Wednesday, April 21, 2021

NIGHTHAWKS SWEEP YELLOWJACKETS AGAIN: Northwest Nazarene took four wins at Montana State Billings last week to sweep the season series with the Yellowjackets, 8-0.

The Nighthawks won both games on Friday, 6-2 and 11-5, before sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader, 9-5 and 10-5.

Freshman Kyle Ethridge was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II West Region Pitcher of the Week after he picked up his fourth win of the season in Friday’s first game. Ethridge allowed two unearned runs on three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts, marking the third time this season that he fanned at least 10 batters.

Five Nighthawks batted .400 or better in the series. Freshman infielder Walker Moore led the way with a .700 batting average in three games. He went 7 for 10 with six runs, three RBI, two doubles and a walk. He went 4 for 4 in Friday’s second game with three runs and an RBI double.

Senior Alex Salsman went 8 for 18 in the series with four runs, three RBI, two doubles, a triple and a home run. He went 3 for 4 in the Friday nightcap with two runs, a double and a three-run shot.

Northwest Nazarene still sits in first place with a 17-3 conference mark (23-5 overall). Up next, the Nighthawks will host Saint Martin’s on April 30 and May 1.

NNU TOPS WEST REGION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK: Northwest Nazarene tops the NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings for the second consecutive week with 49 points.

The Nighthawks edged out Azusa Pacific again this week. The Cougars (21-7) received 46 points and one first-place vote.

Western Oregon remains at No. 3 in the West Region while Central Washington moved down one spot to No. 7 after their four-game series in Monmouth last week was canceled.

Northwest Nazarene continues to turn heads after sweeping Montana State Billings for the second time this season. The Nighthawks are ranked No. 9 in the latest NCBWA National Rankings and No. 23 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll. Western Oregon is among others receiving votes in the NCBWA national poll with five points.

NO SPECTATORS: To protect the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and other staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, spectators are not allowed at athletic events hosted by GNAC institutions this spring. Fans are encouraged to visit GNACSports.com for links to live stats and video for conference games.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Aaron Renaud, Saint Martin's
1B • 5-10 • So. • Lihue, Hawaii

Renaud batted .556 with a .556 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage in the Saints’ two-game home series against Lewis-Clark State on Friday. He batted 1 for 4 in the opener. In the second game, Renaud went 4 for 5 with a double and the game-winning two-run homer in the ninth to give the Saints the 7-5 upset of the 31-3 Warriors.

Also Nominated: Will Riley (Montana State Billings), Alex Salsman (Northwest Nazarene).

PITCHER
Kyle Ethridge, Northwest Nazarene
LHP • 6-0 • Fr. • Alta Loma, Calif.

Ethridge improved to 4-1 on the season with a 6-2 win over Montana State Billings on Friday. In seven innings, Ethridge allowed two unearned runs on three hits and struck out 10. Ethridge threw 113 pitches in the outing, 71 for strikes.

Also Nominated: Matthew Houlihan (Montana State Billings), Finnley Butler (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington’s conference series at Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday was canceled due to health and safety protocols.

• The Wildcats took three of four games at Saint Martin’s on April 10 and 11. They dropped the April 10 opener in 10 innings, 6-5, before winning the nightcap, 4-0. Central won both April 11 games, 30-6 and 5-1.

• Records were tied in CWU’s 30-6 rout of the Saints on April 11. Freshman outfielder Zach Berryman tied the GNAC record for runs scored in a single game with five while senior outfielder Justin Hampson tied the record for hits in a conference game with six. The Wildcats’ 30 runs fell just two shy of the GNAC record of 32, scored by Western Oregon in 2019.

• Hampson leads the conference and is 17th in Division II with a .465 batting average while also ranking 39th nationally with a .542 on-base percentage and 16th with 1.74 hits per game. Berryman is second in the conference with a .464 batting average, is seventh in Division II with a .573 on-base percentage and 42nd with 1.60 hits per game.

• Sophomore Dylan Weese is 1-0 with a save on the season, allowing six runs, three earned, on 19 hits with seven walks and 18 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. He leads the conference with a 1.16 earned run average.

• Central Washington is ranked No. 7 in the latest NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings. The Wildcats sit in third place at 9-7 (11-9 overall).

• Central Washington’s home series against Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday was also canceled. The Wildcats will return to play on May 7 and 8 at Montana State Billings.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings was swept by Northwest Nazarene at home on Friday and Saturday. The Yellowjackets lost both Friday games, 6-2 and 11-5, before dropping the Saturday doubleheader, 9-5 and 10-5.

• Junior utility man Will Riley led the Yellowjackets with a .400 batting average, going 6 for 15 with two runs, two RBI, a double, a home run and a walk. Riley went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI in the opener. He went 2 for 4 again in Saturday’s first game with a solo homer. Riley leads the GNAC and is 33rd in Division II with 12 doubles.

