(Avery Laine at weights with the team. Photo courtesy of @lmulionsbsb on Instagram)
After an eventful 2025 season going 29-29 overall and 14-10 during conference, the Lions are back from summer break ready to return to Page Stadium. Two senior right-handed pitchers for the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) baseball team, Avery Laine from Riverside, Calif., and Jonah Johnson from Colorado Springs, Col., set the bar high for the upcoming 2026 season.
Laine started 13 games for the Lions in 2025 and is looking to build off a season in which he went 7 plus innings twice and compiled a 5-1 record. Johnson also appeared in 13 games and struck out 26% of the batters he faced and finished the season with a 5-2 record. Both pitchers’ performances highlighted their talents, putting them in line to be key players for the upcoming season.
Over the summer, Laine and Johnson continued to put in the work to better their game. “Usually, I’d wake up and make food, then go to the park and throw, go to the gym and lift, then go to the facility after and do more pitching workout stuff on the actual mound,” Laine said.
Similar to Laine, Johnson described his routine: “I wake up and get a good breakfast, then get out in the sun [for] some mobility or light movement. [After] I do some throwing in my garage, go lift with a buddy at our local gym, then come home and do typical recovery.”
In addition to self-improvement, Laine spent some of his summer coaching young athletes in Riverside. “There’s a facility I work at where I do pitching lessons for kids,” said Laine. “I’d get my workouts in there before and after.”
When they weren’t traveling, spending time with family, or exploring the outdoors, the Lions spent the majority of their summer working on areas of improvement. Though Laine and Johnson were among the top performers last season, both Lions wanted to up their game for the upcoming season.
“My biggest thing was moving quick. Everything I do is trying to move quickly, because that’s what I struggled at, so that’s what I tried to focus on this summer, [seeing how] fast I can get down the mound,” said Laine. “Every movement I did was just explosive, explosive, explosive,” Laine said.
“My main goal this summer was just to improve my overall throwing mechanics,” Johnson added. “That is moving quick, that’s moving efficient, but also staying an athlete.”
Equally as important to working on physical aspects, both athletes worked on their mental preparedness. While not only is the physical aspect crucial to the game, both athletes prioritized the mental aspect in preparation of the season.
“I really worked on my mental side of the game this summer, just kind of understanding myself better and who I am when I’m playing the game and why I still play the game,” Laine said. “That’s a big factor of how I train every day and attack every day.”
Their drive to enhance their game doesn’t stop at practices and trainings; these Lions are also two of the few leaders on the pitching staff. Using their experiences and self-understanding, they are able to help the new athletes joining LMU baseball.
“I feel like knowing where we came from and what we’ve had to deal with, [we can] help those young guys before they get to the bad parts that we’ve already experienced. Just being there for them and helping them so they don’t get to that,” Laine said.
Johnson shared a similar perspective: “As a team we had a talk about servant leadership. A big part of that for me this year is helping out freshmen or transfers avoid the same problems I faced as a freshman, [especially with] the mental side of the game.”
Despite the love of the game, athletic burnout is a common obstacle for players to run into. “It kind of just hits you in the face pretty quick,” said Laine. With leaders such as Laine and Johnson there to help players joining the team, they can offer their experience with what to expect and help them balance their athletic and academic lives.
Laine expresses that communication and consistency are the key to the Lions’ success, “I think communication behind the scenes, what we do in the weight room, in the locker room, and how people operate if things are going bad, communicate that versus bumping heads and not ever talking about it and letting that translate to the field.” he stated.
Johnson added, “We had our fair share of injuries last year, and I feel like a lot of those were preventable with speaking up and helping someone out. Consistency is huge. Being out on the field every day, attacking your work the way you need to, and [being] consistent with the guys around you.”
Along with their commitment to the game, Laine and Johnson pull from their faith to help them stay focused. “My mantra this year is to just be where your feet are. And, if you’re grounded where you’re at right now, that’s where you’re going to be your best,” said Johnson.
Laine added, “I told myself to enjoy the ups and downs, regardless of how good I do; it’s [about] enjoying where I’m at and how blessed I am for the position I’m in.”
With leaders like Laine and Johnson helping guide the new Lions, the team is ready to hit the dirt and get started on what they anticipate being a successful season.
“I think everyone’s really juiced up to be here. Everyone feels like it’s a fresh new opportunity to be [a] really good team this year. I think everyone’s really excited,” Johnson said. “Go Lions!”
LMU Baseball typically releases their schedule in late Fall, with games usually starting in mid-February. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and X (@lmulionsbsb), as well as the official LMU Athletics website for updates.
