The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released their 2021 All-Region teams on Saturday, with seven members of Northwest Nazarene baseball earning honors. The D2CCA also released their All-Region awards on Wednesday, with four Nighthawks receiving the accolade.

For the NCBWA, Joe Schaefer was named the West Region Coach of the Year, while Max Holtzclaw and Grant Kerry received First Team recognition. Kyle Ethridge, Colton Moore, Shawn Grandmont, and Ben Johnson all earned Second Team honors. On the D2CCA side, Holtzclaw and Kerry were again named to the First Team, while Ethridge and Grandmont picked up their second Second Team awards.

Schaefer has led the Nighthawks to their best season in the program's Division II history, amassing a 31-7 overall record and 21-3 GNAC mark. NNU won both the regular season and conference tournament titles, and now enter the NCAA postseason for the first time. The Nighthawks have been in the NCBWA top-25 for nearly the entire season, climbing as high as sixth in the nation in early May. In the West Region, NNU is first in walks, fourth in batting average, first in double plays turned, fourth in doubles, first in ERA, second in hits, third in home runs, third in on-base percentage, second in runs scored, fourth in slugging percentage, first in stolen bases, first in strikeout-to-walk ratio, tied for first in triples, and first in WHIP.

Holtzclaw has been a shutdown closer all season, leading the region with five saves while compiling a 2.45 ERA in 22.0 innings. He has recorded 37 strikeouts and just four walks while holding opponents to a .193 batting average. He was also named First Team All-GNAC a week ago.

Kerry, the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, burst onto the scene in the West Region with a stellar first year as a Nighthawk. In the region, he is currently third in hits, tied for fifth in home runs, fourth in RBI, fourth in total bases, and also in the top 15 in both slugging percentage and batting average. His .369 average and 17 multi-hit games leads the team heading into the regional.

Ethridge, just a freshman in athletic standing, has emerged as one of the top pitchers in the region with a 6-1 record through 10 starts and 53.2 innings. He is second in the region with 74 total strikeouts and leads the West with a 5.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The First Team All-GNAC performer's 1.14 WHIP is also fifth in the region.

Batting out of the second spot in the lineup, Moore is sixth in the region with 24 walks, tied for fourth with 11 doubles, fourth with 13 steals, and eighth with 40 runs scored. He was also named First Team All-GNAC at second base.

In his final season as a Nighthawk, Grandmont has had one to remember as he leads the whole region and is in the top 25 nationally with 54 RBI. He is also tied for seventh with 23 walks, seventh with 41 runs scored, and tied for the region lead with 22 stolen bases. The First Team All-GNAC third baseman is third on the team with 14 multi-hit games and leads with 13 multi-RBI games, including 10 with at least three runs batted in. 

Johnson has been a weapon in many ways for the Nighthawks this season, spending significant time as a catcher, pitcher, and designated hitter and excelling at all three. He is third on the team with a .333 batting average and boasts a 3-0 record on the mound with a 4.45 ERA and 22 strikeouts. Through 222 chances, both behind the plate and on the mound, the First Team All-GNAC utilityman has recorded 181 putouts and 21 assists without committing a single error this season.

The Nighthawks now take their lofty 31-7 record into their first-ever NCAA Regional appearance this weekend, hosting the West Regional from May 27-29. Second-seeded NNU opens against three-seed Western Oregon at noon on Thursday, with top-seed Azusa Pacific standing by for game two.

2021 NCBWA West Region Honors

Player of the Year: Aaron Roose, Jr., Azusa Pacific 
Pitcher of the Year: A.J. Woodall, Jr., Azusa Pacific
Coach of the Year: Joe Schaefer, Northwest Nazarene
 
First Team
Starting Pitcher: A.J. Woodall, Jr., Azusa Pacific
Starting Pitcher: Mike Peterson, Sr., Western Oregon
Starting Pitcher: Noah Barros, Sr., Holy Names
Relief Pitcher: Max Holtzclaw, Jr., Northwest Nazarene
Catcher: Aaron Roose, Jr., Azusa Pacific
First Base: Connor McCord, Sr., Western Oregon
Second Base: Otto Kemp, R-Fr., Point Loma
Third Base: Osvaldo Tovalin, Jr., Azusa Pacific
Shortstop: Will Riley, Jr., Montana State Billings
Outfield: Grant Kerry, R-Fr., Northwest Nazarene
Outfield: Casey Dykstra, Jr., Azusa Pacific
Outfield: Justin Hampson, Sr., Central Washington
Designated Hitter: Daniel Cipriano, Sr., Montana State Billings
Utility: RobertAnthony Cruz, Jr., Biola
 
Second Team
Starting Pitcher: Larson Kindreich, So., Biola
Starting Pitcher: Dillon Larsen, Sr., Central Washington
Starting Pitcher: Kyle Ethridge, Fr., Northwest Nazarene
Starting Pitcher: Reid Rasmussen, Fr., Central Washington
Relief Pitcher: Korey Shepard, Fr., Azusa Pacific
Catcher: Austin Ohland, Fr., Central Washington
First Base: Bailey Collins, Sr., Concordia Irvine
Second Base: Colton Moore, Jr., Northwest Nazarene
Third Base: Shawn Grandmont, Sr., Northwest Nazarene
Shortstop: Omar Lopez, Fr., Azusa Pacific
Outfield: Zach Berryman, So., Central Washington
Outfield: Jair Donovan, R-Jr., Concordia Irvine
Outfield: Matt Lautz, Sr., Concordia Irvine
Designated Hitter: Cooper Moore, Sr., Concordia Irvine
Utility: Nick Estrella, Sr., Azusa Pacific
Utility: Ben Johnson, Sr., Northwest Nazarene
 

2021 D2CCA West Region Honors

Pitcher of the Year: A.J. Woodall, Azusa Pacific
Player of the Year: Osvaldo Tovalin, Azusa Pacific
 
First Team
C – Aaron Roose, Azusa Pacific
1B – Connor McCord, Western Oregon
2B – Otto Kemp, Point Loma
SS – Will Riley, MSU Billings
3B – Osvaldo Tovalin, Azusa Pacific
OF – Grant Kerry, Northwest Nazarene
OF – Casey Dykstra, Azusa Pacific 
OF – Matt Lautz, Concordia Irvine
SP – A.J. Woodall, Azusa Pacific
SP – Mike Peterson, Western Oregon
SP – Larson Kindreich, Biola
SP – Evan Larsen, Concordia Irvine
RP – Max Holtzclaw, Northwest Nazarene
UT – RobertAnthony Cruz, Biola
UTP – Nick Estrella, Azusa Pacific
DH – Daniel Cipriano, Montana State Billings
 
Second Team
C – Easton Waterman, Point Loma
1B – Bailey Collins, Concordia Irvine
2B – Brett Soria, Azusa Pacific
SS – Derek Maiben, Western Oregon
3B – Shawn Grandmont, Northwest Nazarene
OF – Evan Banks, Azusa Pacific
OF – Ty Conrad, Academy of Art
OF – Blayze Arcano, Western Oregon
SP – Kyle Ethridge, Northwest Nazarene
SP – Dylan Miller, Point Loma
SP – Cory Dawson, Azusa Pacific
SP – Matthew Dunaway, Academy of Art
RP – Korey Shepard, Azusa Pacific
UTP – Baxter Halligan, Point Loma
DH – Cooper Moore, Concordia Irvine