NAMPA - The Northwest Nazarene University baseball team has been picked to finish second in the 2012 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coaches Poll. The Crusaders received two first-place votes but defending and 10-time GNAC champion Western Oregon received three first-place ballots and is the favorite heading into the campaign.
2012 GNAC Baseball Coaches Poll
1. Western Oregon (3)
2. Northwest Nazarene (2)
3. Montana State Billings
4. Saint Martin's
5. Central Washington
2012 NNU Baseball Season Preview
by NNU Assistant Tyler Grant
After posting a 31-17 record in 2011, the highest winning percentage in school history, the Northwest Nazarene University Crusaders are continuing to grow as a program. With seven starters returning for the 2012 campaign, head coach Tim Onofrei is looking for this year's squad to finally get over the hump and win the GNAC conference championship, and with that, challenge for a berth in the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament. Led by senior captains
Zack Morse,
Sean McDonald, and
Ryan Brown, and junior captain
Jeremy Burk, the coaching staff is very excited about this year's squad and has high expectations for success.
On the Mound
Despite losing all-conference pitcher JT Broderick and all-region relief man
Kalen Hruza to graduation, the 2012 Crusader pitching staff returns much of the firepower from last year's squad that combined for a team ERA of 3.65, the best in school history. Junior
Zeb Sneed (6'5” 195, Twin Falls, ID) looks to fill the void left by Broderick at the top of the rotation. Sneed, the 2009 GNAC Freshman of the Year, finished the 2011 season with a 4.15 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings, and will work to improve upon those numbers this spring. The coaching staff is also looking at senior
Charles Pollock (6'1” 210, Boise, ID) to help lead the staff this season. Pollock, who was 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA last spring, looks to provide quality innings to help shorten games this season. The duo of Sneed and Pollock will provide an exciting 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.
Senior all-conference pitcher
Sean McDonald (5'9” 170, Boise, ID) moved from the bullpen to the rotation midway through the 2011 season, and showed the capability to dominate in that role. McDonald finished the season with a 5-1 record and a 1.70 ERA, and will look to continue that success in his senior campaign. Also looking to lead the staff this season are seniors
Ryan Brown (5'8” 150, Eagle, ID) and
Patrick Patterson (5'11” 195, Hailey, ID). Brown provided a 3.28 ERA in 17 appearances last season, while Patterson logged a 5.18 ERA in 33 innings. Their ability to provide quality innings while starting or relieving makes them both very valuable for the Crusaders this season.
With the solid core of leaders on the mound, a stable of returners and fresh faces look to carve out their own successful roles for the team this season. Senior
Zack Morse (6'2” 170, Eagle River, AK), with 34 career innings under his belt, will provide consistency and toughness to the staff. Junior
Jeremy Burk (6'1” 180, Hanford, WA) will look to provide quality innings after knee surgery last spring caused him to redshirt, while sophomores
George Casper (6'2” 195, Pocatello, ID),
Aaron Vaughn (5'11” 175, Tucson, AZ),
Preston Tarter (6'3” 185, Boise, ID),
Evan Parton (6'4” 210, Leavenworth, WA), and
Ryan Kuhn (6'3” 205, Beaverton, OR) look to improve on their freshman seasons. Vaughn saw the most action in his first season, with a 3.14 ERA in 14 1/3 innings. Casper and Kuhn will work to provide solid help out of the bullpen, while Tarter and Parton look to harness their big arms and contribute effective innings this spring.
While the Crusaders have a bevy of arms returning for the 2012 season, three new faces will try to leave their own mark on the pitching staff. Junior
Fernando Robles (6' 180 JR, Caldwell, ID) will move to the mound from shortstop and contribute a few innings throughout the spring. Sophomore
Barrett Nielsen (6'2” 185, Wilkie, SK), a transfer from Taft Community College, should provide solid innings out of the bullpen, while freshman
Nate Forseth (6'7” 200, Nampa, ID) had a very solid fall season and showed he can contribute early in his career.
Behind the Plate
After losing the entire catching corps from the 2011 squad, a quartet of fresh faces look to be a stabilizing force behind the plate for the Crusader pitching staff this season. Junior
Jamie Mitchell (6' 210, Calgary, AB), a transfer from Mt. Olive College, should provide steady defense and add pop to the lineup offensively, while freshman
Kaleb DeHaas (6' 190, Coeur d'Alene, ID) gives the coaching staff an exciting look at the future with his offensive and defensive capabilities. Junior
Charlie Gorzo (6'2” 220, Murietta, CA), a transfer from Palomar Community College, and freshman
Tate Glasgow (5'10” 205, Portland, OR) will also see time behind the plate for the Crusaders this season.
