Mount Hood

Swing into Spring

By Jacob Hansen
 Staff Writer

BASEBALL

Western’s baseball team continues a hot streak to begin spring term. The Wolves started the season 2-11 but have rallied to 14-16 and 10-15 in the Great
Northwest Athletic Conference.

For the first time during conference play, the Wolves claimed the win in a four-game series. During their last game, senior Garret Harpole cranked his team-leading fifth home run to keep the Wolves on top.

One of Western’s top athletes, pitcher Jesse Pratt, was named GNAC pitcher of the week. He has earned wins in all of his last three games. He scorched the Yellowjackets of Montana State Billings, the top-ranked offense in GNAC, not allowing a single earned run. He struck out six batters March 13 for an 8-1 win. Pratt is tied for the most wins
among pitchers in the GNAC and looks to take the lead soon.

Last Friday, the Wolves split a double header with Northwest Nazarene University, as they were lead by senior Matt Taylor who scored a run and recorded an RBI. Additionally, Pratt recorded five strikeouts in the game. It was a team effort as junior relief pitcher Jacob Storedahl came in and quickly got the final three outs, earning his second save of the season. The two teams would face each other again the next day in Nampa, Idaho.

In the first game, the Wolves relied on four pitchers to seal the deal but couldn’t quite get the job the done as they lost 3-1.

NNU had an impressive pitching squad that held Western to one run in the first seven innings.

In the final game the Wolves attempt at the win took five pitchers but again was not enough in their 10-6 loss. Western had tied the game at 6 in the top of the sixth but was quickly stopped in their tracks as the Crusaders scored four points in the bottom of the inning.

In non-game related news, senior third baseman Garret Harpole was featured as a guest on the GNAC Insider. Harpole ranks in the top five for runs scored, home runs and RBIs in the conference.

The next contest for the Wolves will be on Friday, April 3, against Central Washington University in Ellenburg, Washington. The two double headers will be all GNAC play as Western tries to topple the preseason favorite Wildcats.

SOFTBALL

Over spring break, Western’s softball team took home Consolation #1 title at the 14th annual Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California.

The Wolves were lead by pitcher Sammie Cadwallader as she not only closed out several games for Western, but also opened games throwing heat and backing down batters. The
team was lead offensively by sophomore Kelsie Gardner with a perfect 3-for-3 performance in final game to end the tournament with two straight wins.

The final game was a payback win after losing to Academy of Art University in extra inning game. Amanda Evola and Jourdan Williams both smacked two hits to help out with the
win, also going past regulation innings. The hero of the game, pinch-hitter Amy Anderson, registered a two-out RBI double in the top of the seventh inning. Sealing the deal, Evola hit home Emma Alfonso putting the Wolves 3-1.

During the tournament, Cadwallader was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference pitcher of the week. She allowed only five runs in 20.1 innings on the mound. Her arm has been notorious around the league for striking out many top hitters. So far, she has made six starts in 12 games, with a record of 2-5 in 36 innings.

Western returns to the field April 2, with a doubleheader against Western Washington University at home.

Western will be wearing all pink in their cancer awareness game, honoring people that have been affected by the illness.

The past few weeks, Western players and coaches have been collecting names of anyone that is currently battling cancer has survived cancer, or has passed away from cancer.

They will hang the names around the softball complex. All ticket purchases and donations will go towards a cancer support group on campus.

Dancing with Wolves

By GUY PERRIN
Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team will make their debut in the NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament when they take on number-one seed Azusa Pacific University Friday, March 13.

The Wolves, who made their first-ever appearance at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament, earned an at-large bid from the selection committee thanks to an impressive 23-6 regular season record in the.

“I am looking forward to our first game, and that is all what’s in my mind,” said forward Andy Avgi, who was voted GNAC Player of the Year.

Despite the upset in the GNAC conference tournament semifinals to rival Western Washington, Western will play in the NCAA D II tournament.

The Wolves got 29 points from Avgi but couldn’t quite catch up after Western Washington used a 21-10 scoring run in the firsthalf to take a nine-point lead into halftime.

On a 10-game winning streak, the Vikings shot an incredible 61 percent from the field to hold off Western in the second half to claim the 88-79 victory and advance to the final.

“The motivation is always there but what the loss did was make us beg for a second chance,” said guard Devon Alexander. “Now that we got a second chance, every little detail is crucial. When we heard our name called, the whole team went bananas because we know how big this is for us as a team and university.”

Despite the loss, the NCAA tournament selection committee deemed the Wolves regular season performance worthy of a spot in the Big Dance. This will be Western’s second time facing Azusa Pacific this season. Previously, the Cougars prevailed 81-74 in a back and forth contest.

The Wolves have already shattered expectations this season.

