Three players were hitting over .315 last season including first-team all-region selection Chandler Tracy. The senior catcher slugged
11 home runs in 2014 to lead the conference while breaking the GNAC record for career home runs with 31.
Two other players, Alex Bielaski and Travis Shaw, ranked in the top eight conference-wide in hits.
On the mound, Saint Martin’s 10 complete games from their pitching staff ranked second in the conference and its 336 strikeouts
were first.
IMPACT PLAYERS
The Saints have a good group of contingents returning to the field from last season’s tournament team.
Tracy and Shaw both return for their senior seasons having already been selected for the NCBWA West-Region preseason first and
second teams respectively.
Carl Svanevik and Kaelen Hirashiki, who each started more than 30 games for the Saints in 2014, also return after finishing in the top
five in runs, walks and home runs for SMU. Junior Blake Lord is one of two starting infielders to come back as well after playing in 30
games and recording 48 fielding assists.
The pitching staff has six returnees that pitched at least 19 innings last season, headlined by first-team GNAC starting pitcher Zach
Carter. The right-handed senior ended the season with a 6-3 record while throwing a conference-high 90.2 innings.
Also back on the mound is starting left-handed pitcher Josh Moss. The GNAC honorable mention selection’s 4.74 ERA ranked in the
top 10 in the conference while his six complete games tied for second.
Four other pitchers return, including Brad Banker and right-hander/infielder Josh Sontag, that appeared in at least 12 games last
season.
OUTLOOK
2014 Coach of the Year Ken Garland already has some nice pieces to the puzzle put together this season.
With the return of the GNAC home run king and first-team catcher Tracy along with starting pitchers Carter, Moss and Sontag, the
pitching staff will be in good shape.
The Saint’s need to find replacements for two infield spots in former first baseman Spencer Dodd, who ended his senior year with a
.997 fielding percentage, and shortstop Zack Larsen, last season’s Freshman of the Year, to complete the infield after leading the
conference with 40 turned double plays in 2014.
Starting outfielders Svanevik and Hirashiki should do more than just hold down outfield spots as the two have fielding percentages
over .960 to go along with 27 combined RBI’s a season ago.
For the Saints to get back to the GNAC championship again this season they might need to take advantage of some early home
conference games. They close out the last month of the season against last year’s GNAC tournament and regular season champions
along with West Region power Dixie State.
NORTHWEST NAZARENE Crusaders
Preseason Rank: 4
Head Coach: Rocke Musgraves, Arizona ’94 (18-31, 1 year)
Assistant: Jason Krohn
Pitching Coach: Brian Solemsaas, Easton Napiontek
2014 Record: 18-31
Conference: 13-19, T4th
Returning Letter Winners:
Returning Position Starters: 6
Returning Pitching Starters: 4
Key Returnees (Min. 25 at bats, 15 IP):
Position Players
GP-GS R
H
RBI
*Tate Glasgow (SR), C/OF
49-48
29 46
20
Ben Circeo (SR), INF
48-45
16 33
18
Kaleb DeHaas (SR), INF
45-41
19 26
16
*Andrew Helmstadter (SO), C 44-39
22 33
14
BA
.303
.254
.213
.287
Andrew Helmstadter drove in 14 runs while batting .287 as a freshman.