Wednesday, May 5, 2021

DALLAS, Texas – Blayze Arcano etched his name in the GNAC record book last week.

After being named the GNAC Player of the Week on Monday, the Western Oregon senior outfielder was also named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II National Player of the Week on Wednesday.

Arcano batted .550 with a .571 on-base percentage and a 1.500 slugging percentage as the Wolves secured a four-game conference sweep at Montana State Billings on Thursday and Friday. He went 11 for 20 with 10 runs, 21 RBI, two triples, five home runs and a walk.

Arcano went 3 for 5 in Thursday’s 19-15 series-opening win with two runs, a two-run single and an RBI triple. He followed by hitting a three-run home run in the second inning of the nightcap, an 18-6 victory.

The Wolves set a new GNAC single-game record with eight home runs in a 28-13 rout of the Yellowjackets in Friday’s first game. Arcano hit three of those homers. He went 4 for 6 in the game with the three homers, five runs, nine RBI and a walk. Arcano broke the game open with a second-inning grand slam. He followed with a two-run shot in the sixth and a three-run shot in the eighth.

Arcano and senior designated hitter Josh Berman tied the GNAC record for home runs in a conference game with three apiece, a feat that was accomplished just three other times. Arcano’s nine RBI and five runs scored also tied GNAC single-game records. He becomes just the fourth player in conference history to drive in nine runs.

In Friday’s 10-1 finale win, Arcano went 3 for 4 with two runs, six RBI, a three-run shot in the second, a two-run triple in the fifth and an RBI single in the seventh. He opens the week ranked tied for fifth in the conference with 32 RBI while also ranking sixth with a .683 slugging percentage and seventh with a .366 batting average.

Western Oregon sits in second place with a 15-5 conference mark (16-6 overall). The Wolves are ranked No. 3 in the NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings for the fourth straight week. Western Oregon is also the first team to receive votes in the national poll with 24 points. The Wolves will hit the road for their final road trip of the regular season, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Friday.