Last Year:

2016 was a banner year for The Master’s University baseball team.

TMU’s 42 victories (42-19) were the second-most in school history, topped only by the 44 wins recorded in 2013.

On May 12, the Mustangs outlasted Biola 10-7 in the 2016 GSAC Tournament Championship game on the campus of Westmont College in Santa Barbara.

A week later, TMU went 3-0 in the 2016 NAIA Opening Round Tournament after beating Madonna (Mich.) 7-1, Westmont 1-0, and William Carey (Miss.) 5-4 also at Westmont. TMU’s Opening Round title punched the school’s third-ever ticket to the NAIA World Series.

Unfortunately, TMU’s season came to an abrupt halt on May 30 when Sterling (Kan.) eliminated TMU from the national tournament, beating the Mustangs 9-7 at the 60th Annual Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

The Mustangs’ campaign was also highlighted by TMU head coach Monte Brooks’ 600th career victory, Nick Covello and Michael Sexton earning All-GSAC honors, John Brazil, Justyn Lee, Thomas Olson and Covello earning both NAIA and GSAC Scholar-Athlete Honors, and Covello earning NAIA Gold Glove kudos.

Covello was also a recipient of the Cliff Hamlow Award, TMU earned a collective Champions of Character Award, and Justyn Lee earned the individual Champion of Character award and the NAIA’s Hank Burbridge Champions of Character Award.

This Year:

The Team:

Brooks has assembled a 29-man roster loaded with seasoned talent that is ready to contend for a national title.

This year’s team features 20 returners from the 2016 season and welcomes nine newcomers that look to make an immediate impact.

Leading TMU’s pitching staff is senior hurler Jason Karkenny. Continuing to build on his reputation as one of the finest starters in the country, the workhorse of the staff established several personal-highs in multiple categories on the way to winning 11 games for the second year in a row. Last year, Karkenny led the staff in appearances (23), starts (21), and innings pitched (121.2), and tied fellow starter Conner Menez with his win total. Karkenny went the distance just one time but pitched seven or more innings eight times. His lone complete-game outing came in a gutsy performance against William Carey of Mississippi on May 19 that clinched the NAIA National Championship Opening Round championship. Eight days earlier, he kept alive the Mustangs’ goal of winning the GSAC Tournament when he tossed nine innings of no-earned run, 10-strikeout ball against Menlo in a game the Mustangs eventually won. Notably, Karkenny allowed no earned runs in five of his starts. Karkenny struck out a season-high 10 batters twice during the campaign and etched his name further in the program’s record books, moving up to No. 2 in career wins (30), No. 4 in earned-run average (2.95), and No. 5 in innings pitched (293.1).

Offensively, TMU is led by Michael Sexton, who in 2016 earned all-conference honors in his first season as a Mustang. Hitting mostly in the middle of the order, he led the club in slugging percentage (.690), hit by pitches (10), and assists (181). Sexton tied for the team lead with a .425 on-base percentage, and finished second in hits (70), home runs (17), and rbi (50). He also paced the club with 41 extra-base hits and had 22 multi-hit games, including a trio of three-hit outings. Sexton drove in two or more runs 10 times. Notably, Sexton homered and had a career-high five rbi vs. Doane of Nebraska on March 7. Earlier in the year, Sexton went 3-4 with two doubles and four rbi vs. Simpson on January 30. In the post-season, Sexton hit the last of his roundtrippers and went 2-3 in a season-ending loss vs. Sterling of Kansas on May 30 at the NAIA World Series. Sexton’s assist total was the fourth-highest, single-season mark in program history. Finally, Sexton posted seven assists in a game three times and had a season-high five putouts against Westmont on March 12. The season veteran was named the GSAC’s top second baseman.

Defensively, fans should keep an eye on Max Maitlaind. Last year, the talented newcomer won the starting center field job out of training camp and became an outstanding contributor at the plate and a plus-fielder. Maitland hit at or near the top of the order the entire season, leading off 45 times in 57 starts and led the club with nine total sacrifices and was second in batting average (.333) and hits (70). Maitland strung together 23 multi-hit games, including five three-hit outings. The Mustang enjoyed an outstanding three-game series vs. Vanguard in February when he went a combined 7-14. Notably, one of those hits was a grand slam in an 8-2 win on February 20. Finally, Maitland scored a season-high three runs twice and had a season-best six putouts vs. Bethesda on February 2.

Joining TMU this season is Luke Halverson, a freshman outfielder from Temple City, CA, Christian Keamy, a senior pitcher from Encino, CA, Ryan Bricker, a freshman catcher from Scottsdale, AZ, Dalton deVries, a senior infielder from Fair Oaks, CA, Ricky Sottile, a junior outfielder from Bakersfield, CA, Nate Bonsell, a junior pitcher from Bakersfield, CA, Aiden Stout, a freshman pitcher from Murrieta, CA, Collin Adams, a junior pitcher from Leesburg, VA, and Moises Garcia, a freshman infielder from Pasadena, CA.