In addition to their GNAC tournament debut and a berth to the NCAA tournament, the Wolves earned three post-season individual awards: Avgi, GNAC Player of the Year; guard Julian Nichols, Newcomer of the Year; and head coach Brady Bergeson Coach of Year.

“It’s been an amazing year so far,” Nichols said. “It’s an honor to have received the award, but I could not have gotten it without my teammates and coaches believing in me, and all the hard work that’s been put in.

First year here and making it to regionals — it’s always been a goal of ours. We’re looking to take it one game at a time and simply enjoying the moment.”

Baseball takes series

By RACHEL SHELLEY
Sports Editor

Wolves’ baseball defended home plate this past weekend, hosting a four-game series against Great Northwest Athletic Conference Central Washington, only giving
up one game to improve their conference record to 6-2.

The first game of the series began Saturday, March 7, starting off in the second inning with two runs by the Wildcats. CWU scored again in the third, leaving the
Wolves scoreless until the fifth when infielder Marcus Hinkle singled to left field to bring in infielder Jake Whisler. The Wolves did not score for the rest of the game, giving the Wildcats a 4-1 advantage after nine innings.

Saturday’s loss “was a combination of not sticking to our plan offensively and then having some very timely hitting,” Whisler said. “They might not have hit balls
hard, but they got base hits with runners in scoring position, and that’s something that we couldn’t do from the offensive side of the ball.”

In game two of the double-header Saturday, CWU got on the board quickly with three runs in the second inning. Pitcher Jesse Pratt was on the mound for the Wolves and did not give up another run for the rest of the game.

The Wolves went into a seven-run inning in the bottom of the third with just seven hits, using CWU’s errors. Outfielder Matt Taylor brought home the first Wolf to score on his infield single.

Catcher Michael Sherwin tied the game 3-3 with a single before first baseman Nathan Etheridge ripped a two-run double. Infielder Garret Harpole added a RBI double, extending the lead to 6-3. CWU committed its third error of the inning, to bring home the Wolves’ final run. Pratt held CWU without a hit over the last
five innings, allowing just one runner to first in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

Sunday, March 8, the Wolves swept CWU in their double header, 17-6 and 5-3 with a combined 5-for-7 performance at the plate with seven runs batted in by Harpole.

“Offensively we committed to our approach at the plate,” said head coach Kellen Walker. “Even when we weren’t rewarded with results, our guys didn’t waiver from our plan. We got some quality outing from our pitchers as well that gave our hitters a chance to settle in.”

Western put 17 runs on the board during game one Sunday, starting the bottom of the first with eight – the second time this season the Wolves have scored 17 runs. Outfielder Cody Sullivan went 4-for-8 with four other Wolves, infielder Austin Hamilton, Taylor, Etheridge and outfielder Cody Poznanski, all adding three hits during the two victories of the day.

“Guys are starting to understand the importance of every pitch and also the ability to move on to the next pitch no matter the previous result,” said Walker.

“We are getting closer to putting together complete competitive weekends, which is challenging when you are playing four games in two days against quality opponents.”

The Hamilton and Poznanski duo drove in nine of the 22 runs on the day. The pair, along with Harpole also accounted for 73 percent of the RBIs during both victories.

“We all really worked on staying committed and bought into the plan; when we did that, good things happened,” Harpole said. “I was just thinking about seeing the
ball and trusting all the work we put in during the week.”

The Wolves will welcome Montana State University Billings March 13 at 1 p.m. for a double header and continue the series through Sunday, March 14 at 12 p.m.

Women’s rugby prepares for regionals in California

By RACHEL SHELLEY
Sports Editor

The Lady Wolves, with a 4-2 record, have clinched a first place spot in conference, securing a spot in the D-II regional tournament at Stanford University hosted by USA Rugby.

During the first year with just four teams a part of the Cascade Collegiate Women’s Rugby Conference, the Wolves won their last game against Western Washington University in Bellingham by four points to clinch first place. The team carries nine seniors, four of which have one more year of athletic eligibility for next season. Annie Christiansen, Marissa Minato, Sophie Kaplan, Kelly Smith and Angelica Martinez will play in their last collegiate regional tournament this April.

“Winning these games is important,” said Applegate. “We do it for the alumni that didn’t make it to regionals. It allows us to pay them respect for keeping this team going when they didn’t have a coach, or a proper field to play on.”

The regional tournament is held on April 10-11 and is two rounds before nationals. The first round holds 32 teams, then cut to 16, then 8, before earning a spot at nationals. USA Rugby will be hosting the event in Stanford, Cali. and the team has been fundraising through carwashes, restaurant nights, donation letters, sponsorship and their GoFundMe website in hopes to travel together on a charter bus.

The Lady Wolves practice three times a day and condition once a week, at the start of spring the team will prepare for Regionals with five practices a week.

