Wednesday, February 26, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – Kicking off the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball schedule this weekend, preseason favorite Western Oregon is set to host Central Washington in a four-game series in Monmouth, Ore., while Saint Martin’s heads east to take on Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho.

The series between WOU (6-7) and CWU (4-4) was originally scheduled to be played in Ellensburg, but because of unplayable field conditions games will now be played in Monmouth. The series is set to run Friday and Saturday, with noon Pacific time doubleheaders on both days.

The series in Nampa also runs Friday and Saturday, beginning with a 4 p.m. Mountain time doubleheader Friday and wrapping up with a noon doubleheader Saturday.

Montana State Billings (1-7) continues preseason play this weekend, traveling to Portland to challenge British Columbia, Lewis-Clark State and Concordia. The Yellowjackets will square off with LC-State at 11 a.m. Pacific on Friday and challenge Concordia following at 2 p.m. MSUB turns around to take on UBC on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the finale. 

RECAP

MSUB senior Brad Birch earned Red Lion Player of the Week accolades after scoring four runs in the Yellowjackets’ 5-4 triumph over Dixie State on Saturday. Birch’s solo home run in the top of the seventh inning proved to be the deciding factor in MSUB’s first win of the season.

Right-hander Matt Eames (0-0, 4.09 ERA) of MSUB was named Red Lion Pitcher of the week, as he tossed seven quality innings against DSU on Friday, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts in a 2-1 loss. Eames didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and took a no-decision in the game. 

Overall, the ‘Jackets dropped the series to DSU three games to one as the Red Storm won Game 2 on Saturday 6-4 and sent MSUB packing on Sunday in a 9-3 win.

Northwest Nazarene (4-9) rode strong performances by Tyler Marsh at the plate and Colben McGuire (1-1, 2.11 ERA) on the mound to a 3-1 series victory over visiting Hawaii-Hilo on Monday and Tuesday. Marsh became the first GNAC player to log a 4-hit game this season, and he scored three of the Crusaders’ nine runs in a wild 10-9 loss on Tuesday.

After the strong performance in Game 1 on Tuesday, Marsh turned around and fired 6 1/3 scoreless innings from the mound in Game 2, as he allowed three hits and no walks with two strikeouts to pick up the victory in the 4-0 triumph.

McGuire pitched NNU to victory in the first game of the series, allowing no runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts in a 7-4 result. Fellow right-hander Aaron Vaughn (2-1, 1.89 ERA) followed with a 7-inning complete game in Game 2 – his second of 2014 – and earned the win as he allowed one earned run on seven hits with three strikeouts.

Nick Morelli also had a big series for NNU, batting 7-for-15 with three doubles, a triple, five runs scored and five batted in. 

Saint Martin’s (1-6) junior Chandler Tracy continued his ascent up the GNAC all-time home runs list, launching his third of the season in a narrow 2-1 win over Willamette on Friday. Tracy drove in both of SMU’s runs, which helped starter Zach Carter (1-0, 3.29 ERA) collect his first win of the season. Tracy is now tied with NNU’s Zach Aakhus (2007-08) for fifth-most home runs in GNAC history with 23, and is six shy of tying all-time leader Jamie Nilsen of CWU (2005-08).

Western Oregon’s Matt Taylor posted a solid week, going 7-for-20 with three doubles, a home run and seven RBI. Taylor Hetrick (1-0, 0.90 ERA) was effective from the mound for WOU, tossing five innings of relief and allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts in the 8-4 loss to LC State in Game 1 on Saturday. Eric Huson (1-0, 2.40 ERA) picked up the win in WOU’s only victory of the week, scattering five hits and one run over six innings with two strikeouts in a 6-1 final in Game 2 on Saturday. 

The Wolves dropped 3-of-4 games from LC State, and fell 6-3 to Concordia on Tuesday in their final tune up before conference play begins this weekend.