It’s late afternoon at Eagles Diamond. The sun is shining overhead and a light breeze is flowing through the lower campus. Biola senior James Whitman is currently jogging the distance between third base and home plate to meet his cheering teammates in the dugout. This routine isn’t unfamiliar to him. In fact, he’s just done it for the 46th time in his college career—breaking Biola’s all-time record for career home runs.
RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
Whitman’s 46th career homerun was enough to propel him past Carl Galloway’s total of 45 home runs. Galloway, who played for Biola from 2002-2004, was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies post-graduation. Whitman tied Galloway’s record with a solo shot in the 9th inning of game three against Chaminade University and broke it shortly after with another home run in the 1st inning of the next game.
“It’s like, a huge accomplishment,” Whitman said. “Just understanding how all my hard work just pays off. It’s a huge milestone for me and my family.”
Whitman steadily closed in on the 45-home run mark throughout the season to bring the record within reach. When asked about Whitman leading up to the weekend before James’ record tying and breaking home runs, Head Coach Jesse Rodgers said he expected the record to fall.
“James is streaky,” Rodgers said, “He hit two last weekend. He could hit four in a game. And our home ballpark plays well for right-handed power hitters.”
Galloway’s record wasn’t the only total surpassed by James Whitman in the year. His first home run of the season propelled him past 2024 graduate Wyatt Duncan’s total of 30, breaking Biola’s NCAA era record for career home runs. Head Coach Jesse Rodgers had no doubt that this record would be broken by Whitman.
“He’s hit 10+ [home runs] over the last three years,” Rodgers said. “So it was, to me, inevitable. It was like it was gonna happen. It was just a matter of when.”
ADJUSTMENT AND ADAPTABILITY
Going into a season after posting career-high numbers through junior year—and on the precipice of breaking a Biola career record—would be intimidating for many players. But Whitman’s affinity for the game and steady progression displays why the pressure is not a limiting factor for him. One of the best qualities to have as a baseball player is the ability to adapt at any level of the game. Whitman showed his ability to adjust to the college level very quickly, going from hitting 5 home runs in his freshman year to hitting double-digit homers in every following season. His batting average, sitting at .258 in his freshman season, has not gone below .300 since then. When asked about his feelings towards his season, James said he had a specific mindset in mind when entering the year.
“It feels awesome,” Whitman said. “This whole season, I told coach I’m just looking at it like I want to have fun, and I did exactly that.”
Whitman’s stat line has reflected this mindset. Even apart from his domineering home-run totals, his senior year on the team has proven to be nothing short of exceptional, tying Biola’s NCAA single season home-run record at 15, alongside breaking Biola’s single-season NCAA record for bases on balls at 35 and breaking Biola’s NCAA record for single-season runs at 56. Whitman is also hitting at a pace to rank high on the single-season batting average, on-base-percentage and slugging percentage rankings as well, statistics that measure a hitter’s ability to get on base consistently. Coach Rodgers described Whitman’s growth in a nutshell.
“He played a ton freshman year. He banked all those at bats and learned from them. And then he really fine-tuned his approach. So he was a little bit like all-or-nothing as a freshman, a lot of power,” Rodgers said. “And he sort of turned himself into a complete hitter to where he can use the whole field. And then he really knows what the opponents are trying to do, so he’s really committed to his approach and his plan. And when he gets a mistake [pitch], he puts a good swing on it. It usually goes a long way.”
Whitman’s level of play and approach to the season has made an impact not only at Biola, but throughout the entire PacWest Conference. Currently, his production places him at the top of the leaderboards for both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. His standout season doesn’t stop there, as he ranks among the top ten of multiple offensive categories in the PacWest, including first in runs scored, fifth in runs batted in, second in home runs and sixth in doubles.
LOOKING FORWARD
At every level, whether Little League or college ball, players dream of continuing their careers up to the professional level with hopes of being drafted by a Major League organization. But for James Whitman, it looks like that next step might be closer than a lot of other people get to.
“We got a couple guys coming out today,” Whitman said after his game against Chaminade. “So hopefully that leads to something. But yeah, I think it’s more than possible.”
Looking at Whitman as a player, he has put together an impressive resumé over his collegiate career, and his stat line reflects the ability he has to adapt and grow in multiple levels of the game. The season’s accomplishments serve to exemplify that, showing that he is more than willing to tread new ground.
“James wants to keep playing, and so that record is just part of his resumé,” Rodgers said. “He’s the type of hitter that definitely has the ability to go professional. And he’s put the work in. His resumé speaks to him being able to do that. I think that he can have an opportunity to do that when the season’s over.”
