Monterey Times

As far as wins and losses go, Vanguard baseball has enjoyed a two-year run unlike any other in program history.

Back-to-back 40-win seasons. A combined 84 victories – the most of any two-year period.

To polish it off, two straight trips to the NAIA Tournament.

Maintaining that stamina for success involves reloading and redirecting current resources. Bringing in new talent and promoting role players into starting spots.

The Lions, ranked No. 16 in the NAIA preseason poll, have a bit of both going for them in the 2023 edition. Twenty-three returning letterwinners joins forces with an enticing crop of newcomers to pursue the ultimate goal – a College World Series berth and a shot at a national title.

"That was a fun run," said Head Coach Rob Pegg, referring to last season's 44-15 record and NAIA Opening Round excursion to Lewiston, Idaho, which also doubles as the site for the World Series. "We're very new this year. We're new in a lot of places. We do have some carry over at some key spots.

"We tell our guys to live the dream. The dream is always with us, and that's Lewiston. But our focus is get that first one on Friday. Hopefully we can string some together."

Here's a look at the Lions according to position group:

CATCHERS

The Lions return their top two backstops as a steadying force for the pitching staff. Luke Arias (SR/Spring Valley, CA) hit .225 with a pair of home runs and 16 RBI in 2022. One of his home runs came against Doane in the NAIA Opening Round. He also threw out eight would-be base stealers.

Oscar Diaz (JR/Los Angeles, CA) made 32 starts in his 40 appearances, batting .377 with three home runs and 32 RBI. He also nailed eight runners attempting to steal.

Between the two catchers, they committed just one error.

"Excited to have those guys back," said Pegg. "They know the program, the expectations and how to work the pitching staff, what we're trying to do from a defensive standpoint. One of them hits right, one of them hits left – they're both plus players."

INFIELDERS

In 2022, the Lions started four seniors who combined for 250 hits, including 32 home runs. Joe Johnson, Matthew Land, Travis Aversa and Chad Sutton have graduated and moved on from the program.

That opened opportunities for a brand new starting infield, providing intrigue as to who emerges as key contributors.

Pegg knows replacing that lost talent will be a challenge, but he is confident that the guys who will taking over constitute a strength for the club.

"Those were all special players, some four or five year guys who really contributed a ton to the success the last two years," remarked Pegg. "We feel good about our infield. They'll compete on both sides of the ball very well for us. I think that should be a strength of our team is taking care of the baseball. It will need to be."

Tyler Gordon (FR/Orange, CA), a local kid out of Villa Park High School, will get reps at shortstop. A pair of junior college transfers – Emiliano Alarcon (SO/Monmouth, OR) and Fred Buckson (SO/Silverdale, WA) – will also see extensive time. Alarcon won the Gold Glove award for the Northwest Athletic Conference at Linn-Benton CC.

Adam Stevens (SR/West Linn, OR), who hit .281 in 24 appearances last season, will be in the mix at third base. Antonio Omphroy (SR/Honolulu, HI) played behind Johnson at first base. He hit a productive .319 and boasted a .476 on base percentage. The road is now clear for him to receive regular playing time.

OUTFIELDERS

Two key performers return to patrol the outfield for the Blue and Gold. Tommy Rodriguez (SR/Yucaipa, CA) and Dane Nakatsuka (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) provided solid offense and steady defense as regular starters on the 2022 club. They will be leaned on for senior leadership this season.

Rodriguez batted .318 with 42 runs scored, 10 doubles and 38 RBI. He also was a freak on the base paths, successfully swiping 28 bases in 28 attempts.

Nakatsuka started all 40 games he appeared in and missed a chunk of action while dealing with a concussion midway through the campaign. He ranked third on the team in average (.340) while scoring 42 runs and driving in 30.

"Those guys bring some offensive thunder for us," said Pegg.

Pegg pointed to newcomers Corey Jarrell (JR/Brewster, WA) and Michael Downtain (JR/Menifee, CA) as potential contributors. Returning players Aaron Zubiate (SR/Alta Loma, CA) and Christopher Famolaro (SO/San Diego, CA) also could get strong looks.

