Tuesday, March 29, 2022

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS TIME: It has been three years since the largest Division II softball tournament on the West Coast was able to take place now. Now, at long last, the GNAC’s teams are looking forward to the return of the annual trip to Turlock, California.

The annual Stanislaus Tournament of Champions, hosted by Stanislaus State, starts on Friday. In addition to all seven GNAC teams, the tournament features every softball program from the California Collegiate Athletic Association and the PacWest Conference except CCAA leader Cal State San Marcos.

With three days of in-region competition, the tournament will go a long way in helping teams pad their resume for the NCAA West Region Rankings, which will come out later in April.

The Tournament of Champions will feature two ranked teams and one team that is receiving votes in this week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll. Concordia Irvine enters as the unanimous No. 1 in this week’s poll. The Eagles will face Western Oregon on Saturday. Cal State Monterey Bay, which received votes, will face GNAC teams three times with Simon Fraser and Western Oregon on Friday and Saint Martin’s on Sunday.

Teams will be aiming for the GNAC’s first winning record in the Tournament of Champions since 2018. The GNAC went 17-23 in the 2019 edition of the tournament. Western Washington emerged with an unblemished 5-0 record, one of three teams to go undefeated that year. Concordia (Ore.), Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon all went 3-2.

Western Washington has the best all-time record in the Tournament of Champions for GNAC teams at 60-52. Central Washington, Western Oregon and Western Washington are the only three teams that have competed in the TOC each year since 2002 (except the COVID canceled years).

VIKINGS RIDE ROAD WARRIOR STATUS TO TEAM OF THE WEEK AWARD: Western Washington put together a week that saw it win six straight road games, including keeping Montana State Billings out of the win column in the team’s home season opener. The 6-0 effort earned the Vikings selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

The Vikings opened the week with a pair of non-conference wins at Northwest (Wash.) on Tuesday, 2-1 and 10-2 in six innings. The Vikings swept Montana State Billings over the weekend, collecting 4-0 and 8-5 victories on Saturday along with 9-1 (six innings) and 2-1 victories on Sunday.

Behind standout performances from GNAC Players of the Week Sydney Brown and Chantelle Shimabukuro, the Vikings went above .500 and into a tie for first in the conference standings. Western Washington outscored MSUB 23-7 in the series.

Brown was untouchable in three starts, all of which were complete-game victories. Pitching the first game of all three of WWU’s doubleheaders, the sophomore allowed one run on three hits in a Tuesday 2-1 win over Northwest (Wash.), then topped MSUB twice with a two-hit shutout in a 4-0 win on Saturday and allowed one run on three hits in a 9-1 win Sunday.

Shimabukuro went 10 for 18 at the plate with two home runs, eight RBI and five runs scored. On Sunday alone, she went 5 for 6 with two home runs and six RBI.

“It was a really great all-around effort this past weekend and I’m really proud of our team,” head coach Sheryl Gilmore said. “We had contributions from so many different players this weekend and they all had each other’s backs and had fun.”

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Chantelle Shimabukuro, Western Washington
IF • 5-6 • Senior • Aiea, Hawaii

Shimabukuro batted .556 in six wins for the Vikings, going 10 for 18 with five runs, eight RBI and a pair of home runs with a .619 on-base percentage and a .889 slugging percentage. She started the week with a hit in each of Tuesday’s wins over Northwest (Wash.), scoring two runs in the second game. Shimabukuro went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener at Montana State Billings and went 1 for 4 with an RBI in the nightcap. On Sunday, Shimabukuro went 3 for 4 in the opener with a three-run homer and an RBI single before closing out with a 2 for 2 performance in the nightcap with an RBI single and a solo home run.

Also Nominated: Allie Thiessen (Central Washington), Allie Hughes (Montana State Billings), Malia Pinder (Saint Martin’s), Alex Ogg (Simon Fraser), Logan Carlos (Western Oregon).

PITCHER
Sydney Brown, Western Washington
P • 5-9 • Sophomore • Vancouver, Wash.

Brown picked up three wins in as many starts last week, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings. Brown won game one at Northwest (Wash.) on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and striking out nine. She opened the series at Montana State Billings with a complete-game two-hit shutout, walking one while striking out four in the 4-0 victory. In Sunday’s opener, Brown allowed one run on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in the 9-1, six-inning win.

Also Nominated: Rhaney Harris (Central Washington), Jenna Kister (Montana State Billings), Chloe Leverington (Saint Martin’s), Chelsea Smith (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington took three of four home games from Simon Fraser last week. The Wildcats scored two wins on Saturday, 11-3 (five innings) and 9-8 before splitting on Sunday, winning the opener 8-0 (five innings) and falling in the nightcap 11-5.

• Junior Allie Thiessen had the best batting average in the GNAC last week at .615, going 8 for 13 with seven runs, four RBI and three doubles. Theissen went 1 for 3 with two runs scored in Saturday’s opener and went 3 for 4 in the nightcap with two doubles, including a two-RBI double in the fifth. On Sunday, Thiessen went 2 for 3 in both games. She had an RBI double in the opener and a RBI single in the second game. Thiessen is second in the GNAC with a .425 batting average and fourth with 37 hits.

