NIGHTHAWKS HEATING UP: Three-time defending GNAC champion Northwest Nazarene went 6-0 last week, taking a pair of games from in-state rival College of Idaho before sweeping Central Washington in a four-game, non-conference series. NNU (10-1) climbed up two spots to No. 22 in the latest NFCA rankings, ahead of this week’s clash against Saint Martin’s (8-5).

Sidney Booth tied the GNAC record with her 10th-career GNAC Pitcher of the Week award, striking out 19 batters in 21 innings pitched to increase her GNAC-record career strikeout total to 645. Booth also climbed into the top-five in GNAC history in innings pitched, with 611 in her illustrious career. Booth leads the GNAC with 42 strikeouts, seven wins and an opposing batting average of .146 so far this season, while ranking second in the conference with an ERA of 1.01.

Offensively, the Nighthawks were powered by Abigail Gagnon who is tied for the GNAC lead with four home runs and 13 RBIs. Clarissa Moreno meanwhile owns a slash line of .400/.467/.675 and has five doubles and a pair of long balls.

VIKINGS POST BEST START IN GNAC HISTORY: Western Washington (13-1) became the first team in GNAC history to start a season with 13 consecutive wins, as the Vikings held pat at No. 16 in the NFCA rankings this week. Two previous GNAC teams – the 2011 Vikings and the 2005 Humboldt State Lumberjacks – posted 12-0 starts, while the 2008 Seattle University team started 11-0 and the 2016 Central Washington Wildcats began 12-1. Western Washington achieved the piece of history with an eight-inning, 3-2 win over Saint Martin’s last week.

Kaiana Kong leads the GNAC and ranks 21st nationally with an ERA of 0.53, while Joie Baker leads the conference with 50 1/3 innings pitched. That duo has combined to claim nine of WWU’s 13 victories and strike out 45 hitters on the season. Ashley Jacobson has been the most consistent bat with a slash line of .422/.509/.822, while Emma Andrewjeski is tied for the GNAC lead in both home runs (4) and RBIs (13).

Western Washington will look to keep its strong start going with a four-game home series against Simon Fraser (4-7).

WOLVES FIRST TO BEAT VIKINGS: Western Oregon (7-7) was the team to snap WWU’s historic season-opening winning streak, squeaking out a 2-1 triumph in a neutral-site meeting in Lacey, Wash., last week. Western Oregon also plays host this weekend, welcoming Central Washington (2-12) to Monmouth.

Victoria Zimmerman is the early GNAC leader in batting average at .488 and on-base percentage at .542, as her 21 hits are the most of any player in the conference this spring. In the circle, the duo of Alivia Holden and Mackenzee Collins has been nearly unhittable, as they hold ERAs of 1.50 and 1.88, respectively. Collins ranks second in the league behind Booth with 39 strikeouts and is third in the GNAC with 41 innings pitched.

DUCLOS CLIMBS SB CHARTS: Simon Fraser senior Megan Duclos continued her ascent up the GNAC career stolen base charts, climbing into a tie for sixth with 69 steals in her career. The all-time record of 86 steals, held by Humboldt State’s Andrea Williams (2001-04), remains within reach for Duclos who ranks 13th in Division II with 1.00 steals per game.

FROM MONTANA TO FLORIDA: Montana State Billings (3-6-1) heads south for a flurry of games in The Sunshine State, as the Yellowjackets will play 10 games against eight different teams from four different states at the event. MSUB opens up against Minnesota State Mankato and Mary on Thursday morning, with the event stretching through the weekend and into next Tuesday.

Junior slugger Jazlyn Kalehuawehe ranks 15th in Division II softball with a slugging percentage of 1.045, as she is tied for the GNAC lead with four home runs this season. Lauren Blaschak, Kilee Imada and Teagan Seeton have each added three homers, and senior Marin Penney, who is tied for 15th in GNAC history with 30 home runs, has contributed a pair this spring. The Yellowjackets rank 20th in Division II with a GNAC-leading 17 long balls so far in 2024.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association releases its national rankings every at noon (ET) on every Tuesday throughout the season, beginning on Feb. 13. The 2024 preseason coaches poll was released on Jan. 23.

The Vikings checked in at No. 16 in the latest NFCA top-25 rankings, while NNU climbed to its highest position at No. 22 after going 6-0 last week.

Feb. 26 GNAC Softball Players of the Week

Player of the Week – Abigail Gagnon, Northwest Nazarene

Third-career player of the week, first this season.

Gagnon powered the Nighthawks to a 6-0 record last week, leading all GNAC players in home runs (4), RBIs (10) and hits (11) while posting a slash line of .550/.656/1.050. Gagnon had hits and RBIs in all six games, including a 4-for-4 performance in the Nighthawks’ 6-0 win over Central Washington. Gagnon added a 3-for-3 line in a 6-2 win to seal a four-game sweep of CWU, and she had multiple RBIs in her first three games of the week. Gagnon did not strike out in 23 plate appearances and made eight plays defensively at third base.

Also Nominated: Jillian Hampson, CWU; Riley Warden, MSUB; Olivia Matlock, SMU; Abby McGlynn, SFU; Chelby Smalley, WOU; Ashley Jacobson, WWU.

Pitcher of the Week – Sidney Booth, Northwest Nazarene

Tenth-career pitcher of the week, second this season.

Booth led all GNAC pitchers last week with 19 strikeouts, 21 innings pitched and three victories, helping the Nighthawks win all six of their games last week. The senior left-hander authored a pair of shutouts against Central Washington, and finished the week with an ERA of 1.33 and an opposing batting average of .205. Booth’s 24 career shutouts are third-most in GNAC history, and she tied Seattle University’s Erin Martin for the most-career GNAC Pitcher of the Week awards with her 10th.

Also Nominated: Payton Kessler, CWU; Caitlyn James, MSUB; Chloe Leverington, SMU; Alivia Holden, WOU; Kaiana Kong, WWU.

The 2024 GNAC Softball Championships will be played May 2-4 at Viking Field on the campus of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. The four-team double-elimination tournament will determine the recipient of the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Championships. The top-four teams in the final GNAC regular-season standings earn berths into the conference tournament.