The Azusa Pacific baseball team commenced its first season as full NCAA Division II members Feb. 2. The team is hoping to surpass expectations after being picked to finish fourth in the PacWest preseason coaches poll.
“We are certainly excited to get the season started,” head coach Paul Svagdis said. “We are looking forward to playing other teams, seeing how we match up and seeing the things we do well and the things we need to improve on.”
APU lost three junior players who were selected in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Joseph Daris was picked up by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round, Adam McCreery by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 22nd and Zach Hedges by the Chicago Cubs in the 26th.
The Cougars welcome several additions to the team and are returning some key players from last season expected to make a big impact.
“Josh Staumont and Joel Belk are two pitchers that had a good year last year and hopefully are primed up to improve this season,” Svagdis said. “Our first baseman, Jordan Brower, and catcher, Joe Huthsing, have been playing for a while, and we have a high expectation that they can help lead the team on and off the field.”
Brower will be returning this season as the starting first baseman after receiving a third-team all-conference nod last year. He led the Cougars in home runs (eight) and RBIs (41).
“Getting prepared for this season through the California Collegiate League really helped a lot. We heard we were picked fourth this season, and it’s just more motivation because we don’t deserve to be in fourth place,” Brower said. “We have higher expectations for the team. I am confident and our team is confident that we will finish higher if not first. We are going to play hard, stick to the process and have fun doing it.”
Junior pitcher Belk is expected to make an impact. He appeared in 12 games last season, starting 11 and finishing with a 5-3 record and 3.46 ERA.
“I’m excited we have some new and young players that are stepping up in pretty important ways, and we are coming together as a team,” Belk said. “We have a great rotation. I think it’s a productive one and it will produce results, but more importantly it’s about the team, relationships and camaraderie.”
Staumont will be another pitcher to keep an eye on. Last season he hit high-90s with his fastball, and over the summer he helped the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox win the Cape Cod Summer League Championship. Staumont had eight strikeouts in five different games last season.
The Cougars’ PacWest schedule starts on Feb. 27 with a four-game set against Academy of Art.