The 2014 baseball team captured the American Southwest Conference tournament title and became the first LeTourneau athletics program to make an NCAA Tournament. The YellowJacket squad, under head coachÂ
Robin Harriss (now the Deputy AD at LeTourneau), finished the year with a program record 33 wins.
"It started from the year before when we lost one of the last games of the season and just missed making the ASC playoffs for the first time," remarked Harriss, who spent 16 years at the helm of the program. "The following fall after our first meeting, the guys had not forgotten about last year and they had a players-only meeting and came up with the team verse of Colossians 3:23. The players were decidedly more determined and it was obvious."
The 2014 season started with a bang for the YellowJackets. LeTourneau opened the year 8-0 and had a 16-2 record (11-1 in conference) after the first 18 games of the season. After a midseason slip, the YellowJackets got back on the winning side with a three-game sweep of UT Tyler, a first for the program, and ended the regular season winning nine of 12 heading into the ASC Tournament.
"Confidence was high as we rolled into the tournament knowing we were facing a team we swept earlier in the year and, of course with [Curt] Copeland on the mound, it was hard not to follow his lead," reminisced Harriss. "We run-ruled Louisiana College in the first game to only heighten our confidence. Then [Cody] Whitley beats UT Dallas and [Justin] Jenkins pitches a gem to beat Concordia. One thing I can remember is just how fired up the families were...as we kept winning more fans came to each game in Austin. It was incredible to see."
Winning the first three games of the tournament put LeTourneau in the championship round facing No. 1-seeded Concordia again, a team that needed to beat the YellowJackets twice. Concordia forced a winner-take-all game by beating the YellowJackets, but LeTourneau was up for the challenge.
Copeland went back out on only three days rest and threw 6.2 innings as the YellowJackets built a 6-0 lead. Concordia tried to rally over the final three innings, but a dazzling play from shortstop Bryce Griffin on a ball hit up the middle produced the final out in the ninth and the YellowJackets celebrated a conference title for the first time.Â
"The relief of finally getting it done for the coaching staff and seeing the joy on the players faces," added Harriss. "Then looking in the stands at the families who sacrificed so much for their boys to be out there, to attend LETU, to encourage their kids when things weren't great, to celebrate with them when they excelled."
LeTourneau entered the NCAA Tournament and traveled to Oregon for the regional round at top-ranked Linfield. The YellowJackets went 1-2 in the tournament with a win over Illinois Wesleyan.
Garrett Methvin was the team's leading hitter at .379 with four homers and 34 RBIs. Whitley posted a 1.85 ERA in 92.2 innings on the year, while Copeland went 8-2 with a 3.28 ERA. Chris Bertram, Ryan Bertram, Copeland, Griffin, Methvin, David Perkins, Whitley, and Dillon Yates all earned All-ASC honors. Harriss was the league's Coach of the Year honoree.
The 2014 baseball team was the third team to be inducted into the LeTourneau Hall of Fame, joining the 1996-97 and 1997-98 women's basketball teams.
Team members: Bryce Henry, Jordan Argabright, Caleb Pritchett, Micah Montes, Jordan Price, Sean Sellers, Chuck Daugherty, Jon Lewis, Josh Gimre, Kirby Cantalamessa, Justin Jenkins, Lucas Allen, Bryce Griffin, Alex Vaught, Ben Boles, Jon Riley, Carson Dickey, Canaan Klaassen, Cody Whitley, Kyle Jacobs, Quinn Brankin, Ryan Garza, Dillon Yates, Jared O'Neal, Caleb LaDuke, David Perkins, Ryan Bertram, Landon Methvin, Christian Baker, Garrett Methvin, Chris Bertram, Jack Van Saders, Curt Copeland, Chad Kinney (Assistant Coach), Aaron Gentry (Assistant Coach), Robin Harriss (Head Coach)
