Wednesday, May 11, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Two of the top players involved in one of the closest races ever for the three spots in the GNAC Championships are among the top honorees on the 2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball All-Conference Team.

Crusaders’ second baseman Tyler Davis was selected as the conference’s Player of the Year nearly unanimously, earning all but one first place vote in the balloting. Western Oregon’s Brady Miller also received all but one first place vote to be named the league’s Pitcher of the Year.

Davis provided consistency for the Crusaders near the top of the batting order and was the league’s top power hitter. Through 48 games, Davis has compiled a .328 batting average with 60 hits. He ranks fourth in the GNAC with 40 RBI and 42 runs scored. His 14 home runs not only leads the league, but ranks 37th among Division II players. Davis went 2 for 3 with two home runs in a win over Azusa Pacific on Feb. 19. He also put together a two home run performance against Montana State Billings on Mar. 11 as he went 2 for 4 with three runs and four RBI.

Last week, Davis was selected as one of 40 semifinalists for the D2 Baseball News’ Tino Martinez Award, honoring the top Division II baseball player in the country.

Miller led a cadre of pitchers that helped Western Oregon make a late run into the GNAC Championships. The sophomore finished the regular season with a league-leading nine wins and a 3.27 earned run average. In 12 appearances and 74.1 innings, Miller allowed 39 runs, 27 earned, and struck out 82. Miller started the season with eight straight wins in his first nine appearances (one no decision), including a two-hit performance over eight innings with nine strikeouts against Concordia on Mar. 5.

Northwest Nazarene head coach Rocke Musgraves was selected by his peers as the Coach of the Year after he led the Crusaders to a share of its first GNAC championship in his third season in Nampa. The Crusaders went 28-20 in the regular season and 23-15 in conference play under Musgraves. Northwest Nazarene landed three players on the first team, including Davis, catcher Drew Helmstadter and outfielder Ryan Johnson.

Western Oregon’s Trevor Podratz was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year. A transfer from the Univ. of Hawaii, Podratz finshed the regular season third in the GNAC with a .381 average, which included 61 hits, 37 RBI, 15 doubles and five home runs. Podratz had 15 multi-hit games and broke out in the opener against Central Washington on May 6, going 4 for 6 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and six RBI.

Saint Martin’s pitcher Mickey Walker received the league’s Freshman of the Year award. Walker led the Saint Martin’s pitching staff with three wins and a 4.56 earned run average in 11 starts, allowing 44 runs, 38 earned, and striking out 59 in 75 innings. His best outing of the year came against Montana State Billings on Apr. 3 where he allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven in a 1-0 complete-game loss.

Central Washington led the first team with five selections: pitcher CJ Gettman, first baseman Jake Levin, second baseman Ryan Atkinson, shortstop Jon Dailey and outfielder Reid Martinez. Western Oregon landed four first team selections. Joining Miller and Podratz are starting pitcher Darrien Moran and outfielder Cody Sullivan. Montana State Billings finished with three first team selections: pitcher Cody Cooper, third baseman Kyle Durbin and outfielder Luke Reinschmidt. Pitcher Austin Hadley was Concordia’s lone first team selection in their first year in the GNAC. Of the 16 first team players, 14 were unanimous selections (coaches could not vote for their own players).

The 2016 GNAC Baseball All-Conference Team features 13 repeat selections. Reinschmidt earned first team selection for the third consecutive year while Helmstadter was named to his third all-conference team and received his second first team selection.