Thursday, March 12, 2020

CANTWELL SLUGS WAY TO REGIONAL HONORS: For the second straight week, a GNAC player has earned West Region Player of the Week honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Montana State Billings senior first baseman Tanner Cantwell led the Yellowjackets with a .583 batting average, going 7 for 12 with three runs, six RBI, four doubles and two home runs. He compiled a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.417 slugging percentage in three games at Saint Martin’s.

In Friday’s opener, Cantwell went 1 for 4 with a two-run home run in a seven-run second inning in the Yellowjackets’ 15-6 win. He then went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored as MSUB lost Friday’s nightcap, 11-3. Cantwell closed the week by going 4 for 4 with three doubles, a homer and four RBI in a 12-8 loss in the finale.

Cantwell leads the GNAC and ranks 34th in Division II with eight doubles. He is second in the conference with 22 hits, third with a .700 slugging percentage, fourth with 14 RBI, sixth with a .367 batting average and a .465 on-base percentage and seventh with 14 runs scored.

Montana State Billings is 11-6-1 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play. The Yellowjackets lead the conference in batting average (.302), slugging percentage (.553), on-base percentage (.379), hits (175), runs (135), RBI (126) and home runs (30).

WOLVES ON THE HILL: Western Oregon leads the conference with a 4.37 earned run average and a .212 opponent batting average and has allowed just 74 hits this season.

Senior Logan Hatley was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week after he threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in a 3-0 win over Central Washington on Saturday as the Wolves split their four-game series. Hatley allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out 13. He allowed just four base runners, none of them passing second base. Hatley leads the conference with a 0.69 earned run average and a .106 opponent batting average.

REPRESENTATION IN THE RANKINGS: Montana State Billings dropped two spots to No. 7 in the latest NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings. Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon are among others receiving votes. UC San Diego remains at No. 1 in the rankings and received all eight first-place votes.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Tanner Cantwell, Montana State Billings
1B • 6-0 • Sr. • Eugene, Ore.

Cantwell compiled a .583 batting average in three games at Saint Martin’s, going 7 for 12 with three runs, six RBI, four doubles and two home runs. He finished with a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.417 slugging percentage. His lone hit was a two-run homer in the second to start the scoring in a 15-6 win in the opener on Friday. He went 2 for 4 with a run scored in the Friday nightcap. On Saturday, Cantwell went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer in the first and an RBI double in the ninth in a 12-8 loss.

Also Nominated: Cameron McGrath (Central Washington), Jake Wikel (Concordia), John Gonzalez (Northwest Nazarene), Ryne Oshiro (Saint Martin’s), Joshua McIntyre (Western Oregon).

PITCHER
Logan Hatley, Western Oregon
LHP • 6-6 • Sr. • Dallas, Ore.

Hatley hurled a three-hit seven-inning complete-game shutout in a 3-0 win over Central Washington on Saturday as the Wolves and Wildcats split their four-game series. He allowed just one walk and struck out 13, allowing just four base runners.

Also Nominated: Dillon Larsen (Central Washington), Sasha Jabusch (Concordia), Tevin Hall (Montana State Billings), Ben Johnson (Northwest Nazarene), Tanner Inouye (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split both doubleheaders and the series with Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday. The Wildcats won the opener, 6-5, and then lost game two, 3-0. On Sunday, the Wildcats won the first game, 9-1, before losing the second game, 9-5.

• Senior Jason Hill batted .500 in the series, going 5 for 10 with a double, a triple, two walks, two runs and three RBI. Hill came off the bench to deliver an RBI single in the eighth inning of the opener that proved to be the game-winning hit in the 6-5 win. Hill then went 4 for 5 with two runs and two RBI singles in Sunday’s 9-1 rout.

• Senior Cameron McGrath went 6 for 16 on the week with a double, a triple, two runs and three RBI. He went 4 for 5 with two runs and an RBI single to open the scoring in Sunday’s 9-1 win. McGrath finished the week by going 2 for 4 with two RBI singles in Sunday’s 9-5 loss.

• Junior Brayde Hirai picked up the victory in Sunday’s 9-1 win. He allowed just two hits and one earned run while walking six and striking out five in eight innings. Hirai holds a .277 opponent batting average and ranks second in the GNAC with 28.1 innings pitched.

• The Wildcats start a two-week road trip this week, playing at Montana State Billings on Friday and Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia was swept by Northwest Nazarene last week, losing on Friday, 7-4 and 8-7, and Saturday, 14-6 and 2-1.

• Senior Jake Wikel led the Cavaliers at the plate, going 6 for 11 with three walks, two doubles, two home runs, four runs scored and three RBI. Wikel went 4 for 4 with a pair of homers in the opener and then went 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI double in Friday’s nightcap. Wikel ranks 10th in the GNAC with a .543 slugging percentage and a .421 on-base percentage.

• Senior Damon Peters batted .308 in the series four hits, three runs, three RBI, a walk, a triple and a home run. He went 2 for 5 with an RBI single in the opener and then went 2 for 4 with two runs, an RBI single and a solo homer in Saturday’s 14-6 loss.

