Thursday, January 17, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – When all was said and done at the end of the 2018 GNAC softball season, it was the tale of the veteran and the newcomer.

The veteran was Central Washington, which won its third straight regular-season championship. The newcomer, Northwest Nazarene, tied the Wildcats to win the program’s first-ever GNAC regular-season crown. The Nighthawks then took it a step further, winning three close contests at the GNAC Championships to advance to the NCAA Championship.

Coaches expect another close battle between the Nighthawks and Wildcats again this year with the teams taking the top two spots in the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

Northwest Nazarene picked up five of eight possible first-place votes to lead the poll with 61 points. The Wildcats earned the remaining three first-place votes to finish a close second with 59 points. The two teams split all eight second-place votes.

Western Oregon was a distant third with 42 points while Western Washington is picked fourth with 32 points. The Vikings are followed closely by Simon Fraser with 29 points and Saint Martin’s with 28 points. Montana State Billings (24 pts.) and Concordia (14 pts.) round out the poll.

It was not only Northwest Nazarene’s first trip to the postseason as a Division II member, but one of the best seasons in program history. The team’s first winning season since joining the GNAC, the Nighthawks improved by eight wins over 2017 with a 31-23 overall record. The Nighthawks hit a roll following the Tournament of Champions, going 15-5 in the final 20 games of the regular season. Northwest Nazarene led the league with a .313 batting average, 294 runs and 270 RBIs. The NNU pitching staff was second with a 3.43 earned run average and a GNAC-best .257 opponent batting average.

The Nighthawks’ lineup is loaded in 2019. A total of 17 players are back, including 10 position starters (20 or more games) and all four starting pitchers. Sophomore Jordan Adams was named both the GNAC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in 2018, finishing with a 19-7 record and 1.54 earned run average. In 158.2 innings, Adams allowed just 35 earned runs and struck out 165 batters. Senior outfielder Anna Williams earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors after hitting .359 with 43 runs, 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. Junior catcher Brittany Genuardi earned First Team All-GNAC laurels after she hit .355 with seven homers 40 RBIs.

Northwest Nazarene’s returning lineup also includes Second Team All-GNAC selections in senior outfielder Cassidy Fifield, senior first baseman Kylie Orr, senior third baseman Abigail Otto and senior shortstop Anna Olson.

Central Washington has been on a winning roll since head coach Mike Larabee arrived in Ellensburg for the 2016 season. The Wildcats finished with a 30 or more wins for the third consecutive season and tied with Northwest Nazarene for the regular season crown. Central was second in the GNAC with a .309 team batting average, but used manufactured runs over power. Of the team’s 402 hits, only 91 of those were extra-base hits and only 12 were home runs. At the same time, the Wildcats’ 82 stolen bases were 18 more than any other GNAC and ranked in the top-40 in Division II.

The Wildcats also return an experienced lineup, which includes 10 returning starters. Junior infielder Savannah Egbert earned First Team All-GNAC and First Team NFCA All-West Region honors after she finished second in the league with a .453 batting average. In addition to her 72 hits and .516 slugging percentage, Egbert set a CWU record with 30 stolen bases. Sophomore pitcher Lexi Strasser earned First Team All-GNAC honors and rivaled Adams for top freshman honors after finishing with an 18-10 record and 2.91 earned run average.

Central Washington also welcomes back sophomore outfielder Katie Kastning, a First Team All-GNAC selection as a freshman, and a Second Team All-GNAC pick in senior outfielder Rachael Johnson.

Western Oregon continued to be the most consistent squad in the GNAC when it comes to success. The Wolves posted their sixth consecutive winning season, compiling a 28-25 overall record, and qualified for their sixth straight GNAC Championships. Western did its damage at the plate, finishing third in the GNAC with a .303 batting average and .453 slugging percentage. Solid defensively, the Wolves finished with a .960 fielding percentage and was second in Division II with 0.57 double plays turned per game.

The Wolves return eight position starters and three pitchers. Senior infielder Ryanne Whitaker (Huffman) earned First Team All-GNAC and NFCA All-West Region honors after she finished with a .397 batting average with 37 runs. 26 RBIs and a .517 slugging percentage. Sophomore outfielder Tyler Creach led WOU as a freshman with a .409 batting average and finished with 72 hits to earn First Team All-GNAC and Second Team NFCA All-West Region awards.

