Wednesday, April 6, 2016

THIS WEEK'S GNAC SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Kali Patterson, Western Washington
2B • 5-7 •  Junior • Bonney Lake, Wash.

Patterson went .457 in nine games for the Vikings (16 for 35) with two doubles and four RBI. She batted .435 (10 for 23) in the six games at the Stanislaus Tournament of Champions. She had multi-hit games in five of the team’s six games at the Tournament of Champions and leads the team with 16 multi-hit games.

Also Nominated: Cassidy Fifield (Northwest Nazarene), Alex Frazier (Western Oregon), Robyn Mogavero (Simon Fraser), Sam Owirka (Concordia).

PITCHER
Kiana Wood, Central Washington
P/OF • 5-6 • Junior  • Aloha, Ore.

Wood was named to the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team after she won all four games for the Wildcats in the tournament. In 24.1 innings pitched over the weekend, Wood allowed four runs, struck out eight and allowed just four extra base hits. She allowed no more than four hits in any one of her appearances.

Also Nominated: Kendall Goodwin (Northwest Nazarene), Makinlee Sellevold (Western Washington), McKenzie Smith (Concordia), Alia Stachoski (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
SIMON FRASER TOPS THE GNAC AT TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: Of the eight GNAC teams participating in last weekend’s Stanislaus Tournament of Champions, none came out with more wins and better numbers than Simon Fraser.

The Clan finished with a 5-1 record tournament and were one of six GNAC teams to finish .500 or better. They led all GNAC teams at the tournament with a .301 batting average and a 2.22 earned run average, allowing opponents just 22 runs while scoring 36 of their own. Simon Fraser finished with three hitters batting .400 or better: Rachel Proctor (.471, 8 for 17), Taylor Lundrigan (.400, 8 for 20) and Stephanie Caron (.400, 6 for 15). Alia Stachoski finished second among GNAC pitchers at the Tournament of Champions with a 3-0 record and 0.58 earned run average, allowing five runs, one earned, in 12 innings of work. Stachoski was named the Tournament of Champions’ All-Tournament Team.

Simon Fraser won both of Friday’s games, scoring a 9-3 win over Holy Names and Chaminade, 3-2, in a game where Proctor pushed across the winning run with her double in the bottom of the sixth. They Clan’s lone loss came Saturday morning, 8-3, to Hawaii Hilo. The rebounded for an 11-1, six-inning win over Notre Dame de Namur before closing on Sunday with a 3-2 win over Hawaii Pacific and a 7-6 win over Academy of Art.

SET-UP FOR SUCCESS: The winningest of GNAC teams all-time at the Tournament of Champions, Western Washington’s 4-2 in 2016 ensured that they will remain that for at least another year.

The Vikings finished the tournament hitting a respectable .280 over their six games, second among GNAC teams. Kali Patterson was named GNAC Softball Player of the Week for the numbers she put up in the tournament, going .435 (10 for 23) with two runs and two RBI. The Vikings finished with a 3.07 earned run average, third among GNAC teams. Mackinlee Sellevold was named to the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament after she compiled a 2-0 record and 2.33 earned run average in three appearances, allowing six runs on 12 hits and striking out 10 in 18 innings.

Western Washington opened with a Friday sweep, scoring a 5-4 win over UC San Diego and a 12-4, six-inning defeat of Dominican (Calif.). The Vikings made it three in a row with a 4-2 win over San Francisco State on Saturday morning before taking an 8-2 loss to Azusa Pacific later that day. They rebounded for a 5-3 win over Cal St. East Bay before ending the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Cal St. Monterey Bay.

Through 15 years of participation at the Tournament of Champions, Western Washington owns a 49-46 overall record. They have finished above .500 each of the last three years, including a best 5-1 mark in 2014.

KEEPING THEIR CLAWS NEAR THE TOP: Like their rivals, Central Washington also finished the Tournament of Champions with a 4-2 record to run their overall record this season to 25-10.

The Wildcats endured close games to start play on Friday. They opened with a 5-3 win over Cal St. San Bernardino where the Wildcats had to fend off a late rally before scoring a 2-1 win over Azusa Pacific, won in the eighth inning on a RBI single by Taelor Griffin. Tournament champion Humboldt State handed the Wildcats an 8-0, six-inning loss on Saturday before turning the table for an 11-3 win over San Francisco State late that day. On Sunday, the Wildcats were 3-2 winners over Cal St. East Bay before falling 3-1 to UC San Diego in their tournament finale.

Kiana Wood was named to the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team and was selected as the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after earning the win all four of Central Washington’s victories. Wood finished the tournament with a 1.15 earned run average in five appearances, allowing four runs on 15 hits with nine strikeouts in 24.1 innings of work, the most by a GNAC pitcher in the tournament. Austin Wilkerson was the Wildcats’ top hitter, going .375 (6 for 16) in the six games.

MORE TOURNAMENT NOTES: The GNAC went 22-25 in this year’s Tournament of Champions and is now 215-311-1 all-time in 15 years of participation...This year marked the third straight season that the GNAC has won 20 or more games in the tournament. Before 2014, the GNAC has not won more than 19...Western Washington and Central Washington has finished with .500 or better records in each of the last three tournaments...Division II newcomer Concordia went 3-3 in their first Tournament of Champions...This is the fourth straight season that all GNAC programs have participated in the Tournament of Champions

NO PLACE LIKE HOME?: While seven of the GNAC’s softball teams have had the chance to finally play at home, Western Oregon is still looking for a chance to play in front of the home fans. All of WOU’s home games to date have either been postponed or moved due to unplayable field conditions. The Wolves will try again to play at home on Apr. 9 when they are scheduled to host Western Washington for a doubleheader.

WESTERN WASHINGTON PICKED TO WIN IN PRESEASON POLL: A year after just missing a conference tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, coaches have picked Western Washington to reach the pinnacle in the 2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

The Vikings received five of eight first place votes, earning 61 points in the poll. Western Washington is clear and away the favorite over defending GNAC regular season champion Saint Martin’s, picked to finish second with 47 points. Western Oregon was picked third, close behind Saint Martin’s with 43 points.

Montana State Billings, who surprised the conference with a spirited run to the GNAC Tournament championship and their first trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament since 2012, was picked to finish fourth with 37 points. Central Washington finished one point behind, picked fifth with 36 points. The Wildcats were followed by GNAC newcomer Concordia (33 pts.), Simon Fraser (17 pts.) and Northwest Nazarene (14 pts.).