LINCOLN, Calif. – The postseason run of the 2022 Warriors will always live in the memory of those in attendance at OC Great Park. With sights on another deep run in 2023, Jessup entered the final series of the year with a chance at punching their ticket to Irvine once again, but it was not meant to be, as Jessup entered the offseason earlier than expected.
 
It was magic in 2022, as the last team to qualify for the GSAC Tournament ended up winning three-straight elimination games to send them to the GSAC Championship. From day one of the 2023 season, the belief was that the Warriors were built to make another run.
 
With an offense that scored 7.5 runs/game and slugged 132 extra-base hits, Jessup featured an arsenal in 2023 that could keep them in every game. The area they will look to get better at in 2024 is on the mound.
 
The 2023 Warriors combined for a 7.85 ERA; 1.5 runs/game higher than they surrendered a year prior.
 
Jessup's offense put up the first headline of the season as the Warriors plated ten runs on opening day in a 10-2 victory over Antelope Valley. The Warriors opened their next series in style as well, taking down Oregon Tech 15-6. But surrounding those two opening wins were a pair of losses, as Jessup dropped their first two series to move to 2-4.
 
It took some time for the 2023 Warriors to gel, but perhaps the turnaround moment came on Jessup's' road trip to Arizona. Coming a week after Jessup made history with the first tie in program history, the Warriors brought the heat to Arizona as they put up 42 runs on Arizona Christian over the course of three games, resulting in their first series victory of the season.
 
Three-game series are the new norm in the GSAC, as the conference elected to move to this format after playing four-game sets in years prior.
 
Jessup backed up their showing in Glendale by winning another series, this time over the Menlo Oaks. It was a historic weekend at McBean Park, as Jessup scored 17 runs in the seventh inning of game two, a program record. On top of the team performance, individually, the Warriors saw Kayde Iranon make history of his own when he went 3-for-3 with two home runs and seven RBI in a single inning.
 
At 6-5-1 in the GSAC, the Warriors were active in the hunt for the postseason, but coming up would their toughest stretch of the year.
 
Matchups with Vanguard, Westmont, and Hope International were next on the schedule. All three teams had qualified for the NAIA Opening Round a year prior.
 
The stretch started with the Warriors being swept by Vanguard, sending Jessup into Santa Barbara with a losing record in GSAC play. Westmont, who would eventually win the 2023 NAIA World Series, came into the series on a 15-game win streak, needing three more wins to set a new program record.
 
Westmont tied their win-streak record by winning the first two of the series, but then the Warriors of Jessup decided to play spoiler. Winning both games on Saturday (one non-conference), Jessup was back on track and again looking at a postseason bid.
 
To get to the postseason, it would all come down to the final series of the year. Jessup would need to sweep The Master's to return to Irvine, and after one inning of game one, the season looked to be all but over. A 13-run inning to start the series gave TMU all they needed to clinch victory, as Jessup saw their postseason chances go by the wayside.
 
In the end, the Warriors still went home with a good feeling, winning their final game 4-2, backed by a complete game from their ace Max Moreno.
 
Moreno led the Warriors' staff in 2023 with five wins, one shy of tying his career-high.
 
Offensively, Brandon Springer led Jessup with his .342 batting average in a season that included an 18-game hitting streak. Newcomer Chris Cook led the team in home runs (12) and RBI (31).
 
The ending of the 2023 season was not the one Jessup had hoped for, but it does give them the motivation to bounce back in 2024. When the Warriors return to McBean Park in the spring, they will be looking to recreate the magic of the many baseball programs to take the field in Lincoln before them.  
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).