Western Oregon Journal

            West Regionals, here come the Wolves.

            After winning two of three games at St. Martin’s University (19-35, 10-14) on Friday, May 13, the Western baseball team returned home the following day for the final two games of the series and the regular season, needing a pair of victories to solidify its case for a spot in the NCAA Division II West Regional tournament.

            In game one on Saturday, a late-inning St. Martin’s rally tied the score at eight and sent the game into extra innings. After junior reliever Travis Head held the Saints scoreless in the top half of the tenth, a single, sacrifice bunt and two walks loaded the bases for the Wolves with one out and senior Mike McRae at the plate. McRae didn’t waste time and swung at the first pitch, punching the game-winning, walk-off single up the middle for the 9-8 win.

            Game two was the final home game for the Wolves’ 15 seniors and an appropriately senior-laden lineup.  Jessy Tweit’s two clutch RBI singles helped Western cruise to a 5-1 victory to close out the season with the series triumph over the Saints and yet another Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship. The Wolves posted a 21-3 conference record and 40-13 overall mark.

            With the regular season complete, the Wolves had to wait until Sunday night to find out if their top-four West Region ranking would hold and place them in the Regional tournament.

            As they waited, the GNAC all-conference teams were announced and seven Wolves received first-team honors, including senior catcher Greg McCarthy, who took home co-Player of the Year with a league-leading and school record-chasing .437 batting average. Also, junior pitcher Trent Kristjanson was named Pitcher of the Year, thanks to a 7-1 record and 73 innings pitched, in which he held holding opposing hitters to a batting average of .218.

            In addition to McCarthy and Kristjanson, senior pitcher Brian Fadling, senior infielders McRae and Jordan Ramos, junior infielder Matt Skundrick and senior outfielder Aaron Karnofski were all first-team all-conference.

            Head Coach Terry Baumgartner nabbed a share of the Coach of the Year honors along with Central Washington’s Desi Storey.

            After the news from the all-conference selections, more good tidings followed as the final West Region rankings were made official. The Wolves retained their number three ranking, a spot they held for most of the season, and cemented their place in the West Regional for the second time in three years.

            The Wolves’ first round match-up pits them against second-ranked Cal State Chico (39-14-1) at 3 p.m. Mountain Time, 2 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, May 19. Cal State Chico swept the Wolves in a three game series back in February. Top-ranked—and regional host—Mesa State (45-14) will take on fourth-ranked New Mexico Highlands (38-16) in the other first round game.

            If the Wolves win on day one, they’ll play on Friday against Thursday’s other winner. Should they lose on day one, they’ll play the first loser’s out game on Friday, May 20. The double elimination tournament concludes on Saturday, May 21, with the champion advancing to the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery, Ala., on May 28-June 4.    

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