PITCHING

The Lions are blessed with three returning starters in Justin Graves (SR/Irvine, CA), Jesus Munguia (JR/Anaheim, CA) and Dylan McDonald (SR/Pacifica, CA). That trio stacks up against anyone in a formidable Golden State Athletic Conference, in which the countable conference games will be comprised of three-game sets instead of four.

Graves is of the nastiest hurlers in the GSAC. He struck out 108 in 82.1 innings while sporting a 10-3 record and 3.28 ERA.

"Justin Graves has been a great pitcher in the program," said Pegg. "Excited to have him in his final run."

Munguia finished unbeaten at 8-0 with a 2.74 ERA. He walked just 11 and struck out 39 in 62.1 innings. McDonald started in nine of his 13 appearances and fanned 43 hitters in 45.2 innings of work.

"I expect those three guys to compete," said Pegg.

Junior college transfers Jacob Dahlstrom (JR/Renton, WA) and Nate Madole (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) will also get some opportunities to start. Returners Quincy Vassar (SR/Brewster, WA) and Jackson Webber (SR/Bothell, WA) – two primary contributors out of the bullpen last season – are candidates for spot starts as well.

Pegg is excited for the depth of his bullpen, which includes Toby Welty (SR/Colorado Springs, CO), Caden Byers (SO/Murrieta, CA) and Kyle Hoskins (SR/Tustin, CA), a transfer from NCAA Division I program CSUN.

Byers sported a 1.06 ERA with four saves in 2022.

"We feel confident in the number of guys we can run out of there and the number of options that we have," said Pegg. "They could be counted on. There is good depth. If one guy doesn't have it, the next guys is up and hopefully they'll compete and give us a shot."

The Lions won 22 games by seven runs or more in 2022. Pegg wouldn't be surprised if the Blue and Gold played in more tightly contested contests this season.

"Last year, our offense was a little more explosive and sometimes we could blow some teams away and get some comfortable wins," he said. "I think there will be less comfortable wins this year, but that's okay. I think we have the team to be able to do it. We're just going to have to win some tighter ones."

SCHEDULE

The team has been comparing the buildup and anticipation of the season's start to Christmas. The Lions open the season with a three-game set against Westcliff.

The Lions then head to the East-West Challenge in Lakeland, Fla. to face off against some of the top teams in the country from Feb. 2-4. Mimicking what a College World Series field could look like, VU will square off against host, No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Southeastern (Fla.) on the final day of the tournament. Prior to that, the Lions will battle No. 8 St. Thomas, No. 25 Keiser and No. 4 LSU Shreveport.

VU will then return home to face Texas-based Southwestern Assemblies of God for three games on Feb. 10-11.

The team will also play a host of Cal Pac schools such as Antelope Valley and Saint Katherine.

The 24-game GSAC schedule opens on Feb. 17 at home against Arizona Christian. Other opponents to grace the Dean Harvey Field include The Master's (Mar. 10-11), Jessup (Mar. 24-25) and San Diego Christian (Apr. 14-15).

Two of VU's toughest GSAC opponents will host the Lions for conference play. The Lions meet No. 10 Hope International (Mar. 2-4) and No. 13 Westmont (Mar. 17-18) on their turf. VU also will make appearances at OUAZ (Mar. 31-Apr. 1) and Menlo (Apr. 21-22).

Three games will count in the GSAC standings, with the option for a designated fourth non-conference contest.

"We're starting off with the World Series the second week," said Pegg. "All of those teams have been to the World Series. The trip itself is a no-lose proposition. We'll want to compete and do well in all four games. You want to see how you look against the best."

As far as the GSAC race?

"Hope International is always strong. Westmont has a good returning pitching staff," said Pegg. "The Master's is right in the mix. Last year they lost some close games. But all of the GSAC programs are respectable. Everybody is good, well coached and hungry."

One more sleep until Christmas. And then the journey begins.

Original source can be found here.