Graduate right-handed pitcher Tommy Scavone fires a pitch toward home plate against the UMass Lowell Riverhawks on March 13 at Eddy D. Field Stadium. Scavone tossed a season high 7.2 innings in this appearance. Photos by Olivia Schneider
The Pepperdine Baseball season is in full swing as the Waves defeated the University of San Diego Toreros (USD) March 27-29 in their conference home opener and took one game from the Gonzaga University Bulldogs on the road April 2-4.
The Waves have bounced back after a rough non-conference schedule and look to keep racking up wins and hopefully make a run to the West Coast Conference post-season tournament at the end of May. The top eight teams advance to the conference tournament, according to WCC Sports.
“As we head into conference this weekend, I am telling our team that every team is 0-0,” Head Coach Tyler LaTorre said. “We had an incredibly tough non-conference schedule, which has given us an opportunity to learn and grow. We have been through a lot of tough, close games, and we believe it has set us up for a successful conference schedule.”
Pepperdine’s non-conference schedule included two Top 25 teams in the University of Southern California Trojans and the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, as well as a home series against the University of Michigan Wolverines.
“I am very proud of where our team and program is at,” LaTorre said. “Do I wish our win and loss record was better? 100%, but we have been through a lot of adversity and we have come out a stronger team for it. We are looking forward to conference play.”
New Faces, Old Faces
Prior to the start of the 2026 season, LaTorre brought in Rick Hubbard as a pitching coach in hopes of turning around the subpar pitching numbers of last season’s team, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Hubbard comes to Malibu from Westmont College after three seasons with the team, the last coming under LaTorre. Prior to his tenure at Westmont, Hubbard spent five years with Georgia Tech baseball as the director of Pitching Development. Hubbard’s analytics-driven style to coaching will hopefully bring a new-school style to Pepperdine Baseball, according Pepperdine Athletics.
Graduate infielder Daniel Patterson also made the journey from Santa Barbara to Malibu to play his last year of college baseball for the Waves. Patterson has been the backbone of the Waves’ offense and leads the team in overall batting average at .305 and in home runs with eight, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Patterson has been a staple in the Waves’ lineup, playing in 29 out of 31 games. Only graduate infielder Julian Nunez has played in more at 30.
On March 10, Pepperdine Athletics announced that Waves Hall of Famer Steve Rodriguez would be rejoining Pepperdine Baseball as special assistant to the head coach. Rodriguez was a member of the Pepperdine Baseball 1992 national championship team and later served as the Waves’ head coach from 2004-15, recently joining the Athletics’ Board in 2025.
In this advisory role, Rodriguez will provide mentorship to the coaching staff and student-athletes while offering strategic guidance based on his decades of experience in coaching college baseball, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Having experienced Pepperdine Baseball as a player, coach and alumnus, Rodriguez is able to support the next generation of Waves in this role and continue to give back to the program that has helped define his career for decades, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Precision Pitching
The Waves pitching staff has flipped the switch coming into conference play. Pepperdine’s arms are boasting a team ERA of 4.04 with two pitchers yet to give up a single run.
Graduate right-handed pitcher Tommy Scavone is leading the way with 17.1 innings pitched during conference play. He has posted a 2-1 record with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 0.99, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
On March 30, Scavone received WCC Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance against San Diego where he tossed six shutout innings and recorded eight strikeouts, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“I’m trying to get ahead of everybody and play off my fastball,” Scavone said. “Being able to throw first-pitch strikes is the key to doing that.”
In addition to Scavone, senior right-hander Dylan Stewart has also made a name for himself by tossing five scoreless innings in the final game against USD and earning his first win. Stewart is boasting a 0.90 ERA as well as a 1.00 WHIP in 10 innings during conference play, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“Most importantly, it was Dylan who went out there and took it to San Diego today,” LaTorre said in a March 29 post game interview. “It was really special to watch, and he did such a great job of giving us an opportunity to get back in the game and take the lead. I’m really proud of him.”
Continuing the pitching dominance, sophomore left-hander Casey Euper tossed seven innings, surrendering zero earned runs and striking out four April 2 against Gonzaga.
“As the head coach, it is my responsibility to put each one of our players in a position to succeed,” La Torre said. “When our pitchers are out there on the mound they should know that they are prepared and in the game for a reason.”
Out of the bullpen, graduate right-hander and closer Lucien Wechsberg picked up his fourth save of the year and lowered his season ERA to 1.76. Wechsberg has been dominant all season and has solidified himself as the stalwart on the staff responsible for shutting teams down in the ninth inning, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“They should have confidence that their pitches, executed their way, are good enough and nothing more,” LaTorre said. “We will continue to emphasize limiting free bases and allowing our defense to make plays behind them.”
Wechsberg has yet to surrender a run in conference play and boasts an elite opponent batting average against of .125, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Fantastic Freshmen
Pepperdine Baseball brought in 10 new freshman for the 2026 season, and they have already made an impact during their short time on the field, according to Pepperdine Athletics. Freshmen infielders James Dell’Amico and Joshua Woodworth have already cemented themselves in the Waves’ everyday lineup.
Dell’Amico is second on the team in batting average at .304, and Woodworth is second in home runs with five. Before Scavone received honors, Dell’Amico earned WCC Player of the Week for his performance against the University of Massachusetts, Lowell River Hawks March 12-14, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Freshman outfielder Nash Horton has also earned his stripes during conference play by hitting .318 in 22 at-bats. Seeing mainly defensive action, freshman catcher Shawn Romero has posted a .333 batting average in nine at-bats, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Solid Swings
Junior infielder Kai Laxa leads the Waves’ offense during conference play, posting a stellar .394 batting average. Laxa has been Pepperdine’s everyday second baseman and has brought a sense of reliability to the position.
“First and foremost, I want to take the time to thank God. I think relying on what works for me most often has been the key for me,” Laxa said.
Laxa and Patterson have been crushing WCC pitching and show no signs of slowing down. Patterson, a close second to Laxa, is batting .382 in conference play. Both sluggers are also posting an .OPS over .1000, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“We continue to really believe. I think that all the work we’ve put in is starting to pay off,” Laxa said. “We’ve stayed connected through and through.”
The Waves have positioned themselves as legit postseason contenders, and they look to continue their conference success as they host the University of Pacific Tigers April 10-12 in Malibu.
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Email Connor Ford: connor.ford@pepperdine.edu
