The hype is real for the 2024 Pioneer men’s baseball team as expectations of success are at a high heading into the season. They are set to begin their season in mid February against Georgia Gwinnett.
The Pioneers had an impressive season last year, finishing 39-15 with a 0.722% winning percentage. In conference play, they ended up with a 20-7 record and winning percentage of 0.741%. Not to mention the men captured the River States Conference (RSC) Championship title, earning them a bid into the NAIA National Championship opening round. For over a decade, Pioneer baseball has been a powerhouse, with last year’s performance being the seventh time in the last 12 years that the Pioneers went to nationals.
As last season ended in the NAIA Championship opening round, the Pioneers look to improve upon their success from last year. Due to a recent coaches poll, a lot of attention had been focused on Point Park during the offseason. Out of the 12 teams in the conference, the Pioneers got eight first place votes, making Point Park the number one team heading into the season in the RSC. In the entire NAIA league, Point Park slid in at number 20 to open the season in the preseason poll.
In his 15th year, head coach Loren Torres is regarded as the most successful coach in NAIA baseball and recently dropped a podcast in the offseason discussing recruiting, fans, alumni and much more. You can listen to the Baseball Blue Podcast on all streaming platforms.
The entire club is hungry and, led by Torres, this team has the potential to be special. The sky’s the limit. Although the confidence is there, the Pioneers lost a big arm, Sebastian Rodriguez, who is now pitching in the MLB Draft League for the College Spikes. In his time with the Pioneers he was nothing but stellar, as he went 7-2 with a 2.81 ERA and six saves. In close games pitchers are the difference in winning and losing, and someone will have to step up to lessen the damage of the loss. Junior Javier Cardoso will most likely be the ace of the staff, as he had a huge year, putting up a 2.59 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 87 innings pitched.
As for the batting lineup, the Pioneers did not lose all that much fire power, as many of the starters will be returning. With another year under their belt, this can only lead to improvement and strides at the plate. Despite losing senior outfielder Justin Oakley, there is a lot to like about what this offense could do this year. Nine players had over 100 at bats, and six of those nine batted over 300, which is a sign that the bats will be alive this year. Looking at this lineup, the power will be coming from Jared Campbell and Isaac Santana, who both had over 10 home runs and over 50 RBIs. As for the leadoff man, the Pioneers will be in good hands, as they have a hitting machine in Omar Morillo. Morillo had a 345 batting percentage and 436 on base percentage. Not only does he get on base, he can steal at any given moment, as he had a total of 17 times last year.
This year will feature a high flying offense that opponents should fear along with lethal arms in the rotation and bullpen. It will be a fun year for Pioneer baseball, who are ready for a great season.
