May
1,
2015
Contact:
Nathan
Webber
(503)305-‐8756/[email protected]
Final
Weekend
to
Decide
Championship
Bracket
PORTLAND,
Ore.
–
Two
teams
have
already
guaranteed
spots
in
the
2015
GNAC
Baseball
Championships,
but
where
the
tournament
will
be
hosted
is
still
a
question.
Defending
regular-‐season
champion
Western
Oregon
and
Montana
State
Billings
are
tied
at
18-‐10
each,
as
both
are
vying
for
the
right
to
host
the
tournament.
That
will
be
decided
this
weekend
in
the
last
series
of
conference
play.
The
Wolves
host
Northwest
Nazarene
while
the
Yellowjackets
hit
the
road
in
a
four-‐game
series
against
Saint
Martin’s.
Simply
put,
whichever
team
wins
more
games
this
weekend
will
be
the
regular-‐season
champion.
If
WOU
and
MSUB
tie,
the
Wolves
would
win
the
title
due
to
their
5-‐3
advantage
over
the
Yellowjackets
during
the
season
head-‐to-‐head
matchups.
The
Wolves
face
a
tough
matchup
with
NNU
Friday
and
Saturday
as
the
Crusaders
are
trying
to
reach
the
GNAC
postseason
for
the
first-‐time
ever.
Northwest
Nazarene
needs
just
one
win
to
secure
a
berth
into
the
championship.
The
Crusaders
though
will
be
playing
on
the
road
for
their
second-‐straight
week
and
face
a
Wolves
team
that
is
out
for
revenge
after
NNU
beat
WOU
three
times
in
a
four-‐game
series
in
late
March.
Montana
State
Billings
has
had
success
against
Saint
Martin’s
this
year,
winning
their
series
in
Billings
a
month
ago.
With
one
win,
the
Yellowjackets
will
guarantee
a
tie
of
their
highest
finish
in
the
GNAC
regular-‐season
while
also
winning
more
conference
game
than
they
ever
have.
Central
Washington,
which
is
finished
with
conference
play
after
taking
three
from
Saint
Martin’s
last
week,
needs
WOU
to
sweep
NNU
to
reach
the
GNAC
Championships.
The
Wildcats
entertain
Lewis-‐Clark
State
in
their
last
games
of
the
regular-‐season.
Standings
and
Schedule
GNAC
Overall
LAST
8
Team
W
L
W
L
W
L
x-‐MSU
Billings
18
10
23
21
5
3
x-‐Western
Oregon
18
10
23
22
5
3
Northwest
Nazarene
14
14
26
23
6
2
Central
Washington
14
18
23
24
3
5
Saint
Martin’s
8
20
16
30
2
6
x-‐Clinched
GNAC
tournament
UPCOMING
GAMES
FRIDAY,
May
1
Northwest
Nazarene
at
Western
Oregon
(DH),
1
p.m./4
p.m.
Montana
State
Billings
at
Saint
Martin’s
(DH),
1
p.m./4
p.m.
Lewis-‐Clark
State
at
Central
Washington,
1
p.m.
SATURDAY,
May
2
Northwest
Nazarene
at
Western
Oregon
(DH),
12
p.m./3
p.m.
Montana
State
Billings
at
Saint
Martin’s
(DH),
12
p.m./3
p.m.
Lewis-‐Clark
State
at
Central
Washington,
1
p.m.
Around
the
GNAC
• MSUB’s
Trevor
Nix
was
awarded
NCBWA
West
Region
Player
of
the
Week
honors.
He
becomes
the
third
Yellowjacket
this
season
to
earn
this
award
and
the
sixth
in
the
GNAC.
A
conference
player
has
now
won
West
Region
Player
or
Pitcher
of
the
Week
five
times
in
six
weeks.
• MSUB’s
Tanner
Johnson
threw
10
strikeouts
in
his
complete-‐game
shutout
of
NNU
last
weekend.
Johnson
becomes
just
the
seventh
different
GNAC
pitcher
this
season
to
record
at
least
10
strikeouts
in
a
game.
• The
Wildcats
Zach
Johnson
and
the
Yellowjackets
Tanner
Johnson
were
awarded
co-‐Pitcher
of
the
Week
honors
after
each
threw
a
nine-‐inning
three
hit
shutout
last
week.
The
Johnson’s
become
the
eighth
and
ninth
pitchers
in
the
GNAC
this
se