By Alex Franco

Staff Writer

Last year’s baseball season didn’t end the way head coach Dennis Pugh and the rest of the Cougar community hoped it would have, with an early exit out of the NAIA tournament.

Coach Pugh has high hopes for this year’s team to make a run for a national title.

“We were disappointed last year with the early loss. We want to at least make the nationals this year. We are deeper in pitching and should make up for not being as deep in offense,” Coach Pugh said on this year’s expectations.

The Cougars are returning this season with last year’s A.I.I. conference pitcher of the year and NAIA All-American selection, James Dykstra, who Coach Pugh said they are very fortunate to have back this season. Dykstra pitched lights out last season, and will carry the CSUSM pitching staff that the team will rely on this year.

The team also returns with center fielder Kyle Secciani and third baseman Kyle Belzer, a first team conference selection last season. Coach Pugh comes into this season with a bevy of new transfers ready to make an impact on the Cougar squad. “It was a great recruiting season.

With the transfers and recruits, we are a better team this year,”Pugh said. The Cougars start the season with a tough test on Feb. 1 against conference foe and highly talented Concordia, which Coach Pugh said is a good way to start the season off and get into it with a tough matchup like this one, and is a must-watch game for all. With the team’s deep pitching staff, and once they get going offensively, the Cougars should be a force to be reckoned with in the conference and beyond.