The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
When Phillip Berman took over as baseball coach at his alma mater three years ago, he knew it would take some steps to get the Panthers where he wanted them: back in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Under the new CIF-SS competitive equity format, he knew that if he could get the Panthers into the postseason, they’d be able to make some noise.
The Panthers aren’t quite there yet, as they fell just one win short of a .500 record this year and at-large playoff eligibility. But 2025 will be remembered as the year that Jordan took another big step forward under Berman.
“My first year we lost 10 games in a row including one to Lakewood where I think they graciously reported it as 18-0 when it was probably closer to 30,” said Berman with a chuckle. “This year we were maybe one more clutch hit or defensive play away from beating Lakewood and potentially winning a coin flip for an automatic spot.”
The Panthers were indeed just a play away from beating the Lancers on the road earlier this season in a game where Lakewood walked it off. The Panthers ended up finishing one win short of the .500 record they needed, falling 18-17 in their last game of the season.
“I think in our league it’s harder to make the playoffs than it is to make a playoff run almost,” said Berman. “We started four freshmen and two sophomores this year and we feel really good about the future. This isn’t the end of it–we’re going to keep going forward and getting better and better. We’re playing teams tough, our only avenue going forward isn’t just an at-large.”
