Wednesday, March 10, 2021

CIPRIANO POWERS WAY TO MSUB HOME RUN RECORD: Montana State Billings senior first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Cipriano made history last week, becoming the MSUB all-time leader in home runs after hitting three in the Yellowjackets’ four-game series at UC Colorado Springs.

The 2019 GNAC Player of the Year tied the MSUB record with his 27th-career bomb in Friday’s first game. He broke the record in grand fashion, quite literally, crushing a first-pitch grand slam to left field in the third inning of Saturday’s opener. He went 3 for 4 in the game with a pair of runs and five RBI.

Cipriano wasted no time in the finale, sending a two-run homer to left field in the first inning to bring his career total to 29. He now sits in a tie for second on the GNAC all-time list with Central Washington’s Jamie Nilsen. The GNAC all-time home runs record is 43, held by Chandler Tracy of Saint Martin’s.

For his performance, Cipriano was named the GNAC Baseball Player of the Week and the NCBWA Division II West Region Player of the Week.

CONFERENCE PLAY APPROACHES: Conference play opens this week as Northwest Nazarene hosts Montana State Billings on Friday and Saturday while Central Washington hosts Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday.

After its series with Eastern Oregon was canceled on Feb. 27 and 28, Western Oregon finally opened its season with a split of a non-conference doubleheader with Saint Martin’s at home last week. The Wolves lead Division II with a .473 batting average while also ranking ninth nationally in scoring with 12 runs per game.

Saint Martin’s will not play this week. The Saints will open conference play at Montana State Billings on Mar. 19 and 20.

REPRESENTATION IN THE RANKINGS: All five GNAC teams made an appearance in the first NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings.

Montana State Billings opens the season at No. 4 in the West Region. Northwest Nazarene opens at No. 6 while Western Oregon tabs the No. 8 spot.

Central Washington and Saint Martin’s are among others receiving votes in the regional rankings with two points each.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Daniel Cipriano, Montana State Billings
1B/DH • 6-3 • Sr. • Agoura Hills, Calif.

Cipriano led Montana State Billings with a .533 batting average, .562 on-base percentage and 1.333 slugging percentage in four games at UC Colorado Springs. Cipriano became the Yellowjackets’ career leader in home runs as he hit three in the series. Cipriano hit a solo homer in Friday’s opener then went 2 for 4 in the second game. He went 3 for 4 in Sunday’s opener, which included a grand slam that gave him the MSUB record. He closed the series by going 2 for 3 with a two-run bomb.

Also Nominated: James Gunther (Saint Martin’s), Jacob Maiben (Western Oregon).

PITCHER
Logan Hatley, Western Oregon
LHP • 6-6 • Sr. • Dallas, Ore.

Hatley picked up the win in Thursday’s 18-2 win over Saint Martin’s. In the seven-inning game, he tossed four innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. The performance helped the Wolves split a doubleheader with the Saints to open the season.

Also Nominated: Connor Redmond (Montana State Billings), Scott Gunther (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington did not play last week. The Wildcats opened their season with a split of both doubleheaders against Saint Martin’s on Feb. 26 and 27.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC and 19th in Division II with a .345 batting average and .439 on-base percentage. The Wildcats are also second nationally with four doubles per game.

• Freshman utility player Zach Berryman and sophomore outfielder Tyler McClain lead the Wildcats with a .600 batting average. Berryman is also second in the conference with a .714 on-base percentage while McClain is tied for the conference lead with a 1.000 slugging percentage.

• Junior Brayde Hirai leads all eligible Central Washington pitchers with a 4.76 earned run average after his start in the Wildcats’ 4-3 victory on Feb. 27. In 5.2 innings of work, Hirai allowed three earned runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

• Central Washington is among those receiving votes in the NCBWA West Region Rankings with two points.

• Central Washington opened the season 2-2. The Wildcats will open conference play by hosting Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday in Ellensburg.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings is still looking for its first win of the season after dropping four games at UC Colorado Springs on Friday and Saturday, 4-1, 9-7, 12-10 and 11-5.

• Senior first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Cipriano was named the GNAC Baseball Player of the Week and the NCBWA Division II West Region Player of the Week after he compiled a .533 batting average, .562 on-base percentage and 1.333 slugging percentage in the four games.

