Baseball | 3/7/2013 10:51:00 AM

BASEBALL - WESTERN OREGON AT NORTHWEST NAZARENE
Friday, March 8 - Nampa, Idaho - 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Saturday, March 9 - Nampa, Idaho - 12:00 p.m. (DH)

LIVE STATS: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/nnu.portal#

MONMOUTH, Ore.- The Western Oregon baseball team returns to action this week as it resumes conference play with a four game series at Northwest Nazarene, opening with a doubleheader in Nampa, Idaho, on Friday, March 8, at 4:00 p.m. before closing out the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 9, at 12:00 p.m.

The Wolves enter the series with an overall record of 8-7 and 3-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play after winning three-of-four at home against Montana State Billings to open conference play.

Daniel McNabb and Matt Nylen lead WOU in batting average at .333 as McNabb is the team leader in on-base percentage at .419. Meanwhile, Nylen, who leads the Wolves with a .485 slugging percentage, looks to continue his play from last week after he went 5-for-9 with a home run against the Yellowjackets. As a team, the Wolves rank fourth in the GNAC in batting average (.237) and runs scored (62).

Gary Steindorf has been the leader of a strong WOU pitching staff, posting a 2-0 record and 1.88 ERA in his four starts this season. Last week, the sophomore only allowed a run while earning a complete game victory against MSUB.

WOU's pitching staff currently leads the GNAC with a 3.47 ERA while only giving up 61 runs, fewest in the GNAC, in 124.1 innings pitched. In addition, the Wolves have held their opponents to the lowest batting average (.255) and lead the conference in strikeouts with 107.

Northwest Nazarene enters the series with a record of 7-10 overall and 1-3 in GNAC play after dropping three-of-four at home against Central Washington to open league action.

The Crusaders, who are second in the conference with a .279 batting average, are lead at the plate by Logan Parker, who leads NNU with a .383 batting average and three stolen bases. On the mound, the Crusaders are lead by Aaron Vaughn, who in four starts is 2-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 30.0 innings pitched.

Last season, the Wolves won seven of their eight games against the Crusaders as WOU holds a decided, 104-26, edge in the series.

Following the four game series, WOU will step out of conference play as the Wolves travel to Seaside, Calif., for a three-game series against Cal State Monterey Bay, beginning with a single game on Friday, March 15, at 3:00 p.m.