Monday, April 20, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. – Centerfielder Josh Hatfield and pitcher Ross Clevenger, who led Northwest Nazarene to three wins in five games last week, have been selected the GNAC Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week for the Week of April 13-19, respectively.
They are among 11 athletes to earn the GNAC weekly award. Following is a summary of their accomplishments and a listing of honorable mention selections:
Baseball: Player – Josh Hatfield, Northwest Nazarene (OF, 5-10, Jr., Meridian, ID) scored seven runs while going 10-for-15 at the plate. He launched three home runs and also had five RBI. In Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of Central Washington, Hatfield had five hits in six at bats, scored five runs and drove in two. He also stole three bases and recorded 11 putouts. Pitcher – Ross Clevenger, Northwest Nazarene (RHP, 6-0, Fr., Eagle, ID) threw six innings of no-hit ball in their 4-0 Senior Day win Saturday. Clevenger was just two outs away from NNU’s fifth-ever no-hitter before CWU’s Jonathan Dailey broke up the no-hit bid with a one-hit single in the seventh. Clevenger recorded the win, his second of the week. He also picked up a win in the seven-pitcher shutout against the College of Idaho on Wednesday. On the week, Clevenger threw 8 1/3 innings, striking out 12 batters while allowing just two hits.
Honorable Mention – Kasey Bielec, Central Washington (INF, 5-11, Sr., Port Orchard, WA); Mitch Yada, Central Washington (LHP, 6-0, So., Moses Lake, WA); Jake Campeau, Montana State Billings (RHP, 6-5, Sr., Walla Walla, WA); Corey Morris, Montana State Billings (SS, 5-9, Jr., Richland, WA); Brad Banker, Saint Martin’s (RHP, 6-0, Sr., Alamo, CA); Kaelen Hirashiki, Saint Martin’s (2B, 5-8, So., Honolulu, HI); Garret Alvarez, Western Oregon (RHP, 6-2, Jr., Madera, CA); Matt Taylor, Western Oregon (OF, 6-1, Sr., Corona, CA).
Softball: Player – Amanda Evola, Western Oregon (OF, 5-7, Sr., Portland, OR – Westview) had eight hits in 15 at bats, including 5-of-8 in a 2-1, 4-3 doubleheader sweep of Central Washington Sunday reducing the Wolves’ magic number for clinching a post-season playoff berth to one. She scored the winning run in the 2-1 victory and drove in the winning run in the 4-3 victory with her fourth hit of the game. Pitcher – Sam Munger, Saint Martin’s (P-SS, 5-6, Sr., Everett, WA – Cascade) earned three victories – her 78th, 79th and 80th of her career - as the Saints reduced their magic number for clinching at least a tie for the GNAC regular-season title to one. Munger, who now ranks second in GNAC history in career wins, had a 2.28 ERA allowing five earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. She also led the Saints offensively with nine hits increasing her career total to 281 to break the GNAC record of 279 set by Brandi Harrison of Humboldt State between 2002 and 2006. Munger also had three doubles and five RBI.
Honorable Mention – Kiana Wood, Central Washington (P, 5-6, So., Aloha, OR); Lily Paschal, Northwest Nazarene (OF, 5-5, Fr., Snohomish, WA); Ashley Pesek, Northwest Nazarene (P, 5-9, So., Redmond, OR); Alyson Boytz, Western Oregon (P, 5-9, Jr., Noti, OR – Clackamas CC).
Men’s Track & Field: Track – Dominik Notz, Alaska Anchorage (Jr., Dettingen, Germany) ran the second fastest 10,000 meter time in NCAA Division II this spring and the third fastest in GNAC history at the Mt. SAC Relays Thursday. His time of 29:26.29 bettered the provisional national standard by 1 minute, 23 seconds and was just 11 seconds shy of the automatic standard. Field – Brett Watson Western Washington (Sr., Ferndale, WA), and Luke Plummer, Central Washington (Jr., Vaughn, WA – Peninsula) … Watson had provisional national qualifying marks in both the high jump (6-8 ¼) and long jump (23-9 ½) at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa, Calif. His long jump mark ranks eighth in GNAC history. Plummer triple jumped a provisional national qualifying 48-8 ¾ at the CWU Spike Arlt Invitational, establishing the fifth best mark in GNAC history.
Honorable Mention – Cole Hoberg, Northwest Nazarene (So., Prairie City, OR); Vincent Fualefau, Saint Martin’s (So., Tacoma, WA – Washington); Travis Vugteveen, Simon Fraser (Sr., Chilliwack, BC); Sam Naffziger, Western Oregon (Jr., Bend, OR – Summit); Travis Milbrandt, Western Washington (Jr., Longview, WA – Mark Morris).
Women’s Track & Field: Track – Haleigh Lloyd, Alaska Anchorage (Sr., Ladysmith, BC) and Katelyn Steen, Western Washington (Sr., Sammamish, WA – Eastlake) … Lloyd and Steen set GNAC records in the 400 hurdles and steeplechase, respectively. Lloyd broke her own record she set in 2012 clocking 59.20 at the Azusa Pacific Bryan Clay Invitational. Steen, despite falling down at one point in the race, ran a time of 10:13.01 in the steeple at the Mt. SAC Relays, eclipsing the old mark of 10:13.33 by Susan Tanui of Alaska Anchorage in 2012. Steen also earned a PNQ in the 5,000 meters at the Beach Invitational at Long Beach, Calif., running the ninth fastest time in GNAC history (16:44.97). Field – Katie Reichert, Western Washington (Jr., Longview, WA - Kelso), had a career-best throw of 165-7 in the Beach Invitational javelin, adding five inches to her previous career best. Her throw ranks third in both GNAC history and this year’s NCAA Division II national rankings.
Honorable Mention – Rosie Smith, Alaska Anchorage (Jr., Anchorage, AK – Bartlett); McKenna Emmert, Central Washington (So., Kelso, WA); Caitlin Curtis, Northwest Nazarene (Sr., Portland, OR – David Douglas); Taylor Deskins, Northwest Nazarene (So., Corvallis, OR – Santium Christian); Shannon Porter, Saint Martin’s (Jr., Vancouver, WA – Hockinson); Lynelle Decker, Seattle Pacific (Jr., Vancouver, WA – Mountain View); Jennifer Johnson, Simon Fraser (Sr., Corvallis, OR); Rachel Crawford, Western Oregon (So., Oregon City, OR).
Men’s Golf – Chris Hatch, Western Washington (So., Mukilteo, WA) carded a 1-under 71 in the second round to finish the 42nd annual Hanny Stanislaus Invitational tied for 25th. Hatch was the GNAC’s top golfer at the event that featured 94 players and seven Top 50 teams.
Honorable Mention – Austin Westphal, Montana State Billings (Sr., Kennewick, WA); Ian Briske, Northwest Nazarene (So., Spanaway, WA); Patrick Whealdon, Saint Martin’s (Sr., Ilwaco, WA).