Monday, February 20, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Montana State Billings entered its series with Colorado Mesa without a win in the young season. It left Grand Junction with two wins agaisnst the No. 12 ranked team in the nation to sweep the baseball honors in this week’s GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Zach Robinson was selected as the Baseball Player of the Week after he hit .562 with three doubles, five runs, a pair of RBIs, and a .750 slugging percentage as the Yellowjackets split the four-game series. He went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, two runs and two doubles in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader. Robinson then had two hits in each of Sunday’s victories.

Freshman reliever Sam Muskat was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he threw five perfect innings of relief to earn the win in Sunday’s 7-2 victory. He faced the minimum 15 batters and threw just 50 pitches.

On the women’s diamond, Western Oregon’s Destiny Kuehl and Northwest Nazarene’s Rilee Thomas picked up the conferecne’s softball awards. Kuehl was named the Softball Player of the Week after she hit .579 (11 for 19) in six games as the Wolves went 4-2 in Hawaii. She also had 11 RBIs, nine runs, a double and three home runs. She went 5 for 6 in WOU’s doubleheader at Chaminade on Tuesday, which included two home runs in the nightcap, and went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs in Wednesday’s second game win over BYU-Hawaii.

Thomas was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she went 2-1 to lead the Crusaders to a 4-2 record. In 17 innings, she allowed eight runs, three earned, on 17 hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. She allowed two runs on six hits and struck out two in five innings of a 3-2 win against San Francisco State on Tuesday and the allowe done unearned run on four hits with four strikeouts in six innings in Wednesday’s 13-6 win over Notre Dame de Namur.

Western Washington’s Taylor Stafford earned the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award for the fourth time this season after he led the Vikings to two wins to clinch a first-round bye in the GNAC Championships. He averaged 26.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and two assists in road victories over Central Washington on Thuesday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. His week was topped by a 32-point effort against Central Washington to go along with seven rebounds.

Alaska’s Jordan Wilson was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she led the Nanooks to two big wins to keep their GNAC Championships hopes alive. She scored 20 points on 8 of 14 from the field in a 63-61 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday before adding 21 points in a 56-41 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Wilson averaged 20.5 points in the two games.

Western Washington’s Jeffrey Marcum earned the first Men’s Golf Player of the Week award of the spring season after he tied for sixth place at the Visit Stockton Spring Thaw. He shot a two-round score of 5-under-par 139, which inlcuded a low of 3-under-par 69 in the second round.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 25
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Taylor Stafford (Western Washington, G, 6-1, Sr., Chicago, Ill. – Univ. of Evansville): Stafford earned his second consecutive selection and his fourth of the season after he averaged 26.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and two assists in a pair of road victories. In Thursday’s ROOT SPORTS televised game, Stafford scored 32 points and had seven rebounds in an 82-75 win over Central Washington. He then added 21 points to go along with two rebounds, three assists and three steals in an 83-59 win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Also Nominated: Tanner Omlid (Western Oregon), Cole Preston (Saint Martin’s), Gavin Long (Seattle Pacific), Drew Martin (Concordia), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Jordan Wilson (Alaska, F, 5-11, Sr., Henderson, Colo. – Prairie View): Wilson helped keep Alaska’s GNAC Championships hopes alive by averaging 20.5 points in two wins in the Nanooks’ home finale. She led the team with 20 points on 8 of 14 from the field to go along with three rebounds in Thursday’s 63-61 win over Seattle Pacific. Wilson then added a 21-point performance in a 56-41 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday, connecting on 11 of 12 from the free throw line to go with four rebounds and two steals. Also Nominated: Ellen Kett (Simon Fraser), Sydney Azorr (Western Oregon), Tiana Hanson (Montana State Billings), Taylor Peacocke (Western Washington), McKenna Walker (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Destiny Kuehl (Western Oregon, IF, 5-8, Sr., Portland, Ore. – David Douglas): Kuehl finished hitting .579 (11 for 19) in six games with nine runs, 11 RBIs, a double and three home runs to lead the Wolves to a 4-2 week on the road. She went 5 for 6 in the Wolves’ doubleheader at Chaminade on Wednesday and went 2 for 3 with two homers, two RBIs and three runs in the nightcap. Kuehl ended the road trip by going 2 for 3 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs an 11-0 win at BYU-Hawaii on Friday. Also Nominated: McKenzie Smith (Concordia), Brittany Genuardi (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Rylee Thomas (Northwest Nazarene, P, 5-7, So., Spanaway, Wash. – Everett CC): Thomas went 2-1 and compiled a 1.24 earned run average as she helped lead the Crusaders to a 4-2 week. In 17 innings, she allowed eight runs, three earned, on 17 hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. She allowed two runs on six hits and struck out two in five innings of a 3-2 win in the nightcap at San Francisco State on Tuesday and then allowed one unearned run on four hits with four strikeouts in six innings of the Crusaders’ 13-6 win over Notre Dame de Namur on Wednesday. Also Nominated: Sammy Cadwallader (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Zach Robinson (Montana State Billings, OF, 5-10, Sr., Cedar Hills, Utah – Miles CC): Robinson batted .562 (9 for 16) with three doubles, five runs and a pair of RBIs with a .588 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage as the Yellowjackets split a four-game series at No. 12 Colorado Mesa. He went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, two runs and two doubles in Saturday’s second game and had two hits in each of Sunday’s victories. Also Nominated: Alex Hagerman (Saint Martin’s), Conor Plaisance (Central Washington), Cole Crosby (Concordia), Matt Lightfoot (Northwest Nazarene).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Sam Muskat (Montana State Billings, P, 5-8, Fr., Beaverton, Ore. – Central Catholic): Muskat pitched five innings of no-hit relief to pick up his first collegiate win in a 7-2 win over Colorado Mesa on Sunday on Sunday. He faced the minimum 15 batters and needed just 50 pitches for the win. He retired eight of the 15 batters in three pitches or less. Also Nominated: Byron Baker (Montana State Billings). Ryan Dorney (Saint Martin’s), Jake Levin (Central Washington), James Brooks (Concordia), Adam Paulson (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S GOLF
Jeffrey Marcum (Western Washington, Sr., Richland, Wash. – South Mountain CC): Marcum was the GNAC’s leading player at the Visit Stockton Spring Thaw last Monday and Tuesday, tying for sixth place with a score of 5-under-par 139. He finished with a low round of 3-under-par 69 on the second day and was just three strokes behind medalist Greg Gonzales of Cal Baptist. Also Nominated: Sy Lovan (Simon Fraser).