Tuesday, April 4, 2023

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player
Austin Ohland, Central Washington
C • 6-1 • Jr. • Maple Valley, Wash.

Ohland was named the GNAC Baseball Player of the Week after leading Central Washington to the first series sweep in the conference against Montana State Billings. He went 8 for 17 in the four-game series at home with six runs, three doubles, a home run and seven RBIs. Ohland drove in four runs in the first game of the series alone with an RBI single and a three-run home run while going 2 for 5. Ohland was also named the NCBWA Division II West Region Player of the Week.

Also Nominated: Michael Yamaguchi (Saint Martin’s), Derek Maiben (Western Oregon).

Pitcher
Chris Hardin, Western Oregon
RHP • 6-2 • Sr. • Highland, Calif.

Hardin earned GNAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing six innings of shutout work on the mound for the Wolves in Thursday’s 3-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s. Hardin allowed just four hits while striking out four batters to improve to 4-2 on the season.

Also Nominated: Alex Brady (Central Washington), Carson Jones (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington earned the first series sweep for a GNAC team this season by going 4-0 against Montana State Billings at home. The Wildcats won Friday’s games 9-7 and 4-3 before completing the sweep with 9-8 and 9-4 victories on Saturday.

• Junior Austin Ohland was named both the GNAC and NCBWA Division II West Region Player of the Week after leading Central Washington’s offense. Ohland finished the week with multi-hit efforts in every game and a .471 batting average. He went 8 for 17 with seven RBIs and six runs scored with a home run and three doubles. He put together one of his best performances of the series in the Friday’s 9-7 win where he went 2 for 5 with four RBIs on a single and a three-run homer in the sixth inning.

• Sophomore Jonathan Garza II earned his first win on the mound of the season in Saturday’s 9-8 victory. Garza threw five innings in relief for the Wildcats and allowed just one run on three hits against the top offense in the GNAC while striking out six batters.

• Junior Brady Hinkle finished the week with a .273 batting average but notched five RBIs on a pair of doubles in the series. Hinkle recorded at least one RBI in each game, with his best performance a 2 for 3 effort in the series finale where he had two RBIs and a double.

• Central Washington will remain home this week to host Saint Martin’s for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped all four of its games to Central Washington last week on the road. The Yellowjackets fell 9-7 and 4-3 on Friday and 9-8 and 9-4 on Saturday.

• Junior Payton Flynn put together a strong week at the plate despite the results, finishing the series with a .429 batting average to go with six RBIs, five runs scored and two walks on two home runs, a double and a triple. Flynn had multiple hits in three of the four games, including a 2 for 3 effort in Friday’s narrow 4-3 loss where he finished with two RBIs and two runs scored after hitting a home run and a triple.

• Junior pitcher Trevor Cassell finished the week with a 2.25 ERA after throwing four innings in Saturday’s 9-8 loss. Cassell allowed four runs, one earned, one five hits and two walks while striking out six batters after entering in relief.

• Montana State Billings will look to rebound at home as it hosts Colorado Christian for a pair of non-conference doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday before hosting Northwest Nazarene next week.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not play last week. The Nighthawks will be back in action this week at home when they host Western Oregon on Friday and Saturday.

• Northwest Nazarene went 1-3 in its four-game series at Saint Martin’s last time out. The Nighthawks won the series opener on Mar. 24, 6-2 in 10 innings before falling 7-4 in game two. They dropped both games on Mar. 25, 5-4 and 8-7, to close out the series.

• Sophomore Rumble Reyes proved to be the difference maker for NNU in its lone win, crushing a grand slam to take the lead in the top of the 10th inning. Reyes finished the week with a .231 batting average and six RBIs on three hits after picking up another home run in Friday’s loss.

• Senior Ty Pohlmann earned his second win of the season on the mound, throwing two innings and allowing on run on two hits and a walk while striking out three batters.

• Senior Shane Jamison was the most reliable bat of the series for the Nighthawks, hitting .438 with three RBIs and five runs scored on seven hits including a home run and a double. Jamison also had a strong opener against the Saints, going 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored including a solo shot in the eighth inning.  

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped three of four on the road to Western Oregon last week. The Saints fell 6-5 and 3-0 in Thursday’s doubleheaders before splitting Friday with a 5-3 loss and a 6-4 win in the series finale.

• Junior Michael Yamaguchi led the Saints’ offense for the week, going 7 for 15 including a double, five RBIs, a run scored and a walk. Yamaguchi was part of a hard-fought effort to come back in the top of the ninth inning during Friday’s opener. He came through with an RBI-single to cut the deficit to two runs, but the Saints came up just short. He finished that game 2 for 5 with a pair of RBIs.

• Freshman Nikki Scott earned the lone win of the week on the bump for Saint Martin’s. Scott allowed four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out a pair in 6.2 innings of work.

• Freshman Brady Bean moved up to No. 1 in the GNAC with 15 stolen bases after swiping six in the last week alone. Bean put together one of his best performances on the basepaths in Friday’s win. He finished the game 1 for 3 with two runs scored on two walks and three stolen bases.

• Saint Martin’s will look to bounce back as it caps off its road trip with doubleheaders at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon went 3-1 on the week at home against Saint Martin’s. The Wolves captured 6-5 and 3-0 wins on Thursday before splitting Friday’s games with a 5-3 win and a 6-4 loss in the series finale.

• Senior Chris Hardin was named the GNAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week after throwing six innings of shutout work on the mound for the Wolves in Thursday’s 3-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s. Hardin allowed just four hits while striking out four batters to improve to 4-2 on the season.

• Senior Derek Maiben led the way for a well balanced Western Oregon lineup last week. Maiben was one of four Wolves to finish the series with a batting average of .350 or better. He posted a .467 batting average courtesy of a 7 for 15 week that included three RBIs, a run scored, a double and a stolen base. Maiben went 3 for 3 with a pair of RBIs in Thursday’s 3-0 win.

• Along with Maiben, Curran Mitzel, John Oleson and Jacob Maiben all had strong weeks at the plate, posting .385, .364 and .353 batting averages in the series, respectively.

• Western Oregon continues to sit atop the GNAC standings and will face second-place Northwest Nazarene on the road this week for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.