SAN FRANCISCO – Intent on making their first postseason appearance in program history, Academy of Art baseball would see a year full of success in 2021 en route to capturing the Pacific West Conference Northern California Pod title and capping off their season by appearing in the PacWest AQ Pod Series. 

Beginning the season against Fresno Pacific, the Urban Knights pounded out 21 runs on 33 hits during a doubleheader sweep in Fresno, Calif. on Mar. 6 before walking off a winner on Mar. 8 thanks to an RBI single from graduate student outfielder Andrew Shebloski. Pitching was equally as strong, beginning with 14 consecutive scoreless innings in the first of the doubleheaders. Graduate student right-hander Matthew Sanchez was responsible for the first eight of those frames, scattering three hits while striking out four, earning him both the PacWest Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 8) and the NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 10). It was the first time an Urban Knights hurler earned the regional award in program history. Meanwhile, every ART U batter would record at least one hit during the season opener, and by the end of the series, the Knights had totaled 31 runs scored. Collecting at least one base knock in every game was sophomore outfielder Hayato Niki (7-for-16, .438), and sophomore third baseman Adam Inouye was the first Knight to be named PacWest Player of the Week after going 7-for-18 (.389) with five runs scored and two RBI.

ART U made it consecutive series wins to begin the year after they took three of four from Holy Names, splitting a pair of games on Mar. 12 before dominating their way to a total of 25 runs on 24 hits during a twin bill sweep on Mar. 13. Trailing by one and heading into the top of the ninth, Academy of Art plated three runs to earn the come-from-behind 7-5 win during the series opener, and the bats came alive on day two when the Knights tied the second-most runs scored in a single game in ART U history. It was the most runs scored in a single game since they also plated 17 against Central Washington on Feb. 9, 2020, but would not be the only time that they would score 17 runs in a game this season. Leading the way was junior outfielder Ty Conrad, whose three-run homer put the finishing touches on a 10-run eighth inning during game three, and posted four consecutive two-hit games (8-for-17, .471) with seven runs scored, nine RBI, and the home run by the end of the series. Five of Conrad's RBI came during the third contest, which is tied for the most in a single game in ART U history, with the first to do so being current ART U assistant coach Stefen Henderson on Apr. 2, 2012.

Set for their first rematch of PacWest NorCal Pod play against FPU, a doubleheader sweep of the Sunbirds on Mar. 25 would give ART U eight wins in their first 10 contests, scoring double-digit runs for the third time in the early season after an 11-4 win in the series-opening game. There were two stellar outings for ART U on the hill, as only five runs were scored by the Sunbirds on the day thanks to the efforts of Sanchez and senior Jayson Summers, as both collected their second win of the season after work and combined for 16 strikeouts. Offense would come to life late in both contests, as junior first baseman Vincent Lontz was 4-for-7 with two runs batted in and a double, while junior designated hitter Noah Daubin was 3-for-7 with three runs scored, three RBI, a home run and two doubles. However, Fresno Pacific would return the favor with a twin bill sweep at FPU Diamond on Mar. 27. 

Matching up with the Hawks for a second series would see HNU take three of four from Academy of Art, sweeping a doubleheader on Apr. 2 before the two teams split a pair of games the following day on Apr. 3. For the second time this season, ART U would score exactly 17 runs in a single game, this time doing so in game three of the series on a program-record tying 23 hits (also: vs. Central Washington, Feb. 9, 2020). Daubin would pick up second win of 2021 after ending his performance with just three runs allowed, only two of which were earned, over 8.0 innings to pair with six strikeouts. 

In what was the final of three series meetings against Fresno Pacific, ART U split the first two games with the Sunbirds on Apr. 15. Tied at 2-2 heading late the series opener, a trio of two-run innings late in the contest would help Academy of Art grab the momentum en route to the 8-3 victory. Despite the game one win, Fresno Pacific would be the one to have the day's last laugh, sweeping a doubleheader from the College of Alameda on Apr. 17. Game three was an exciting contest that would take extra innings to decide, but despite ART U reaching double-digits for the fifth time this season (the most since they did so in 2019), a Fresno Pacific home run would be the game-changer in the top of the 11th inning. A base knock from redshirt junior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero in game three would extend both his hitting streak (16 games) and reached base safely streak (19 games), but both would come to an end in the series finale. The reached base safely streak ties an ART U single-season program record, having been set by Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge in 2013.

