Building off a successful 2014 season, Sacramento State’s baseball team looks to defend their Western Athletic Conference championship and continue to expand the program to propelled heights.

Led by a strong nucleus of returners and a good recruiting class of incoming freshmen and transfers, the Hornets were voted by the other coaches in the WAC to repeat as champions.

Despite these lofty expectations, the games are played on the field. The Hornets must once again prove that they are up to the task of a challenging non-league schedule and an improving WAC. What makes the task daunting is that the Hornets are the defending champions with a target on their back.

“Don’t listen to the noise, don’t listen to the hype,” said coach Reggie Christiansen. “Certainly it’s a good thing, but it’s not going to help us win one game.”

What did help the Hornets win over 40 games last year for the first time since 1991 was a continued trend of good recruiting. Christiansen is entering his fifth year as the head coach of the program and mentioned that it takes time to establish a program.

“We feel we have a special group of kids,” Christiansen said. “It’s great to see guys we recruited two to three years ago finally put on a Hornet uniform and get on the field.”

This year’s team is following a 2014 season that was one of the best in the program’s history. The 2014 team had arguably the best pitching staff ever assembled by the Hornets, with a team-record low earned run average of 3.27.

Returning to lead the pitching staff is senior right-hander Brennan Leitao, the program’s all-time leader with 24 career wins and 304 innings pitched. Leitao was named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American third team, after finishing 2014 with a 9-4 record and a 2.15 ERA.

“It will be exciting to see how our mental and physical preparation will pay off,” Leitao said. “We have been working hard for months to get to where we are now.”

Leitao also added that he expects great things personally and team wise, and does not feel any added pressure by his personal achievements and from prognostications from pundits.

Joining Leitao on the Hornets’ pitching staff is sophomore Sam Long. Long looks to build off an impressive freshman year that earned him the WAC Freshman of the Year honor. He was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American after compiling an 8-2 record with a 3.03 ERA.

Returning to close is junior Sutter McLoughlin, who is tied for the program’s career saves lead with 26 career saves after finishing an impressive 2014 with a 4-2 record and 1.81 ERA.

Replacing Rhys Hoskins, the reigning WAC Player of the Year and 2014 fifth round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies, will be a daunting task. The Hornets hope the experience and the chemistry their current team has will make up for some of the offensive talent that has departed.

Returning at shortstop is senior Scotty Burcham, who hit .300 last season and showed versatility playing multiple positions.

Also returning and looking to take another step forward is junior Chris Lewis. Lewis was MVP of the WAC tournament after hitting .500 in five games. Lewis also showed versatility starting games in left field and games as the team’s designated hitter.

“It doesn’t matter to me where I play on the diamond,” Lewis said. “Whether it’s left field or DH, as long as I can help the team win I am comfortable being anywhere.”

The Hornets credit their offseason work and the way the team appears to mesh on and off the field as some of the team’s early strengths and what they have to build upon.

They also have a sense of urgency as classes have begun, the weather begins to change and the anticipation of the season grows.

“These guys have worked extremely hard in the weight room, in the class room, on the field,” Christiansen said. “I’m eager to play someone besides ourselves to find out our strengths and our weaknesses and find out who we are.”