ANTWERP, Belgium — Four Pepperdine alumni are helping put one of Europe's emerging baseball nations on the international map. 

Former Waves standout Luke Salas will serve as manager of the Croatian national team at the 2025 European Baseball Championship, joined on the program's leadership and coaching staff by Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Famer Steve Rodriguez and fellow former Waves players Chase d'Arnaud and Zach Vincej. The competition will take place Sept. 20-27 in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, hosted by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

For Salas ('07, MPP '10), the road to Croatia runs straight through his nonprofit, Baseball For Good, which he founded in 2015 to "share baseball and inspire players around the world through play, teaching, and generosity." The organization has since built fields in countries like Ukraine, shipped thousands of pieces of donated equipment to underserved communities, and developed an ambassador program that sends American coaches abroad to help nations strengthen their baseball infrastructure. Croatia became the first country to formally partner with the initiative, paving the way for Salas' appointment as national team manager after leading the country's U‑23 squad during European qualifiers in 2024.

Salas' passion for international baseball traces back even further, as he spent much of his post-college career blending travel, sport, and service. After Pepperdine, Salas played in the Texas Rangers organization and then in Cuba, as those early experiences gave him a firsthand look at how baseball could unite cultures, create opportunity, and inspire the next generation.

"It's a true honor to lead Croatia as we use baseball to change lives," said Salas. "Pepperdine gave me the foundation to be here, and now standing alongside Steve, Chase, and Zach makes this moment even more powerful. We're not just representing Croatia; we're proudly carrying the spirit of the United States and Pepperdine with us."

To lead that effort, Salas assembled a staff that blends international experience with deep baseball knowledge. That group includes Rodriguez ('92), one of the most decorated players in Pepperdine history. A two‑time All‑American second baseman, Rodriguez helped guide the Waves to their first and only national championship in 1992, earning West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors while setting a single‑season school record with 104 hits, a mark that still stands today.

After making his major league debut in 1995, Rodriguez returned to Pepperdine as an assistant coach and later led the Waves as head coach from 2004 to 2015, capturing five WCC titles and amassing more than 400 wins. He then served as head coach at Baylor University for seven seasons and most recently was an assistant coach at the University of Texas.

"To share the dugout in Croatia, and other parts of Europe, with former Pepperdine players who were not only some of my best athletes but are now remarkably successful leaders themselves is humbling," said Rodriguez. "It's a reminder that the impact of Pepperdine Baseball extends far beyond Malibu. Isaiah asks us to lengthen the cords of our tent, and I believe we are doing that not only on the field but off the field as well."

Two of the most accomplished Waves on the diamond help round out the staff in Chase d'Arnaud and Zach Vincej.

d'Arnaud played three seasons with the Waves from 2006-08 under Rodriguez, helping the Waves to an NCAA Regional in each season. He remains one of nine players in program history to achieve All-American honors as a freshman as he totaled a .309 batting average in his Pepperdine career. d'Arnaud went on to play seven seasons in Major League Baseball with six different teams from 2011-18 after being selected in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Vincej also played under Rodriguez for the Waves from 2010-12, leading Pepperdine to a WCC Championship and NCAA Regional in 2012. After hitting .339 and winning the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Vincej received the Brooks Wallace Award in 2012, given annually to the top collegiate shortstop in the nation. Vincej went on to play in the majors in 2017 with the Cincinnati Reds and in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners, after being selected by the Reds in the 2012 MLB Draft.

Both d'Arnaud and Vincej returned to Pepperdine for the 2020-21 academic year to finish their degrees, having both left following their junior season to pursue professional baseball after being drafted.

Baseball in Croatia began in December 1918 when a group of US sailors introduced the game to the city of Split, but the first official club in Croatia was formed in 1975. The Croatian Baseball Association was formed in 1986 and the first Croatian baseball season was played after the Croatian independence in 1992. The Croatian senior National Team played in its first European Championship in 1999 and have been a fixture in the tournament ever since.

The 2025 European Baseball Championship, set for later this month, will bring together the continent's top national teams in a showcase of the sport's growth across Europe. For Croatia, it represents a major step forward and for Salas and his staff, it's a chance to combine their Pepperdine roots, coaching expertise, and shared passion for global baseball development.

Croatia enters the tournament ranked No. 37 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Rankings, holding a No. 13 ranking among countries in Europe.

Croatia will begin competition at the 2025 European Baseball Championship with group play from Sept. 20-22 in Antwerp, Belgium. They were drawn into Group D alongside Hungary, Austria and Belgium.

Sept. 20: Croatia vs. Hungary - 10 a.m. CEST / 1 a.m. PT
Sept. 21: Croatia vs. Austria - 10 a.m. CEST / 1 a.m. PT
Sept. 22: Croatia vs. Belgium - 6:30 a.m. CEST / 9:30 p.m. PT (Sept. 21)

The top two teams from the group will qualify for the final round in Rotterdam, Netherlands, while the remaining teams will remain in Belgium to compete to avoid relegation. Streaming information for the tournament can be found here.

The knockout stages will then begin on Sept. 24 with the championship game slated for Saturday, Sept. 27 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The full schedule for the tournament can be viewed here.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE ATHLETICS
Pepperdine University boasts one of the most successful athletic programs in the country for a school of its size. The Waves have claimed 10 NCAA Division I team championships and 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

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