The baseball team is off to a hot start in 2026, sporting a 17-8 overall record and 5-4 SCIAC record as of March 28. According to the Oxy Athletics website, the team also received votes in a recent American Baseball Coaches Association poll. It was Occidental baseball’s first appearance in the poll since 2019, which was also the last full season the team finished with a winning record.
Assistant coach Cameron McMullen said the team’s culture and approach has changed dramatically this season.
“When teams come and play Occidental now, they know it’s not going to be an easy series,” McMullen said. “We’re going into a really important stretch of our schedule, and I think what I’ve really enjoyed about this group is they’ve been really connected to what goes into the process of winning, rather than just winning itself.”
Outfielder Tyler Kubo (junior) has a batting average of .419, an on-base percentage of .550 and a slugging percentage of .930. Kubo said team chemistry is at an all time high.
“On the field [and] off the field the guys are family, and when you’re playing with your brothers, it makes the game a lot easier [and] a lot more fun,” Kubo said. “Obviously, you play a lot better when you’re having fun.”
Pitcher Aidan Alfers (junior) leads the team in wins and strikeouts over eight games started. Alfers said the team chemistry and connection is the best it’s ever been.
“[Occidental baseball] is definitely the most connected group I’ve been a part of in college,” Alfers said. “Everyone has recognized that and been able to elevate their leadership.”
Kubo said it’s easier to play well when you’re not trying to do too much.
“I’ve always put hard expectations on myself […] success doesn’t come often, and when it does, you really have to earn it,” Kubo said. “The biggest way I’ve been able to overcome those expectations is [by] doing the opposite. Not caring less, but not being so caught up in the results. One thing I was telling a teammate of mine was, ‘I could go for 4-for-4 in a game [or] I could go 0-4 in a game, and we’re all eating at the same dinner table after.’”
Kubo said in the past he had been too focused on mechanical issues instead of his approach.
“Every game, I was trying something new […] but when you’re in season and you’re in a game, you can’t be worried about all this outside stuff,” Kubo said. “It really has to be simplified. If you have all these things going through your mind, like, ‘Oh, my arm needs to be this way, or my stride needs to be like this,’ the ball’s already past you.”
Coming from a unique coaching background, McMullen said he’s challenged the hitters he works with by offering them different perspectives.
“I consider myself a hitting coach, not a swing coach,” McMullen said. “It’s a very slippery slope when you connect overly-analytical students with a very skill-specific task [like] the swing […] that can be a combustible combination at times. What I prefer to do is try and think about how to teach these guys how to hit so that they can make good decisions.”
McMullen said the work is far from over at this point in the season.
“This is the first time a lot of our players are playing meaningful baseball at this point in the year — maybe ever since they’ve been at Occidental,” McMullen said. “The reality is playing meaningful baseball is different. There’s pressure [and] there’s consequence […] but I think this group has shown every ability to be able to connect all these pieces and understand what goes into playing postseason baseball.”
McMullen said he believes the team is on a good trajectory for continued success.
“If we just continue to prioritize the right things and we continue to perform and execute the way that we have, then we control our own fate,” McMullen said.
According to Alfers, maturity has been a big focus for the pitching staff.
“When you get on that mound, you’re facing really good hitters in our conference,” Alfers said. “I really try [not] to focus on the batter […] it’s more just me versus myself and making sure I can do everything in my control to throw the pitch that’s called in the right location. It’s [about] carrying confidence with you.”
Alfers said Diego Ramirez, the team’s new mental skills coach, has helped him focus more in competition.
“[Ramirez] has really helped us [with] how to breathe up there on the mound, how to lower your heart rate [and] how to have positive self talk,” Alfers said.
Pitcher Malcolm Munnich (junior) is sporting a 2.89 ERA across eight appearances, and said he has settled into a regular bullpen role this season. According to Munnich, the players all share a deep bond that transcends the diamond.
“Our coach was saying the other day that he’s heard the word ‘love’ more than he’s ever heard it before on a team,” Munnich said. “[Players say], ‘I love you, man. I love you, dude.’ These guys are more than just my teammates.”
Munnich said the team has high aspirations, and that they’re approaching the rest of the season one step at a time.
“We want to be a playoff team,” Munnich said. “We want to be in these conversations. On the back of our [warm up shirts], we all have a [logo] that says ‘WIN,’ [which stands for] ‘What’s Important Now.’ [We’re] focusing on taking care of business in the moment.”
Contact Angus Kapstein Parkhill at parkhill@oxy.edu