• Cipriano became the Yellowjackets’ all-time home runs leader with three on the road trip, including a grand slam in Sunday’s opener. Cipriano is now tied for second on the GNAC all-time list with 29 homers.

• Junior infielder/outfielder Will Riley went 5 for 13 in the series with a double, four runs and three RBI. Riley went 3 for 4 with two runs and a two-RBI double in Saturday’s 12-10 slugfest.

• Despite receiving the loss in Friday’s opener, junior Connor Redmond turned in a noteworthy performance on the mound. Redmond tossed five innings, allowing four unearned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks with four strikeouts. Redmond has a 3.00 earned run average in his first two starts of the season.

• The Yellowjackets lead the conference in home runs (11), home runs per game (1.75) and hit by pitches (19).

• Montana State Billings opened the season ranked No. 4 in the first NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings.

• Montana State Billings is 0-8 to start the season. The Yellowjackets will open conference play with a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not play last week. The Nighthawks opened their season with a 6-2 record, which included a 3-1 road trip in Colorado against Colorado Mesa and New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 25-27.

• Senior outfielder Ryan Dearing leads the Nighthawks and is fifth in the GNAC in batting average (.548) and on-base percentage (.650). Dearing ranks 23rd in Division II with 2.12 hits per game.

• Senior first baseman John Gonzalez has a .267 batting average with eight hits, seven runs, 16 RBI and five home runs, which leads the conference and ranks 10th in Division II.

• In the first eight games, senior third baseman Shawn Grandmont compiled a .382 batting average with 13 hits, 10 runs, 14 RBI, two home runs and two triples. Grandmont also leads the conference and is sixth in Division II with nine stolen bases.

• Freshman Kyle Ethridge is off to a good start in 2021. He has picked up the wins in each of his two starts, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts. Ethridge is eighth in the conference with a 3.60 earned run average.

• Northwest Nazarene opened the season ranked No. 6 in the first NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings.

• The Nighthawks will open conference play on Friday and Saturday, hosting Montana State Billings in Nampa.

SAINT MARTIN'S
• Saint Martin’s split its doubleheader at Western Oregon on Thursday. The Saints won game one, 7-6, with a four-run ninth inning to come from behind. The Saints then dropped the second game, 18-2, in seven innings.

• The Saints used five pitchers in the 7-6 win. Senior Tanner Inouye started the game, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in three innings of work. Freshman Finnley Butler earned the win after he tossed a scoreless eighth inning, allowing two hits.

• Junior catcher Bryant Nakagawa went 1 for 2 with a run and a sacrifice fly in the second inning of game one. Nakagawa also set a career-high behind the plate with four runners caught stealing. Sophomore outfielder Cody Chavis went 1 for 4 with a run and drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to cap off the ninth-inning rally.

• Saint Martin’s is tied for the conference-lead with five sacrifice flies, which ranks 30th in Division II.

• Saint Martin’s is among those receiving votes in the NCBWA West Region Rankings with two points.

• Saint Martin’s is 3-3 on the season. The Saints will not play this week and will open conference play with a four-game series at Montana State Billings on Mar. 19 and 20.

WESTERN OREGON
• After its season-opening series with Eastern Oregon was canceled, Western Oregon opened its 2021 season with a split with Saint Martin’s on Thursday in Monmouth. The Wolves dropped the opener, 7-6, then came back to complete an 18-2 rout of the Saints in the seven-inning second game.

• Senior Logan Hatley was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week after he earned the win in the 18-2 victory. He pitched four innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Hatley and sophomore Matthew Dunaway are among the Division II leaders with a 0.00 earned run average.

• Junior outfielder Jacob Maiben led the Wolves with a .750 batting average in the doubleheader. He went 4 for 5 with an RBI in the opener then went 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBI in game two, which included an RBI single in a nine-run fourth inning for the Wolves. Maiben’s .750 batting average leads the GNAC and ranks third in Division II.

• Western Oregon is ranked No. 8 in the first NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings.

• Western Oregon opens the season at 1-1. The Wolves will open conference play with a four-game series at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday.