LACEY, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene baseball is set to begin the 2023 GNAC Championships as the number two-seed this weekend from May 11-12 at Saint Martin's baseball field.
Western Oregon won the regular season title and as such, enter the GNAC Championships as the number one-seed. Northwest Nazarene fought to the end of the regular season to earn the two-seed with a conference record of 17-15. Central Washington finished their conference schedule with a record of 16-15 to clinch the three-seed.
The tournament kicks off with the Nighthawks facing off against the Wildcats at 10:00 a.m. pacific time. Northwest Nazarene will have a short break while Central Washington plays Western Oregon, then resume action at the conclusion of that game to take on the Wolves.
NNU hosted the tournament in 2021 and won. In 2022, Western Oregon hosted the tournament and won. This is the first time that the host team is not competing in the GNAC Championships since Concordia hosted in the spring of 2019.
The Nighthawks are entering the tournament with a team batting average of .277 which was third in the conference but will be second in the tournament. NNU finished the regular season with a 4.80 earned run average, second to only Western Oregon who finished with a 4.02 earned run average.
Mason Leavitt is leading the charge for the Nighthawks offense. In GNAC rankings, Leavitt is fourth in batting average, hitting .363. He is first in the GNAC in walks with 34, and second in on base percentage at .475. This year Leavitt earned an All-GNAC First Team honor and looks to continue his good work this weekend.
Ty Pohlmann earned the honor of GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Year because of his dominance all season coming out of the Nighthawks bullpen. Pohlmann enters the GNAC Championships with a 1.42 earned run average. He is fourth in GNAC rankings for strikeouts with 57 and has pitched 31.2 innings.
The 2023 GNAC Baseball Championships will be held on the campus of Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Washington from May 11-12. Advance daily session tickets are available for purchase at GNACtickets.com and are priced at $12 for adults and $7 for seniors, students, and children ages 6-14. Daily session tickets will be available at the gate for the same price. Children 5 and under are free. Daily session tickets include admission to all games each day.
GNAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
May 11-12 at SMU Baseball Field, Saint Martin's University, Lacey, Wash.
Thurs., May 11
Game 1: No. 2 Northwest Nazarene vs. No. 3 Central Washington, 10:00 a.m. (PT)
Game 2: No. 1 Western Oregon vs. No. 3 Central Washington, 1:00 p.m. (PT)
Game 3: No. 1 Western Oregon vs. No. 2 Northwest Nazarene, 4:00 p.m. (PT)
Fri., May 13 (If Three Teams Remain Tied After Day 1)
Game 4: No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed, Noon (PT)
Game 5: No. 1 Seed vs. Winner Game 4, 3 p.m. (PT)
Fri., May 13 (If Two Teams Remain After Day 1)
Game 4: 2-0 Team vs. 1-1 Team, Noon (PT)
Game 5: Same Teams as Game 4 (If Necessary), 30 Minutes Following Game 4
