Dallas Baptist Patriots
Overall Rank: #27
Conference Rank: #1 Missouri Valley
Dallas Baptist has finished first or second in the Missouri Valley Conference every season since joining the league in 2014. They have also been to the NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons. However, the Patriots have not made it out of the Regionals during that span. Last year DBU went to Lubbock and beat Florida twice, but lost to hosts Texas Tech twice. Reaching the Regional Final is a good year for Dallas Baptist and with so many departures, that may be about as far as this group can go too.
2019: 43-20, 14-7
2019 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Dan Heefner
Key Departed Players:
Luke Bandy, IF/OF. .338 BA, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 26 SB
Bryce Ball, IF, .325 BA, 18 HR, 54 RBI
Herbert Iser, C, .280 BA, 7 HR, 34 RBI
Augie Isaacson, IF/OF. .270 BA, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 27 SB
Evan Sandmann, OF, .247 BA, 7 HR, 46 RBI
Jordan Martinson, P, 2.61 ERA, 8-4 W/L, 100.0 IP, 115 SO
MD Johnson, P, 2.76 ERA, 10-2 W/L, 98.0 IP, 110 SO
Jarod Bayless, 4.07 ERA, 7-1 W/L, 48.2 IP, 57 SO
Key Returning Players:
Jimmy Glowenke, IF, .328 BA, 6 HR, 43 RBI
Jackson Glenn, IF, .292 BA, 7 HR, 54 RBI
Blayne Jones, IF, .254 BA, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 11 SB
Burl Carraway, P, 2.81 ERA, 4-2 W/L, 41.2 IP, 72 SO, 6 SV
Projection:
The pitching staff must replace starters Jordan Martinson and MD Johnson. Those two each started 16 games last season, while nobody else started more than eight. The cupboard is not bare though. Luke Eldred was a Freshman All-American back in 2018, but missed most of last season with an injury. If he can stay healthy, Eldred will be a fine ace for this staff. Zach Heaton and Luke Trahan showed some promise starting as freshmen and will look to crack the regular rotation as well. The bullpen is in great shape with Burl Carraway returning. He posted a 2.81 ERA with six saves and 72 strikeouts in 41.2 innings of work last season. Having one of the best closers in the country will help ease in a new look pitching staff that also includes five transfers. The lineup has some big holes to fill as well, but there is more than enough talent for DBU to again lead the MVC in scoring. Jimmy Glowenke followed up his impressive freshman campaign with a big sophomore season, hitting .328 with six homeruns and 43 RBIs. Jackson Glenn hit .292 with seven homeruns and 54 RBIs. Blayne Jones adds another proven hitter to the lineup and he is also a threat to steal a few bases. Dallas Baptist will need to find a few new faces to fill in the lineup, but there are options. Most notable is Dan Pruitt, a transfer from Western Oklahoma State who hit .481 with 22 homeruns and 83 RBIs last season.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
