TUCSON, Ariz. — In the first weekly poll of the 2019 season, the American Baseball Coaches Association listed the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen at No. 11, moving them up from No. 34 in the preseason rankings.
At 12-4 overall, the Kingsmen are 8-2 against non-conference opponents and 4-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with two series victories over Chapman and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Also on the list, the Kingsmen defeated No. 10 Texas Lutheran (4-2) and No. 27 Piedmont (4-3 – 11 inn.). This past weekend, the team also stunned conference rivals No. 15 Chapman, taking games one and three of the series, 12-3 and 7-4, respectively.
Outside of the top-30, SCIAC opponents Occidental, Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne also received votes, while Trinity (15-3) tops the list at No. 1.
Behind the record, sophomore Tanner Wright leads the team offensively, hitting .448 with 12 RBI, five doubles and two triples. On the mound, senior Justin Fong is 3-0 in three starts with a 1.09 ERA and complete game, and closing the show junior Christian Slattery is tied for first in the nation with six saves.
The team returns to the field on Friday, March 22, against RV Pomona-Pitzer for game one of the three-game series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. inside Ullman Stadium.
ABCA Release: March 19, 2019
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Release by Christy Effendie, Assistant Sports Information Director
