TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team begins its 2023 campaign on Friday looking to take the next step after finishing third in the Northwest Conference standings last spring. 
 
"Every year is a different year. We finished on a disappointing note last year. We peaked about mid-season and then we didn't play great baseball down the stretch. We played pretty good in the tournament, but overall I felt like we let it slip away a little bit," said Head Coach Nolan Soete who enters his eighth year at the helm of his alma mater with a 157-110 career record, including a 100-59 record in Northwest Conference play.
 
The Lutes have been a model of consistency under Soete with PLU the lone program in the conference to qualify for the NWC Tournament all seven years of the postseason tournament's existence.  
 
"We have a lot of new guys, but we still have high expectations as usual. Our goal is to compete for a title and host the tournament. We believe that we have the talent to do so but we will need some young players to step up and produce."
 
Last season the Lutes finished third in the conference standings, posting a 13-11 record in league play and a 22-18 overall record. That included finishing one game shy of making the NWC Championship game at the NWC Tournament.
 
Leading the returners for the Lutes is outfielder Andy Schmitz. The senior is back after earning First Team All-NWC honors last season and leading the Lutes in batting average (.353), runs scored (32), hits (60), doubles (11), and on-base percentage (.422). 
 
Joining Schmitz in the outfield will be Ethan Keintz and Rutger Youch. Keintz made 17 starts last spring with a .320 batting average and nine extra base hits. A First-year from Newcastle, Washington, Youch is penciled in as an opening day starter while Alex Boyd (13 RBIs in 2022) and Sean Kauffman (18 starts in 2022) will also see action in the outfield. 
 
"Andy Schmitz sets the table for the offense. The guy has had a great career, really worked hard to get himself in great shape for this year.  
 
"It's a very deep outfield. I'm excited about them defensively as well, I think it's a very fast outfield and I expect big things from those guys."
 
In the infielder, the Lutes will be shuffling around a few players to account for the graduation of key All-Conference players in Tori Doten and Jordan Haworth. 
 
Braeden Lundberg, an Honorable Mention All-NWC pick last year as a first-year, will move from second base to shortstop while Ashton Barton, who is just one of two returning Lutes to play all 40 games last spring, looks to step in on the hot corner at third base while also rotating in at first and behind the dish.
 
"We have big shoes to fill. The transition (to shortstop) has went well so far for Lundberg. There will obviously be some learning experiences early in the season, he hasn't played shortstop in a while, but I'm confident that he can get the job done over there. He put on some muscle in the offseason. I think offensively he is going to be more of a threat this year.  He had a good year last year but he has put a lot of work in."
 
Lundberg started 36 games last spring with 16 RBIs and nine extra base hits.  
 
"At third, we got a battle going on over there between a few players including Barton and first-year Brody Phinney. Barton is the type of guy that's versatile in how many positions he can play.  He can play third, he can catch, he can play first. I expect Barton to be a regular in the lineup at multiple positions. "
 
Barton had 23 RBIs last year while leading the team in putouts with 292 splitting time behind the plate at catcher and at first base. 
 
Joining Barton behind the plate will be Lukas Delisle along with first-year Luke Baier from Wenatchee, Washington. 
 
"We've got quite a few battles going on right now, particularly at third, catcher, and also fighting for that DH role as well."
 
Arguably the most exciting newcomer in the field has been Aaron Barber, a Seattle native that comes to PLU after a stint at Division I Virginia Commonwealth University and looks to fill the void at second base.
 
On the mound the Lutes have big shoes to fill after losing three All-Conference hurlers in Alex Gregory, Noah Ferguson, and Tommy Snyder. 
 
"Pitching is the biggest unknown on this team. If we're going to do what we want to do this year and compete for a title, we're going to need newcomers really fill in some big roles for us. I think we have the talent to do it, it is just a matter of getting it done."  
 
Anchoring the returning staff is First Team All-NWC and All-Region selection Spencer Howell. The senior led the team in earned run average (2.63), wins (seven), games started (11), innings pitched (75 1/3) and strikeouts (58) last year. Honorable Mention All-Conference selection Cole Trotignon is back after tossing 53 innings with 31 punchouts in 2022. Trotignon also adds a big bat, filling in at first base and as designated hitter when not on the hill. The senior started all 40 games last year with a .333 batting average with seven home runs, 37 RBIs, and a .500 slugging percentage. 
 
"Howell is obviously the returning ace of the staff and Trotignon will be in the rotation as well. Right now we are looking to see who is going to be our number 3 guy. It is basically a toss-up between two or three pitchers at this point."
 
Vying for that third starter spot will be Jonathan Cohen who was an Honorable Mention selection back in 2021 along with first-year Landon Day.
 
"Cohen has put in a ton of work in the offseason. He's in great shape, and I expect him to be better than he was last year."
 
Figuring to play key roles in the bullpen are first-years Chris Moreno from Newhall, California and Wyatt Norris from West Linn, Oregon. 
 
"We have some exciting newcomers on the staff. Landon Day from Utah, he is a guy who I think has a really high ceiling and I think he's going to be a contributor right away.  Chris Moreno, from California is another big right-handed arm, I think he can fill one of those roles on the back end for us in the bullpen. Wyatt Norris is an absolute strike-thrower, he has come in and done nothing but throw strikes for us so far but we have a lot of other guys battling for some spots in the bullpen."
 
PLU opens up the season on Friday, facing Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon for a three-game non-conference series. PLU has two weeks of non-league action, heading to Texas in week two before hosting Lewis & Clark College in the NWC opener over President's Day weekend. 
 
"We have a great team of 41 guys right now, and I can tell you the vibe is very good on this team. It's a hardworking group of individuals that care about each other. I think the potential is there it's just continuing to put in the hard work and performing well on gamedays."