Cal Baptist Lancers softball, California Baptist University

Conference: GSAC
Location: Riverside, CA
Home Stadium: Lancer Outdoor Athletic Complex
Head Coach: Mike Smith
Nickname: Lancers
Colors: Blue and GoldThe 2009 NAIA Coach of the Year and six-time Golden State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Mike Smith, led the California Baptist University to its first national title in 2009. In six seasons as the Lancers’ head coach, Smith has created a perennial powerhouse in the NAIA. The Lancers not only brought home the school’s first national title in 2009, but won a school record 61 games and had three named NAIA All-American.

Smith coached his third straight NAIA Pitcher of the Year. CBU won its sxith straight GSAC title and is the only school with more than five conference championships as the Lancers have won eight total. In 10 years as a head coach, Smith is 445-159 (.737). No stranger to the GSAC, Smith’s first head coaching job was at GSAC-rival Biola, where he took over a struggling program (one that had gone 17-133 in its five previous seasons) and turned it into one of the GSAC’s best. In nine GSAC seasons at CBU and Biola, Smith has produced 14 All-Americans, 33 All-GSAC and 12 NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

A long-time professional baseball player who had a distinguished career, Smith was a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization from 1992-94, reaching the Class AA level. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from The Master’s College in 1992. Smith went on to receive a teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton in 1998. He and his wife, Ellen, have two children, Ashlee and Tyler.