SEASIDE, Calif. – Riding the momentum of sweeping the GNAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, Northwest Nazarene baseball is set to take on NCAA Regionals.
 
The third-seeded Nighthawks (36-12-1) will open against six-seed San Francisco State (32-24) on Thursday, May 16 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific at the Otter Sports Complex in Seaside, California.
 
The other team in the regional pod is host and two-seed Cal State Monterey Bay (35-18), who will play the loser of game one at 6:00 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. The winner of the regional pod will advance to Super Regionals next week to take on the winner of the other pod (1-seed Point Loma, 4-seed Cal Poly Pomona, 5-seed Cal State San Marcos).
 
A detailed summary of the bracket and scenarios is in the 'Bracket' section below.
 
Fan Info – In Person
Ticket prices are general admission and priced as follows: $10 for adults and $5 for students and youth. All NCAA DII West Regional Pod 2 advance ticket sales will be paperless and delivered through HomeTown Ticketing (LINK). Tickets can also be purchased at the entrance to the CSUMB Baseball Field at the Otter Sports Complex, beginning 60 minutes prior to the first game each day. There will not be a pass list for admission; there are no complimentary tickets for the championship.
 
For spectator parking, parking permits will be required and are available for advance purchase (daily rate is $5) on the CSUMB Parking website at CSUMB.edu/Parking. Visitors to campus can purchase a daily permit online and print it in advance to avoid having to visit the kiosk when they arrive. The map at the site shows the locations of parking permit kiosks. There are two kiosks in the Otter Sports Complex parking lot, one at the immediate entrance and one near the restrooms closer to the baseball/softball fields parking lot.
 
Fan Info – Following From Afar
Live video will be available on CSUMB's CCAA Network portal, linked HERE, and will be free of charge. Live stats will be on CSUMB's Sidearm Stats page, linked HERE. There is also a Tournament Central page on CSUMB's website with all of this information and more.
 
The Bracket
Due to the nature of having an odd number of teams in a double-elimination regional pod, the bracket scenarios can be somewhat confusing, and we will do our best to explain them below.
 
Schedule
Game 1: Thursday, May 16 | 3-seed NNU vs 6-seed SFSU | 2:00 PM PT
Game 2: Thursday, May 16 | Game 1 Loser vs 2-seed CSUMB | 6:00 PM PT
Game 3: Friday, May 17 | Game 1 Winner vs 2-seed CSUMB | 2:00 PM PT
Game 4: Saturday, May 18 | TBD vs TBD | 12:00 PM PT
Game 5: Saturday, May 18 | TBD vs TBD | TBA (IF NECESSARY)
 
As shown above, after NNU and SFSU play in Game 1, the loser of Game 1 will play CSUMB in Game Two.
 
Scenario #1
If either NNU or SFSU loses twice on Thursday, they are eliminated. In this scenario, there will be two teams (CSUMB and either NNU/SFSU) that are 1-0 so far, so they will play a de facto best-of-three series (Games 3-5) to determine who advances to Super Regionals. If a team wins both Game 3 and Game 4, they advance without having to play the 'if necessary' Game 5.
 
Scenario #2
If the Game 1 loser defeats CSUMB, nobody is eliminated on Thursday. CSUMB will then play the Game 1 Winner in Game 3 on Friday. If CSUMB loses Game 3, then they are eliminated. In this scenario, between NNU and SFSU one team will be 2-0 and the other will be 1-1. If the 2-0 team wins Game 4, they advance. The 1-1 team would need to defeat the 2-0 team in both Games 4 and 5 to advance.
 
Scenario #3
If the Game 1 loser defeats CSUMB in Game 2, but CSUMB turns around and defeats the Game 1 Winner in Game 3, then all three teams remain after three games with 1-1 records. In this scenario, as the highest seed CSUMB will receive a bye to Game 5. NNU and SFSU will play in Game 4, with the winner then taking on CSUMB in Game 5 with the Super Regional bid on the line.
 
NCAA Tournament History
This is NNU's third appearance in an NCAA Regional. In NNU's first NCAA Regional appearance in 2021, the Nighthawks won the West Regional as the two seed (only three teams qualified with the CCAA not playing that season) and advanced to the DII College World Series in Cary, North Carolina, where they went 1-2 with a victory over Trevecca Nazarene. The following season in 2022, NNU was the four seed in the regional and won their first game over Cal Poly Pomona before falling twice to top seed Point Loma.
 
How They Got Here
NNU has enjoyed a stellar season thus far, winning the GNAC Regular Season title for the third time in the last four seasons and holding an overall record of 36-13-1 and conference mark of 23-9. The 36 wins thus far are the most in a season in the program's 77-year history. They backed up their top seeding in the GNAC Championships, defeating Western Oregon twice to claim the title and earn the automatic bid to the program's third NCAA regional.
 
