IRVINE, Calif. --- The PacWest released its preseason poll, All-PacWest Team and player and pitcher of the year for the upcoming 2022 season on Tuesday. Biola highlighted the preseason accolades, landing atop the conference poll, while placing three players on the Preseason All-PacWest Team, including Paige Austin who was named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

A second-place finish in the PacWest SoCal pod did not stop the Eagles in 2021. The team stormed forward in postseason play with a NCAA DII West Region Championship, taking down Concordia, who took second in the preseason poll.

The season continued with a trip to the national tournament in Denver, Colorado. In their first season eligible for postseason play in the NCAA Division II, the Eagles found their way to the championship series and finished as national runner-ups. 

Star pitching and a consistent lineup pushed the team to spectacular heights in 2021 and have them projected to maintain that new standard of play this year. BU pulled in seven first-place votes, while logging 79 points in the preseason poll. CUI came in next with 74 points and was followed by Hawaii Hilo with 53 points and Azusa Pacific with 52 points.

The key cog for the Eagles is none other than Preseason PacWest Pitcher of the Year and All-PacWest selection, Paige Austin. The righty ace racked up the postseason awards, including NFCA and D2CCA NCAA DII First Team All-Region and First Team All-PacWest. In addition, Austin pulled in top-tier recognition in the form of Biola Female Student-Athlete of the Year and PacWest Conference Co-Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

On the field success came through dominance in the circle with 16 wins and a pair of saves. In 2021, Austin posted a career-best earned-run average of 1.33, while striking out 175 opponents. Through 29 appearances and 157.1 innings pitched, the senior tossed 18 complete games and seven shutouts. Austin put together her best stretch of play for the most important part of the season, logging over 26-straight innings without a run scored in the national tournament. 

The 2022 Biola lineup will feature multiple Preseason All-PacWest honorees. Abie Nowak earned the recognition as the top first baseman. The sophomore was fantastic as a true freshman in 2021, starting in 38-of-42 games with 30 hits and a .297 batting average. Nowak added the second-most RBIs on the team with 18 and tallied seven total extra-base hits on the year.

Another young talent in Allie Beck made the Preseason All-PacWest Team. The outfielder also offered an impressive freshman season, hitting .338 with 27 hits in 80 at-bats. The lefty used her speed to impact the offense, tallying 25 singles and 12 stolen bases. Beck was great at the plate in the national tournament, batting .545 with a pair of multi-hit efforts.

The BU team is ready for its first full season since 2019 and looks forward to the challenge of being the favorites in the conference. The Eagles will hold their home opener on Thursday with their first countable action against Northwest Nazarene at 2:00 pm.