Another Record-Setting Season for Lutes

ANOTHER RECORD-SETTING SEASON: The 2009 baseball season didn't end the way that the Pacific Lutheran Lutes had hoped it would - they weren't invited to NCAA postseason play despite a 31-9 overall record - but there were plenty of highlights to remember.

NEW OFFENSIVE TEAM RECORDS SET IN 2009:
Team Batting Average: .357
Runs Scored: 404
Hits: 503
Doubles: 101
Home Runs: 40
Runs Batted In: 367
Total Bases: 732
Slugging Percentage: .520
Walks: 198
On-Base Percentage: .447

NEW PITCHING TEAM RECORDS SET IN 2009:
Strike Outs: 272
Hits Allowed: 400
Earned Runs Allowed: 201

NEW SINGLE-SEASON OFFENSIVE INDIVIDUALS RECORDS SET IN 2009:
Hits: Josh Takayoshi, 64
Runs Scored: Josh Takayoshi, 50 (tied)
Runs Batted In: Ben Shively, 51
In all, PLU players put their names on the single-season offensive Top 10 lists a total of 17 times:
Josh Takayoshi, junior, RF: At bats - 159 (8th); Runs - 50 (1st); Hits - 64 (1st); Doubles - 14 (6th tie); RBI - 44 (2nd).
Jordan Post, senior, 1B: Runs - 43 (5th); Hits - 60 (6th); RBI - 39 (9th tie); Walks - 34 (3rd tie); Batting Average - .417 (6th); On-Base Percentage - .535 (4th).
Ben Shively, junior, 3B: Hits - 59 (7th tie); Runs Batted In - 51 (1st); Batting Average - .440 (3rd).
Geoff Gabler, senior, OF/C: Home Runs - 7 (6th tie); Runs Batted In - 39 (9th tie).
Brandon Sales, senior, C/DH: Doubles - 14 (6th tie).
Ryan Aratani, sophomore, CF: Runs - 42 (6th).
Kris Hansen, senior, DH/OF: Runs - 41 (7th tie).
In addition, PLU players put their names on the single-season pitching Top 10 lists a total of 16 times:
Robert Bleecker, junior: Wins - 9 (2nd tie); Winning Percentage - .900 (5th).
Trey Watt, junior: Strikeouts - 86 (4th); Fewest Walks - 18 (6th tie).
Scott Wall, sophomore: Fewest Runs Allowed - 33 (10th tie); Fewest Walks - 20 (10th tie).

NEW CAREER OFFENSIVE INDIVIDUAL RECORDS SET IN 2009:
Runs Batted In: Jordan Post, 117
Walks: Jordan Post, 103

THEY WILL BE TOUGH TO REPLACE: It would be hard to argue that Jordan Post and Brandon Sales finished their careers as two of the greatest players in the history of the Pacific Lutheran baseball program. The numbers certainly point that out. Here is where the two standout players rank on PLU career Top 10 lists.
Jordan Post: At Bats - 488 (5th); Runs - 128 (3rd); Hits - 174 (5th); Doubles - 38 (2nd tie); Home Runs - 16 (7th tie); Runs Batted In - 117 (1st); Walks - 103 (1st); Batting Average - .357 (7th).
Brandon Sales: At Bats - 460 (10th); Runs - 106 (5th); Hits - 164 (7th); Doubles - 38 (2nd tie); Runs Batted In - 104 (3rd tie); Walks - 66 (8th); Batting Average - .357 (8th).

PITCHERS ON PLU CAREER LISTS: A pair of right-handed junior pitchers, Robert Bleecker and Trey Watt, have moved onto the Top 10 career lists in several categories.
Robert Bleecker: Wins - 16 (7th tie); Earned Run Average - 3.50 (7th).
Trey Watt: Wins - 13 (9th tie); Earned Run Average - 3.97 (9th); Strikeouts - 145 (8th).

LOOM WEAVES WINS: In his seven seasons as Pacific Lutheran head baseball coach, Geoff Loomis has built the Lutes program into a consistent contender for the Northwest Conference title in addition to annual consideration for Division III West Region and national ranking. Through seven seasons, Loomis has led the Lutes to a 173-102-2 overall record, a .629 winning percentage, easily the best of any of the 12 coaches in the program's history. The 2007 PLU team set a single-season record with 35 wins, including a record 32 during the regular season, and the 2009 squad finished with 31 victories, ranked second on the single-season wins list. The Lutes have averaged 24.7 wins per season under Loomis. Prior to his arrival, only in a 26-win season in 1994 did a PLU team win as many as 25 games in a season. In addition, Loomis has led the Lutes to a conference title in 2007 and a conference co-championship in 2009, the first league crowns in more than five decades.

LUTE NOTES: Pacific Lutheran finished in the "others receiving votes" category in the final American Baseball Coaches Association Top 25 poll. The Lutes had been ranked as high as No. 20 in that poll this season. Additionally, junior pitcher Robert Bleecker earned second team ABCA All-West Region honors after going 9-1, while junior third baseman Ben Shively earned third team honors after leading the Lutes with a .440 average and a record-setting 51 runs batted in.

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