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2022 SEASON IN REVIEW
DBU ADVANCES TO EIGHTH STRAIGHT REGIONAL
The Patriots became one of just six teams to reach the NCAA postseason each of the last eight years when they earned an at- large bid as the No. 3 seed at the Austin Regional. After posting a 34-22-1 record during the regular-season, DBU boasted the No. 23 RPI in the nation according to WarrenNolan.com. The Patriots’ resume was bolstered by a 13-8 record versus teams with an RPI ranking in the top 50. DBU also faced a strength of schedule that was ranked as the ninth-toughest in the nation and their opponents’ .613 overall winning percentage was tops in the country.
April 21st, defeated a Horned Frogs team that came to Dallas ranked No. 21 in the nation in a 6-1 affair at Horner Ballpark. Two weeks later at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth, the Patriots used a four-run eighth inning to overcome a three-run deficit and claim a 6-5 win over No. 6 TCU. One of the biggest wins in program history came on May 10th at home against No. 3 Oklahoma State. Trailing 7-6 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, a Blayne Jones two-run homer lifted the Patriots to a walk-off win over the Cowboys.
BANNER FRESHMAN YEAR FOR HEEFNER
In his first collegiate season, Patriot third baseman Luke Heefner earned Freshman All-American honors and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshmen of the Year. In his rookie campaign, Heefner made 55 starts and hit .294 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, one triple, and 29 RBI. The Patriots’ freshman star also successfully stole 12-of-15 bases, a total that ranked as the second-most on the team. At season’s end, Heefner became the 15th player in DBU Baseball history to earn Freshman All-American honors and joined Jameson Hannah (2016) and Jimmy Glowenke (2018) as the third Patriot to be named the MVC Freshman of the Year.
WINS OVER NATIONALLY RANKED PROGRAMS
DBU’s postseason resume was bolstered by five wins over Top 25 programs during the 2022 season. In a key weekend series versus No. 20 Maryland, DBU took two of three from a Terrapins team that went on to win 48 games and host the College Park Regional. In a pair of midweek matchups against TCU, the Patriots swept both games over the Horned Frogs in 2022. On
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