NNU Team Notes

• NNU has already set a new program record for wins in a season with 36. The previous mark of 35 was set during the College World Series run in 2021.
• The Nighthawks only lost one series all season, with nine series wins and two series ties. Of the nine series wins, three were sweeps, including both series against Montana State Billings.
• NNU went 14-4 at home this year, 19-8-1 on the road, and is 3-1 thus far in neutral site games.
• NNU's pitching staff leads all of Division II in walks allowed per nine innings at just 2.12 per nine-inning game. The mark is two-tenths ahead of the next team at 2.34, which happens to be West Region top seed and NNU rival Point Loma.
• The Nighthawks' pitchers are fourth in the country with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.94, tallying 288 strikeouts and 98 walks across 416 2/3 innings.
• NNU's staff has one more top-five statistical category nationally, ranking fifth with a WHIP of 1.26 (WHIP: Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched).
• The Nighthawks also rank 19^th in Division II with a 0.974 fielding percentage, 30^th with a 4.43 ERA, 36^th with 2.04 stolen bases per game, 38^th with 102 total stolen bases, 41^st with three shutouts, 42^nd with 39 double plays turned, and 43^rd with 9.27 hits allowed per nine innings.
• NNU is 10-0 this year against left-handed starting pitching.
• The Nighthawks are 10-5 in one-run games, 5-1 in two-run games, and 13-1 in games decided by five or more runs.
• The Nighthawks are 2-5 when scoring two or fewer runs, 14-6 when scoring 3-5 runs, 9-2 when scoring 6-9 runs, and 11-0-1 when scoring 10 or more runs.
• NNU is 16-2 when holding opponents to two or less runs, 10-3 when opponents score between 3-5 runs, 7-7 when opponents score between 6-9 runs, and 3-1-1 when opponents score 10 or more runs.
• The Nighthawks are 28-4 when they score first in games this season.
• NNU is 30-1 when leading after six innings, 21-1 when leading after seven innings, and 23-0 when leading after nine innings.

 
 
NNU Player Notes
Pitchers (min. 25 innings pitched, ordered by ERA)

• Wade Duncan: Of all players on the team with at least one inning pitched, Duncan leads the Nighthawks with a 2.04 ERA. He was named First Team All-GNAC as NNU's closer, tallying nine saves and a 6-1 record across 35 1/3 innings in 20 relief appearances. He also has 30 strikeouts and just two walks. His saves mark is 12^th in the nation.
• Bryan Rojas: Rojas did not enter the rotation until later in the season due to an injury, but has made an immediate impact with a 2.93 ERA across six starts with 22 strikeouts and seven walks. He is 4-0 on the year, and NNU is 6-0 in the six games he has started.
• Blake Hammond: Hammond has been used effectively as both a reliever and starter this season with 15 appearances and four starts. He holds a 3.24 ERA across 41 2/3 innings with 34 strikeouts and seven walks. He also threw six no-hit innings in a start against Saint Martin's in late April.
• Josh Brown: Brown has been primarily used out of the bullpen this season, making 18 appearances with three starts. He holds a 3.73 ERA through 41 innings with 28 strikeouts and eight walks.
• Kyle Ethridge: Ethridge was named the GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Year, holding a 3.76 ERA and 0.93 WHIP across 76.2 innings. He is 5-3 in 12 starts with 55 strikeouts and just eight walks. He is third in the nation with just 0.94 walks allowed per nine innings, sixth in the nation in WHIP, and seventh with a 6.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Josh Bishopp: Bishopp is one of the first arms out of the bullpen for NNU, equaling Duncan for the team lead with 20 appearances on the mound. He holds a 4.72 ERA across 26 2/3 innings with 18 strikeouts.
• Kailer Saunders: Saunders has started 10 games this year, holding a 4.78 ERA and 6-2 record across 58 1/3 innings with 34 strikeouts and nine walks.
• Jonathan Zayas: Zayas has started 10 games, recording a 5.92 ERA across 48 2/3 innings with 39 strikeouts.

