By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications
RIVERSIDE – Fresh off its best season yet, California Baptist University men's water polo will look to make more history in 2021.
The Lancers made the shortened 2020-21 campaign one they'll never forget by winning the program's first-ever Western Water Polo Association Tournament title and becoming the first team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
This season's goal hasn't changed from the last – win another conference title. It will be a tougher road there, though, after a number of teams sat out 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBU was picked to finish third in the
WWPA's Preseason Coaches Poll, with UC Davis and UC San Diego being picked as the co-favorites with 60 points each. The Aggies received five first-place votes, while the Tritons picked up the other four after both teams did not compete last year.
California Baptist received 49 points in the preseason poll. Loyola Marymount was picked fourth (44), while Air Force (34), Santa Clara (31), Concordia (23), Fresno Pacific (13) and Biola (9) rounded out the rest of the conference.
"We are looking forward to playing a full slate of games this year. Our schedule is one of the toughest that we have ever had," said Coach
Kevin Rosa, the reigning WWPA Coach of the Year. "I know that it will prepare us to be successful at the end of the year. The guys are excited to get out there and show what we have been working on the last couple of months."
The tests will start right away at the season-opening tournament,
UC San Diego's Triton Invite on Saturday and Sunday. The Lancers will face three routinely top-eight ranked teams in Pepperdine, Long Beach State and defending NCAA champion UCLA before ending the first weekend against Whittier.
To help with the challenge, the Lancers return nearly their entire team from last year. They will lean on the experience of several experienced senior starters: two-meter defender
PJ McDonough and attackers
Zach Lowery,
Hunter Barnett and
Riley Bumgardner.
McDonough and Lowery both earned All-WWPA First Team honors a season ago. McDonough was named a NCAA Division I Second Team All-American after he led the team and conference with 36 goals last season. Lowery led CBU with 47 points, 25 assists, 27 steals and 16 sprints won in 2020-21.
There is one big loss from a season ago for California Baptist after the graduation of goalie
Gabe Thorne, the reigning WWPA Player of the Year. The Lancers will turn to junior
Tristan Felberg, to take over the lion's share of minutes in the cage this year.
Felberg will lead an impressive group of juniors who will be looked to make big contributions this year in attackers
Angel Sanchez,
Zach Zetz,
Thomas de Wit and center
Joseph Griffin.
Sophomore attackers
Cameron Cullen and
Caleb Teraoka showed they're forces to be reckoned with in their freshman years. Fellow sophomores
Joseph Starr,
Toby Bumgardner,
Ian Escoto will look to a take jump this year, as well, after they also played in all 12 games a season ago.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Opponents: Pepperdine, Long Beach State, UCLA, Whittier
Dates: Sept. 4-5
Times: Sept. 4: Pepperdine @ 8:30 a.m. & Long Beach State @ 1:50 p.m. | Sept. 5: UCLA @ 9:50 a.m. & Whittier @ 4 p.m.
Location: La Jolla, Calif. (Canyonview Aquatic Center)
Tickets: UC San Diego
