Record Eight Lancers Earn All-WAC Honors, Keith and Culpepper Take Home Top Honors
5/25/2021 1:01:00 PM | Baseball
The Lancers took home two of the league's top distinctions, as Damon Keith was named the WAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year went to CJ Culpepper. Keith and Culpepper were both selected for the All-WAC First Team, while Chris Burica, Connor Clift, John Glenn and Bryan Pope made the Second Team. Chad Castillo and Harrison Spohn both received honorable mention.
It's the most all-conference awards CBU has secured in the WAC era after six Lancers were honored in their 2019 debut season. California Baptist won a share of the WAC title on the final day of the conference campaign for the second time in as many opportunities, with 37-15 overall and 29-7 league records.
👑 👑👑
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
Damon Keith is the 2021 @WACsports Player of the Year‼️ He becomes the first Lancer to be named the WAC Player of the Year and the 10th in CBU history to secure the award in any conference. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/3JZb3Om4Dk
Keith becomes the first Lancer to be named the WAC Player of the Year and 10th player in CBU history to secure the award in any conference. He played and started all 52 games and put together a fantastic season, as he hit .337 and slugged .578 with a .422 on-base percentage. He had 17 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games and put together a season-long 16 game hitting streak and 21 game reached base streak.
Overall this season, Keith led the conference in home runs with 12, tied for second in runs (51), ranked third in slugging percentage, sixth in runs batted in (42) and seventh in batting average, stolen bases (11) and walks (29).
🏆 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗛𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 🏆
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
CJ Culpepper has been voted the @WACsports Freshman of the Year and to the All-WAC First Team after he led the conference in saves with 1️⃣1️⃣ this season. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/QEoBzye2EV
Culpepper led the WAC with 11 saves the season and was the overall NCAA Division I leader for a large part of the year, as well. The closer has been lights out with a 2-1 record to go with his 11 saves. He's maintained a 2.96 earned-run average, 1.17 WHIP, .204 batting average against and 11.20 strikeout per nine innings average, with 34 strikeouts over 27.1 innings.
Overall, he ranks 12th in the conference in appearances (19). In conference play alone, he ranks first with eight saves, ninth in appearances (13) and has a 1.02 ERA, .177 BAA and 13.25 strikeouts per nine innings.
🎴♠️🎴
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
Ace pitcher Chris Burica has made the All-WAC Second Team. He's led the WAC in innings pitched (98.2), logged 8️⃣ quality starts, 5️⃣ complete games and 3️⃣ shutouts in 1️⃣4️⃣ starts this year. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/O8xJIxhXpO
Burica's season has been up there with any pitcher in the WAC or the country this season and is one of the best campaigns of any Lancer hurler. He is one of four pitchers to be named WAC Pitcher of the Week twice this year.
The left-handed ace logged eight quality starts, five complete games and three shutouts against Cal, UTRGV and Utah Valley this year. He maintained an 8-5 record, 3.19 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 4.73 strikeout-to-walk ratio, with 71 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 2021.
The Anaheim Hills native ranked first in the WAC in innings pitched overall (98.2) and in conference play alone (65.1). He went at least seven innings in 11 of his 14 starts this year, through the eighth six times and nine full on three occasions.
Burica ranked second in the WAC for wins (one off the lead), third in complete games, seventh in ERA and strikeouts. In conference play, he is tied for third in wins (six), seventh in ERA (2.76) and 10th in strikeouts (47).
💪💪💪
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
Congratulations to Connor Clift on making the All-WAC Second Team. The catcher has hit .308 and slugged .462 as a freshman this season. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/pZ1VopSXHY
Clift took over CBU's catching job in the middle of the season and never looked back. He made a team-high 40 appearances and 25 starts at catcher and hit .308 and slugged .462 with a .382 on-base percentage. He had six extra-base hits with three homers, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored.
👨🚀👨🚀👨🚀
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
John Glenn earns his second all-conference award, as he's been named to the All-WAC Second Team. He was twice named WAC Hitter of the Week, and ranks third in the conference in hits (68), third in RBI (44) and 10th in batting average (.337) this year. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/DE2g26U6RF
Glenn put together a great season at the plate and was elite defensively per usual. It is his second all-conference award and first in the WAC.
He was twice named the WAC Hitter of the Week this season (March 30 and April 26) and played and started all 52 games. The first baseman hit .337, slugged .495 and maintained a .384 on-base percentage. He had 17 extra-base hits, including seven homers, 44 RBI, 34 runs and six stolen bases and a team-high 20 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI games.
The Thousand Oaks native ranks second in the WAC overall in hits (68), third in RBI, 10th in batting average. In conference play alone, he ranks second in hits (53), fourth in RBI (36) and sixth in batting average (.379).
🔥🔥🔥
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
Congratulations to Bryan Pope on making the All-WAC Second Team. He tied for second in the WAC with eight wins this year and also ranked fifth in strikeouts (75) and innings pitched (76.1) this season. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/VAWT8gMokD
Pope gave CBU a strong one-two punch in the starting rotation. He went 8-4 with a 4.01 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 75 strikeouts over 76.1 innings and 14 starts, and was one of 10 pitchers in the conference to throw at least two complete games.
He tied for second in the WAC overall with eight wins, ranked fifth in strikeouts and innings pitched, 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.84). In the conference season, he ranked second in wins (seven), fourth in strikeouts (56) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.29), seventh in innings pitched (49) and eighth in ERA (3.31).
Chad Castillo becomes the first Lancer to earn 🏆 All-WAC honors 🏆 more than once, with honorable mention this season. He's hit .321 with a .390 OBP to go with 29 runs, 25 RBI and 19 multi-hit games in 2021. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/bn4XxlZ9Xc
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
Castillo becomes the first Lancer to earn All-WAC honors more than once after he was a second-team selection in 2019. The outfielder played and started in 49 of 52 games and hit .321 with a .390 on-base percentage. He Had 12 extra-base hits, including three homers, 29 runs, 25 RBI and was eight-for-eight in stolen bases. He had 19 multi-hit games on the year.
Harrison Spohn has notched 🏆 All-WAC 🏆 honorable mention! He is one of three Lancers to play and start all 52 games this year and is batting .294 with 30 runs, 29 RBI and 18 doubles this season. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/eXGVDuS4MZ
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 25, 2021
Spohn was twice named WAC Hitter of the Week in 2021. He is one of three Lancers to play and start all 52 games this year. He ended the season on a tear to boost his batting average to .294 and his totals to 30 runs, 29 RBI, 18 doubles and nine stolen bases. He also has 16 multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games on the year.
The second baseman ranks fourth overall in the WAC this season with 18 doubles and eighth with nine stolen bases. In conference play alone, he ranks second in doubles (15), ninth in stolen bases (seven) and 11th in hits (43).
Over the last 21 games, Spohn has 34 hits for a .405 batting average, .619 slugging percentage and .440 on-base percentage to go along with 12 doubles, 17 RBI, 18 runs scored and six stolen bases.
