After winning the season opener on a walk-off at home against Cal State San Marcos, the tables were turned on Biola baseball in their 2015 home series finale.
With two runners on for the Cougars in the top of the seventh, Biola was just one out away from winning their final home game and finishing .500 at home for the first time in the Jay Sullenger era.
However, the Cougars had other plans. Ray Patchen, batting fourth as the designated hitter launched one to left and gave San Marcos the 8-7 lead. The Eagles were sat down in order in the bottom half of the inning, closing out 2015 at home with two losses to the Cougars.
At 20-30, the Eagles already have five more total wins in 2015 than they did in 2014, with still three games to play. Yet for the second straight year, Biola failed to post a .500 or better win percentage at Eagles Diamond.
Sadly, a once dominant home-field advantage has become less than a coin flip for Biola.
Since 2007, the Eagles have reached the NAIA tournament five times. Each of those seasons, Biola finished at least .500 or better at home, including seasons of 21-5 in 2008, 20-7 in 2009 and 20-5 in 2011.
Though senior day on Saturday was a celebration to the tune of two wins and 23 total runs scored, it came as a blip on the radar. Biola lost eight of its last 11 home games.
Of the 15 losses at home, 12 of them were to conference opponents, dropping valuable games that affected their placement in the Golden State Athletic Conference standings. These included a rough batch of losses by just three runs or less.
In his second year at the helm, head coach Jay Sullenger has proven his recruiting skill can help get this team headed in the right direction in the future.
After losing seven seniors in 2014, including their four best offensive players and a flurry of position players, Sullenger assembled a rag-tag crew of returners and transfers, many of whom came in and immediately made an impact.
Bringing in everyday players such as Jeremy Barth, Andy Smith and Julian Jarrard has helped boost both the offense and defense. All three are hitting over .300 and rank top-five on the team in slugging percentage, on base percentage, hits and runs batted in. In addition, Jarrard’s 13 home runs is seventh best in the nation.
However, this rise in offensive production comes with a pitfall. The Eagles lose integral pieces going forward, with the departure of seniors Rob Groeschell, Paul Slater, Tanner Swire and Garrett Picha as well as Smith.
Sure, with three games and the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament still on horizon, 2015 is not over yet. However, a 7-15 record on the road will not bode well for the Eagles in the coming weeks. Sure, they could surprise people in the tournament and make a bit of a run.
Of course, it is never too early to start talking about next season.
So while this season may not have ended ideally for the Eagles, the record is on the rise and the team showed promising signs of improvement throughout the 2015 campaign. The hope of many surrounding the program is that both recruitment and return can yield better results in the future.
Among the many other challenges that 2016 will include will be fortifying Eagles Diamond to once again become a winning fortress. With the right incoming talent and a more efficient home record, there is no reason to think this team cannot compete in 2016.
