Wednesday, May 12, 2021

NIGHTHAWKS WIN REGULAR-SEASON TITLE AFTER CANCELED SERIES: Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon’s series on Thursday and Friday in Monmouth was canceled due to health and safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the series being canceled, Northwest Nazarene claimed the GNAC baseball regular-season title. The Nighthawks finished in first place with a 21-3 conference record (29-7 overall) and secured the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships.

Northwest Nazarene’s season included a 10-game winning streak as it swept back-to-back conference series. The Nighthawks are No. 7 in Division II with a 3.46 strikeout-to-walk ratio and No. 24 in scoring with 8.7 runs per game.

Western Oregon will enter the GNAC Championships as the No. 2 seed, finishing at 20-6 overall and 19-5 in conference play. The Wolves lead the conference in both batting average and earned run average. They rank No. 22 in Division II with a .328 batting average while also ranking 35th with a 4.56 earned run average.

Central Washington split its series with Montana State Billings last week to earn the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Championships. The Wildcats (13-11, 11-9 GNAC) are second in the conference with a .314 batting average.

REGULAR SEASON CONCLUDES IN ELLENSBURG: With the cancellation of this week’s series between Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon, Central Washington will host Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Friday in the only series in the GNAC this week.

The series will conclude the GNAC baseball regular season. Saint Martin’s will finish in fifth place while Central Washington looks forward to the GNAC Championships in Nampa, Idaho.

It has been an unusual year for the Wildcats, who weren’t able to play for over three weeks in the midst of the season due to health and safety protocols and a bye week. Their series at Montana State Billings on Friday and Saturday was the first time they took the field since April 11.

NO SPECTATORS: To protect the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and other staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, spectators are not allowed at athletic events hosted by GNAC institutions this spring. Fans are encouraged to visit GNACSports.com for links to live stats and video for conference games.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Connor McCord, Western Oregon
1B/P • 5-9 • Sr. • Gilbert, Ariz.

McCord batted .562 for Western Oregon in its four-game sweep of Saint Martin’s, going 9 for 16 with four runs, 11 RBI, three doubles and two home runs. McCord went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in Thursday’s opener and went 2 for 4 with a solo homer and an RBI single in the nightcap. McCord opened Friday by going 2 for 4 with a two-run homer. He closed the series by going 4 for 4 in the nightcap with three doubles, including a pair of two-run doubles.

Also Nominated: Michael Copeland (Central Washington), Shawn Grandmont (Northwest Nazarene).

PITCHER
Matthew Dunaway, Western Oregon
RHP • 6-0 • So. • Mililani, Hawaii

Dunaway improved to 3-1 on the season with his win in Thursday’s second game with Saint Martin’s. In six innings of work, Dunaway allowed four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters in the 12-1 victory.

Also Nominated: Reid Rasmussen (Central Washington), Shane Martin (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its four games at Montana State Billings last week. The Wildcats lost both games on Friday, 8-7 (10 innings) and 6-4. They came back to sweep Saturday’s doubleheader, 12-9 and 3-1.

• Junior outfielder Michael Copeland led the Wildcats with a .444 batting average to go with a .450 on-base percentage and a .611 slugging percentage. He went 8 for 18 with four runs, five RBI, a walk and three doubles. Copeland opened the series by going 2 for 5 with a run, four RBI and a double. He went 2 for 4 with a run in Friday’s nightcap. Copeland went 3 for 6 with two runs and an RBI double in Saturday’s first game before going 1 for 3 in the finale.

• Freshman catcher Austin Ohland went 6 for 16 in the four games with a run, three RBI, a walk, a double and a home run. His week was highlighted by a 3 for 4 performance in Saturday’s first game with an RBI double in the first inning, a solo homer in the seventh and an RBI single in the eighth.

• Freshman Reid Rasmussen improved to 4-2 on the season in Saturday’s finale. He allowed one earned run on one hit with six walks and three strikeouts in five innings of work. Rasmussen is second on the Wildcats and fifth in the GNAC with a 3.90 earned run average.

• Central Washington moved up one spot to No. 5 in the latest NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings. The Wildcats lead the conference and rank No. 14 in Division II with 2.46 doubles per game.

• Central Washington clinched the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Championships. The Wildcats are 13-11 overall and 11-9 in conference play. They will wrap up their regular season at home, hosting Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Friday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings split with Central Washington at home last week. The Yellowjackets won both games on Friday, 8-7 (10 innings) and 6-4, before dropping both games of Saturday’s doubleheader, 12-9 and 3-1.

• Junior utility player Will Riley led the Yellowjackets at the plate with a .462 batting average to go with a .611 on-base percentage and a .769 slugging percentage. He went 6 for 13 with four runs, three RBI, a double and a home run. Riley opened the series by going 3 for 5 with two runs, a walk, a solo homer in the fourth inning, an RBI single in the eighth and the game-winning RBI single in the 10th. He went 2 for 5 with a run and a double in Saturday’s first game. Riley ranks No. 21 in Division II with 63 hits and 16 doubles.

