The Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) Sea Lions baseball team dropped its opening game of the Region II playoffs at Azusa Pacific University (APU) against Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) rival Biola University 10-2 on Tuesday.
PLNU is making its eighth Region II playoff appearance in nine years and its 24th overall appearance since 1962.
Currently, the Sea Lions are 20-17 in GSAC play and 28-22 overall this season.
The Region II playoffs are a double-elimination tournament. After Point Loma’s defeat at the hands of Biola, the Sea Lions will face top-seeded host APU to stave off elimination. Point Loma posted a 1-3 record in the regular season against Azusa Pacific.
The Sea Lions split their home series against Azusa by winning 8-2 then losing 6-4, ultimately getting swept on the road by APU by scores of 10-6 and 13-5.
The 2008 season has been a rollercoaster ride in the regular season. The Sea Lions entered the year with the loss of all four of its starting pitchers from 2007 but hired pitching guru John Gunther to bring the inexperienced pitching staff up to speed.
Point Loma got off to an impressive start after 16 games with a 6-2 GSAC record and an 11-5 overall record. Things then turned sour for the Sea Lions as they dropped 10 of their next 13 conference games and 11 of 15 overall. As a result, the Sea Lions stumbled to a 16-17 record in early April but finished the season strong with 11 of 15 GSAC victories and winning 12 of 16 games overall down the stretch to clinch fourth place in the GSAC and an automatic berth in the Region II Tournament.
In addition to the regional appearance, the Sea Lions had two players named to the All-GSAC team last week ” senior third baseman Andy Reilly and junior outfielder Kaohi Downing. Both players earned All-Conference honors for the first time.
Reilly led the team in batting with a .375 average, scored 30 runs, hit two triples and four home runs and had 124 put-outs, while Downing led the GSAC with 35 stolen bases (caught only twice) and four triples.
Downing batted .350, recorded 103 put-outs playing primarily right field and led the Sea Lions with 48 runs scored.
Reilly was also named Region II Player of the Week on April 16.
In the 23 previous regional appearances, PLNU has advanced to the super-regional round five times, in 1986, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2004.
The Sea Lions have advanced as far as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics World Series on three occasions, in 1993, 1994 and 2004.