• Junior Myiah Seaton batted .500 in the series, going 7 for 14 with six runs, a double, a triple and three RBI. She opened the series by going 4 for 4 in Saturday’s first game with an RBI single and an RBI double. Seaton also went 2 for 3 in Sunday’s opener and scored a pair of runs. Seaton enters the week with a .322 batting average and is tied for third in the GNAC with nine stolen bases.

• Senior Rhaney Harris had a great week, compiling a 0.70 earned run average in two wins. She was the winner in Saturday’s five-inning game, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. She then threw a one-hitter in Sunday’s five-inning win, walking two and striking out two. Harris enters the week with a 6-7 record and a 3.88 earned run average.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .291 batting average and a 4.87 earned run average.

• The Wildcats’ opponents at the Tournament of Champions include San Francisco St. and Biola on Friday, Azusa Pacific and Dominican (Calif.) on Saturday and Cal St. East Bay on Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped all four games to Western Washington in the Yellowjackets’ home opener. They lost 4-0 and 8-5 on Saturday before taking 9-1 (six innings) and 2-1 losses on Sunday.

• Senior Allie Hughes provided nearly a quarter of the Yellowjackets’ offense on the week, going 4 for 13 with a home run and two RBI. Hughes went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s second game, which included a two-run homer in the seventh inning. She had one hit in both Saturday’s opener and Sunday’s nightcap. Hughes is batting .221 on the season.

• Sophomore Payton Meyer went 3 for 10 in the series. Her week was topped by a 2 for 3 performance with a run scored in Saturday’s second game. Meyer enters the week with a .267 batting average in 15 games.

• Sophomore Jenna Kister had the best performance in the circle for the Yellowjackets. In taking the 2-1 loss in Sunday’s finale, Kister allowed two runs on eight hits with a walk and two strikeouts. She enters this week with a 1-5 record and a 5.90 earned run average.

• The Yellowjackets are batting .248 on the season and own a 4.63 earned run average. They continue to lead the GNAC and rank 30th in Division II with 28 home runs.

• Montana State Billings’ schedule at the Tournament of Champions includes games with Cal St. San Bernardino and Chaminade on Friday, Hawaii Pacific and Cal St. East Bay on Saturday and Dominican (Calif.) on Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not play last week. The Nighthawks will play four games at the Tournament of Champions, facing Holy Names and Dominican (Calif.) on Friday and Cal St. Monterey Bay and Cal St. San Bernardino on Saturday.

• Northwest Nazarene took three of four games at home from Central Washington on Mar. 18 and 19. After losing the opener, 6-4 in eight innings, the Nighthawks bounced back to win the nightcap 7-1. They took both games on Mar. 19 by scores of 6-2 and 10-4.

• Junior Maia McNicoll led the NNU offense with a .455 batting average, going 5 for 11 with four runs, a double, a home run and four RBI. McNicoll went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener, which included an RBI single that opened scoring in the first. She then went 2 for 3 in the second game, hitting a two-run single in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth. McNicoll enters the week with a .256 batting average.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth took the loss in Friday’s opener but rebounded for the win in Saturday’s opener, allowing two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out six. Booth leads the GNAC with a 9-5 record, a 1.89 earned run average and 95 strikeouts. She is seventh in Division II with 14 complete games. Offensively, Booth is fourth in the GNAC with a .415 batting average. She leads the GNAC and is 17th in Division II with 12 doubles.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC with a 2.56 earned run average and enters the week with a .284 batting average. The Nighthawks rank 13th in Division II with 12 sacrifice flies and 20th with 110 walks drawn.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s procured a split of its games at Western Oregon last week. The Saints won Saturday’s opener, 5-1, and took the 8-2 loss in the nightcap. Saint Martin’s took a 4-0 loss in Sunday’s opener before ending the series with a 3-1 victory.

• Sophomore Malia Pinder led the SMU offense with a .333 batting average, going 4 for 12 with an RBI. She batted in the leadoff spot for three of the four games. Pinder went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s second game, which included an RBI single in the fourth. She had hits in each of Sunday’s games. Pinder is sixth in the GNAC with a .383 batting average.

• Sophomore Vanessa Smoke also batted .333 in the series, going 3 for 9 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI. Smoke went 1 for 2 and scored two runs in Saturday’s opener and went 2 for 2 in the nightcap, drawing two walks and hitting an RBI single in the fourth. Smoke enters the week with a .290 batting average and 18 hits in 24 games.

• Freshman Chloe Leverington continues to impress in the circle, going 1-1 in the series. She was the winner in relief in Saturday’s opener, allowing two hits while striking out eight in four innings. Leverington’s first loss of the season came in Sunday’s opener, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Leverington is third in the GNAC with a 2.29 earned run average and is fifth with 51 strikeouts.

• Saint Martin’s is second in the GNAC with a 3.63 earned run average and enters the week with a .288 batting average. The Saints rank 17th in Division II with 1.92 doubles per game.

