NAMPA, Idaho – Off to a 6-2 start to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule, the Western Oregon University baseball team will play their first conference games on the road this week at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday for a four-game series. The Friday doubleheader will start at 2 p.m. and the Saturday doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m. Both start times are Pacific Time.
WOU is 13-8 overall and 6-2 in GNAC play, having played all eight conference games in Monmouth. The Wolves are 7-3 at home overall and 6-5 on the road this season. WOU picked up four wins this past week taking the 8-5 road win at George Fox and then won three of four against Central Washington. The Wolves swept the Saturday doubleheader to take the series.
Derek Maiben and Sebasten Boivin, who were in the running for GNAC Players of the Week, turned in big performances in the five games. Maiben hit .474 with nine hits, seven runs scored, a double, six RBI and went 5-5 in stolen bases. Boivin went 1-0 with a save in seven total innings, holding just a 1.29 ERA. He came away with four strikeouts and had no walks, holding teams to a .167 batting average.
On the season, Derek Maiben leads the team with a .351 average, posting 27 hits, 19 runs, two doubles and 13 RBI. He is 10-11 on stolen base attempts this season. Brother Jacob Maiben is second on the team with a .328 average, collecting 21 hits, 13 runs, a double, a triple and six RBI. He has drawn 12 walks and is 8-9 on stolen base attempts. Jackson Holstad is hitting .297 with 22 hits, eight runs, four doubles, a triple and 13 RBI. He has gone 6-7 in stolen base attempts. Spencer Weston is hitting .279 with 19 hits, 16 runs, three doubles and 12 RBI. He has gone 4-5 in stolen base attempts. Sebastian Morales is hitting .320 in 25 at-bats, tallying two doubles and an RBI. Anthony Zellner holds a .305 average with 18 hits, nine runs, four doubles and 11 RBI. John Stark is hitting .293 with 12 hits, five runs, two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI. Darian Noll is hitting .286 in seven at-bats, Levi Cummings is 4-4 in stolen bases and has nine hits and three RBI, while Justyn Herzog has driven in 10 so far this season. As a team, WOU is hitting .249 with 166 hits, 112 runs, 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 85 RBI. WOU is 35-40 in stolen base attempts and have drawn 82 walks. Opponents are hitting .255 with 171 hits, 93 runs, 30 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 84 RBI, 71 walks and are 25-27 in stolen base attempts.
On the mound, Boivin leads the team with a sparkling 1.42 ERA in 19 innings. He is 1-0 with a save and has 13 strikeouts to just five walks, while holding teams to a .191 batting average. Arturo Alvarez turned in another strong start to pick up his third win of the season to improve to 3-0 in 25.2 innings. He holds a 2.10 ERA and has 13 strikeouts to just four walks. Parker Johnson started and won his team-leading fourth victory of the season to move to 4-1 on the year in 18.1 innings. He holds a 2.45 ERA with 19 strikeouts. Matthew Dunaway has a 2.60 ERA in 17.1 innings, holding teams to a .148 average, while coming away with 32 strikeouts to just six walks. Mike Peterson has pitched in 14.1 innings, posting a 3.77 ERA with 13 strikeouts to just two walks. Seth Kuykendall added another save this week to go along with his 2-1 record in 21.1 innings. He holds a 4.22 ERA with 25 strikeouts. Bryce Bond and Michael Moore have the other wins on the staff. Chris Hardin, Moore and Kuykendall are tied for the team lead in saves with two. As a team, WOU has a 4.01 ERA in 173 innings, coming away with 183 strikeouts to just 71 walks. Opponents have a 3.74 ERA in 171 innings, tallying 151 strikeouts to 82 walks.
Derek Maiben ranks third in the GNAC in batting average, with Jacob Maiben fifth, Zellner ninth and Holstad tenth. Alvarez leads the GNAC with a 2.10 ERA and Kuykendall ranks sixth. Derek Maiben is tied for fifth in hits and tied for third in runs scored. Weston is tied for ninth in runs scored. The Maibens ranks first and second in the conference in stolen bases per game with Derek Maiben leading, followed by Jacob Maiben. Cummings and Weston are tied for sixth. Weston is tied for second in walks per game, with Jacob Maiben tied for sixth. Jacob Maiben is second in on-base percentage (.458), with Weston eighth (.414) and Derek Maiben tied for ninth (.400). Johnson leads the GNAC in wins, with Alvarez tied for second. Alvarez is seventh in the GNAC in innings pitched. Dunaway is second in strikeouts per game, with Kuykendall tenth. Hardin and Boivin are tied for the conference lead in appearances, with Kuykendall tied for eighth. Hardin and Kuykendall are tied for second in saves. Alvarez is third in opponents batting average against and Kuykendall is eighth.
WOU and Northwest Nazarene are tied at the top of the GNAC standings at 6-2. The two teams played just one regular season series last year before facing each other three times at the NCAA West Regional. During the regular season series in Nampa, the teams split the four-game set. Then at Regionals, WOU won the first meeting before the Nighthawks came back to win the final two. WOU is 51-28 in Nampa since 2002 and have gone 108-47 in the series during that time.
Northwest Nazarene is 14-10 overall and is 6-2 in the GNAC against Central Washington and Saint Martin's. The Nighthawks went 3-1 in Ellensburg and then went 3-1 at home against the Saints this past week. So far this season, NNU is 5-1 at home.
Haden Keller leads the way with a .368 average, coming away with 25 hits, 14 runs, three doubles, two triples, three home runs and 15 RBI. Parker Price is hitting .333 with 30 hits, 17 runs, 10 doubles, two home runs and 20 RBI. Duke Pahukoa holds a .313 average with 25 hits, 12 runs, eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 11 RBI. As a team, NNU is hitting .280 with 220 hits, 138 runs, 51 doubles, five triples, 24 home runs, 129 RBI, 79 walks and have gone 23-37 in stolen base attempts. Opponents are hitting .279 with 213 hits, 136 runs, 45 doubles, two triples, 29 home runs, 127 RBI, 80 walks and are 11-24 in stolen base attempts.
Blake McFadden is 3-0 with two saves on the season in 19.1 innings, holding a 1.86 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Max Holtzclaw is 2-0 with six saves in 17.1 innings, coming away with 29 strikeouts. Haden Keller leads the team in wins going 3-2 in 26 innings, while Spencer Schwehr and Kyle Ethridge also have two wins on the year. As a staff, NNU holds a 4.99 ERA in 193 innings, coming away with 202 strikeouts to 80 walks. Opponents have a 4.98 ERA in 197 innings, coming away with 165 strikeouts to 79 walks.
WOU and NNU will play their second regular season series on Apr. 22-23 back in Monmouth.
Live video and stats will be available throughout the series at Northwest Nazarene. Live video for Friday's games can be found here and
Live video for Saturday's games can be found here and live stats for both days can be found here.
