In several respects, Lewis-Clark State’s 2021 baseball season could essentially be a redo.

And the Warriors can take solace in that 2020 could have been a short preview — by all appearances, in each position group, they were hitting a late stride.

Then came March 16. The NAIA pulled the plug on all sports seasons and the Avista NAIA World Series because of concerns with the spread of the coronavirus.

LCSC had to settle for a 15-5 record (10-2 in NAIA West). The Warriors had won nine straight, mostly cracked their lineup questions — while teasing out a crew of standouts — and were trending toward mound stability.

“The results weren’t always there, especially early in the year, but I felt like we were starting to play real well and definitely going in the right direction,” second-year coach Jake Taylor said. “I certainly liked the character of our group. We had a whole bunch of guys who really cared for each other.

“There’s a lot of great ingredients for a real good returning team.”

Taylor said the Warriors will bring back “over 90 percent” of their roster, including several seniors who were granted another year of eligibility by the NAIA.

Big-hitting first baseman Brock Ephan and bullpen strikeout specialist Jesse Parker let Taylor know they’re staying.

“We didn’t get to finish the season on the right note, so I figured, ‘Why not go one more?’” said Ephan, an L-C legacy player from Hawaii who hit .338 with nine home runs and 24 RBI. He was 10th in the NAIA in home runs per game. “I talked to coach, and he said, ‘Once it’s over, it’s over.’ ... Things were clicking, and there’s nothing better than playing good baseball.”

Parker, from Preston, Idaho, struck out 30 in 25ž innings, allowing only two walks and posting a 2.81 ERA.

Starter Elias Moctezuma and reliever Jeremy Rabauliman have decided to move on. The two were key at times on the mound.

Taylor talked to his team after the NAIA made its decision, and told his players to take some time to figure out their next moves. Some, like rapidly rising Washington transfer Jack Johnson, are still thinking.

“I get it both ways,” Taylor said. “Some guys are ready to get a job, start their lives.”

If Taylor had to name the player who improved most in the course of seven months, he’d lean toward Johnson, a third baseman/outfielder who hit safely in every game, tallying six homers and 22 RBI with a .400 average. Among a couple others, Johnson — whose 1.7 hits per game ranked eighth in the country — could be an MLB draft prospect, provided it’s not affected by COVID-19.

After an 8-1 win against No. 14 William Jessup in their season opener, it got a little precarious for a Warriors team scrambling with injuries and illnesses on the mound, and with lineup uncertainties.

Taylor highlighted the need for fewer walks from his pitchers, and fewer strikeouts from his batters after L-C lost three of its four games at the competitive Coach Calderone Invitational in the Phoenix area, and dropped out of the top 25. The Warriors open 2021 on an equally tough southwest tour.

Afterward, it flipped. Between Feb. 1 and the season’s end, LCSC went 13-2. Granted, a chunk of those wins came against overmatched league competition. Yet during the stretch of success — highlighted by the winning streak at Harris Field — previously sidelined and quiet pitchers began to crop up, the offense was potent, and the fielding crisp ... save for two rough days against British Columbia.

“Overall, we started to get some more at-bats and more innings under our belts,” Taylor said. “The weather started turning nice. It’s tough at the beginning to travel down there ... to teams that never have to go inside.

“They just grew as a team more than anything. The results started to show on the field.”

L-C’s .978 fielding percentage tied for second in the NAIA. Its most crowd-delighting plays often came in the middle infield, from the electric L-C Valley duo of shortstop AJ Davis (Clarkston) and second baseman Riley Way (Lewiston). Virginia Tech transfer outfielder Dalton Harum had his fair share of wowing outs too.

Offensively, Lewiston’s Luke White rounded out the trio of .300-plus hitters, tacking on 14 RBI, 10 doubles and four home runs. Most others were right around that mark; L-C hit .291 as a team.

“That can be a well-balanced group. ... Consistent, with power,” Taylor said. “We’d like to add some left-handed bats in there, which I think we’ll get this upcoming year.”

The pitching staff held opponents to a .230 batting average, 17th nationally. A stellar corps of relievers was headed by Parker and GT Blackman, a starring sophomore back-end type whose 0.41 ERA was third in the country. He was 3-0 in 22 innings, during which he permitted eight hits, one run and struck out 22.

The starters were troubled initially in finding consistency. But Eric Chavarria (4-0, 1.00 ERA, three runs and 16 Ks in 27 innings) and Brooks Juhasz (2-0, 0.00 ERA, seven hits and 10 Ks in 14 innings) broke out as composed co-aces.

Freshman Cameron Smith and nicked-up senior Matt Driver threw some quality innings, and expected standout and UNLV transfer Sage Diehm comes back in 2021 after missing the year with an injury.

So Taylor has a lot to like in the future as he waits for clarification on issues like scholarship allotments, sifts through limited film and zones in on recruiting versatile players — from the confines of his office. His seemingly surging team should be similar, retaining its eligibility with fewer injuries and riding prior cohesion.

“Look for our guys to get better,” said Taylor, whose Warriors will be shooting for the program’s 20th national title and their first since 2017.

“It’s gonna be an interesting year.”

Clark may be reached at cclark@lmtribune.com, on Twitter @ClarkTrib or by phone at (208) 848-2260.