• The Saints’ five games at the Tournament of Champions include Academy of Art and Sonoma State on Friday, Stanislaus State and Cal St. Dominguez Hills on Saturday and Cal St. Monterey Bay on Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser dropped three of four games at Central Washington last week. On Saturday, SFU dropped both games by scores of 11-3 (five innings) and 9-8. They lost Sunday’s opener 8-0 (five innings) before winning the final, 11-5.

• Junior Hannah Boulanger batted .462 in the series to lead SFU, going 6 for 13 with a run and two RBI. She went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s second game, including an RBI single in the fourth. She finished the series by going 3 for 5 in the Sunday victory, which included an RBI single in the fourth. Boulanger enters the week with a .333 batting average.

• Junior Alex Ogg put together a .455 batting average in the series, going 5 for 11 with three runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases. Ogg went 3 for 5 in Saturday’s second game, which included a run scored and an RBI groundout. She had a hit in each of Sunday’s games and went 1 for 1 in the opener, drawing a walk. Ogg leads the GNAC and is 19th in Division II with a .476 batting average.

• Sophomore Anissa Zacharczuk was the winner in the circle in Sunday’s victory in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks in 4.2 innings of work. She took the loss in both games on Saturday, allowing six runs on eight hits in three innings in the opener and three runs on four hits in two relief innings in the nightcap. Zacharczuk enters the week with a 7-7 record and a 6.72 earned run average.

• Simon Fraser leads the GNAC and is 10th in Division II with a .351 batting average and enters the week with a 7.52 earned run average. The team leads Division II with 2.35 doubles per game and ranks 28th with a .407 on-base percentage.

• Simon Fraser’s schedule at the Tournament of Champions includes games with Cal St. Monterey Bay and Holy Names on Friday, Academy of Art and San Francisco St. on Saturday and Cal St. Dominguez Hills on Sunday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon closed out an eight-game homestand with a split against Saint Martin’s. The Saints won Saturday’s opener, 5-1, before the Wolves came back to win the nightcap 8-2. Western Oregon won the Sunday opener 4-0 before losing in the finale 3-1.

• Sophomore Natalie Willoughby led WOU offensively with a .462 batting average, going 6 for 13 with two runs scored, three doubles and an RBI. Willoughby had a hit in each game of the series. In Saturday’s second game, Willoughby’s hit was an RBI double in the sixth. She went 2 for 2 in Sunday’s opener with a double and a run scored and went 2 for 3 in the nightcap. Willoughby is eighth in the GNAC with a .372 batting average. She leads the GNAC and is 13th in Division II with 10 home runs.

• Sophomore Bella Valdes batted .455 in the series, going 5 for 11 with two runs scored and a double. Her best game was Saturday’s nightcap as Valdes went 3 for 4 with a run scored. Valdes enters the week with a .241 batting average.

• Junior Chelsea Smith threw a three-hit shutout to win Sunday’s opener, walking two and striking out six to improve to 8-3 on the season. She enters the week with a 3.81 earned run average. Senior Maddie Mayer was the winner on Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts. She is seventh in the GNAC with a 3.33 earned run average.

• Western Oregon is second in the GNAC with a .308 batting average and enters the week with a 4.04 earned run average. The Wolves are 16th in Division II with 115 walks drawn.

• The Wolves will be at the Tournament of Champions, facing Dominican (Calif.) and Cal St. Monterey Bay on Friday, No. 1 Concordia and Academy of Art on Saturday and Sonoma State on Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington put together a 6-0 week. On Tuesday, the Vikings scored 2-1 and 10-2 (six innings) non-conference wins at Northwest (Wash.). The road trip continued with a sweep at Montana State Billings. The Vikings won 4-0 and 8-5 on Saturday and 9-1 (6 innings) and 2-1 on Sunday.

• For the sweep of the week on the road, Western Washington was selected as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Senior Chantelle Shimabukuro was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .556 in the six games, going 10 for 18 with five runs, eight RBI and a pair of home runs with a .619 on-base percentage and a .889 slugging percentage. She started the week with a hit in each game against Northwest, scoring two runs in the second game. Shimabukuro went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener at MSUB. On Sunday, Shimabukuro went 3 for 4 in the opener with a three-run homer and an RBI single before closing out with a 2 for 2 performance in the nightcap with an RBI single and a solo home run. Shimabukuro enters the week with a .360 batting average.

• Sophomore Sydney Brown was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week after she picked up three wins in as many starts last week, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings. Brown won game one at Northwest, allowing one run on three hits and striking out nine. She opened the MSUB series with a complete-game two-hit shutout, walking one while striking out four in the 4-0 victory. In Sunday’s opener, Brown allowed one run on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in the 9-1, six-inning win. Brown is fourth in the GNAC with a 2.30 earned run average.

• Western Washington enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with a .296 batting average and 3.90 earned run average. The Vikings rank 22nd in Division II with 1.80 doubles per game and 23rd with 54 total doubles.

• The Vikings’ ledger at the Tournament of Champions includes games with Cal Poly Humboldt and Biola on Friday, Sonoma State and Holy Names on Saturday and Academy of Art on Sunday.