2011 NWC Baseball Student-Athletes of the Week

May 3

Offensive/Field

T.C. Lee

Willamette, Senior

Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS

Lee hit .529 during the week (9-of-17), with two doubles, two homers and a 1.000 slugging percentage as Willamette went 3-1. He scored five runs and earned five RBIs. He had at least one hit in all four games, including two games with three or more his. Lee concluded the season with 201 career hits, finishing second all-time at Willamette, only one hit behind Nik Lubisich (1998-01). Lee led the 2011 team with a .417 batting average.

Honorable Mention –

T.C. Lee (Willamette, Sr. – Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS)

Matt Cox (Puget Sound, Jr. – Salem, Ore./South Salem HS)

Clayton Truex (Linfield, Fr. – Kirkland, Wash./Washington State)

Dan Johansen (Pacific Lutheran, Sr. – Woodinville, Wash./Bellevue CC)

Erik Korsmo (Whitman, Sr. – Clyde Hill, Wash./Bellevue HS)

Landon Scott (Whitworth, Jr. – Kennewick, Wash./Kennewick HS)

Pitcher

Zach Brandon

Linfield, Freshman
Cottage Grove, Ore./Marist HS

Brandon improved to 4-0 on the season, pitching eight scoreless innings in Linfield’s 3-0 win over Pacific Lutheran. He gave up just five hits (all singles) and two walks. The freshman also struck out three and held the Lutes to a .185 batting average.

Honorable Mention

Brandon Simon (Willamette, So. -  Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills HS)

Justin Weeks (Whitman, So. – Rolling Hills Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes HS)

Nathan Aguiar (Puget Sound, Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS)

Liam O’Brien (Whitworth, Sr. – Prosser, Wash./Prosser HS)

April 26

Offensive/Field

Jacob Hoffman

Pacific Lutheran, Freshman

University Place, Wash./Curtis HS

Hoffman, a freshman, improved on his team-leading batting average by going 8-for-14 (.571 avg.) with four doubles, six runs scored, and two RBI. He also was 3-for-3 in steals. Jacob is hitting .389 this season.

Honorable Mention –

Kevin Allan (Linfield, Jr. – Yakima, Wash./West Valley)

Kyle Krustangel (Whitworth, Sr. – Spokane, Wash./Big Bend CC)

T.C. Lee (Willamette, Sr. – Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS)

Sam Stahl (George Fox, Sr. – Vista, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista)

Will Mentor (Puget Sound, Jr. – Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep)

Pitcher

Scott Wall

Pacific Lutheran, Senior
Yakima, Wash./LaSalle HS

Wall improved his season record to 6-0 with a complete-game five-hitter against Lewis & Clark. He retired the order in five out of nine innings. Wall has four complete games and a 3.16 earned run average this season.

Honorable Mention

Zach Manley (Linfield, So. – Coburg, Ore./Shasta College)

Chad Fahey (Pacific, Jr. – Keizer, Ore./Chemeketa CC)

Ryan Smith (Willamette, Jr. – Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam HS/Univ. of Redlands)

Cameron Duvall (Puget Sound, Sr. – Lakewood, Wash./Lakes HS)

April 19

Offensive/Field

Tim Wilson

Linfield, Freshman

Redmond, Wash./Univ. of Washington

Wilson was a major reason why No. 8 Linfield won three of four games against No. 7 Chapman over the weekend. He nearly single-handedly brought the Wildcats back in the final game of the series, hitting a pair of three-run homers over the final four innings. For the series, he hit .571 (8-for-14) with four home runs, 12 RBI, a 1.429 slugging percentage, .611 on-base percentage and two stolen bases.

Honorable Mention –

Tyson Giza (Willamette, So. – Salem, Ore./Sprague HS)

Eric Gantenbein (George Fox, Sr. – Warrenton, Ore./Warrenton HS)

Kevin Schwartz (Pacific, Jr. – Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

Kyle Moyes (Whitman, Fr. – Henderson, Nev./Foothill HS)

Jacob Hoffman (Pacific Lutheran, Fr. – University Place, Wash./Curtis HS)

Pitcher

Max Beatty

Pacific Lutheran, Sophomore

Vancouver, Wash./Fort Vancouver HS

Beatty threw a complete-game five-hitter at Puget Sound. He didn’t allow more than one hit in an inning, and only two Logger base runners got as far as second base, with none reaching third.

Honorable Mention

Rob Dittrick (Pacific, So. – Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute)

Nathan Johnson (Whitworth, Sr. – Colfax, Wash./Colfax HS)

Zach Manley (Linfield, So. – Coburg, Ore./Shasta College)

Blake Paisley (Willamette, Jr. – Saratoga, Calif./Saratoga HS)

Brian Ranta (George Fox, Jr. – Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

Alex Baugh (Puget Sound, Jr. – Monroe, Wash./Monroe HS) 

April 12

Offensive/Field

Cole Bixenman

Linfield, Senior

Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer HS

Bixenman hit two home runs and registered a .538 batting average (7-for-13) in three wins for the Wildcats over the weekend. He had a 1.000 slugging percentage and .600 on-base percentage with five RBI and 13 total bases. He also stole three bases and was perfect defensively (1.000 fielding percentage) over eight chances.