• Junior Connor Redmond earned the win in Friday’s nightcap. He allowed two earned runs on five hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Redmond finished the season with a 7.86 earned run average.

• Senior first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Cipriano went 5 for 15 with four runs, five RBI, two walks and a home run. Cipriano’s solo shot in Saturday’s finale made him the GNAC career leader in homers in conference games with 29. He finishes his GNAC career with 39 homers, ranking No. 2 in conference history.

• Montana State Billings finishes its season in fourth place at 10-22 in conference play (10-30 overall). The Yellowjackets lead the conference and rank No. 12 in Division II with 71 home runs.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split a four-game non-conference series against Biola at home last week. The Nighthawks lost Thursday’s opener, 9-0, before winning the nightcap, 6-3. They dropped the opener on Friday, 14-4, then bounced back to take the finale, 9-7.

• Senior third baseman Shawn Grandmont led the Nighthawks with a .400 batting average in the four games, going 6 for 15 with two runs, four RBI and a home run. Grandmont went 2 for 4 in Thursday’s nightcap with a run and an RBI single. He opened Friday by going 3 for 4 with a three-run shot and then closed the week by going 1 for 3 in the finale. Grandmont is tied for the conference lead and ranks No. 15 in Division II with 52 RBI on the season.

• Senior first baseman John Gonzalez went 3 for 10 in the series with two runs, three RBI, two walks and two home runs. Both homers came in Thursday’s nightcap as he finished 2 for 3 in the 6-3 victory. Gonzalez ranks No. 2 in the GNAC with 12 homers.

• Sophomore Shane Martin improved to 4-1 on the season in Friday’s 9-7 victory. He allowed three earned runs on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Martin leads the Nighthawks and is fourth in the conference with a 3.89 earned run average.

• Northwest Nazarene stays atop the NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings with 48 points and three first-place votes. The Nighthawks dropped two spots to No. 8 in the latest NCBWA National Rankings. The Nighthawks are also ranked No. 20 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll.

• Northwest Nazarene’s series at Western Oregon on Thursday and Friday was canceled due to health and safety protocols. The Nighthawks claimed the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships with a 21-3 conference mark (29-7 overall).

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s lost all four home games to Western Oregon last week. The Saints lost 8-4 and 12-1 on Thursday and 6-2 and 15-6 on Friday.

• Sophomore outfielder Cody Chavis and freshman catcher Mark Steward led the Saints with .400 batting averages in the four games. Chavis went 6 for 15 with a run, an RBI and a double. He opened the week going 2 for 5 in Thursday’s opener with an RBI double. Chavis closed the week by going 2 for 4 with a run in Friday’s second game.

• Steward went 6 for 15 as well to go with two runs, three RBI, a hit by pitch and a double. He went 2 for 5 with a run and an RBI single in Thursday’s opener. Steward had two hits in both Friday games, closing the week with a 2 for 3 performance in the finale with a run, a double and an RBI single.

• Sophomore Zach Alcos limited the damage in relief in Friday’s first game. He allowed one earned run on four hits with two walks in three innings of work. Alcos enters the week with a 4.70 earned run average.

• Saint Martin’s sits in fifth place at 3-25 in conference play (7-29 overall). The Saints will wrap up their season this week, playing at Central Washington on Thursday and Friday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon swept Saint Martin’s on its final road trip of the regular season. The Wolves swept Thursday’s doubleheader, 8-4 and 12-1, and then won both Friday games, 6-2 and 15-6.

• Western Oregon swept the weekly awards for the second consecutive week. Senior first baseman/pitcher Connor McCord was named the GNAC Player of the Week after he batted .562 in the series, going 9 for 16 with four runs, 11 RBI, three doubles, two home runs and three walks. McCord went 1 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single in Thursday’s opener and went 2 for 4 with a solo homer and an RBI single in the nightcap. McCord opened Friday by going 2 for 4 with two runs and a two-run shot. He went 4 for 4 in Friday’s finale with a run, five RBI and three doubles.

• McCord also pitched in relief in the finale. He allowed just one hit with one walk and two strikeouts in one inning of work.

• Sophomore Matthew Dunaway earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors after he improved to 3-1 on the season in Thursday’s second game. He didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, allowing four hits while walking two and striking out seven.

• Junior infielder Derek Maiben went 10 for 19 in the series with nine runs, three RBI and a double. Maiben recorded at least two hits in all four games, highlighted by a 3 for 5 performance in Friday’s finale with two runs and three RBI. Maiben is second in the GNAC and 10th in Division II with 1.73 hits per game.

• Western Oregon is ranked No. 3 in the NCBWA Division II West Region Rankings for the fifth straight week. The Wolves also made their season debut in the top-25 of the NCBWA National Rankings, entering the week at No. 24.

• Western Oregon’s home series against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Friday was canceled due to health and safety protocols. The Wolves finished the regular season in second place with a 19-5 conference record (20-6 overall).