 
Position Players (min. 50 at-bats, ordered by batting average)

• Trevor Tishenkel: Named a First Team All-GNAC outfielder, Tishenkel leads qualified hitters on the team with a .343 batting average, 1.025 OPS, 18 doubles, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .635 slugging percentage. He also has scored 39 runs and stolen five bases in seven attempts. He leads the team with 13 multi-RBI games this year and is currently on a team-leading 10-game hitting streak.
• Bryan Rojas: Rojas was named Second Team All-GNAC as a utility player and is second in the team with a .338 batting average, along with four doubles and 14 RBIs across 74 at-bats in 24 games. Rojas has played four different positions this season - six games at pitcher, 12 at first base, three at third base, and three as the designated hitter. He has a six-game hitting streak and eight-game on-base streak.
• Gavin Brubaker: Breaking into the starting lineup as a freshman midway through the season, Brubaker was named Honorable Mention All-GNAC with a .321 batting average, seven doubles, 27 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. He has also made only two errors in 160 chances at second base/shortstop for a stellar .988 fielding percentage.
• Carter Walsh: Walsh is the only player to have started all 50 games for the Nighthawks with 44 starts in center field and six at second base. He was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year along with a second-team all-conference nod, holding a .313 batting average, 44 runs scored, 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 36 RBIs, 36 walks, and a GNAC-leading 27 stolen bases on 31 attempts (27 SB is 35^th in the nation). He is also third in Division II with 13 sacrifice bunts this season. He has currently reached base safely in 14 straight games.
• Drew Deal: Deal is one of a trio of catchers to start multiple games for NNU this year with 28 appearances and 19 starts. He holds a .303 batting average with two doubles, nine RBIs, and ten walks on the year. NNU is 15-4 when Deal starts behind the plate this season.
• Duke Pahukoa: One of the longest-tenured Nighthawks position players, Pahukoa has impressed once again in his third season in Nampa with a First Team All-GNAC nod. The third baseman is hitting .297 with eight doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, and 19 walks. He is up to 24 career home runs, which is tied for second in program history.
• Adam Paganelli: Paganelli became an everyday starter in the outfield early in the season and earned Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors. He enters the regional hitting .289 with eight doubles, three triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. The Nighthawks are 10-1 in games where Paganelli bats in the cleanup spot.
• Cole Calnon: Named First Team All-GNAC at shortstop, Calnon is hitting .281 with nine doubles, three triples, two homers, 26 RBIs, 26 walks, and 16 stolen bases. He has also thrown 24 2/3 innings on the mound with a 4.74 ERA across six appearances, mostly early in the season. He had a 10-game hitting streak and 17-game on-base streak earlier this season.
• Casey Wayne: Wayne has started 29 games as an outfielder or as the DH and holds a .279 batting average with five doubles, two homers, 16 RBIs, 15 walks, and eight stolen bases. NNU is 8-2 when Wayne starts as the designated hitter this season.
• Kailer Saunders: Saunders has 79 at-bats this year while either pitching or playing multiple different infield positions, holding a .266 average with four doubles and 12 RBIs.
• Manny Casillas: Casillas has tallied 68 at-bats across 30 appearances at either first base or designated hitter this year, registering a .250 batting average, five doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, and 12 walks. He has the most starts at DH on the team with 21.
• Kaleb Karpstein: Karpstein has started 37 games at first base and has tallied 30 hits, seven doubles, two homers, 24 RBIs, and 18 walks.

 
Possible Starting Lineup (based on # of starts this season and recent games)
C – Drew Deal or Jason Bell
1B – Kaleb Karpstein or Bryan Rojas
2B – Gavin Brubaker
SS – Cole Calnon
3B – Duke Pahukoa
LF – Adam Paganelli or Casey Wayne
CF – Carter Walsh
RF – Trevor Tishenkel
DH – Manny Casillas or Casey Wayne
SP – Kyle Ethridge, Kailer Saunders, or Bryan Rojas
 
 
The Other Teams
 
Cal State Monterey Bay
CSUMB (35–18) enters the tournament as the second seed in the West. The Otters won both the CCAA regular season and tournament titles this year. The NCAA postseason selection marks the seventh time in the last 10 seasons that CSUMB is headed to the NCAA Tournament. For the second straight season, the Otters will host the NCAA West Regional in Seaside. The Otters are 8–12 all-time in NCAA Tournament competition, including a 3–0 mark at last season's regional, before falling in both games in the Super Regional round. Eight Otters earned All-CCAA honors, including four First Team nods: first baseman Jaden Sheppard, outfielders JJ Engman and KW Quilici, and starting pitcher Mitchell Torres. The Nighthawks and Otters have played just one series against each other in program histories in 2009, with NNU taking two of three in Seaside.
 
San Francisco State
San Francisco State (32-24) is in the NCAA Regional for this first team in nearly 30 years, having last made it in 1995. They finished fourth in the CCAA standings behind Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Marcos, and Cal Poly Pomona, but made an impressive run in the CCAA Championships. As the four-seed, they came up through the loser's bracket and handed the Otters their first loss of the tournament to force the 'if necessary' game, but fell one win shy of the title in an exciting seesaw 12-9 affair. Six Gators earned All-CCAA honors, including infielder/pitcher Jacob French as the Freshman of the Year, middle infielder Armando Murillo on the First Team, and infielder Justin Johnson and starting pitcher Ryan Garza both on the Second Team. NNU and SFSU have never played each other before in program histories.