Lancers Win Memorable Senior Day

Sunday, May 12

Riverside, Calif.

11:00 AM

California Baptist University

33-18, 17-7

Chicago State

10-37, 5-19

Chicago State

California Baptist

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

Lancers Win Memorable Senior Day

5/12/2019 2:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – An eight-run sixth inning helped make California Baptist University's Senior Day a memorable one. The Lancers defeated Chicago State 9-3 to secure the Western Athletic Conference sweep, its second in a row, with their big inning helping them get all nine seniors into the action on Sunday.

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Senior Day and Mother's Day! We're not crying -- you're crying!

Check us out on Instagram for more Senior Day photos.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/EPQhAZ6bxF
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 12, 2019

CBU has now won seven-straight games and nine of its last 11 to improve to 33-18, 17-7 in the WAC. The Lancers will likely end the day in second place in the WAC standings and a game out of first. Sacramento State dropped down with a 14-4 loss to Utah Valley, while Grand Canyon could join CBU in second place with a win on Sunday.

If NM State holds on to win on Sunday, it will take a one-game lead into the final week of the regular season. CBU will play the Aggies in three games Thursday through Saturday after a non-conference game at the University of San Diego Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Senior Luke Navigato put together quite the Senior Day by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and a run batted in. Ryan Mota and Billy Rockefeller (RBI) each had base hits and a run on their Senior Day, as well.

Luke Navigato starts his Senior Day with a double to left field. He comes around to score on grounders from Chad Castillo and Andrew Bash (RBI) to give the Lancers an early 1-0 lead on Chicago State.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/FPRQOPxMDe
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 12, 2019

Four seniors: Seth Kaneen, Austin Johnson, Angel Delgado and Matt Mogollon made appearances on the mound Sunday, while Travis Booth logged his first career at-bat and Antonio Jimenez also batted and caught on their Senior Days, as well.

True freshman Chad Castillo and sophomore Harrison Spohn each had two-hit games on Sunday, as well. Andrew Bash earned his sixth win of the season and 20^th of his career by throwing 6.1 innings in which he did not allow an earned run.

The redshirt junior was perfect through the first three innings and allowed just three hits, one walk, an earned run and struck out seven overall. He also drove in a run and scored in the game.

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That's how many strikeouts Andrew Bash has after striking out the side in the bottom of the third. He's faced the minimum so far today, as CBU takes a 1-0 edge into the fourth.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/9SMWPe3soo
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 12, 2019

Navigato helped CBU take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when he led off the bottom of the first with a double to left. Grounders from Chad Castillo and Bash (RBI) scored Navigato to make it 1-0.

Chicago State managed to hold the Lancers' offense in check over the next few innings and tie the game with an unearned run in the fourth. CBU then blew the game open with its eight-run sixth inning.

A walk to John Glenn and Mota single put two runners on with one out. CSU recorded the next out on a sacrifice bunt attempt before Rockefeller drove in a big run with a single through the right side.

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One senior scores another, as Billy Rockefeller puts CBU back in front with a clutch RBI single through the right side. Ryan Mota scores from second base after singling his way aboard. The Lancers lead 2-1 with still just one out in the bottom of the sixth.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/WESPdT1EjT
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 12, 2019

Spohn, Angelo Capolupo and Navigato all drove in runs with grounders in the inning before Castillo drove in CBU's sixth run with a single to left center. Glenn delivered the big blow of the game with a two-out, three-run homer to the gap in left to give the Lancers a 9-1 cushion.

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John Glenn drives an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left center to cap off an eight-run sixth inning for CBU. The Lancers now lead 9-1 going into the seventh.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/2EOCqfoxHE
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 12, 2019

Kaneen retired both batters he faced in the eighth inning, while Johnson helped make it a scoreless inning on the mound. Mogollon and Delgado then combined to finish off the game in the ninth.

CBU's 33 wins this year are the fourth most by a team in its first season in NCAA Division I out of 40 teams who have made the move since 1998. Dallas Baptist holds the record for wins in its first D-I year at 44 back in 2004, while Florida Gulf Coast (38, 2008) and North Florida (34, 2006) round out the top three.