The Pacific University baseball team is coming off one of their best seasons with a record of 25-18, which was the most wins for the program since their 2002 season when they went 25-13.
The Boxers set nine team records last season as a team, with graduated All-American Walker Olis setting many records himself. With his many accolades last season, Olis ended up getting drafted by the Miami Marlins this past summer.
This season, they are off to a hot start winning seven of their nine games played, including a win over conference rival George Fox University Feb. 2 and taking three out of four games played against Whitman College Feb. 18-19. The Boxers played two double-headers in two days this past weekend against Whitman College. On day one, the Boxers beat the Blues with a score of 3-2 in the first game. However, they found themselves on the losing end in the second game with a score of 4-14. The Boxers were able to rebound on day two of the four game marathon with a 4-2 win in the first game and a 6-1 win in the second game.
Head coach Brian Billings is very pleased with where they stand so far this season and is confident they can have another successful year.
“My coaches and I are pleased with where we’re at right now going into the season,” Billings said. “We feel like we have the athletes and the culture in place to make a run.”
Like any college athletics team, having specific goals is important to the success of the team and the mindset going into the season. Billings’ goal is plain and simple: be the best on the playing field all the time.
“We try not to place any expectations on ourselves because that takes us out of the present moment,” Billings said. “Our main objective is to keep our focus on the process and to be present as much as possible.”
While the team had a successful run last year, Billings and his players are looking past that and focusing on the present. They have added more depth at pitching and positional player depth.
“Our focus is on culture and creating a situation where every player on our team is 100 percent committed to personal
development,” Billings said. “If we can accomplish that, then the winning will take care of itself.”
The Boxers are back in action this weekend against Willamette University in Salem, Ore. The team will play a double-header against the Bearcats Saturday, Feb. 25 with the first game starting at 11 a.m. They follow that up with a single game on Sunday, Feb. 26 against Willamette starting at 12 p.m.
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