May 31, 2007

BASEBALL: Tacoma Rainiers to Honor 2007 PLU Baseball Team

RAINIERS HONOR LUTES: The Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League will honor the 2007 Lutes at their Friday, June 1 game against the Omaha Royals at Cheney Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PLU players and coaches will be brought out to the first base line between the first and second innings.

FINAL NATIONAL POLL: Pacific Lutheran, ranked ninth in the final regular season American Baseball Coaches Association / Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III Baseball Poll, has stayed in that spot in the last ABCA poll of the season. The ABCA poll

The Lutes, who received the program's highest-ever national ranking, finished the season with a 35-9 record. The Lutes won the Northwest Conference Championships to earn the automatic bid to the regional tournament. This was the first time PLU had won a NWC Championships in baseball and the first conference title of any kind in baseball since 1954 when the Lutes won the Evergreen Conference title.

Chapman, which beat Pacific Lutheran to win the NCAA West Region title, dropped from first in the final regular season poll to fifth following the Division III World Series. The Panthers were eliminated from the national tournament in three games. Kean (N.J.), which won the Division III World Series championship, received all eight first-place votes and is ranked No. 1 in the final ABCA/Collegiate Baseball poll.

LOOMIS IS REGION’S TOP COACH: Head coach Geoff Loomis, who led Pacific Lutheran to its record-setting 2007 season, has earned 2007 American Baseball Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year honors. Under Loomis, the Lutes won their first conference title since 1954 and they also set a school record with 35 wins, nine more than the previous record of 26 set by the 1994 PLU team.

THORNE RECEIVES REGION “GOLD GLOVE”: PLU senior centerfielder Ryan Thorne (Kent, Wash. / Kentwood HS) has been selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Rawlings All-West Region Gold Glove Team. Thorne, compiled a .992 fielding percentage with just one error in 114 total chances.

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