California Baptist University
Tarleton State University
BASE Preview: CBU Returns Home to Welcome Tarleton for Weekend Series
5/1/2025 5:35:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist baseball program returns home after a two-week long road trip and will welcome the 2024 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champions Tarleton State this weekend. The Lancers have unfinished business against the Texans after last year's postseason and will be looking to bounce back after dropping its series against Utah Valley. CBU enters the weekend 23-23 and is currently 6-9 in the WAC, while Tarleton is 20-26 and 8-7 in conference play.
THE LANCERS AT A GLANCE
California Baptist enters the weekend with the hopes of righting its sails again with another crucial WAC series on the line. Sitting in sixth, CBU will need to secure at least two wins this weekend to jump Tarleton in the standings and earn fifth before hitting the road again next weekend. The Lancers' biggest struggle has been giving up free bases to opponents despite out-hitting the competition. If CBU can hone in their pitches and their offense continues its tear, the Lancers will be in good shape heading into the final two WAC series.
Chris Ramirez has continued to stun at the plate, boasting a .389 batting average and 27 RBI on the year. The true freshman leads the Lancers offensively, while Nicholas Dumesnil sits just behind him. Dumesnil is currently hitting .333 with 22 stolen bases and 17 doubles with eight home runs. Overall, CBU's offense is hitting .301 and leads the WAC in doubles.
CBU's pitching staff currently owns a 5.41 ERA as a team, as Cody New continues to lead the staff with a 4.15 ERA. New has shown his versatility after closing out CBU's Sunday win against Utah Valley last week, adding a save to his resume this season. The sophomore also owns 65 strikeouts and a .227 batting average. Andrew Rudd has also held strong after earning a starting spot this season, posting a 4.31 ERA across 54.1 innings of work this season.
SERIES INFORMATION
Opponent: Tarleton State University
Dates/Times: Friday, May 2nd (6 p.m.); Saturday, May 3rd (5 p.m.); Sunday, May 4th (11 a.m.)
Location: Riverside, CA
Video: ESPN+: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
SERIES NOTES
A new rivalry brewed at the end of the last season after Tarleton outlasted the Lancers in the final game of the WAC Tournament, earning the Texans the title of 2024 WAC Tournament Champions. CBU will look to avenge last year's team this weekend and own an 8-5 all-time record over the Texans.
THE TEXANS AT A GLANCE
Utah Valley enters the weekend tied for first place in the Western Athletic Conference standings with Grand Canyon and Sacramento State. UVU is coming off a tough series against Tarleton State before hosting a pair of midweek games, falling to BYU 15-7 and dropping the game versus Utah 13-5. After dropping six of their last seven games, the Wolverines will be looking to get back on track against California Baptist in this three-game set this weekend.
The Texans have four batters hitting over .300 in their arsenal, boasting a team batting average of .309. Tarleton is an extremely offensive squad and sits second as a team in most offense categories in the WAC. Leading the way for the visiting squad this weekend is Rayner Heinrich, who is currently batting .356 with 18 doubles and three home runs on the season. Just behind is Slade McCloud with 38 RBI on the weekend and 13 stolen bases, batting .350 this year.
From the mound, Tarleton combines for a 6.82 ERA and has struggled from the bump this season. The squad sits low in pitching categories across the conference and owns the second-most-hit batters in the WAC. The Texans heavily rely on Brien Panneton, a starting pitcher with a 3.37 ERA. Panneton boasts 53 strikeouts and a .266 batting average against this season across 11 starts on 53 innings of work.
