RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Ascension is the key to success for both the California Baptist Lancers baseball program and its star outfielder, Nick Dumesnil.

Dumesnil is a highly touted baseball draft prospect for the 2025 draft class who will merit first-round consideration, while the Cal Baptist (CBU) program announced another step in its meteoric rise from NAIA to Division I baseball.

The Lancers baseball program has progressively produced professional talent as the program has made large-scale transitions and strides in its baseball program. Going to the NAIA to Division II program in 2010, to Division I program in 2019, to joining the Big West beginning in 2026-27, the Lancers continue to be one of the budding collegiate baseball programs in the nation.

As part of the program's growth came a rise in the quality of talent, which in turn has limited concerns from Major League scouts about Dumesnil's skillset and performance that they hope will transfer to professional baseball.

$\"Nick$

Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune

Nick Dumesnil #22 of California Baptist University poses for a portrait at James W. Totman Stadium on April 9, 2025 in Riverside, California.

Ranked the 35th best draft prospect by Baseball America, Dumesnil has a strong chance of becoming the highest drafted Cal Baptist player ever; surpassing Tyson Miller who was selected in the fourth-round (134th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

"It's been awesome being a part of the ascension of this program," Dumesnil said. "Having scouts watching all of our games is really cool and shows how far the program has gotten."

In the modern era of collegiate baseball where commercial license of athletes -- i.e., NIL contracts -- have players transferring from program to program at a larger rate than ever before, commitment to a singular program has started to draw away from the norm and become a rarity.

$\"Nick$

Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune

Nick Dumesnil #22 of California Baptist University poses for a portrait at James W. Totman Stadium on April 9, 2025 in Riverside, California.

The commitment towards, and from, Dumesnil is a standout for Cal Baptist head coach Gary Adcock.

A quarter of Lancers starters from the 2024 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title runner-up squad hit the transfer portal -- landing elsewhere in the process -- the focus for Adcock was on keeping Dumesnil, who had come off a career season, hitting .362 with 19 home runs and a 1.142 OPS.

The day after the 2024 season ended, Adcock drove immediately to the Dumesnil household to speak with Nick and his parents -- Dave and Daisy -- upon which he received a candid response: "I'm not leaving."

Dumesnil went on to tell his coach of how CBU was the only program to offer him a scholarship out of high school, where he hit .270 while batting seventh for Huntington Beach High School.

"I'm taking CBU to a regional," Dumesnil continued in his response to Adcock. "If I'm good enough or when I'm good enough, I will make money in the draft, or I'll make it in the big leagues."

$\"Nick$

Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune

Nick Dumesnil #22 of California Baptist University poses for a portrait at James W. Totman Stadium on April 9, 2025 in Riverside, California.

Adcock sat in awe of the commitment from his star player.

"That gives me chills to have a guy that is that loyal and has that much pride in the program," Adcock said while remembering the moment, "because I think he feels like (this staff and team) helped him become the player he is."

Dumesnil then went to play summer ball in the Cape Cod League -- the premier amateur wood bat league -- where he was named one of the league's All-Stars and saw his draft stock rise dramatically.

However, years prior to that, Dumesnil was not as sought after as he is now.

$\"Nick$

Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune

Nick Dumesnil #22 of California Baptist University poses for a portrait at James W. Totman Stadium on April 9, 2025 in Riverside, California.

As Nick Dumesnil stepped foot on campus at Huntington Beach High School, he was aware of the school's history of producing professional and big league talent.

Two years before his freshman season, the program saw two players taken in the first two rounds of the draft, with Nick Pratto being a first-round pick by Kansas City and Hagen Danner being a second-round pick by Toronto.

As a sophomore, he would share the outfield with Dodgers 2020 third-round pick Jake Vogel; and would continue splitting time in the outfield with six fellow Division I players.

Brett Barrera, an infielder during his freshman season, went on to be an eighth-round pick for the New York Yankees.

Even as a senior, Dumesnil was not viewed as the best hitter or one of the best hitters at the school, with junior Ralphy Velazquez one year short of becoming a first-round pick by Cleveland.

When all was said and done, Dumesnil would have over 20 teammates over his four years with Huntington Beach go on to play in either Division I or professional baseball, while he was batting near the bottom of the order.