• With a two-run home run in the first inning of the finale, senior first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Cipriano now has 37 career homers. He is six homers shy of tying the GNAC record of 43, set by Chandler Tracy (2012-15) of Saint Martin’s. Cipriano’s 27 home runs in conference games is one shy of Tracy’s record of 28.

• Freshman Matthew Houlihan tossed three solid innings in relief in Saturday’s nightcap. He allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

• Montana State Billings sits in fourth place with a 5-15 conference record (6-18 overall). The Yellowjackets will play at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Friday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene swept Montana State Billings last week, winning by scores of 6-2 and 11-5 on Friday and 9-5 and 10-5 on Saturday.

• Freshman Kyle Ethridge was named the GNAC and the NCBWA Division II West Region Pitcher of the Week after he improved to 4-1 in the Nighthawks’ opener on Friday. Ethridge allowed two unearned runs on three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings. It was the third time this season that he struck out at least 10 batters. Ethridge enters the week with a 3.13 earned run average and leads the conference with 53 strikeouts.

• Senior utility player Alex Salsman batted .444 in the four games with a .444 on-base percentage and .833 slugging percentage. He went 8 for 18 with four runs, three RBI, two doubles, a triple and a home run. Salsman went 3 for 4 in Friday’s nightcap with two runs, a double and a three-run homer in the fifth inning. He closed the series by going 3 for 5 with two runs, a double and a triple in Saturday’s second game.

• Freshman infielder Walker Moore led the Nighthawks with a .700 batting average in three games, going 7 for 10 with six runs, three RBI, two doubles and a walk. He went 4 for 4 in Friday’s nightcap with three runs and an RBI double.

• Northwest Nazarene moved up one spot to No. 9 in the latest NCBWA National Rankings. The Nighthawks are ranked No. 23 in the latest Collegiate Baseball poll. The Nighthawks are No. 1 in the NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings for the second straight week.

• Northwest Nazarene is 23-5 overall and sits in first place with a 17-3 conference record. The Nighthawks’ series at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday was canceled due to health and safety protocols. They will return to play on April 30 and May 1, hosting Saint Martin’s.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split Friday’s doubleheader against NAIA power Lewis-Clark State, dropping the opener, 10-3, before winning the nightcap in walk-off fashion, 7-5.

• Sophomore first baseman Aaron Renaud was named the GNAC Player of the Week after he batted .556 with a .556 on-base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage. Renaud went 1 for 4 in the opener. He went 4 for 5 in the second game with two runs, a double, and the game-winning two-run home run in the ninth inning to give the Saints the win.

• Junior utility player Dakota Hill went 3 for 7 in the two games with a walk and three runs. All three hits came in the win as he went 3 for 5 with the three runs. Hill enters the week with a .250 batting average.

• Freshman Finnley Butler pitched three innings in relief in the second game, allowing just one hit and two walks. Junior James Gunther earned the win after allowing just one hit in the last two innings.

• Saint Martin’s is 6-18 overall and 2-14 in conference play. The Saints will host Montana State Billings on Thursday and Friday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon’s home series against Central Washington on Saturday and Sunday was canceled due to health and safety protocols.

• Western Oregon split four games at Northwest Nazarene on April 9 and 10. The Wolves swept the April 9 doubleheader, 3-2 and 7-1. The Nighthawks won both April 10 games on walk-off hits, 9-8 and 4-3.

• Junior infielder Derek Maiben leads the Wolves and is sixth in the GNAC with a .379 batting average. He also owns a .447 on-base percentage with 25 hits, 13 runs and 10 RBI. Twin brother, junior outfielder Jacob Maiben, ranks third in the conference with a .521 on-base percentage.

• Senior first baseman/pitcher Connor McCord is batting .362 with a .458 on-base percentage and is second in the conference with a .809 slugging percentage. He leads the Wolves with 17 RBI.

• Western Oregon has three pitchers ranked in the top-five in the conference in earned run average. Senior Nick Parr leads the Wolves and is second in the conference with a 1.83 ERA to go with a 2-0 record, 25 strikeouts and just four earned runs allowed in 19.2 innings.

• Senior Mike Peterson is 4-0 on the season and is third in the GNAC with a 1.86 ERA. He has allowed eight runs, six earned, on 17 hits and seven walks with 25 strikeouts. Sophomore Matthew Dunaway ranks No. 4 in the conference with a 2.25 ERA.

• Western Oregon is ranked No. 3 in the NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings for the second straight week. The Wolves are also among others receiving votes with five points in the latest NCBWA National Rankings. The Wolves rank eighth in Division II with 7.13 hits allowed per nine innings and 22nd with a 3.95 earned run average.

• Western Oregon sits in second place with an 11-5 conference mark (12-6 overall). The Wolves will enjoy a week off and then will return for a four-game conference series at Montana State Billings on April 29 and 30.