Wednesday, March 4, 2020

DALLAS – Conference play hit the ground running for the GNAC’s six baseball teams as last week’s top performers were recognized on a regional scale, earning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) West Region Players of the Week honors.

Concordia senior Sasha Jabusch, the GNAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week, also earned NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week honors after he picked up the complete-game shutout in the Cavaliers’ 1-0 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday to open conference play. Jabusch allowed just three hits while walking one and striking out 15. His 15 strikeouts tied the GNAC single-game record.

The shutout gem earned Jabusch his first win of the season as he lowered his earned run average to 3.20, which ranks fifth in the conference. He leads the league with 33 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.

The reigning GNAC Baseball Player of the Week, Northwest Nazarene senior third baseman Shawn Grandmont was named the NCBWA West Region Player of the Week after he batted .412 as the Nighthawks won three out of four games at Central Washington last week. Grandmont went 7 for 17 with six runs scored, eight RBI and four home runs.

Grandmont opened conference play with home runs in each of the Nighthawks’ wins on Friday. He followed by going 3 for 5 with a solo homer and a grand slam in the Nighthawks’ 10-9 loss on Saturday and then finished the week with a 2 for 3 performance in the 3-1 finale.

It’s only fitting that Concordia and Northwest Nazarene collide this week. The Nighthawks will host the Cavs in a four-game series starting Friday. Both teams are 3-1 in conference play.