“The key factors to securing a spot in California were consistent hard work and a “never give-up” attitude,” said Minato. “This team has overcome adversity and come extremely close to post-season for the past two years and with many important seniors leaving, we knew this was the year to make a run at the national title. Our hard work and perseverance through facing both team and administrative issues has put us in this position and we intend to make the most of it.”

The team is coached by Mark Baldwin and Emily “Red” Brown. Baldwin has been with the team since their creation in 2004, bringing 29 years of playing experience.

He’s coached the team to a third place finish in the nation during the 2004-05 season and a fifth place finish in the nation during the 2006-07 season.

“Our coaching staff has been a big factor this season,” said Applegate. “Their knowledge and experience with women’s rugby has aided us to keep our head during games.”

The Lady Wolves are a club sport on campus in the Tier I category. This means they are a competitive club sport, competition with other Tier I club teams in the conference. They are a registered student club through Campus Recreation and are recognized by the Club Sports Council. They also must meet requirements such as, participating in at least five competitions against other teams guided by a similar structure and they must hold practice sessions at least twice a week. Club sports are run by the participants themselves including their coach selection, travel fundraising, scheduling, practices and development.

“As a club, we aren’t trying to necessarily prove anything, we just want to positively represent Western as best as possible and spread awareness of women’s rugby,” said Minato. “We understand that this opportunity is much bigger than ourselves and feel lucky to have been given the chance. This opportunity means everything to our club. Many of our girls have been a part of the team for three or more years, putting in countless hours of practice and have felt the disappointment of falling short, so this opportunity means a lot to us.”

The team will be competing at a tournament in Portland this upcoming weekend and then will be at the Cascade Tournament in Eugene the following weekend.

Trio to compete at Nationals

By GUY PERRIN
Staff Writer

Brady Beagley, Badane Sultessa and Stephanie Stuckey will all travel to Birmingham, Ala. to compete at the D-II national indoor meet on Mar. 13-14. Beagley and Stuckey will both race the mile while Sultessa will compete in the 800.

Beagley is ranked 13th in the field of competitors with the third fastest time in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season at 4:08:53. His time is also a school record, 0.46 faster than former Wolf Chris Reed who set the record during his 2011 season. Beagley will compete against 16 runners with the top 10 advancing to finals.

Sultessa, in his first season at Western, is ranked eighth with his second all-time school history time of 1:51.22. His time is also the second fastest time in GNAC history. A past GNAC track athlete of the week, Sultessa is racing his way to becoming just the third NCAA All-American in this event for Western. Also one of 16 runners in the preliminaries, Sultessa must finish in the top eight to advance to finals.

Stuckey enters the mile ranked 12th with a time of 4:56.18, a second all-time in school history mark, behind Selina Stanton, a former Wolf who set the record in 1988. Stuckey is one of 18 runners to compete in the preliminaries of the mile with the top 10 moving to the finals.

“Running at nationals is such a blessing,” Stuckey said. “I will be running with and against terrific competition and represent Western at a national level. I have been so overwhelmed with this journey to nationals because it happened so fast.

“I went from running in the slow heat at conference with no time for the mile and then national qualifying in a matter of days,” Stuckey said. “I am so thankful for this opportunity. It just goes to show where hard work can take you.”

Outdoor season starts with Willamette Opener

Western’s track team competed in their first outdoor meet of the season this past weekend, traveling to Salem to run on the campus of Willamette University Saturday, March 7. The men and women both took home victories, with the men’s team winning by 35 points and the women securing a 49-point victory.

In the field events, a trio of throwers took home victories and also hit NCAA D-II provisional marks with Amanda Short and Justin Larson winning the women’s and men’s javelin events and Emmi Collier in the shot put. Collier was the first among five Wolves that finished in the top five in the shot put and also took home the victory in the women’s hammer throw event.

In the men’s discus, Kenny Klippel and Jeremy Moore took first and second place with throws of 41.26 and 41.02 meters, respectively. In the men’s long jump, Cody Warner jumped 6.42 meters to claim victory.

In the track events, Warner placed first in two events, winning the 100 meter with a time of 10.68 seconds as well as the 200 in dominating fashion, clocking in at 21.51.

The women swept the podium in the 400-meter hurdles race as Audrey Hellesto, Sara Madden, and Felicia Covey finished 1-2-3 with times of 1:06.37, 1:07.99, and 1:09.21 respectively.

Stephanie Stuckey and Bailey Beeson finished first and second in the women’s 800, finishing in nearly identical times of 2:15.58 and 2:15.73, with a five-second personal best for Stuckey.

EN ROUTE TO NFL

By HAUNANI TOMAS
Managing Editor

Showing all signs of discontentment with the Momiji menu, Tyrell Williams closes it. A firm believer in cooked-through foods, Williams settles on chicken katsu. The Salem native prefers burgers to sushi always, his favorite being McMenamin’s bacon cheeseburger for as long as he can remember.

