful lately. “We’ve been hitting … we’ve been playing much better defense lately, and we’ve been overcoming some injuries.”
It all seems to be coming together for this well-rounded team, but there is something else that stands out more than just the batting averages or a pitcher’s ERA. It’s the closeness this team has and how much fun they have together on the field.
“They really enjoy playing baseball,” Verhoeven said. “They just bounce.”
Resilience and clutch hits keep Biola’s hopes high
Even with the injuries this team experienced like the recent absence of Boone Farrington and then the suspension of Christopher Neal, this team has never quit. Different guys are stepping up in new roles and doing whatever they can to help their team. Kyle Atkins is an example of this attitude. Typically a relief pitcher, Atkins started for Biola this week against Concordia and led his team to a win. He said, “Obviously I am used to relieving more, but I’m just willing to do whatever the team needs me to do.”
“This is probably one of the most resilient teams I have ever coached,” Verhoeven said.
This resilience was seen in their win against Vanguard on Tuesday after fighting from behind to win 6-3. Garrett Leon hit a double in the eighth inning that broke the tie and these proved to be the winning runs for Biola.
“Nothing really phases these guys, even when we get behind by a few runs early, or we get behind late,” Verhoeven said. “They don’t get phased they just keep battling back.”
And looking ahead, there is no sign of them slowing down. They aren’t happy with what they have accomplished so far — they have their sights set much higher. With one month of baseball left in the regular season, they plan on holding that first place spot in their conference and continuing to climb that NAIA ladder higher and higher.
Upcoming series puts the Eagles to the test
Their next few matchups will be tough though as they face off against California Baptist University for the next three games. Cal Baptist sits at second place in the GSAC with an 18-7 conference record and a 31-9 overall record. They currently lead the season series between these two teams 1-0, but even this strong opponent will have their hands full trying to stop this high-flying Eagle team.
