Success Continues to Grow for Sanders, Chapman

Chapman’s baseball team expected this to be a rebuilding season, even with four returning starters and one proven pitcher.

But when the Panthers started the season with three losses, players held a team meeting during which they promised to do more.

“We knew all along we could be a good team,” redshirt freshman shortstop Brian Sanders said. “Not the powerhouse they had last year [when Chapman was ranked third in the nation], but a scrappy team. But we weren’t jelling yet, and we had to come together.”

Things didn’t change overnight. Chapman’s record was 7-5 on March 10 after a 3-2 loss to Whittier. Since then, the Panthers have won 30 of 34 games and qualified for the NCAA Division III World Series, which begins Friday in Appleton, Wis. Chapman (37-9) plays defending champion Montclair State (35-9) of New Jersey at 8 a.m. (PDT) in the first round.

The Panthers are making their second consecutive appearance in the finals and third in the last five years, all to the surprise of Coach Rex Peters.

“When you talk about all the players we lost from last year’s team, which I consider my best team ever,” Peters said, “I’ll be honest with you, I’m a little bit surprised how this team came together and started to believe in itself.

“This is not the most talented team I’ve had, but it has a knack for winning and playing hard.”

A large part of Chapman’s success has been the play Sanders, a 1999 graduate of El Dorado High. Known as a solid defensive player, Peters questioned how well the shortstop could hit in college.

Sanders spent much of his senior season at El Dorado with a sore back. His spot in the batting order was often filled by a designated hitter. When he arrived at Chapman, he decided to redshirt during his freshman year so he could learn the ropes.

“Coming out of high school, I didn’t know if I could play anywhere,” Sanders said. “I don’t even know if Coach Peters thought I could play for him. But I worked my butt off.”

In the off-season, Sanders put on 20 pounds by using the weight room and worked on his swing. Peters left him in the lineup every day and Sanders eventually worked himself into the sixth spot in the order. But it wasn’t until mid-season, when he switched to an open batting stance, that he became really comfortable at the plate.

During the regular season, Sanders led the Panthers in batting (.382), home runs (eight), runs batted in (40), RBIs with two out (25) and times hit by a pitch (19). He says he’s most proud of the last statistic.

“I like to stand up and take away the inside part of the plate,” he said.

Peters has been duly impressed.

“He’s a confident type of ball-player and when he does well it snowballs,” Peters said. “He truly believes in himself and he has become a better player and better hitter as the year has gone on.”