LOS ANGELES – As Loyola Marymount baseball starts off the 2026 season, senior starting pitcher Avery Laine and outfielder Zion Williams were both recognized for their outstanding performance last season by making the All-WCC preseason team.
The selections, determined by the votes of all WCC head coaches, showcase the high expectations placed on some of the conference’s biggest team leaders. This follows the Lions’ impressive 2025 performance as Laine led the team’s pitching in wins, finishing 5-1 with a 4.81 ERA, and Williams, who led with 21 stolen bases, a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, and was among the team’s top 5 leaders in batting average with a .310 AVG.
“That was pretty special. We did a thing where, before practice, I got note cards and gave them out to each player on the team and we wrote down our goals. And that was one of my goals, was to win that, so that was pretty sick to get honored in that way,” said Laine. “And then, I suppose it just shows how hard we’ve all been working and stuff like that. It’s pretty cool.”
Although the players’ statistics prove their worthiness for the recognition, their roles as leaders go far beyond the field. With several new faces joining the roster, Laine also recognized the significance of his role as a leader by creating a strong foundation with newcomers and serving as a guide throughout the season.
“One thing I’m trying to do this year as the leader of the team is just try to take somebody every day and just ask them how they’re doing and how’s life outside of baseball, kind of pick their brains and get down to how they’re feeling. So I’ve just been telling them they all deserve to be here. Like, you know, the guys get nervous, and they asked me how to deal with that. But it’s just like, trust in your ability and trust in that, you know, opening days tomorrow, and you’re here for a reason, so don’t get all caught up in that. Just live in the moment. Have fun, like, this is the next four or five years. However long they play here is gonna be the best four years of their lives. So it’s gonna be sweet,” said Laine.
Forming connections between both players and coaches has been one of LMU’s biggest contributors to their on-field success as they’ve helped form a clubhouse that roots for each other’s success. Zion Williams shared his experience with the team and how the strong foundation of the team has allowed him to understand and emphasize the strengths of his teammates.
“It’s a perfect program because you can be yourself, you can be loose, and if you play loose, you’re going to play good. You’re not stressed under, you know, any type of coach that is overdemanding or anything. As a team, I’d say it makes everybody more kind of like we embrace each other more,” said Williams. “We’re all really open to more things, we’re open to each other. We kind of understand each other a little more. There’s really no pressure”.
Coming off his productive first season of D1 baseball, Williams would later share his experience navigating from Junior College to Page Stadium, and some of the recent adjustments he made under the staff of head coach Donegal Fergus, who provided a new approach to the hitting mentality.
“I got into a lot of the mental side about baseball, a lot more of like the muscle memory, the muscle feel type of thing. You know, when I first went out there, I was kind of just like a chicken with his head cut off. Didn’t know what I was doing. But now, kind of like, locked in with Ferg and this year in general, and it’s just like, like, I now know what I’m doing. You know, I’ve put my toes into what D1 baseball is like, and I kind of have it figured out, at least the mentality aspect of it.”
Heading into their Senior year season with the Lions, they both expressed the growth they’ve experienced surrounded by their teammates and coaching staff by trusting in their abilities and picking each other up. Connections such as this are especially crucial considering the physically and mentally demanding schedule of Division 1 baseball. Looking ahead, the Lions are expected to face Wake Forest, Davidson, Utah, and UC Santa Barbara in a 5-day, 6-game stretch of back-to-back baseball.
“I mean, it’s just being in the moment, you know, not trying to think of the future and being calm in the present. We got Tulane this week, kind of just training for that, and just taking it week by week. I know we got … he set up something again where it’s like, we play Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. He does it to prepare us for our regional, but it’s like, you can’t get ahead of yourself too much, especially when you’re playing ball. It’s just be in the moment, play present, and you know, you won’t really overthink things or get stressed out.” Said Williams on how he stays grounded.
“Yeah, I try to pretty much do the same thing every day. Wake up, journal, write down what I need to do that day, and then just go through a little checklist. I like to be like that, like, just check boxes throughout my day so I know I’m getting my things done. Same thing with like, before a start, I have a whole routine that I just gotta … you know, check the boxes off to make sure I’m following my process and all that good stuff and just staying organized.” Laine expressed.
As the Lions continue to make their way throughout the first games of the season, one goal remains clear: building the best environment they can for their teammates and putting their foot on the gas throughout their senior season. With Laine and Williams both remaining confident in the expectations put on them, it is clear that this is only just one chapter in what may soon be a bright future ahead of them. You can catch the two and the rest of LMU Baseball take the field Friday, Feb. 20, as they prepare for a 3-game homestand against the Washington Huskies.
