My seasonal depression is cured as baseball season is upon us. The sound of the bat’s ding and the smell of freshly cut grass are telltale signs that the season is getting underway. So, be sure to grab that Big League Chew and a bag of Sunflower Seeds!
Last season, Biola’s baseball team placed 6th in the PacWest conference and has been training towards a conference win while being examples of Christ on the field.
Third-season head coach Jesse Rodgers said, “The two things that are important to me in the program are helping the guys become Christian leaders and trying to win baseball games.”
THE BROTHERHOOD
Coach Rodgers described this team as intentional. This year’s group of players is tight-knit, where they feed off one another and genuinely root for each other.
Senior catcher and business finance major Samuel Lisiak said the team is trying to build off last season’s positives.
“The biggest change we’ve had is we continuously push each other,” said Lisiak. “It seems like this year, the guys are closer than they’ve ever been: hanging out outside of baseball, going over to people’s houses, and getting involved in our Bible study.”
The team is big on their culture, and the team veterans provide the support the new players need. Baseball is a brotherhood, and their connection off the field will impact their performance on the field.
2024 Biola baseball alumnus Jonathan Kumai returns as an assistant coach, now mentoring his former teammates. Having gone through the same routine and experiences, Kumai is able to relate to and connect with the team on a deeper level.
“He’s had a ton of experience in baseball, so it’s cool to hear his ideas and what he has to say from a coaching perspective and not just from a playing perspective,” said Lisiak. “It’s just nice to see a friendly face and have a guy you can relate to.”
There are high expectations for the new players. With 22 new players joining the 45-man roster, the coaching staff is eager to see how this year’s recruitment class performs.
“In the time that I’ve been here, this is one of the best recruiting classes that we’ve ever had,” Lisiak said.
With a team captain and head coach impressed with the new guys, there are going to be big strides forward for the Eagles.
THE ARMS
The team was looking to add depth to its pitching, especially after losing key pitchers like Bobby Brown (who transferred to Point Loma, a team from the PacWest Conference) and with Gilbert Lopez and Lucas Brixby graduating. This led to a search for a solid rotation and bullpen.
A new arm the coaches see in the starting rotation is business graduate student right-handed pitcher Jack O’Brien. O’Brien is a transfer from Hawaii Pacific University, a team in the PacWest Conference. He is a seasoned conference pitcher who will bring consistency throughout the season. Last season, he had a 4.04 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.
Business senior Andrew Zittle, a left-handed pitcher, is also expected to be in the starting rotation. Zittle started the back half of last season and had a 4.62 ERA and a WHIP of 1.46.
Rodgers anticipates there will be more opportunities for the young guys and transfer students to step up.
TICK TOCK
The pitch clock was implemented in the NCAA last season, and the recruiting class had to adjust to the 20-second timer, but they feel fortunate the clock is there for practice.
The coaches try to create a tough practice environment to work on competing and training at the higher level of the PacWest NCAA Division 2.
“The goal for us is to try to make the game pace feel slower, as opposed to faster. We do that for the whole team, but for those young guys trying to bring them to the college level, it’s a bit more difficult, a bit faster pace,” Rodgers said.
CONSISTENCY & POWER
Eagle’s Diamond, Biola’s home field, has no lights, so the team has early doubleheaders when they have home games. This is why Coach Rodgers emphasizes that the team has to be consistent.
“Consistency is the main thing. It’s a long season, and we play double headers on back-to-back days. Being consistent is really important,” said Rodgers.
Rodger’s goal for this year’s team is to place in the top four in the conference to compete for a conference tournament win to have a chance to win an NCAA Division II title.
The Eagles have never made it to the conference tournament or the postseason in Division II history.
“We have our eyes set on it right now, and it’s what we’ve always strived to do,” said Lisiak. “I think this is the year that we really can have a good shot at doing that and making the postseason and doing well.”
The Eagles have a solid blend of contact and power hitters.
Junior outfielder public health major Tommy Kendlinger is expected to lead off this season. Kendlinger is a transfer student from Allen Hancock College and is looking to build off of last season’s momentum when he slashed .306/.360/.459.
Catcher Lisiak is expected to have more at-bats this season. Last season, he had a batting average of .325 with only 77 at-bats and an OPS of .892; he is a batter with a lot of power.
Rodgers expects kinesiology junior James Whitman and business administration junior Noah Ruiz to be even better this season than last. Whitman led the team in OPS with 1.057, and Ruiz had the second-highest batting average of .333 as a sophomore. As these players play more throughout the season, they will improve.
Whitman is back playing his natural position, first base. For the past two seasons, he has played in the outfield because Rodgers wanted him and graduate student Wyatt Duncan in the lineup.
With a blend of veteran leadership, fresh talent, and a strong connection on and off the field, Biola’s baseball team is looking toward an exciting season.