Point Loma has won the last three Pacific West Conference baseball crowns, and in 2022 and 2024 that was followed by a regional title and deep run at the NCAA Division II national championships.

Despite large graduation numbers from last springs' championship team, the Sea Lions are the 2025 favorites to grab their fourth title. The PacWest coaches put them at the top of the pile in the annual poll, with nine of the 12 first place votes and 139 poll points. Westmont, who was not eligible last year in their first year of NCAA membership, is a close second with 132 points and two first place votes.

Point Loma (139 poll points) graduated eight all-conference players from a team that made quite a run over the past three seasons. That includes PacWest Player of the Year Scott Anderson and Co-Pitcher of the Year Dylan Miller. But head coach Justin James returns enough firepower for the Sea Lions to make another title chase, led by First Team All-PacWest pick Jake Entrekin, who hit .365 last season with 15 home runs and 65 RBI.

Bryson Hashimoto was a Second Team nod at second base, and pitchers Ray Cebulski (10-2, 3.55 ERA) and relief pitcher Christian Williams are back as part of a dozen players with experience. Additionally, James has four big transfer gets that will make immediate impacts. Bobby Brown is a Biola transfer that earned First Team All-PacWest honors as a utility pitcher, Colin Driscoll was the GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Year at St. Martin's, Luke Reece was a First Team All-CCAA grab from CS San Marcos and Nathan Ward had seven saves last year for Division I Grand Canyon. 

Westmont (132 poll points), who finished just two games back of Point Loma last year with a 23-8-1 conference record, returns an all-star cast of players. One year after winning the NAIA national title in 2023, the Warriors were 33-15-3 in their first D2 season.  First-year head coach Paul Svagdis returns to the PacWest after nearly two decades at Azusa Pacific. He has 36 players returning and really only lost one starter in pitcher Sean Youngerman. His all-conference returnees include Daniel Paterson, a All-PacWest First Team pick who hit .376, was first in the PacWest with 18 home runs, first with 20 doubles, fifth with 53 RBIs, and second with 59 runs. He was named a Third Team All-American. 

In addition to All-PacWest field players Michael Soper (infield) and Bryce McFeely (outfield), Svagdis has a lethal 1-2 pitching punch in Bryan Peck (8-1, 3.48 ERA) and Ryan Humphreys (5-2, 3.20). Peck gained All-Region honors last year. 

Landing third in the poll is Concordia (110). The Golden Eagles have a lights out pitcher in Jake Covey, the 2024 PacWest Newcomer and Co-Pitcher of the Year. Covey had five complete games and a 1.94 ERA last spring. He was a Second Team All-American and unanamous First Team All-Region pick. In addition to Covey, head coach Joe Turgeon has 30 returnees including Third Team outfielder Wyatt Madison. CUI did lose one of top players in the conference in Michael Dixon and two top pitchers in Riley O'Sullivan and Brett Finnel.

Azusa Pacific is fourth (103). Mikey Easter will lead the offense, after an All-PacWest season that saw him hit .351. Head coach Kirk Nieuwenhuis has 31 returnees including Third Team All-PacWest pitcher Jake Vargas. Transfer second baseman Dom Martinez will contribute as well after hitting .313 last spring for Division I UC Riverside. 

Hawai`i Pacific, who qualified for the PacWest tournament in 2024, grabs the fifth poll spot (97). The Sharks have four all-conference selections back on board among their 20 returnees--Skyler Agnew - 3b, catcher Daniel Johnson, Jordan Otjen (UTL/P) and closer Ryan Inouye, who was also an all-region selection. Head coach Dane Fujinaka also has three Division I transfers in Troy Harding (Sacramento State), Bronson Rivera (Hawai`i) and Kan Taguchi (Grand Canyon).

Fresno Pacific, host of the 2025 PacWest Tournament, is sixth (83). Head coach Oscar Hirschkorn has 28 players back, including the 2023 PacWest Defender of the Year, catcher Jordan Smith. First Team All-PacWest pick Trent Mallonee is also back for the Sunbirds. Mallonee led the league in hitting last spring with a .420 average. Tejean Smith, who was a Second Team All-PacWest shortstop selection last year at Hawai`i Pacific, has joined the Fresno Pacific program.

Biola and Jessup were dead even in poll points in the seventh spot (66). Biola head coach Jesse Rodgers returns 21 and lost 21. All-PacWest selection Sam Lisiak headlines his veteran group. Rodgers also has ten transfers to work with. First-year member Jessup was 39-11 last year, finished second in the GSAC and won the conference tournament. The Warriors graduated Trey Furrey, the GSAC Player of the Year, but head coach Trevor Paine returns Bryce Petrilla who hit .444 and drove in 56 runs. 

Fellow new member Vanguard (56) has 24 returnees and lost 21 off the 2024 roster. Head coach Rob Pegg has veteran pitcher Spencer Edmondson to lean on, who struck out 68 batters in 61 innings of work last year. Hawai`i Hilo (40) returns Second Team All-PacWest pick Cody Min as a part of a class of 28 returnees. Veteran head coach Kal Miyataki can play Min at !B, catcher or as a DH. Chaminade is next (29). Head coach Chad Konishi has 21 players back from the Silverswords first-year program in 2024, including Third Team All-PacWest corner infielder Casey Kudell. New league member Menlo (15) rounds out the poll. Head coach Alex Hoover returns 19 Oaks from Menlo's 19-26 team last spring.  

First pitch is just around the corner with games starting on January 31. PacWest play starts two weeks later with Jessup and Fresno Pacific trading sites for a series while Chaminade travels to Azusa Pacific, Point Loma plays Biola, Vanguard and Concordia square off in a neighborhood series and Hawai`i Pacific goes to Westmont. 

The top four teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will journey to Fresno for the PacWest Conference Championships, May 7-9.