Santa Clara Vanguard is the only drum and bugle corps to hold a spot in every Drum Corps International finals since its inception in 1972.

Having improved each season since 2015, SCV could be on the doorstep of a seventh DCI World Championship this year. Here are three reasons why the corps looks primed for another special season heading into its debut at DCI West this Saturday in Stanford, CA.

Watch 2018 DCI West LIVE on FloMarching

Saturday, June 23 | 6:30 PM PT

History Says So

The corps from Northern California has six DCI World Championships and 16 medals, making it one of the most successful corps in the activity. After last year's second-place finish, an improvement from fourth the year before and fifth before that, Vanguard is on the right track.

Wondering why Brandt Crocker wasn’t announcing the @DCI Tour Premiere tonight? Well, we borrowed him. ? #SCV2018 #Babylon #THEVoiceOfDCI pic.twitter.com/1myKxlX85q

— Santa Clara Vanguard (@scvanguard) June 22, 2018

For the corps' last two DCI titles, the previous season resulted in a second-place finish for Vanguard. In 1988, the corps earned second-place only to follow it up with one of its most iconic shows ever, "Phantom of the Opera"—which won in 1989. In 2017, the corps experienced its first second-place finish since 1998.

It's In The Family

One thing to consider is the recent success of Vanguard Cadets as a feeder organization for the World Class corps. In the last five seasons, Vanguard Cadets have attained dominance in DCI's Open Class with three gold medals and two silvers. Two of those seasons included 16th-place finishes after making the trip to Indianapolis for the overall DCI World Championships. 

The World corps benefits directly from the success of the Open corps because the students can naturally progress through the training program to a higher level if they choose to pursue that option.

Babylon

SCV Visual Program Coordinator Andy Toth described the corps' 2018 program as "turning out to be one of the most physically and emotionally demanding shows we’ve produced in a while, and we’re so excited to see the performers share that experience with the audience.”

Will it be Vanguard's year to continue its progression and capture its seventh DCI World Championship title? Who cares. We just know this corps has the potential to be one of the best that we've seen in the last two decades from SCV and that's reason enough to get excited!

You can catch Santa Clara Vanguard performing its 2018 program, "Babylon," live on FloMarching on Saturday, June 23, at the 2018 DCI West!