• Senior Sasha Jabusch earned a no-decision in Friday’s opener. He allowed six hits and three earned runs while walking one and striking out 11 in seven innings pitched. Jabusch leads the conference with 32.1 innings pitched and ranks fifth in the conference with a 3.34 earned run average.

• The Cavs will head down to neighboring Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings won one out of three games at Saint Martin’s last week, winning the opener, 15-6, before losing Friday’s second game, 11-3. The Yellowjackets then lost game three, 12-8, on Saturday.

• Senior Tanner Cantwell was named the GNAC Player of the Week and the NCBWA West Region Player of the Week after he compiled a .583 batting average in the three games. Cantwell went 7 for 12 with three runs, six RBI, four doubles and two home runs. He finished with a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.417 slugging percentage. His lone hit in the 15-6 opener on Friday was a two-run homer. He then went 2 for 4 with a run scored in the Friday nightcap. On Saturday, Cantwell went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer and an RBI double in the 12-8 loss.

• Senior Tyler Detloff batted .462 on the week, going 6 for 13 with a double, a triple, a home run, four runs and five RBI. Detloff went 3 for 5 with a two-RBI triple and a two-run homer in the opener. He then went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI in Friday’s nightcap.

• Freshman Tevin Hall picked up the victory in the Yellowjackets’ 15-6 win on Friday. He allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out three in five innings pitched. Hall posts a 4.26 earned run average and ranks fourth in the conference with a .188 opponent batting average.

• The Yellowjackets dropped two spots to No. 7 in the latest NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings.

• The Yellowjackets are 11-6-1 overall (3-4-1 GNAC) and will open a two-week homestand this week, hosting Central Washington on Friday and Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene swept Concordia last week, winning 7-4 and 8-7 (eight innings) on Friday before winning 14-6 and 2-1 on Saturday.

• Senior Parker Price led the Nighthawks with a .467 batting average, going 7 for 15 with two walks, two doubles, a home run, six runs and six RBI. Price opened the series by going 2 for 3 with two runs and a two-run home run in Friday’s 7-4 win. He then went 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI single in the Friday nightcap. Price stayed hot on Saturday as he went 2 for 4 with two walks, two runs and a two-RBI single in game three.

• Senior John Gonzalez went 7 for 16 in the series with a walk, two doubles, three home runs, five runs and six RBI. Gonzalez went 4 for 5 with two runs, two home runs, an RBI double and an RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning in Friday’s 8-7 win. Gonzalez went 2 for 5 with a walk, two runs and a two-run homer to open the scoring in Saturday’s 14-6 win.

• Junior Tyler Tan picked up the victory in the 14-6 win, allowing four hits and three runs, two earned, while walking one and striking out five in seven innings pitched. Sophomore Ben Johnson picked up the victory in the close 2-1 finale, allowing six hits and one run, unearned, while striking out seven in 6.1 innings pitched.

• The Nighthawks are among others receiving votes in the latest NCBWA West Region Rankings.

• The Nighthawks will close their homestand this week, hosting Saint Martin’s on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s went 2-1 at home against Montana State Billings last week. The Saints split Friday’s doubleheader, losing game one, 15-6, and winning game two, 11-3. The Saints then won 12-8 on Saturday.

• Junior Isaac Hegamin led the Saints with a .545 batting average, going 6 for 11 with a walk, two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. Hegamin went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI single in Friday’s 11-3 win. He closed the week by going 3 for 4 with a walk, two runs and an RBI double in Saturday’s 12-8 win.

• Junior Ryne Oshiro went 5 for 12 on the week with two doubles, three runs and five RBI. Oshiro opened the series by going 1 for 3 with a run and an RBI single in Friday’s first game. He then batted 2 for 4 with an RBI double and an RBI ground out in Friday’s nightcap. He closed the week by going 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBI in the finale.

• Senior Tanner Inouye picked up the win in Friday’s second game, going the distance in the seven-inning contest. Inouye allowed 12 hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out seven. His 4.50 earned run average is tied for 11th in the GNAC.

• The Saints will hit the road this week to play at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split at Central Washington on Saturday and Sunday. The Wolves lost games one and three, 6-5 and 9-1, and won games two and four, 3-0 and 9-5.

• Senior Logan Hatley was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week after he allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out 13 to pick up the complete-game seven-inning win over Central Washington on Saturday. Hatley leads the GNAC with a 0.69 earned run average, a .106 opponent batting average and five hits allowed.

• Senior Joshua McIntyre batted .286 on the week, going 4 for 14 with three runs, eight RBI and two home runs. McIntyre went 1 for 4 with a run and a two-RBI single in the opener. He went 1 for 4 again in Sunday’s first game with a solo home run and then finished the week by going 2 for 3 with a grand slam in a five-run third inning in the 9-5 finale win.

• The Wolves are among others receiving votes in the latest NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings with one point.

• Western Oregon is 6-6 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The Wolves will return home this week, hosting Concordia in a Willamette Valley showdown on Saturday and Sunday.