Baseball | 5/17/2011 7:11:24 PM

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Daniel Dillard was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Grady Wood the Pitcher of the Year as the Western Oregon baseball team once again dominated the conference postseason honors.

Dillard, a senior outfielder from Olalla, Wash., had a dominating season leading the conference in home runs (10), RBI (54), total bases (102) and slugging percentage (.543) and ranking second in hits (59), third in stolen bases (19) and fourth in both doubles (13) and runs scored (35). His home run total was more than twice as many as any other player in the league. He also hit more home runs than three of the other four teams in the conference and his RBI total was 20 more than anyone else.

Wood, a junior right handed pitcher from Eugene, Ore., Wood led the GNAC in wins (8) and shutouts (3) while carving out a 2.08 earned run average. In conference games, he tied the GNAC single-season record with seven wins and had a microscopic 1.21 ERA.

Jeremiah Robbins was also named the GNAC Coach of the Year for the sixth consecutive season. Robbins led the Wolves to their 10th consecutive GNAC championship with a 37-13 record overall and a 27-5 mark in conference. He now has a career record of 212-96 in his six seasons in Monmouth.

The Wolves also received the overwhelming majority of the all-conference honors as they grabbed nine of the 19 first team all-conference selections, and placed three more on the second team.

The Wolves' pitching staff was well rewarded for its dominance in conference play. Kirk Lind, Michael Ward and Wood were all unanimous first team selections as starting pitchers, while Ian MacDougall was selected as the first team relief pitcher. Lind led the conference with a 1.53 ERA and tied for third with five saves. Ward was the conference strikeout king with 73, while tying for second in wins (seven) and ranking fourth in ERA (2.45). MacDougall compiled a 3-0 record and a save out of the bullpen, including a 0.90 ERA in conference play.

Join Dillard on offense as all-conference selections were catcher Michael Chiarelli, infielder Griffin Boyd, utility player Aaron Headrick and designated hitter Bo Folkinga. Folkinga finished second in the league with a .380 batting average while Headrick paced the GNAC with 16 doubles. He finished just ahead of Chiarelli (14), who also ranked fourth with a .426 on-base percentage. Boyd ranked eighth in the league with 26 runs batted in.

Joining the all-conference team were second team selections Grant Glover, Cam Nobles and Josh Solemsaas. Glover ranked third in the GNAC with 41 runs scored and ninth with 11 stolen bases. Since Solemsaas took over as the starting shortstop on Apr. 1 in a game against NNU, Western Oregon went 24-4. Nobles was the fourth member of the starting pitching staff to earn all-conference honors. He tied for second in the GNAC in wins (seven) and ninth in opponent batting average (.264).

Western Oregon also led the way by collecting six of the conference's 10 unanimous selections. In addition to Dillard and Wood, Lind, Headrick, Folkinga and Chiarelli were all listed on the first team of all five coaches' ballots.

Four of the Wolves' selections were also repeat honorees. Ward led the way with his third first team all-conference selection. He earned the honor in 2008 and then after missing 2009 with arm trouble, bounced back to take home the honor again in 2010 and 2011. Dillard was WOU's only other back-to-back first team selection. Last year he earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors to go along with his first team all-conference selection. Lind bounced back from a second team selection in 2010 to earn first team all-conference honors this season, just as he did in 2009. Glover was named to the second team this season after earning first team honors last season.

The all-conference teams are selected by the GNAC head coaches.

2011 GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM: Pitchers – +Grady Wood, WOU (6-1, 190, Jr., Eugene, OR); +Sean McDonald, NNU (5-9, 160, Jr., Boise, ID); +Kirk Lind, WOU (5-11, 200, Jr., Vancouver, WA); **Michael Ward, WOU (6-4, 230, Jr., Eugene, OR); Relief Pitcher – Ian MacDougall, WOU (6-0, 170, Jr., Bend, OR). Catcher – +Mike Chiarelli, WOU (5-9, 185, Sr., Everett, WA). First Base – Derek Bettinson, NNU (6-0, 195, Jr., Boise, ID). Second Base – +Kelly Gau, CWU (5-10, 175, Sr., Woodinville, WA). Shortstop - +Colby Robison, MSUB (6-1, 190, So., Rexburg, ID). Third Base - Glen Reser, CWU (6-1, 200, Jr., Spokane, WA); Ryan VanBeek, NNU (6-0, 215, Sr., Yakima, WA). Infielder – Griffin Boyd, WOU (6-0, 190, Jr., Medford, OR). Utility – +Aaron Headrick, WOU (5-9, 170, Sr., Cupertino, CA). Designated Hitter - +Bo Folkinga, WOU (6-2, 215, Jr., Twin Falls, ID). Outfielders – *+Daniel Dillard, WOU (6-3, 220, Sr., Olalla, WA); *+Andrew Elke, SMU (5-9, 170, Sr., St. Charles, IL); *Sean McDonald, NNU (5-9, 160, Jr., Boise, ID); Jeff Ridgeway, MSUB (6-0, 195, Sr., Billings, MT); Logan Parker, NNU (6-1, 190, Fr., Jerome, ID). *First Team Repeater **First Team Two-time repeater (Ward from 2008 and 2010). +Unanimous (9)

SECOND TEAM: Pitchers – J.T. Brodrick, NNU (6-6, 200, Sr., Riverton, WY); Brandon Rohde, CWU (6-3, 215, Jr., Gig Harbor, WA); Cam Nobles, WOU (6-1, 185, Sr., Mill Creek, WA); Michael McIver, SMU (6-10, 235, Sr., Olympia, WA). Relief Pitcher – Kaleb Wilson, SMU (6-3, 215, Jr., Olympia, WA). Catcher – Zach Leonard, SMU (5-8, 170, Jr., Spanaway, WA). First Base – Brady Kincannon, CWU (6-3, 190, Jr., Federal Way, WA). Second Base – Grant Glover, WOU (5-8, 190, Sr., McMinnville, OR). Shortstop – Josh Solemsaas, WOU (5-9, 175, Fr., Lake Stevens, WA). Third Base – Josh Grenier, SMU (5-10, 185, Jr., Tumwater, WA). Designated Hitter – Jordan Kessler, MSUB (5-9, 180, Sr., Broomfield, CO). Outfielders – Ty Windall, NNU (5-11, 165, Sr., Davis, CA); Nate Wallen, CWU (5-11, 185, Sr., Bremerton, WA); Aaron Johnson, SMU (6-2, 210, Sr., Seabeck, WA). (3)

HONORABLE MENTION: Pitchers – Brian Hutchings, MSUB (6-0, 190, Jr., San Luis Obispo, CA); Tommy DeBoer, SMU (5-7, 155, Jr., Olympia, WA); Casey Mitchell, SMU (6-0, 210, Sr., Olympia, WA). Relief Pitcher – Kalen Hruza, NNU (6-0, 215, Sr., Caldwell, ID). Catcher – Drew Drlik, NNU (6-0, 190, Fr., Camas, WA). Second Base – Bobby Twedt, SMU (5-9, 175, So., Sedro-Woolley, WA). Outfielder - Jimmy Ryerson, CWU (5-11, 175, So., Seattle, WA).

SPECIAL AWARDS: Player of the Year – Daniel Dillard, Western Oregon. Pitcher of the Year – Grady Wood, Western Oregon. Newcomer of the Year – Colby Robison, MSU Billings. Freshman of the Year – Logan Parker, Northwest Nazarene. Coach of the Year – Jeremiah Robbins, Western Oregon.