Monday, March 31, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – A cycle has earned Luke Reinschmidt of Montana State Billings Red Lion GNAC Player of the Week honors for baseball.

Reinschmidt is one of nine that athletes to earn the weekly Red Lion award.  Following is a recap of this week’s winners:

Baseball: Player – Luke Reinschmidt, Montana State Billings (CF, R/R, 5-11, So., Billings, MT) hit for the cycle in the Yellowjackets’ 16-7 win over Northwest Nazarene  Friday. Reinschmidt logged an RBI double in the first inning, and singled up the middle to lead off the third. The sophomore’s home run came in the fifth inning, with a solo shot to right field that pushed MSUB in front 10-2. Saving the toughest leg for last, Reinschmidt shot an RBI triple to center field in the top of the ninth to spark a three-run Yellowjacket rally. The center fielder handled all four of his chances over the two-game stretch error-free, and finished the week with a slugging percentage of 1.250.

Pitcher – Stuart Fewel, Central Washington (RHP, R/R, 6-5, Sr., Portland, OR – Lower Columbia CC) tossed a complete game, propelling the Wildcats to a 5-1 victory over Saint Martin’s Sunday. Fewel allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out two batters and walking none in nine innings. The senior retired the first six Saints batters and 12 of the first 13 he faced. Only two runners advanced past first base on the day, as an SMU home run in the fifth inning was the lone blemish against Fewel.

Honorable Mention – Kaleb DeHaas, Northwest Nazarene (UT, R/R, 6-0, Coeur d’Alene, ID – Coeur d’Alene); Kasey Bielec, Central Washington (3B, R/R, Jr., 5-11, Port Orchard, WA – North Mason); Parker Miles, Western Oregon (2B, R/R, 5-9, Sr., Salem, OR – UC Santa Barbara); Aaron Vaughn, Northwest Nazarene (RHP, R/R, 5-11, Sr., Tucson, AZ – Pusch Ridge Christian Academy); Jesse Pratt, Western Oregon (RHP, R/R, 6-5, Jr., Monmouth, OR – Chemeketa CC); Joseph Balfour, Saint Martin’s (RHP S/R, 5-10, Fr., Sherwood, OR – Sherwood).

Men's Golf: Austin Spicer, Saint Martin’s (Fr., Gresham, OR - Gresham) placed fourth at the Cal Baptist invitational, logging a three-under par 213 over three rounds. Spicer was in a three-way tie for first place after the first round, as he shot a tournament-low 67. The freshman finished with rounds of 71 and 75, landing him six strokes behind the tournament champion. 

Honorable Mention – Chris Hatch, Western Washington (Fr., Mukilteo, WA – Kamiak); Michael Belle, Simon Fraser (Sr., Burnaby, BC – St. Thomas More); Connor Magnuson, Northwest Nazarene (Jr., Albany, OR – Linfield).

Softball: Player - Kaleigh Keating, Western Washington (2B, 5-4, Sr., Salinas, CA – Notre Dame Salinas) had eight hits in 17 at bats, including a game-ending two-out single in the ninth inning in a 4-3 win over Central Washington as the Vikings swept doubleheaders with their arch-rivals and Simon Fraser.  Keating’s hit against CWU was her third of the game.  Earlier, with her team trailing 2-0 in the fifth, she singled to drive in WWU’s first run.  She also had two stolen bases, increasing her career total to 35, which ranks 14th in conference history.  Pitcher – Sam Munger, Saint Martin’s (5-6, Jr., Everett, WA - Cascade) recorded her 50th and 51st career victories with 3-2 and 10-2 wins at MSU Billings to move into a tie for third place on the GNAC all-time victory list.  On the week, she pitched three complete games, allowing just three earned runs in 21 innings.  At the plate, she had six hits in 14 at bats, including a home run.

Honorable Mention – Melanie Pfeiffer, Western Oregon (SS, 5-3, Sr., Reno, NV – Wooster); Kelli Demianew, Western Oregon (P, 5-10, Jr., Pendleton, OR) ; Lacey McGladrey, Saint Martin’s (2B, 5-4, Sr., Bothell, WA); Justine Callen,  Northwest Nazarene (P-OF, 5-9, So., Oregon City, OR – Redmond).

Men’s Track & Field: Track -  Brady Beagley, Western Oregon (Sr., Grants Pass, OR – North Valley) placed fifth in the 5,000 meters at the Willamette Invitational in a provisional national qualifying time of 14:35.37.  That time currently ranks eighth in Division II.  It also is the third best in WOU school history.  He also currently ranks fourth nationally in the 1,500 meter.  Field – Anthony Montanez, MSU Billings (So., Lovell, WY) had a  throw of 160-11 in the hammer, breaking the Yellowjacket school record by 23 feet.  His mark was the longest by a non-Division I athlete in the University of Montana Al Manuel Invitational.

Women’s Track & Field: Track – Katelyn Steen, Western Washington (Jr., Sammamish, WA - Eastlake) won the 3000 meter steeplechase at the Club Northwest Spring Break Open in a provisional national qualifying time of 10:54.78.  Her time is nearly half a minute quicker than anyone else in the conference this spring.  Field -  Lindsay Wells, Western Washington (Sr., Seattle, WA – Nathan Hale) finished first in the Spring Break Open in the hammer in a PNQ of 171-1.  That’s 13 feet farther than anyone else has thrown the implement this spring. 

Honorable Mention – Jessica Pahkala, Alaska Anchorage (So., Wasilla, AK);  Michaela Farner, Seattle Pacific (Jr., Molalla, OR).