ALYSA PERRERAS | staff writer
photo | SHANNON OTT
Pitchers Christian Gagne and Zach Pettias are ready to bring the heat to opposing batters.


Cougars strive to make a return appearance to the NAIA World Series.

The term ‘bite-size steaks’ can be heard echoed through the Cougar baseball field. It has become almost a team motto, reminding them of the location of their ultimate season goal. The Cougars hope to make it back to Lewiston, Idaho, famous for their bite size steaks, and home of the NAIA World Series.

A season filled with guts and glory came to an end last year with a loss to Houston Baptist in the 2007 NAIA World Series. 2007 was a season that broke the program record with 51 wins and an appearance in the World Series for the first time in 23 years. Although the memories of triumphs and failures linger on, Cougar baseball is now focused on what they will bring to the table for the new season.

“We certainly accomplished a lot last year and I think we grew as a team,” head coach Paul Svagdis said. “The guys that were on last year’s team know there is more that we can accomplish. After you get a chance to play in the national championship and you get a little taste of it, we are certainly setting our eyes to work back to that and finish the job so to speak.”

Svagdis is going into his sixth season as head coach of the Cougars and is confident about the 2008 season despite the loss of some major players.

“We never feel like you can replace people, but hopefully we can build enough strength in other aspects of the game that we can overcome some of what was lost,” Svagdis said. “We still have a nucleus of players who believe in the process and are going to work to make it back to where we were last year.”

This year’s recruitment class focused on rejuvenating the pitching staff with four new transfer pitchers. A total of fourteen new players were added to this seasons roster; four transferring from junior colleges, two from other four-year universities and eight coming straight from high school. The number of returning players totals 19, seven of whom are returning starters.

Senior captain Zach Pettikas has played four years of Cougar baseball and feels confident about the mix of players on the 2008 roster.

“It is always tough losing guys, but we had a lot of young guys last year step up and they are a year older now and we got some good transfers; I know we will be okay,” Pettikas said.

Senior Derrick Keeton, who played in a summer league with Coach Svagdis, joins the team after playing for Northern Colorado University.

“Since I have been out here I see that these guys have a better work ethic and they all have the same goals in mind that I do,” Keeton said.

Last year’s season was a record breaking season with a World Series appearance. However, the conference championship was still left unattained by the Cougars. Although the program possesses nine championships, more than any other team in the conference, the Cougars have not held the title of GSAC champions since 2002.

The program will face intense competition within the conference this year. In the last five years, the title of conference champions has gone to five different teams.

The non-league schedule will be equally competitive starting with a game against Patton University. This will not be the first time the Cougars will meet with Patton University, having competed against them in the first round of the post-season last year. The team will also meet with another college World Series team, playing against Cal State-Los Angeles twice this year in their non-league schedule.

Although APU Athletics has boasted a very successful baseball program since its inception in 1966, the team will be working hard this season to prove the exceptional performance of last season was not a fluke, but something that can be repeated again.

“I know it is going to be tough to repeat a season like we did last year, but I think if we work hard in practice and take care of the process the outcome will come,” senior captain Matt Venegas said.

For baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike, the team is filled with confidence about a winning season and promises excitement for those who show up to the games to support.

“We are still going to be hitting the ball out of the ball park, guys are going to be flying around and working hard and I think it is going to be an interesting year for people to come out and watch,” Pettikas said.

Off the field, Svagdis hopes to continue to instill the value of faith and the distinctives of the university in his players.

“I hope that we really make a concerted effort as a group to reflect the values of the university,” Svagdis said. “It is important to reach out to the outside community as well, whether it is Azusa or Glendora, we want to be community oriented and reflect the university in a positive light.”