Lindenwood Lions head coach P.J. Finigan enters his second season as the head coach, and his third season with the team overall. Finigan is joined by Assistant Coach Adam Core, Assistant Coach Denton McNamee, and Volunteer Assistant Coach, AJ Smith.
In the 2024 season, the Lions finished with a record of 16-38, good for a .296 win percentage, an improvement from the 2023 season. As for conference play, last season the Lions were 9-18.
This season the Lions will be missing two key players from last year’s roster, Dawson Hokuf and Colin Shea. Hokuf led the team with a .344 batting average and a .981 OPS, and also led the Lions in home runs with six. Shea was the only other Lion to hit over .300 last season, hitting .308.
Returning players, such as Kam Edwards, Bryson Arnette, and Evan Funkhouser, will be the key to more success and growth this season. Some of the new offensive players this season include Charlie Isom-McCall, Brodie Short, Tyler Thompson, and more.
On the pitching side of things is where the Lions hope to see more improvement this season. The Lions pitching staff is highlighted by Josh Newell, Eli Brown, and Zach Buschschulte and a bullpen that is highlighted by Aaron Jungers, Easton Rakers, and Bennett Stice. Last season the team put up a 5.95 ERA as a staff while striking out 342 batters.
There are many pitchers new and returning that are hoping for bigger things to come this season.
For the Lions, the 2025 season will feature 57 games including 24 home games at the Lou Brock Sports Complex on the campus of Lindenwood University. Conference play for the Lions will begin on Friday March 28 against UT Martin.
The season for the Lions gets underway with a four game series starting Feb. 14th against Southeastern Louisiana University at 6 p.m. streaming live on ESPN+ while the home portion of the schedule will kick off Feb. 28th when the Lions host Illinois State University