Infield
While the Crusaders lost three infield starters from last year's squad, senior first baseman
Derek Bettinson (6'0” 195, Boise, ID) returns to help anchor the infield. Bettinson hit .296 with three home runs and 30 RBIs in the middle of the Crusader lineup, and will provide a strong presence in the heart of the order again this spring. Veteran senior
Zack Morse and junior transfer
Kris Bos (5'9” 195, Jerome, ID) give the coaching staff solid options at first base. Morse hit .268 last year, primarily as a designated hitter and fourth outfielder, and provides strong leadership and versatility, while Bos provides solid defense and the ability to put the ball in play offensively. Sophomores
Sam Cook (6'2” 190, Nampa, ID) and
George Casper and freshman
Nate Forseth will also push for playing time around the bag.
Junior second baseman Jonathan Matos (6' 175, Lacey, WA) looks to add another dimension to the 2012 Crusader lineup. The transfer from Treasure Valley Community College hit .340 last spring for the Chukars and looks to continue his success in a new uniform. Matos is very versatile, and may also see time at shortstop and third base throughout the season. Also vying for playing time at second is sophomore
Tyler Crabb (5'9” 165, Nampa, ID), who is coming off a very successful season in the Boise Summer League, and freshmen
Ben Clare (5'11” 150, Meridian, ID) and
Tyler Marsh (5'9” 160, Boise, ID).
Junior
Greg Hata (6'2 175, Yakima, WA) hopes to provide a steady option for the Crusaders at third base this season. Hata, a transfer from Whitworth University, adds speed and solid defense to the lineup. Like Matos, Hata is a very versatile infielder and may see time at other infield spots throughout the season. Freshman
Kaleb DeHaas will also see some time at third this spring, while sophomores
Sam Cook and
Robbie Schwenck (5'10” 170, Great Falls, MT) provide depth at the hot corner for the Crusaders.
Fernando Robles looks to provide solid leadership from the shortstop position this season. Robles, a transfer from Wenatchee Valley Community College, should provide steady defense, as well as potent gap-to-gap hitting from the offensive side of the ball. While Hata and Matos may also see some action at short during the spring, sophomore
Kesler Thueson (5'8” 160, Nampa, ID) and freshman
Ben Clare will also push for playing time.
Outfield
The 2012 Crusader outfield should be one of the best ever to take the field for the school. With high-end speed, good all-around tools and solid depth, this year's outfield is definitely a strength for this year's team. The 2012 version is led by senior centerfielder
Sean McDonald. A three time all-conference performer in the outfield, McDonald hit .321 with 3 home runs and 34 RBIs last spring while providing stellar defense and leadership to the team. Look for McDonald to have a strong finish to his collegiate career with another solid season.
McDonald's counterparts in the corner outfield positions should prove to be two of the fastest players in the conference. Sophomore
Logan Parker (6'1” 185, Jerome, ID), the 2011 GNAC Freshman of the Year, will try to improve on his award-winning freshman season, where he led the team with a .383 batting average and contributed 19 stolen bases. And while losing all-conference outfielder
Ty Windall to graduation, his spot in the lineup should be filled nicely by junior
Alex Barbee (5'10” 205, Boise, ID). Barbee, a first team All-NWAACC performer at Treasure Valley Community College last spring, hit .335 with 8 home runs and 45 RBIs. The trio of speedsters combines to form what will be one of the fastest defensive outfields in the west region, and expect them to cause headaches for opposing teams with their offensive abilities.
With McDonald also contributing on the mound, outfield depth is crucial for the Crusaders, and the 2012 edition has plenty of it. Seniors
Zach Steele (6'2” 190, Santa Barbara, CA) and
Zack Morse, along with junior
Charlie Gorzo, look to provide contributions of their own this season. Steele and Gorzo provide big arms in the outfield and add pop to the lineup offensively, while Morse gives the coaching staff a consistent performer to count on. Freshmen
Tate Glasgow and
Orlando Rodriguez (5'10” 190, Emmett, ID) also look to gain outfield experience in their first season of collegiate baseball.
Designated Hitter
With a plethora of options throughout the roster, look for the role of designated hitter to be filled by multiple options, depending on the opposing team's matchups. Freshman
Tate Glasgow showed in the fall that he has the potential to be an immediate offensive contribution, while senior
Zack Morse has proven in past seasons that he can succeed in the DH role. Senior
Zach Steele, a transfer from Chico State University, sophomore
Charlie Gorzo, and freshman
Kaleb DeHaas, along with several others, will see some at bats in the DH spot throughout the spring.
Outlook
With a solid non-conference schedule and a conference slate that sees the team's final eight games at home, the 2012 Crusader squad has the opportunity to take the program to a new level. After opening the season February 10
th at home against Minot State, the Crusaders hit the road for nine games against Cal State East Bay, Chico State, and Academy of Art University, before returning to play two single games against Canyon County rival College of Idaho. Conference play opens up March 9
th at Western Oregon, while the home conference opener is March 16
th against Montana State University-Billings. If the team can stay healthy and play to their potential, expect this year's team to see a good deal of success and challenge for the program's first GNAC conference championship
