CALPAC

[Baseball] Baseball Update

Rancho Palos Verdes, CA – It has been over a year since the Mariners have stepped back on the diamond. MCU baseball was in the midst of the 1st season under Head Coach, Sean Thompson, where the team was sitting at .500 on the season and was 2 games out of 1st place in the conference. The Mariners were just finding their stride as they had an 11-1 victory over the 15th ranked team in the country. The countdown to return to the diamond begins as the landscape has changed for MCU and the Cal Pac.With all the off-time, the Mariners have committed to working hard on their craft but also taking advantage of the time to get ahead in the classroom. MCU baseball will be graduating Ryan Siebert, Tate Brock, Jonathan Lopez, Aidan Gutierrez, Kevin Lopez, Donny Smith, Hugo Garcia, and Kyle Cringan. This a great achievement for all of these student-athletes as they show their dedication to their future.However, we will see many of these seniors return, as they will continue with their master's degree at MCU as eligibility has been adjusted because of Covid-19. There are a few that are still waiting on their decision, but a majority of the team from the 2019 to 2020 season will be returning. This shall create some great team chemistry and help Coach Thompson has he will have a team that has already bought into his system. Even with a majority of returners, Thompson looks to bring in plenty of young talent to develop and make an impact on the team as the landscape has changed in the Cal Pac.The Cal Pac has added Westcliff, Park-Gilbert, and Saint Katherine to the conference along with Embry-Riddle adding a baseball team themselves giving the conference 10 teams. With the addition of these teams who will all be eligible for post-season play next season, the Cascade Conference will no longer be joining the Cal Pac for the conference tournament, meaning a new format and number of teams to compete for the available spots.There is a lot of excitement around the program as the team as the program has continued to trend upward in the last couple of years that included a birth in the Conference Semifinals in 2019 and a pair of wins against top ranked teams in the country. As we get closer to the return to play, we will take an in-depth look at the team and schedule. Stay tuned for all things MCU Baseball.