"I went to a really good high school," Dumesnil said, "but I worked super hard and felt I was just as good, if not better, than some of the guys going to these big schools."

$\"CBU$

Paige Creason - The Sporting Tribune

CBU outfielder Nicholas Dumesnil (22) smiles at his teammate during the college baseball game against the GCU Lopes Friday April 4th, 2025 at California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif.

Though Dumesnil was a standout athlete, it wasn't until a game prior to his senior year that Cal Baptist took notice.

Following a game at Great Park in Irvine, California, CBU assistant coach Justin Hixson saw Dumesnil and raised the flag for Adcock to go see him play. Soon after, Adcock was enamored.

"He hit a ball in right center and it sounded different," Adcock said. "It just went different and he floated from first to third."

Adcock discussed Dumesnil with well-respected Huntington Beach baseball coach Benji Madure, who told him about Nick's superb athleticism, his strength, and his speed, but the fact that he had not put everything together and become a complete baseball player.

"Ding! Ding! Mid-major Division I recruit," Adcock said with a laugh. "A scout once told me, 'Don't be a fool, draft the tools. He had the tools, but just wasn't a baseball player yet. That is something we have to go on and gamble on."

The gamble and decision to offer Dumesnil a scholarship turned into a winning ticket as not only is he destined to become the highest selected Lancer in MLB Draft history, but has also brought record-setting performance to the program.

"Nick is a testament to where you get some players that just think, 'Hey, you developed me. You built me. I'm loyal to you. I want to help this program get to (higher successes)," Adcock said.

$\"Nick$

Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune

Nick Dumesnil #22 of California Baptist University poses for a portrait at James W. Totman Stadium on April 9, 2025 in Riverside, California.

The pressure of being a touted draft prospect from a program that hasn't produced a first, or second, or third-round talent before can be taxing.

"We've got to do a better job of making him feel like he doesn't have to win the game by himself," said Adcock. "Managing expectations, not so much for the draft, but he loves and cares about this program so much he wants to manage the expectations of our program and overtake (our competitors)."

Though Dumesnil sees scouts file in before games to watch him take batting and fielding practice, he tends to pay little attention.

"I'm just focusing on this season and trying to win a WAC Championship," Dumesnil said. "Last year, we were nine innings away and we're really focusing on getting past those nine innings."

Though Dumesnil's focus remains on winning baseball games, the scouts have a focus on his tools while trying to isolate what makes him better than all other players across the country.

Praised for his athleticism, his defensive prowess and speed have started to be the scout's perception of the primary carrying tools to future big league success.

Frequently posting 4.2 second home-to-first times -- regarded as "plus" or "well above-average" -- his natural speed, ability to use it and aggression in the oufield add value to his draft profile and status as a player who could handle playing center field at the highest professional levels.

At the plate, Dumesnil has a hitting foundation that allows him to swing with intent and showcase his bat speed which produces hard contact to all fields, making him a rare up-the-middle defender with both power and speed.

"Whether it's hitting, fielding or baserunning, I go full speed and I'm super aggressive," Dumesnil says.

$\"CBU$

Paige Creason - The Sporting Tribune

CBU outfielder Nicholas Dumesnil (22) throws to home plate during the college baseball game against the GCU Lopes Friday April 4th, 2025 at California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif.

Some of that aggression has hindered his 2025 season, while breaking balls have caused some swing-and-miss in his game where metrics hold high value in the draft room among scouts and baseball executives.

In 2025, Dumesnil is hitting .375 with a 1.101 OPS against fastballs, with four home runs. Against breaking balls, he is batting .259 with .791 OPS, and two home runs.

"I can sometimes get a little too aggressive at the plate," Dumesnil laughed. "I love to swing. I love to hit. And sometimes I can just swing a little too much."

Despite some of the swing-and-miss against breaking pitches and the aggression, Dumesnil still retains a high draft status and is projected to be a first or second-round selection during the MLB Draft in July.

"I'm just really happy that all the hard work I put in throughout the years has now gotten me here," Dumesnil said. "It's like a dream talking to these big league teams. I've always wanted to be a pro baseball player and it's cool that it can be a possibility."

$\"Nick$

Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune

Nick Dumesnil #22 of California Baptist University poses for a portrait at James W. Totman Stadium on April 9, 2025 in Riverside, California.

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All statistics, rankings and data are as of April 15, 2025*

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