FRESNO—There is most definitely a new look to the 2025 Pacific West All-Conference baseball team and awards.
Just like there is a first-time regular season champion (Westmont), there are ten First Team members (of 14) that have not previously had their names listed.
Additionally, all six special award winners are newcomers to their honors.
Westmont, who finished second in the PacWest last season in their first NCAA season of competition, won the title race this year. First-year head coach
Paul Svagdis was named the Coach of the Year,
Michael Soper is the Defensive Player of the Year and
Ryan Humphreys is the Pitcher of the Year.
Third place
Hawaii Pacific has the Player of the Year in
Noah Blythe and the Newcomer of the Year in
Brandon Rivera. Azusa Pacific can boast of the Freshman of the Year with
Jacob Hayes.
Westmont and Hawaii Pacific are in town (Fresno) for the 2025 PacWest Baseball Championships, which begin tomorrow (Wednesday). #1 seed Westmont will face #4 Biola at noon at Fresno Pacific’s Dan Martin Stadium, followed by the 4 pm contest between #2 Point Loma and #3 Hawaii Pacific.
Paul Svagdis is a newcomer to Westmont, but not new to the teams that he played this year in the PacWest. Svagdis coached for 19 seasons at Azusa Pacific (2003-21). Prior to arriving in Santa Barbara, he had been at Tufts for three seasons. This year, he led the Warriors to their first PacWest title with a 33-10 record and a 38-12 mark overall. His career record is now 845-451. Svagdis’ team is also currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA West Region, a virtual lock to be playing next week in the NCAA West Region tournament.
The PacWest Pitcher of the Year also hails from Westmont.
Ryan Humphreys, a lefty, had a 10-1 record in 2025 with a scant 1.96 ERA. In 13 starts and 68 innings pitched, Humphreys allowed just 47 hits and he fanned 90 batters. Opponents hit just .189 against him. He got stronger as the year progressed, allowing just two total earned runs over his last five starts, all wins.
The Defensive Player of the Year is a Warrior,
Michael Soper. Playing at second base, the slick fielder did not have an error in 180 chances. He helped turn 18 double plays for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Soper started all 49 games for Westmont, hit .298 and stole 16 bases.
The Player of the Year comes from Hawaii Pacific.
Noah Blythe wrote all kinds of new records both for the Sharks and the PacWest. The senior outfielder started in 49 of 50 games, hit .462 with a 1.332 OPS, scored 48 Runs, had 24 doubles, 13 home runs and 69 RBI. He also had ten stolen bases and 32 multi-hit games. He leads the PacWest in batting average, hits and doubles. He leads the entire country in batting average and is top 3 in hits and doubles. He also broke the HPU single season hits and doubles record. At the end of the regular season, Blythe holds the highest batting average in conference history, previous was .425. Blythe is also 2nd in PacWest history in Hits.
Shark teammate
Branson Rivera is the PacWest Newcomer of the Year. Bronson transferred from the University of Hawaii across the island to HPU. He hit
.378 with a 1.194 OPS. 61 Runs, 71 Hits, 13 Doubles, 5 Triples, 16 Home Runs and 71 RBIs. He also had 21 BBs, 6 HBP and 8 stolen bases. Of the conference newcomers, he ranked 1st in SLG%, OPS, runs, hits, and RBI.. He is 7th in the nation in RBIs, top 25 in Runs, and Home Runs. Rivera also played every game in left field where he fielded .961 and had seven assists. Rivera broke the single season marks for home runs, runs, and RBI at HPU. He is also 3rd in PacWest conference single season history in RBIs.
Azusa Pacific’s
Jacob Hayes is the Freshman of the Year. He started all 50 games at first base for the Cougars, hitting .332. Hayes had a .407 OBP, a .689 slugging percentage and hit 19 home runs, tied for tops in the PacWest. The Anacortes, Wash. Native drove in 46 runs, scored 47 times and had 17 multi-hit games.
Blythe, Rivera, Hayes and Humphreys were also First Team All-PacWest selections. Soper was a Third Team pick. It was the second all-conference selection for Humphreys (Second Team in 2024).
First Team Designated Hitter
Jake Entrekin (Point Loma) was chosen for the third time. Entrekin hit 19 home runs this season and batted .416. APU’s
Mikey Easter was chosen by the conference’s coaches for the second straight season as the First Team Utility player, and Concordia pitcher
Jake Covey was again a First Team honoree as a starting pitcher.
