HILLSBORO, Ore. – Pacific (Ore.) has been selected as the Northwest Conference frontrunner for the 2022 season, as voted on by conference head coaches. The Boxers earned 61 points and six first-place votes. Willamette ranks second in the poll with 58 points and three first-place votes.
Pacific Lutheran received 52 points for 3rd, while Whitworth takes the fourth spot on the list with 38 points. Whitman received 35 points to rank them fifth and George Fox placed sixth with 29 points. Puget Sound (22 pts), Linfield (18 pts), and Lewis & Clark (11 pts) round out the poll.
The regular season will begin for most NWC teams Friday, February 4th, with conference play kicking off on Saturday, February 19th.
The NWC Championship Tournament will be hosted by the number one seed during the regular season on April 22nd-24th, 2022.
Below are key returners and players to watch from each team as well as NWC accolades from 2021.
George Fox
Sean Wiese | SP | JR | Canby, OR | Canby | First Team All-NWC
Ben Wills | SP | SO | Montesano, WA | Montesano | Second Team All-NWC
Jeremy Sangalang | DH | SO | San Jose, CA | Archbishop Mitty | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Lewis & Clark
Zack Kon | 1B | SR | Kaneohe, HI | Iolani School | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Jack Thomson | 3B | SR | Millbrae, CA | Saint Ignatius | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Dylan Moore | UT | SR | Aliso Viejo, CA | Aliso Niguel | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Linfield
Mike Lavigne | 2B | SO | Colfax, CA | Colfax | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Andrew Grenz | OF | SO | Hillsboro, OR | Glencoe
Sam Adams | RHP | SR | Anza, CA | Hamilton
Pacific (Ore.)
Tyler Quinn | UT | JR | Mililani, HI | Maryknoll | First Team All-NWC
Will Clark | P | JR | Boise, ID | Alpharetta | First Team All-NWC | 2021 NWC Pitcher of the Year
Davis Koester | P | SO | Trout Lake, WA | Columbia | First Team All-NWC
Pacific Lutheran
Cole Trotignon | 1B | JR | Kent, WA | Kentwood | First Team All-NWC
Jordan Haworth | 3B | SR | Gig Harbor, WA | Gig Harbor | First Team All-NWC
Ashton Barton | C | JR | Puyallup, WA | Rogers | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Puget Sound
Dylan Joyce | INF | JR | San Rafael, CA | Marin Catholic | First Team All-NWC
Owen Shellhammer | P | SR | Corvallis, OR | Corvallis | First Team All-NWC
Kyle Strash | 2B | SR | Sammamish, WA | Skyline | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Whitman
Ben Parker | OF | JR | Los Altos, CA | Los Altos | First Team All-NWC
Garrett Runyan, | OF | SO | Huntington Beach, CA | Edison | Second Team All-NWC
Dexter Aichele | P | SR | Walla Walla, WA | Walla Walla| Second Team All-NWC
Whitworth
Jaxsen Sweum | OF | JR | Snohomish, WA | Glacier Peak | First Team All-NWC
Dylan Bishop | SP | SO | Selah, WA |Selah | Second Team All-NWC
Gage Gibson | IF | JR | Ellensburg, WA | Ellensburg | Honorable Mention All-NWC
Willamette
Samuel Daly | OF | JR | El Dorado Hills, CA | Jesuit | First Team All-NWC
Layton Wagner | SP | JR | Boise, ID | Timberline | First Team All-NWC
Jeff Hoffman | 3B | SO | Salida, CA Joseph A. Grigori | Second Team All-NWC | 2021 NWC Freshman of the Year
| Team |
Points |
2021 NWC Finish |
| Pacific (Ore.) (6) |
61 |
1st |
| Willamette (3) |
58 |
3rd |
| Pacific Lutheran |
52 |
2nd |
| Whitworth |
38 |
5th |
| Whitman |
35 |
4th |
| George Fox |
29 |
7th |
| Puget Sound |
22 |
6th |
| Linfield |
18 |
9th |
| Lewis & Clark |
11 |
8th |
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)