TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team heads into tomorrow's season opener with plenty of experience and the goal of once again punching its ticket to the Northwest Conference Tournament.
 
Inclement weather has bumped the Lutes season opener from a doubleheader on Saturday to a single night game on Friday against Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. The Lutes will remain in Oregon for a doubleheader against Linfield College on Sunday with first pitch slated for 12 p.m.
 
The Lutes wrapped up the 2019 season with a 24-18 overall record and a 14-10 mark in NWC play while qualifying for the NWC Tournament of the fifth consecutive year. Pacific Lutheran remains the only program in the conference to qualify for the tournament every year of the tournament's existence, including winning the 2016 edition of the four-team event. 
 
"We have high expectations as a program heading into the season," said Head Coach Nolan Soete who enters his fifth season at the helm and his 14th year overall on the coaching staff. "We have a lot of experienced position guys returning. They're all pretty young still though, so we're going to rely heavily on the sophomore class."
 
While the Lutes lose a pair of All-Region performers from a season ago, the future looks bright for a squad that returns four of its top six hitters and a pitching staff that accounted for 18 of the team's 24 wins on the mound and all nine saves. 
 
Amongst the returning field position players is a pair of sophomore sensations that both earned Honorable Mention All-Conference a season ago. NWC Freshman of the Year Andy Schmitz returns after leading the team at the plate with a .333 batting average. The Aurora, Oregon native started all but two games a season ago, driving in 19 runs while stealing seven bases. Also back is Michael Cesar who was All-League as a catcher, appearing in 41 of the team's 42 games and collecting 11 extra base hits, including four home runs. 
 

"Schmitz had a big year last year as a freshman, winning conference freshman of the year and Cesar did a great job behind the plate. They have a lot of experience considering they're just sophomores but we have some other guys with big-time experience too."
 
Tori Doten is back after hitting .307 and scoring 27 runs a season ago, as is Cameron Clem who sported a .367 on-base percentage. Other returning position players that saw significant action a season ago include Jordan Haworth, King Jimenez-Cruz, Dominick Zombik, and Corey Ng. 
 
Between returners Cesar and Zombik, Soete believes the Lutes have arguably the best backstops in the NWC.
 
"I personally think our battery behind the plate with Cesar and Zombik those are two of the better defensive catchers in the conference."
 
On the mound, the Lutes return starters Justin Tucker and Tommy Snyder. Tucker logged 72 2/3 innings on the hill last season, striking out 60 with a 3.59 earned run average. Snyder registered 40 punchouts in 62 1/3 innings of labor, collecting four wins and one save. 
 
In the pen, 2018 All-NWC selection Alex Gregory is back after logging five saves last season along with Andrew Curran who saw the most action among the relievers last season with the 2017 All-League selection making 19 appearances and striking out 27. Jacob Mortensen racked up 20 strikeouts in 35 innings of relief work while Matt Franceschina made 18 appearances in 2019, including two starts, while also collecting two saves.
 
In addition to the returners, the Lutes have brought in an electric group of freshman and transfers. Kenton Robillard will be in the mix at shortstop after helping Tacoma Community College compile a 75-20 record over the past two seasons while two-sport athlete Ashton Barton looks to be a boon for the Lutes as the opening day first basemen. Barton is a true freshman who spent the fall on the football team and has been a welcome surprise for the team thanks to his versatility and ability to play multiple infield positions.
 
Salem, Oregon native Noah Ferguson has impressed and is projected to make an immediate impact as both a pitcher and as a position player.
 
"He's a real utility guy. He's going to earn a lot of time on the mound for sure, he's been electric so far this spring."
 
Overall, Soete is excited for athleticism of the 2020 squad, including some of the speed the team has shown out in the field and on the basepaths. 
 
"Team speed is our no. 1 strength that I can see. I think that will really help defensively. We have five or six guys in the outfield that can absolutely fly. On offense its absolutely a huge weapon as long as you can get on base. With this team our goal is to put together as many quality at bats as we can in order to get our guys on base and put pressure on the defense."
 
With a good mix of veterans and newcomers, the Lutes will be leaning on senior leadership to compete within the rugged NWC where the Lutes were pegged to finish fifth according to the annual preseason coaches poll. 
 
"What we really need is the young guys to take a big step forward this year. The conference is going to be difficult this year. As far as upperclassmen, we don't have a ton of playing experience but it's a good group of eight guys. We have high expectations to compete in our conference and our goal right now is just to get better every week."
 
That goal begins this weekend with the slate of three games before beginning league play the following week against George Fox University. 
 
"Most of the conference starting playing last weekend so we need to be on it from the get-go. There's a lot of pressure as far as making sure we're getting everything buttoned up before conference play, and we essentially have one weekend to do it."
 
Feb. 14: PLU vs. Pacific in Forest Grove, Oregon (6 p.m.)
 
Series History: Since the 1980 season, PLU holds a 75-51 advantage in the series history, including splitting the four games played last season. The Lutes won two of three in the regular season series at PLU but came up short against the Boxers in the NWC Tournament.
 
About the Boxers: Pacific (1-3) was in California last weekend, dropping its opening three games before closing the trip with a 14-6 win over University of La Verne. The Boxers' trip began on a sour note, falling 4-1 to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges before suffering a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Whittier College with the Poets prevailing 14-12 and 6-5.
 
Tanner Johnson is hitting .571 after one week of play while Chase Anderson blasted three home runs and has seven RBIs through the opening four games of the season. 
 
Gavin Bullock was the Boxers' winning pitcher against La Verne, allowing no earned runs and striking out one in 3 2/3 innings of relief work. 
 
Feb. 16: PLU vs. Linfield (DH) in McMinnville, Oregon (12 p.m.)
 
Series History: The Lutes trail the Wildcats 90-48 in the series since the 1980 season. Pacific Lutheran swept the series a season ago, collecting 5-4, 10-7, and 8-4 victories in McMinnville. 
 
About the Wildcats: Linfield (2-2) opened the season in Tucson, Arizona last weekend, earning a weekend split at the neutral site games. Linfield collected 9-8 and 7-5 wins over the University of Redlands but came up short 6-2 against Chapman University and 17-8 against the University of Texas-Dallas.
 
David Brosius had a big weekend at the plate for Linfield, hitting .545 with three extra base hits while Tanner Earhart racked up seven RBIs.
 
On the mound, Colton Meyer had four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of work while Samuel Adams allowed just two baserunners in 4 1/3 innings of action.