| 2025 ALL-PACWEST BASEBALL AWARDS |
| Player of the Year |
Noah Blythe |
Hawaii Pacific |
| Pitcher of the Year |
Ryan Humphreys |
Westmont |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Michael Soper |
Westmont |
| Newcomer of the Year |
Brandon Rivera |
Hawaii Pacific |
| Freshman of the Year |
Jacob Hayes |
Azusa Pacific |
| Coach of the Year |
Paul Svagdis |
Westmont |
| 2025 ALL-PACWEST BASEBALL TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Class |
B/T |
Hometown/Previous School |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Nick Poss |
Jessup |
C |
Sr. |
R/R |
Discovery Bay, Calif. / UC Riverside |
| Jacob Hayes |
Azusa Pacific |
1B |
Fr. |
R/R |
Anacortes, Wash. / Anacortes HS |
| Luke Reece |
Point Loma |
2B |
Gr. |
R/R |
La Mesa, Calif. / CS San Marcos |
| Tyler Arnold |
Hawaii Pacific |
3B |
Fr. |
R/R |
San Diego / Rancho Bernardo HS |
| Isaiah Walz |
Concordia |
SS |
So. |
R/R |
Yucaipa, Calif. / Yucaipa HS |
| Branson Rivera |
Hawaii Pacific |
OF |
Gr. |
R/R |
Holualoa, Oahu / Univ. of Hawaii |
| Noah Blythe |
Hawaii Pacific |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Santa Clarita, Calif. / Antelope Valley |
| Isaiah Leon |
Biola |
OF |
Gr. |
R/R |
Simi Valley, Calif. / Mid-American Christian |
| Jake Entrekin** |
Point Loma |
DH |
Sr. |
R/R |
San Diego / Steele Canyon HS |
| Mikey Easter* |
Azusa Pacific |
UF |
Sr. |
L/R |
Arcadia, Calif./East Los Angeles JC |
| Jake Covey* |
Concordia |
SP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Costa Mesa, Calif./Orange Coast JC |
| Branden Jackel |
Point Loma |
SP |
So. |
L/L |
San Diego / Steele Canyon HS |
| Ryan Humphreys* |
Westmont |
SP |
Sr. |
L/L |
Chino Hills, Calif. / Northview HS |
| Zach Yates |
Westmont |
RP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Tustin, Calif. / Foothill HS |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Shane Hofstadler |
Westmont |
C |
Sr. |
R/R |
Vista, Calif. / San Diego Mesa CC |
| James Whitman* |
Biola |
1B |
Jr. |
R/R |
San Diego / Helix Charter School |
| Skyler Agnew* |
Hawaii Pacific |
2B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Riverside, Calif. / Grossmont JC |
| Noah Ruiz* |
Biola |
3B |
Jr. |
R/R |
San Diego / Maranatha School |
| Matt Bernath |
Point Loma |
SS |
Fr. |
R/R |
Riverside, Calif. / Centennial HS |
| Elijah Cook |
Azusa Pacific |
OF |
Jr. |
R/R |
Chula Vista, Calif. / Palomar JC |
| Bryce McFeely* |
Westmont |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Seattle, Wash. / O`Dea HS |
| Cody Antone |
Jessup |
OF |
So. |
R/R |
Kailua, Oahu / St. Louis School |
| Kan Taguchi |
Hawaii Pacific |
DH |
Fr. |
R/R |
Osaka, Japan / Grand Canyon U. |
| Daniel Johnson* |
Hawaii Pacific |
UF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Gilbert, Ariz. / Univ. of Akron |
| Chris Paruleski |
Vanguard |
SP |
Gr. |
R/R |
San Diego / St. Katherine Univ. |
| Bryan Peck* |
Westmont |
SP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Palmdale, Calif. / Paraclete HS |
| Matthew Kaiser |
Concordia |
SP |
So. |
R/R |
Los Alamitos, Calif. / Los Alamitos |
| Michael Sarhatt |
Point Loma |
RP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Belmont, Calif. / Univ. of Nevada |
| THIRD TEAM` |
| Mason Cook |
Hawaii Hilo |
C |
Jr. |
R/R |
Farmington, Utah / Farmington |
| Safea Villaruz-Mauai |
Chaminade |
1B |
Sr. |
L/L |
Hilo, Hawaii / BYU |
| Michael Soper* |
Westmont |
2B |
Sr. |
L/R |
Jefferson, Ore. / Linn-Benton CC |
| Daniel Patterson* |
Westmont |
3B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Round Rock, Tex. / Cedar Ridge HS |
| Fred Buckson |
Vanguard |
SS |
Sr. |
R/R |
Silverdale, Wash. / Northwestern Oklahoma State |
| Noah Meffert |
Point Loma |
OF |
Jr. |
R/R |
Coupeville, Wash. / George Fox |
| Trent Mallonee* |
Fresno Pacific |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Los Banos, Calif. / Merced JC |
| Trey Dunn |
Westmont |
OF |
Jr. |
R/R |
Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Mountain Vista HS |
| Justin Flannery |
Menlo |
UT |
Sr. |
R/R |
Murietta, Calif. / Palomar JC |
| Adiel Torres |
Biola |
DH |
So. |
R/R |
San Diego / Bonita Vista HS |
| Jesse Di Maggio |
Westmont |
DH |
Fr. |
R/R |
Santa Barbara / Dos Pueblos HS |
| Hailama Swartman |
Jessup |
SP |
Jr. |
R/R |
Honolulu, Oahu / Yakima Valley |
| Brock Mayer |
Point Loma |
SP |
Jr. |
R/R |
Torrance, Calif. / Chaffey College |
| Connor Semone |
Fresno Pacific |
SP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Oakdale, Calif. / Kansas Univ. |
| Nolan Thebiay |
Jessup |
RP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Wilsonville, Ore. / MSU-Billings |
*Previous All-PacWest selections