The lineup also includes returners in senior infielder Cheyanne Rimer, sophomore infielder Sydney Bowers and senior pitcher Haley Fabian.

After winning the GNAC Championships in 2017, Western Washington was a different team in 2018. With the loss of many of the team’s top players, the Vikings finished under .500 for just the fifth time in the GNAC era. Western hit just .254 as a team, but was competitive in the circle with a solid 3.85 earned run average. The program’s 252 strikeouts was second in the GNAC and their 2.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio was 31st in Division II.

The Vikings are led by senior pitcher/third baseman Shearyna Labasan, who earned First Team All- GNAC honors for her efforts at the plate. Labasan batted .421 with 11 doubles, four home runs and a .586 slugging percentage. As the Vikings’ No. 2 pitcher, Labasan compiled a 3.48 earned run average and 102 strikeouts. Western Washington will return a pair of superstars in senior first baseman Emily Benson and senior pitcher/infielder Makinlee Sellevold, who sat out the 2018 campaign. Benson earned All-GNAC and All-West Region honors in 2017, hitting .418 with 44 runs, 12 homers, 37 RBIs and a blistering .733 slugging percentage. Sellevold batted .390 in 2017 and finished with 67 hits, eight homers and a .628 slugging percentage.

Picked to finish eighth in last year’s preseason poll, Simon Fraser proved to be the surprise of the GNAC. The Clan secured the fourth and final spot in the GNAC Championships by winning five of their final seven games and then rode the stellar pitching of Alia Stachoski to the tournament final, losing to Northwest Nazarene. Simon Fraser finished the year batting .265 as a team. The Clan won 21 games despite a GNAC-high 4.18 earned run average.

The Clan will make plenty of adjustments with the departure of six starters, including Stachoski and First Team All-GNAC selection Taylor Lundrigan, and the arrival of first-year head coach Michelle Peters. The lineup is led by senior infielder Hailey Gearey, who earned Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors after hitting .303 with 21 runs and 11 stolen bases, and sophomore Kate Fergusson, who hit .315 with 18 RBIs and also earned Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors.

Saint Martin’s experienced a transition year in 2018 under first-year head coach Jim Peterson. The Saints just missed the GNAC Championships with a 13-15 record, finishing sixth, but went 23-22 overall for the program’s seventh straight winning season. Pitching is what kept the Saints competitive, finishing third in the GNAC with a 3.64 earned run average while hitting .290 with 195 runs.

The Saints feature an experienced lineup with 12 returners. Senior pitcher Lauren Maley earned Second Team All-GNAC honors, one of three SMU hurlers elected to the team. She finished with a 3.00 earned run average and a 16-14 record, allowing 59 earned runs while striking out 58. Senior outfielder Lauren Diuco also earned second-team honors after finishing with a .310 batting average, 40 hits and 18 stolen bases.

Picked to finish seventh in 2019, Montana State Billings just missed the postseason after a season that saw the Yellowjackets hit .298 and club a GNAC-high 52 home runs. The team’s 1.11 home runs per game ranked MSUB 13th among Division II teams. The Yellowjackets will face a rebuild of sorts with the graduation of GNAC Player of the Year and All-American Heather Tracy and first-team first baseman Cameron Cassinelli.

Sophomore first baseman/pitcher Brittanee Fisher leads the returners after earning Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors last year. She finished with a .311 average at the plate, which included 11 home runs and 30 RBIs. Junior pitcher Maddy Lincoln was the program’s top hurler last year as she picked 12 wins and compiled a 3.20 earned run average to net Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors.

Concordia, picked eighth, finished 2018 at 20-28 overall. The Cavaliers were far from a pushover, however, finishing the year with a .268 batting average and 3.85 earned run average. The team’s 1.49 double plays turned per game ranked fifth in Division II. Concordia will be led by senior Mackenzie Smith, who finished a .279 batting average and a 3.16 earned run average. She was the winning pitcher in eight of the Cavaliers’ 20 victories. Junior outfielder Macy Besuyen earned Second Team All-GNAC honors with a .346 batting average, 33 runs and a .492 slugging percentage.

Seven of the GNAC’s eight teams will open the season on Fri., Feb. 1 by competing in the Desert Stinger, hosted by Montana State Billings in Las Vegas. Conference play opens on the weekend of Mar. 1-3.