Point Loma Nazarene baseball: Sea Lions expected to challenge for PacWest championship

Point Loma Nazarene was thrown a curve just days before the 2024 season began, when the rainstorm that swamped San Diego created a sinkhole in the outfield at Carroll B. Land Stadium.

The last thing the Sea Lions needed was to have an outfielder go missing chasing down a fly ball, so their home games will be played at various college fields around town until repairs are completed.

PLNU is off to a 4-2 start coming into a four-game series this weekend against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs that will feature one doubleheader at San Diego Mesa College and another doubleheader at USD.

2023 record: 36-16 overall; 22-8 PacWest

Top returners: Senior shortstop Scott Anderson (Sage Creek High School), the preseason PacWest Player of the Year, batted .395 last season with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs.

Anderson was one of four returning PLNU players to earn preseason all-PacWest honors, joining junior OF Jack Malone (.309, 13 HR, 56 RBIs, 15 SB), junior DH Jake Entrekin (.348, 9 HR, 43 RBIs), a Steele Canyon High School alum, and senior RHP Dylan Miller (6-1, 3.87 ERA, 83 SO/23 BB), who graduated from Coronado High School.

Junior RHP Ray Cebulski (6-3, 4.75 ERA, 44 SO/19 BB), an Eastlake High School graduate, matched Miller in victories last season.

Junior OF/RHP Hunter Otjen (.292, 10 HR, 38 RBIs/2-1, 4.60 ERA, 39 SO/15 BB), who played at nearby Point Loma High School, is again a key piece in the middle of the batting order as well as in the bullpen.

Key additions: Graduate OF Esai Santos, a transfer from Holy Names, also earned preseason all-conference recognition. Graduate OF Eric Smelko, a Helix High School graduate who transferred from Cal State Dominguez Hills, will boost the offense as well.

Outlook: Azusa Pacific was picked for first place in the PacWest, one point ahead of two-time defending champion PLNU, in a preseason coaches poll.

The Sea Lions led the conference in hitting, batting .313 with 84 homers while averaging 7.4 runs a game. Their team ERA of 4.31 was also best in the PacWest.

Duplicating that feat will be a challenge, especially without the PacWest MVP in the lineup.

Junior 1B Jakob Christian transferred across town to the University of San Diego after leading the PacWest in batting average (.408), homers (28), RBIs (70), runs (65) and slugging percentage (.901).

PacWest Tournament: The four-team, double-elimination conference tournament is May 8-11 at Azusa Pacific. The champion receives the PacWest’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division II playoffs.