Monday, March 13, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Saint Martin’s had played just two softball games over the past month, but that seemed to matter little as the efforts in a four-game sweep of Montana State Billings leads the list of GNAC Players of the Week.

Outfielder Lauren Diuco was named Softball Player of the Week and Kim Nelson earned Softball Pitcher of the Week honors after leading the Saints through a four-game series that saw SMU outscore Montana State Billings 35-10. Diuco went .750 in the series, going 12 for 16 with five runs and five RBIs. She had seven hits in Friday’s doubleheader, going 3 for 4 with two two-out RBIs in the opener and went 4 for 4 in the nightcap. She then finished the series by going 4 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs in Sunday’s finale.

Nelson made appearances in all four games and finished with a 0.46 earned run average in the series. In 15.1 innings, she allowed one run on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts. She allowed one run on three hits to win Friday’s opener, 7-1, and then earned the save in the 8-6 win in the nightcap. Nelson then returned in Sunday’s opener to throw a complete game five-hit shutout in the 7-0 win.

Central Washington’s Dylan Freyre and Montana State Billings’ Bryon Baker earned the baseball weekly awards. Freyre was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he went .642 in the Wildcats’ four-game series at Northwest Nazarene, going 9 for 14 with five runs, two doubles, three home runs and four RBIs. He went 2 for 4 with a double and a solo home run in Friday’s opener, went 2 for 4 in the Friday nightcap and finished 3 for 4 with a solo homer in Saturday’s opener.

Baker earned Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors after he threw a complete game three-hitter over seven innings to lead Montana State Billings to a 5-1 win over Saint Martin’s in the series finale between the two teams on Sunday. He allowed one run on three hits, walking two and striking out seven while facing just three batters over the minimum.

Central Washington picked up two of the four track and field weekly awards as a limited number of teams and athletes competed outside of the NCAA Indoor Championships. Trevaughn Scott was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 400 meters at the PLU Open in a GNAC-leading 49.92 seconds and placed fourth in the 200 meters in 22.61 seconds. He also ran the second leg on the Wildcats’ 4x400-meter relay team, which won in 3:29.24.

Erykah Weems was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won two individual events at the PLU Open. She won the 200 meters in a time of 25.32 seconds and the 400 meters in 56.45 seconds, both of which lead the GNAC. Weems also ran the anchor leg on the Wildcats’ 4x400-meter relay team, which won in a time of 4:10.24.

Western Washington’s Brandon Pless was named Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for the second time this season, and the first time outdoors, after he won the discus at the PLU Open with a GNAC-leading mark of 152 feet, 11 inches. Western Oregon’s Rachael Huffman earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she won the discus at the Pacific Preview with a mark of 144 feet, 5 inches, which leads the GNAC and is No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Northwest Nazarene freshman Henry Bernard was named Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he won the Crusaders’ dual with College of Idaho with a low-round of 2-under-par 70. Montana State Billings’ sophomore Kortney McNeil was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she placed second at the Beaver-Jacket Classic with a two-round score of 11-over-par 155, just one stroke out of first place.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 28
BASEBALL PLAYER
Dylan Freyre (Central Washington, IF, 5-10, Sr., Saugus, Calif. – Coll. of the Canyons): Freyre hit .642 (9 for 14) with five runs, two doubles, three home runs and four RBIs to lead the Wildcats in their GNAC road series at Northwest Nazarene. He had went 2 for 4 with a double and a solo home run in Friday’s opener, went 2 for 4 in Friday’s 6-3 win in the nightcap and then went 3 for 4 with a solo homer in Saturday’s opener. Also Nominated: Michael Gahan (Montana State Billings), Adam Eskil (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Bryon Baker (Montana State Billings, P, 6-2, Sr., Butte, Mont. – Butte): Baker threw a complete-game (seven innings) three-hitter to lead Montana State Billings to a 5-1 over Saint Martin’s in the series finale on Sunday. He allowed one run on three hits, walking two and striking out seven while facing just three batters more than the minimum to improve to 2-0 on the season. Also Nominated: Aaron Shoup (Saint Martin’s), Mackenzie Gaul (Central Washington), Tyler Charlton (Concordia).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Lauren Diuco (Saint Martin’s, OF, 5-5, So., Mission Viejo, Calif. – Capistrano Valley): Diuco led Saint Martin’s at the plate in a four-game sweep of Montana State Billings, hitting .750 by going 12 for 16 with five runs and five RBIs. She went 3 for 4 with a pair of two-out RBIs in Friday’s opener, a 7-1 victory, and then went 4 for 4 in an 8-6 win in the nightcap. Diuco finished off the series by going 4 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs in Sunday’s finale, a 13-0, five-inning win. Also Nominated: Heather Tracy (Montana State Billings), McKenzie Smith (Concordia), Taylor Ferleman (Central Washington), Shelbie Martinez (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Kim Nelson (Saint Martin’s, IF/P, 5-10, Jr., Fremont, Calif. – American): Nelson finished with a 0.46 earned run average and had two wins and a save in four appearances in the Saints’ sweep of Montana State Billings. She allowed one run on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 15.1 innings. She allowed one run on three hits to win Friday’s opener and then earned the save in the nightcap. Nelson then threw a complete-game five-hit shutout in Sunday’s 7-0 victory in the opener. Also Nominated: Brooke Bonsen (Northwest Nazarene), Anna Kasner (Western Washington), McKenzie Smith (Concordia), Maddy Lincoln (Montana State Billings).

MEN’S TRACK
Trevaughn Scott (Central Washington, Jr., Tacoma, Wash. – Stadium): Scott won the 400 meters in a time of 49.92 seconds and placed fourth in the 200 meters in 22.61 seconds at the PLU Open. He also ran the second leg on the Wildcats’ winning 4x400-meter relay team (3:29.24). Scott’s time in the 400 meters leads the GNAC.

MEN’S FIELD
Brandon Pless (Western Washington, Sr., Sedro-Woolley, Wash. – Sedro-Woolley) Pless won the discus at the PLU Open with a personal best mark of 152 feet, 11 inches and placed second in the hammer with a throw of 174 feet, 10 inches. His mark in the discus is the leading mark in the GNAC this season.

WOMEN’S TRACK
Erykah Weems (Central Washington, Fr., San Diego, Calif. – Hudson’s Bay, Vancouver, Wash.): Weems won both the 200 meters and 400 meters and ran anchor on the Wildcats’ winning 4x400-meter relay team at the PLU Open. She won the 200 in 25.32 seconds and the 400 in 56.45 seconds, both of which lead the GNAC this season. The 4x400-meter relay team won with a time of 4:10.24, 15 seconds head of second place Pacific Lutheran.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Rachael Huffman (Western Oregon, Sr., Palmer, Alaska – Southwestern Oregon CC): Huffman won the discus at the Pacific Preview by 14 feet. Her mark of 144 feet, 5 inches, leads the GNAC and is No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List in the event. Also Nominated: Megan Mortensen (Western Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Henry Bernard (Northwest Nazarene, Fr., Boise, Idaho – Rocky Mountain): Bernard won Northwest Nazarene’s dual match with College of Idaho on Friday, carding a two-under-par 70. He led the Crusaders to the team victory at 2-under-par 286. Also Nominated: Michael Porter (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Kortney McNeil (Montana State Billings, So., Billings, Mont. – Billings Senior): McNeil placed second at the Beaver-Jacket Classic in Las Vegas with a score of 11-over-par 155, finishing just one stroke behind medalist Eryn Ellis of Rocky Mountain. She scored a low round of 2-over-par 74 in the tournament’s opening round. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene).