Wednesday, May 31, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – The honors keep rolling in for the best of the GNAC with Montana State Billings outfielder Payton Flynn, Western Oregon starting pitcher Dylan Chalmers and Northwest Nazarene relief pitcher Ty Pohlmann all being named to the 2023 ABCA/Rawlings Division II All-West Region First Team.

The trio of first-team honorees leads seven total selections for the GNAC. Western Oregon is also represented by second-team selections Derek Maiben and AJ Cortese. Saint Martin’s Brady Bean and Montana State Billings’ Trevor Cassell were also named to the second team.

Western Oregon’s three selections lead all conference programs with Co-GNAC Pitcher of the Year Chalmers on the first team. Chalmers was the top starter in the conference, leading all pitchers with a 3.13 ERA through 63.1 innings of work. He did not allow a loss in the regular season and finished the year with a 7-1 record while holding the opposition to a .245 batting average and striking out 36 batters.

Maiben and Cortese both earned Second-Team All-West honors after being named to the All-GNAC First Team. Maiben was the unanimous GNAC Player of the Year after leading the conference with a .414 batting average. In 45 games for the Wolves, the senior shortstop racked up 31 RBIs and scored 32 runs while hitting 11 doubles and a home run. He was one of the toughest players to strike out in Division II, only going down on strikes three times in 181 at-bats.

Cortese was one of the best designated hitters in the GNAC this season, finishing the year with a .351 batting average, 31 RBIs and 25 runs scored with 14 doubles, a triple and three home runs. Cortese hit for both power and percentage, ranking fourth in the conference with a .537 slugging percentage and fifth with a .434 on base percentage.

Flynn and Cassell earn ABCA All-West honors after also being named to the D2CCA All-West Region Team. Flynn earned selection to the first team after leading the GNAC with 46 RBIs and 14 home runs. He also led the conference with a .728 slugging percentage that ranks 34th in Division II.

Cassell was named to the second team after finishing the season with a 2.91 ERA and a 4-2 record. Cassell’s season was highlighted by a pair of complete-game shutouts against Northwest Nazarene and April. Through 43.1 innings of work, he held batters to a .234 batting average while tallying 31 strikeouts.

Co-GNAC Pitcher of the Year Pohlmann received first-team honors after a stellar final season on the mound for Northwest Nazarene. Pohlmann finished his senior campaign with a 1.27 ERA and a 3-1 record through 35.1 innings of work. He racked up 59 strikeouts in 17 appearances, averaging an impressive 15.03 strikeouts per nine innings on the way to signing a professional contract with the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League.

Unanimous GNAC Freshman of the Year Bean makes it a hat trick of all-region honors after being selected to the ABCA All-West Second Team. Bean was also named to the NCBWA and D2CCA all-region second teams. He finished his debut campaign at second base with a .384 batting average to rank second in the conference. He also led the GNAC with a .505 on base percentage and 19 stolen bases and was fifth with a .521 slugging percentage.

The ABCA/Rawlings Division II All-West Region Teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association. First All-Region selections Flynn, Chalmers and Pohlmann are all eligible for ABCA All-America honors, which will be announced on June 2.