Point Loma Nazarene University baseball has a rich history and a solid present.
But the future might be even better.
Currently ranked 15th nationally among NCAA Division II baseball teams, the 20-8 Sea Lions not only have the leading hitter in the West Region as well as the PacWest leader in ERA, they regularly start four freshmen and two redshirt sophomores with two freshmen filling key pitching roles.
“This is the best freshman class I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said catcher-designated hitter Jake Entrekin, a Steele Canyon High School product who is rewriting the PLNU record book.
Midway through his senior season, Entrekin is batting .471 (40-for-85) with 14 homers, 41 RBIs, 23 walks and 33 runs scored for a .588 on-base percentage and a 1.024 slugging percentage for a 1.612 OPS.
Entrekin is one home run away from equaling PLNU’s career record of 41. He is third on the Sea Lions’ all-time list of RBI leaders. He leads the West Region in on-base percentage, home runs, slugging percentage and OPS.
“Jake is a phenomenal offensive player,” said PLNU baseball coach Justin James. “And as a catcher, he understands the game on a different level. He’s an awesome talent. And I’m hearing from scouts who are looking at Jake with an eye on the draft.”
Entrekin, of course, is just the latest star in a pipeline that has turned PLNU into a perennial NCAA Division II power.
The Sea Lions are seeking a fourth straight PacWest regular-season championship under James. They have won two West Regionals titles to gain berths in the Division II World Series. PLNU was second in the 2022 Division II College World Series.
“We’ve had a lot of postseason success,” said James, himself a former PLNU player. “And I really like this team. We’ve done a good job bringing in the right kids. And we’re off to a great start in the best conference top-to-bottom in Division II.”
James said PLNU’s long run of success has a strong root system.
“High school players and coaches know us and our conference,” said James. “I get about 100 emails a day regarding players interested in our program.
“It starts with our success on the field. But there are so many other things. I think Point Loma Nazarene is different from any other school in the country. Students here are surrounded by staff and professors who care about the people on campus. And what a beautiful campus.”
Then there is Carroll B. Land Stadium. PLNU’s picturesque ballpark overlooks the Pacific Ocean. “We use the field as a recruiting tool,” said James. “And it’s never looked better. It’s one of the bigger selling points. We put it on cards we send to recruits.
“Put it all together and we can bring in the talent necessary to quickly rebuild.”
Rebuild? More like reload.
“We’re pretty tough,” said James. “We’re in the top five, 10 or 15 almost annually. When we recruit, we’re looking for players who have good grades and strong character … players who will continue to develop. We’ve always put a lot of emphasis on defense and playing the game right.”
As a team, PLNU is hitting .303 this season with 36 home runs in 28 games. The Sea Lions have a team on-base percentage of .425 and a slugging percentage of .494 for a team OPS of .919. The pitching staff is led by sophomore Steele Canyon High School grad Branden Jackel, who is 5-1 with a 1.70 ERA.
The left side of the infield is manned by freshmen — shortstop Matt Bernath (.313, two home runs and 12 RBIs) and third baseman Josiah Rodriguez (.279, five homers, 18 RBIs). Right fielder/first baseman Jake Schwartz (.288) and Maranatha Christian grad Levi Ham (.250, two homers) have also started as freshmen.
Junior infielder Owen May (.338-1-16) and senior infielder Luke Reece (Serra High, .318-3-26) follow Entrekin on the offensive charts. Junior utilityman/pitcher Noah Meffert (.281-3-20), sophomore Aiden Arriaga (.268-3-19) and senior infielder Bryson Hashimoto (.256-2-15) round out the regulars.
The PacWest schedule puts added pressure on the pitching. Each series features doubleheaders on Fridays and Saturdays.
“You need four starting pitchers and a deep bullpen,” said senior right-hander Ray Cebulski, an Eastlake High School grad who is 2-0 with a 5.55 ERA.
Said James: “The schedule demands a deep pitching staff,” said James. “And our pitchers have done a great job limiting the free bases on walks, hit batters and the running game.”
Cebulski went to Long Beach State out of high school but transferred to Point Loma Nazarene after his freshman season.
“I wanted to be where I’m valued,” said the business istration major. “And I wanted to play locally for my family. PLNU is a great place to be in college. It’s a friendly, nicely secluded campus.”
Cebulski said he sees another strong finish to the PLNU season.
“We’ve been there before,” he said of postseason play. “This is a team built for tournaments.”
