Baseball | 5/1/2014 1:57:00 PM
MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University baseball team welcomes Lewis-Clark State College for their final three games of the 2014 regular season Friday and Sunday.
The Wolves (29-17, 22-10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) have already clinched the top spot and host rights for the second annual GNAC tournament next Thursday and Friday. But, WOU enters the series against Lewis-Clark State after back-to-back home losses to Saint Martin's last Sunday. As a result, Western Oregon dropped from sixth to eighth in the NCAA Div. II West Region rankings.
Western Oregon needs to climb within the top six for a chance at a berth to the NCAA West Region tournament.
The Wolves may have a solid opportunity to improve its ranking with three games against the second-best team in the NAIA, Lewis-Clark State. The Warriors (39-7) rose from third to second in the latest national NAIA poll. They extended their NAIA record streak of consecutive appearances in the Top 25 to 134 this week, and have also been in the top 10 for 22 consecutive editions of the poll.
Lewis-Clark State enters the WOU series on a four-game win streak. It has won seven of its last eight, with the lone loss coming by one run at fellow GNAC member, Northwest Nazarene. LCSC has gone 11-2 against three GNAC members this season, including taking three of four against Western Oregon early in the season.
The Warriors' Jake Shirley and Ty Jackson were named the Red Lion NAIA West Player and Pitcher of the Week. Shirley had 12 hits during LCSC's road swing against Northwest Nazarene and College of Idaho, including two doubles, a triple and a home run. He went 12-for-22 at the plate for a .545 batting average, scored six runs, drove in five and stole a base.
Shirley leads LCSC with a .401 batting average and 75 hits, and is second on the team in runs scored (44) and RBI (43).
Jackson went six innings in his start at Northwest Nazarene in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader that was won by the Warriors 9-0. The right-hander improved to 4-0 with the victory, in which he allowed just two singles. He did not allow a run and struck out one batter, lowering his earned run average to 2.22. A first baseman as well, Jackson also hit a game-winning two-run home run in the team's 2-1 win over the College of Idaho last Sunday.
Western Oregon's
Eric Huson has the top ERA in the conference at 1.81. He is holding opponents to a .227 batting average this season, and is the lone pitcher in the GNAC to have logged a 9-inning shutout.
Daniel McNabb has been the top hitter for WOU. The senior outfielder is batting .352 and his 57 hits are second-most in the conference. His 35 RBI are also second in the GNAC.
Western Oregon and LC State meet for the 76th time Friday. There will be only one game Friday at 2 p.m., and then a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The Wolves will honor 12 seniors between the first and second games on Sunday. Live video and stats will be available on WOUWolves.com.