Since the age of seven, Williams was running routes and dreaming of National Football League stardom. Countless drills, practices and circuits later, he is prepped for one of the biggest days of his life: pro day.

Formerly a Philadelphia Eagles fan, his new favorite team has become “whatever team signs me.” In his career at Western, he was named to the GNAC first team thrice, among being named player of the week an innumerable number of times – in addition to being a national track standout.

Distracting himself with smaller matters, Williams tastes the miso soup. His dislike for Japanese cuisine is confirmed. When his chicken katsu arrives, his reaction is anything but that of an empty-stomached man.

“That’s not gonna help me lose any weight,” says Williams. Worrying about shedding a few pounds before pro day is just one of many aspects that have consumed his attention.

When describing Williams, the term “committed to the game” is an understatement.

He is better described as hungry. Hungry for success, hungry to fulfill his dreams, and hungry for more. Always hungry for more. Hungry – all six feet and 200 pounds of him.

On football

“The first time I played football was in second grade; it was flag-football and I sprained my wrist. I pursued college football because I always had a dream of playing in the NFL. Obviously, college was the first step. Once I saw my brother get a scholarship for football, I knew that I wanted to follow his footsteps. If I weren’t playing football, I’d be playing basketball.”

On staying motivated

“My family has always been there, and I want to make sure I can take care of them for the rest of our lives and repay them for everything they’ve done for me. I look up to my dad and brother. They do everything the right way. They’ve always been there for me for everything. They’re great role models.”

On training

“I’ve been working out and doing circuits with [Cori] Metzgar, and I went to New Jersey for 16 days for [NFL Prep]. I did track for a couple of weeks. I’ve just been running routes with Trey [Shimabukuro] and [Oregon State quarterback Sean] Mannion. My shoulder surgery hasn’t really affected my training. I just wasn’t able to run for eight weeks after my surgery.”

On Pro Day

“I haven’t been sleeping well. I had a dream that I ran slow. I’m most excited for the chance to prove myself coming from a small school. I’ve always been a very competitive person. I always want to be great at whatever I do.”

Bats come alive on the diamond

By GUY PERRIN
Staff Writer

The Western softball team hosted their first series of the young season on campus this past weekend as they took on the Crusaders of Northwest Nazarene. The four game series began with a doubleheader on Friday, Mar. 6 and finished with another doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 7.

The series also marked the beginning of conference play for the Wolves.

On Friday, Northwest Nazarene took a quick two run lead in the first half of the second inning before the Wolves (7-11, 4-0 GNAC) responded with four runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Western then used two home runs by outfielder Emma Alfonso to run away with a 6-2 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.

Pitcher Alyson Boytz pitched a complete game, striking out seven batters to get the victory for Western. In Friday’s second game, the Crusaders once again jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before Western broke out with seven runs in the third and fourth innings to blow the game open and take their second victory of the day, 8-3. The Wolves got another complete game effort from their pitching staff with Pitcher Lizzet Dominguez throwing 93 pitches to pick up the win.

“We had a week off from games and we really just changed our mindset and attitudes and relaxed,” said Botyz. “We took our preseason games and used them as learning experiences to grow from .Our biggest problem from preseason was not finishing our games. Conference was a fresh start and we really worked on competing all seven innings and finishing every inning and every game.”

On Saturday, the day began with a close, hard-fought, 3-1 victory as the Crusaders and Wolves were deadlocked in a 1-1 tie for much of the opening innings. In the bottom of the fourth, third baseman Destiny Kuehl singled home two runs to give Western the lead they would never relinquish. Boytz threw 132 pitches in another complete game performance to star for the Wolves. In the final game of the series, the Wolves’ bats came alive in a 14-2, 5-inning thrashing of the visitors to complete the sweep. The Wolves had three players hit home runs, including their pitcher, Jourdan Williams, who also pitched four innings in relief for the victory.

“It was a team win,” said Kuehl. “It wasn’t just one person who won the game. Everyone came together and picked each other up because in our first game our hitting wasn’t doing so well, so our defense and pitching kept us in the game and in the second game when our defense made a few mistakes, our offense came together and scored.”

Softball swept Northwest Christian University in a doubleheader on Tuesday, Mar. 10 in Monmouth 2-0, and 10-4 improving to a seven game win streak concluding their non-division II games. Infielder Kelsie Gardner went a combined 4-for-7 with three runs scored, leading the Wolves offensively. Boytz also pitched her third straight complete game allowing just four hits in the opening game with a game-high five strikeouts.

The Wolves pick up with GNAC play this weekend, hosting Simon Fraser for a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 14 at 1 p.m. and then again on Mar. 15 at 12 p.m with Western Washington.

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