In 2022, Point Loma Nazarene University hosted the West Region of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. They ended up going to the D-2 College World Series and finishing as the national runner-up.
This year the Sea Lions are again the #1 seed in the west, meaning they get to host both the West Regional and (if they get by Cal Poly-Pomona and Cal State San Marcos), the Super Regional. For a club that only lost three times at home all year and has won 15 straight at America's Most Scenic Ballpark, that is a heck of a home-field advantage. Sometimes that kind of home dominance can lead to a bit of overconfidence.
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Head coach Justin James says that's not something he has to guard this year's club against.
"I think with past teams I have (had to do that). I just haven't had that vibe with these guys," says James. "Especially the past couple of months. We've been a pretty good team the whole year. So, I haven't felt like they were not being humble or were taking things a little bit easy. I think this is a pretty special group when it comes to that. So I didn't feel like I had to even bring it up."
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That's not to say they're not going to use the yard to their advantage. Carroll B. Land Stadium is one of the country's most unique ballparks for its location, its environment, and how it plays.
"We've got the wind and we know it well. And then, you know, all the fans, all the support that we've gotten this year, it's been great," says starting pitcher Dylan Miller. "So, we're looking to have that in the regional and keep it rolling. It's just it's fun to play here."
A week ago the Sea Lions had to beat Concordia twice in one day to win the PacWest Conference Tournament. They scored 43 runs over the two games, showing the kind of firepower this offense has.
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— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) May 10, 2024Hunter Otjen extends the lead to double digits for @PLNUBaseball with a grand slam, capping off a nine-run 8th inning for the Sea Lions.
While another performance like that would be fantastic runs tend to be a little more scarce come NCAA Tourney time. PLNU feels they don't have to be in a slugfest to win.
"We're trained to win kind of any baseball game in any ballpark, in any weather against any pitcher," says James. "So we're able to do some small ball if we have to. If we have to sit back and and try and go for more extra base hits, I feel we can do that as well."
Both of those PacWest wins were come-from-behind victories. The mantra of this program this year is "turn the scoreboard off." It alludes to something you will not find in any other sport.
"It just means there is no clock in baseball. And it's just really true," says outfielder Jack Malone. "I think that's something we buy into, whether we're up big, whether we're down big, we know there's always a chance as long as there's game left. And if we're up big, we're trying to keep extending a lead. And if we're down, we're just trying to chip away."
One of the wonderful things about this game is you can't hold the ball and run out the clock. If you have a strike, you have a chance. That's a mindset PLNU is hoping to ride all the way to Cary, NC and another College World Series appearance.
The West Regional starts on Thursday morning with San Marcos and Pomona meeting at 11:00 am. The loser of that game gets to deal with the hosts at 2:00 pm. Game 3 of the tournament is Friday afternoon at 1:00 pm and the final day will start at 11:00 am on Saturday.
