Thursday, May 15, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball Player of the Year Brody Miller of Montana State Billings and first team all-conference selection Chandler Tracy of Saint Martin’s were each named Daktronics first team all-West Region honorees announced Thursday.

Miller and Tracy were each also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first team, along with Central Washington right fielder Ethan Sterkel. 

Miller led the GNAC in hits with 67 this season, batting .392 with 16 doubles, six home runs and 34 RBI. The junior also led the league in on-base percentage at .498, and scored a team-high 37 runs for the Yellowjackets. 

Tracy, the GNAC career home runs leader with 31, led the conference in that category with 11 long balls this season. The junior batted .329 with 35 RBI, and led the GNAC in slugging percentage at .622.

Sterkel led the GNAC in batting and was the only player in the conference to break the .400 mark at .402 on the season. The senior had 12 doubles and a pair of home runs, and he struck out just eight times in more than 190 plate appearances. 

Earning Daktronics second team all-West Region honors were a trio of GNAC pitchers and another first team all-conference junior. 

Northwest Nazarene right-handed pitcher Aaron Vaughn and Central Washington right-hander and GNAC Pitcher of the Year Brandon Williams were each named Daktronics second team starting pitchers. 

Williams led the GNAC in ERA at 1.81 and strikeouts with 89, holding opponents to just a .216 batting average over his 79.2 innings of work. The junior tossed an eight-strikeout complete game shutout in the GNAC Baseball Championships, helping the Wildcats to their first ever conference title.

Vaughn was close behind Williams with 76 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched, logging seven complete games and an ERA of 3.32. Vaughn’s nine wins tied for the most in the conference this season.

CWU closer and shortstop Cory Welch was also a Daktronics second team honoree, after leading the GNAC with 11 saves. Welch was named GNAC Newcomer of the Year, after striking out 39 batters in 34 innings and allowing just two earned runs for a microscopic ERA of 0.53. His WHIP on the season was an even 1.00. 

Also earning Daktronics second team honors from Central Washington was junior Kasey Bielec, who was a first team all-GNAC pick as a utility player. Bielec hit .339 with 12 doubles and seven home runs, while leading the GNAC in RBI with 39 in his junior campaign.

Bielec, Williams and Welch were each also selected as NCBWA second team honorees. 

Earning NCBWA honorable mention honors were Eric Tinnell of Central Washington, Daniel McNabb of Western Oregon, and Travis Shaw of Saint Martin’s.

Cal Poly Pomona senior outfielder David Armendariz was named Daktronics and NCBWA West Region Player of the Year. Chico State senior Nick Baker was picked as Daktroncis West Region Pitcher of the Year, and Trevor Oaks of Cal Baptists earned the NCBWA honor for Pitcher of the Year.