The Coach:

Entering his 21st season at the helm of the Mustang program, Coach Monte Brooks is the GSAC’s senior coach and a staple of the Mustang baseball program. Known for his unbridled passion for coaching, mentoring, and winning, as much as for his humble, quiet confidence, it is the combination of those attributes with a strong knowledge of the game that has propelled the soft-spoken, yet decisive, head coach to guide his Mustang squads to success on and off the field.

This season, an assistant coaching staff that includes Nick Jorgenson, Josh Brown, Sam Minyard, Mike Davis, and Daniel Sheaffer will aid Brooks.

During his tenure, Brooks has coached 22 All-Americans, 29 scholar-athletes, and 39 of his players have signed professional contracts. In that same span, his teams have compiled an overall record of 612-418. Milestone win No. 600 came last year.

Upon his promotion to head coach in 1997, Brooks didn’t waste any time building a competitive and NAIA-respected baseball program. By 1998, he had put together the first of three consecutive 30-win seasons, culminating in 2000 when the Mustangs tied a school record with 37 wins, won their first-ever NAIA Region II title and placed third in their initial World Series appearance. On the heels of that outstanding campaign, Brooks was named NAIA Region II Coach of the Year.

Not one to slow down or rest on past successes, Brooks was able to pilot the club to three more consecutive winning seasons starting in 2002. This time the run of victories included a 29-17 record in 2003 when he reached the 200-win plateau and the Mustangs used a 20-8 conference record to win their first-ever GSAC regular-season championship. In light of his team’s success, Brooks was recognized as the Golden State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year as well as the Region II Coach of the Year.

Brooks has continued to guide the Mustangs with precision and discipline year after year. He led his 2013 squad back to the World Series on the strength of the finest season in program history, highlighted by the most wins (44) in team annals, the highest Top 25 ranking ever (No. 5), and the rare double of winning both the GSAC regular-season and tournament championships.

A year later, the Mustangs earned another berth in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round and in 2015 the club captured its second GSAC regular-season crown in three years, highlighted by a conference-record 33 wins, and qualified for the Opening Round once again. In 2016, the Mustangs finished third in the GSAC but won the conference tournament and swept their way through the Opening Round en route to their third World Series appearance.

For those who know the man personally, this kind of success comes as no surprise. Brooks possesses an extensive knowledge of the game, gleaned from years of playing and previous coaching assignments, which he injects into his players. He played collegiate ball at San Jose City College and San Jose State University, where he graduated in 1990 with a degree in history. Drafted by San Diego, Brooks spent four years in the Padre system (in which he played all nine positions) and was part of two minor league championship teams. He also spent a year overseas, playing for Turin in Italy. In 1999, he was inducted into the Idaho Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

After his playing days were over, Brooks turned to the coaching side of things, spending time at Meridian High School in Idaho, the University of Santa Clara, and back in the Padre organization. He came to The Master’s University and assisted in 1995, using his expertise especially with hitters and infielders, and then moved into his current position two years later.

Brooks, who earned an M.A. in education from Azusa Pacific University, also serves as Assistant Athletic Director. He and his wife, Carole Anne, live in Castaic with their daughters, Taylor Anne and Emme, and son, Nicholas.

The Schedule:

The Mustangs enter the 2017 campaign ranked 11th in the nation and will face a number of opponents that also appeared on the NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll.

On February 7 at 2:00 p.m., TMU will host Lewis-Clark State College, the No. 1 team in the nation.

Attesting to the strength of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC), TMU will face No. 20 Vanguard (Feb. 17-18, April 21-22), and No. 8 Westmont (March 10-11) in a handful of traditional three-game series.

Of TMU’s scheduled 49 events, the Mustangs will have the luxury of hosting 29 games at Lou Herwaldt Stadium. TMU will open the 2017 home season on January 28 in a doubleheader against Marymount College. First pitch is slated for 11:00 a.m.

TMU’s 20-game road schedule includes a season-opening matchup against Marymount in Rancho Palos Verdes on January 27 at 2:00 p.m., an appearance in the Phoenix, Arizona-based “4-Him Tournament” that will feature games against Benedictine, Colorado Christian, and the University of Mary, and a number of three-game series against GSAC opponents like Hope International (Feb. 10-11), Westmont (March 10-11), Arizona Christian (March 24-25), Vanguard (April 21-22), and William Jessup (April 28-29).

As for the postseason, the 2017 GSAC Baseball Tournament will be hosted by Menlo College in Atherton from May 7-10. From May 16-19, the Mustangs will have a chance to compete in the NAIA Opening Round Tournament at a location to be determined. Finally, the 61st Annual AVISTA-NAIA Baseball World Series will run from May 26-June 2 and will be played in Lewiston, Idaho.

Finally, for fans unable to watch the Mustangs in person, the majority of TMU’s games will be livestreamed. Viewers can follow the Mustangs by clicking here.