Monday, January 24, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Last week, Northwest Nazarene was picked to be the best team in the conference by the GNAC coaches. After a 2021 postseason that saw the Nighthawks break through to win an NCAA West Regional title and a game in the Division II National Championships in Cary, North Carolina, NNU is now earning some love from outside the conference as well.

The Nighthawks ranked No. 7 in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll and No. 13 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason Poll. Tampa, who won the national championship in 2019 and eliminated NNU in 2021, is the preseason No. 1 in both polls.

Northwest Nazarene earned that national respect by storming to a 35-10 overall record in 2021, which included a 21-3 mark in conference play, and sweeping through the GNAC Championships. After losing their first game at the regionals to Western Oregon, the Nighthawks reeled off three straight wins to become the first GNAC team ever to advance to the Division II National Championships in Cary, North Carolina, where they went 1-2 to finish in the national top six.

Western Oregon received votes in both polls. Among schools not to make the rankings, they earned the fourth-most votes in the Collegiate Baseball poll and the seventh-most in the NCBWA poll. The Wolves were neck-and-neck with NNU for much of the season, finishing 22-8 overall and 19-5 in the GNAC season. Western Oregon topped the Nighthawks and Azusa Pacific in the first two games of the NCAA West Regional before NNU rallied to eliminate the Wolves.

Aside from NNU, that Azusa Pacific squad is the only team from the West Region to make both polls, slotting in at No. 22 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and No. 8 in the NCBWA poll. Northwest Nazarene and Azusa Pacific will go head-to-head in a season-opening series from February 4-7 in Azusa.

The NCBWA also announced their West Region Preseason Team, and four GNAC players were among the 11 selected. Two Nighthawks lead the way, including outfielder Grant Kerry, who earned selection after winning the GNAC Newcomer of the Year award and earning First Team All-GNAC and All-West Region status and NCBWA Honorable Mention All-American honors in his first season with the Nighthawks. Kerry hit .361 in 45 games with 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 52 RBI. His home runs and RBI are the most of any returning GNAC player.

Nighthawks closer Max Holtzclaw was also named to the team. The senior right-hander struck out 41 in 23.2 innings out of the bullpen, recording five saves and holding opponents to a .206 batting average.

Western Oregon’s Mike Peterson, the reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Year, earned selection as a starting pitcher. In nine appearances, including eight starts, Peterson went 6-0 with a 3.31 ERA, allowing just 43 hits in 49 innings of work. Peterson struck out 35 batters while walking 13, and opponents hit only .235 off the righty.

Central Washington outfielder Zach Berryman rounds out the GNAC selections. The junior outfielder put together an excellent offensive season in 2021, collecting 45 hits and 16 walks to hit .409 with a .522 on-base percentage and earning First Team All-GNAC honors.

The first game of the 2022 season is February 3, when Western Oregon plays at Fresno Pacific. All five teams will be underway by Saturday, February 5. Conference play opens March 4, with Northwest Nazarene playing at Central Washington and MSUB playing at Western Oregon in the GNAC season’s first series.