Looking to end PacWest NorCal Pod play on a winning note, the Knights won the final three of four games during their final meetings with Holy Names on Apr. 23 and 24 to close out conference play with a 13-11 record. Jayson Summers would set a new career-best in strikeouts with 10 (previous: nine, twice this year) during his fourth-complete game as the two teams split day one, scattering three hits with only one earned run allowed in 7.0 innings pitched as ART U Head Coach Dan McDermott collected his 100th win in seven seasons at the helm of Academy of Art baseball (779th overall victory in 29 seasons as a collegiate head coach). The offense was booming for the Knights as they closed out the series with a doubleheader sweep, starting with a program-best three triples during game three before a three-run home run from graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa set the stage for a late-game comeback in the finale. 

Looking to stay sharp while their hopes for the PacWest NorCal Pod title hung in the air, ART U got their first taste of action outside of Northern California against familiar foe Concordia, playing the fellow PacWest SoCal member in non-conference action as each hosted a four-game series. While the Eagles would take the first two from the College of Alameda, ART U would send out their seven seniors with a Senior Day doubleheader split thanks to a stellar starting outing from junior right-hander Collin Carriger. After the Knights had said honored Andrew Shebloski, Jacob Hord, Justin Summers, Jayson Summers, Fabian Barcena, Austin LaBarber, and Matthew Sanchez, the attention turned to Carriger as he set the ART U program record for strikeouts in a single-game when he punched out 14 batters during a complete game, three-hit shutout win (seven innings). It passed the previous high of 13 that had been done three times (most recent: Cannon Secrist on Feb. 21, 2020). Carriger's efforts would help him to be named both the PacWest and the NCBWA Pitcher of the Week on May 3. 
 

Set for the rematch, Academy of Art traveled down south to battle against Concordia on their turf, and while they would win the first of four games thanks to a pair of home runs, it was the Eagles who would take the final three games ART U's regular season. However, the Knights were watching the scoreboard for updates on the battle between Holy Names and Fresno Pacific, and the Hawks were able to defeat the Sunbirds in three out of four games to help ART U achieve its goal of reaching the postseason for the first time. 

Meeting up with fellow PacWest members in SoCal champion and No. 17/15 Azusa Pacific, as well as Hawaii champion UH Hilo, the Knights would battle each team in a pair of games. ART U would draw the doubleheader on May 20, dropping the first game of the PacWest AQ Pod Series to the hosting Cougars by a final of 14-2. Needing a quick rebound, the Knights would score early and often, using a pair of four-run innings en route to the 8-5 victory.Four Urban Knights had multi-hit games, with Lontz and Daubin each chipping in a pair of RBI and a double. Three others would also drive in a run, highlighted by a 2-for-4 game from Gamboa and Conrad, with Conrad also scoring a pair of runs. Summers would earn the win on the mound in his seven-inning effort, while Carriger kept the Vulcans to just three hits in two innings.

Both teams would turn around and face off again the next day on May 21, with the script starting much the same. Academy of Art would hold a four-run lead after the top of the ninth, but the Vulcans stormed back and tied the game in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings.Though the Knights would score once in the top of the 11th, the UH Hilo would cross home plate twice in response to walk off winners 8-7. In ART U's final game of the pod series on May 22, the Cougars would cruise to the 9-0 victory. 

In a year full of such success, four Urban Knights would have their play recognized by being named to an All-PacWest Team. Conrad and Jayson Summers would both earn All-PacWest Second Team honors, while Ruggiero and Shebloski would both collect All-PacWest Third Team awards. The four players earning All-PacWest honors are tied for the most in ART U history, doing so in consecutive seasons after having had four representatives on an All-PacWest Team in 2019 (no awards given in 2020). Combining their production helped lead the Urban Knights to the second-best batting average as a team in the PacWest at .303 (first: APU, .337) while ranking fifth in ERA (5.78).

Taking it a step further was Conrad, who would go on to pick up not just one but two All-Region awards, beginning with 2021 D2CCA All-Region Second Team honors on May 26. His final award would come in the form of a 2021 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA DII West All-Region Second Team selection on June 2, as he was just the second Urban Knight in program history to be named to both All-Region teams, following in the footsteps of Thomas Delgadillo in 2019. The anchor to the ART U lineup en route to a PacWest NorCal Pod title, Conrad ended his season in the top-10 of the PacWest in four different categories, including runs scored (6th, 35), hits (t-3rd, 46), runs batted in (8th, 33), and stolen bases (t-10th, 8). His .338 average was the best on the Knights, and he led in the team in home runs (t-1st, 4), slugging percentage (1st, .493), and OPS (1st, .910). 

Though the Knights sent off seven seniors, for a team that just made its first postseason appearance and returns a solid core, the future remains bright for Academy of Art.