Jan. 23, 2008

Lutes Ranked No. 12, in Inaugural D3baseball.com National Poll

Pacific Lutheran has been ranked No. 12 in the inaugural NCBWA-D3baseball.com Division III preseason poll. The ranking matches the Lutes’ ranking in the Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III preseason poll released earlier this month.

PLU won its first-ever Northwest Conference baseball title in 2007 and set a school records for wins in a season and winning percentage. The 2007 Lutes finished with a 35-9 overall record, shattering the school record of 26 wins in a season, and compiled a .795 winning percentage. Pacific Lutheran lost the West Region championship game last year, missing a berth in the NCAA Division III College World Series by one game.

The Lutes are ranked No. 12 despite losing six position starters and two of their top three starting pitchers to graduation. Leading the list of returnees are four all-conference first team performers, including junior catcher Brandon Sales, (.412 average, four home runs and 32 runs batted in), a D3baseball.com preseason honorable mention All-American. Other first team all-conference performers returning this season are junior first baseman Jordan Post (.358 average, 4 home runs, 38 runs batted in), senior pitcher Brett Brunner (7-2 record, 1.94 earned run average), and senior reliever Hunter Simpson (3-2 record, 3.86 earned run average). Head coach Geoff Loomis enters his sixth season with a 118-82 career record.

Pacific Lutheran opens its season on Feb. 14 with a game at Whittier (Calif.) College.

- PLU -