Honorable Mention –

Nate Hickok (George Fox, Sr. – Sherwood, Ore./Sherwood HS/Corban U)

Landon Scott (Whitworth, Jr. – Kennewick, Wash./Kennewick)

Trux French (Pacific, So. – Kennewick, Wash./Kennewick)

Erik Korsmo (Whitman, Sr. – Clyde Hill, Wash./Bellevue, HS)

Jacob Hoffman (Pacific Lutheran, Fr. – University Place, Wash./Curtis HS)

Tommy Kawamura (Willamette, Fr. – Renton, Wash./Lindbergh HS)

Pitcher

Eric Anderson

Whitworth, Senior

Vashon Island, Wash./Green River CC

Anderson earned a victory over Pacific Lutheran in his first career start in a Northwest Conference contest. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

Honorable Mention

Blake Paisley (Willamette, Jr. – Saratoga, Calif./Saratoga HS)

Kipp Godfrey (Pacific Lutheran, Fr. – Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis HS)

Clay Gartner (George Fox, Fr. – Clovis, Calif./Clovis East)

Chad Fahey (Pacific, Jr. – Keizer, Ore./Chemeketa CC)

Jake Nelson (Whitman, Jr. – Kennewick, Wash./Walla Walla CC)

April 5

Offensive/Field

Tim Wilson

Linfield, Freshman

Redmond, Wash./Univ. of Washington

Wilson posted a .667 batting average in three games over the weekend to help Linfield seize control of the Northwest Conference title race. In addition to his .833 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage, he also racked up five stolen bases and was nearly flawless defensively, registering a .955 fielding percentage in 22 total chances. 

Honorable Mention –

Landon Scott (Whitworth, Jr. – Kennewick, Wash./Kennewick)

Dan Winterstein (George Fox, Sr. – Eugene, ore./North Eugene HS)

T.C. Lee (Willamette, Sr. – Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS)

Dakota Resnik (Puget Sound, Sr. – Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS)

Ryan Aratani (Pacific Lutheran, Sr. – Issaquah, Wash.)

Pitcher

Dan Johansen

Pacific Lutheran, Senior

Woodinville, Wash./Bellevue CC

Johansen won his third consecutive Northwest Conference start with a dominating performance against Whitman. In limiting the Missionaries to just three hits, he walked none, struck out 11, and retired 13 consecutive batters at one point.

Honorable Mention

Brandon Simon (Willamette, So. – Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills HS)

Chad Fahey (Pacific, Jr. – Keizer, Ore./Chemeketa CC)

Evan Hilberg (Linfield, Sr. – Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis)

Justin Weeks (Whitman, So. – Rolling Hills Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes HS)

Matt Robinson (Puget Sound, So. – Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo HS)

Nathan Johnson (Whitworth, Sr. – Colfax, Wash./Colfax)

Brian Ranta (George Fox, Jr. – Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

March 29

Offensive/Field

Clayton Truex

Linfield, Freshman

Kirkland, Wash./Washington State

Designated hitter Truex posted an impressive .600 batting average, including a 1.600 slugging percentage, in three games over the weekend. He hit three home runs and drove in a team-high eight RBI while racking up 16 total bases. He also registered a .692 on-base percentage.

Honorable Mention –

Brock Gates (Pacific Lutheran, Jr. – Federal Way, Wash./Decatur HS)

Nate Hickok (George Fox, Sr. – Sherwood, Ore./Sherwood HS/Corban)

Tyson Giza (Willamette, So. – Salem, Ore./Sprague HS)

Landon Scott (Whitworth, Jr. – Kennewick, Wash./Kennewick)

Jared Van Hoon (Pacific, Jr. – Lake Oswego, Ore./Coll. of the Desert)

Cameron Young (Whitman, Fr. – Wenatchee, Wash./Wenatchee HS)

Pitcher

Bob Dittrick

Pacific, Sophomore

Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute

Dittrick earned his sixth straight victory of the season, allowing just three hits in six innings against Menlo with eight strikeouts before yielding to the bullpen. Dittrick has not lost in his last six starts and currently owns a 1.83 earned run average. In 54 innings, he has allowed just 11 earned runs.

Honorable Mention

Brian Ranta (George Fox, Jr. – Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

Brandon Simon (Willamette, So. – Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills HS)

Robert Vaughn (Linfield, Jr. – Placerville, Calif./Union Mine)

Michael Taylor (Whitworth, Sr. – Brewster, Wash./Univ. of Montana)

March 22

Offensive/Field

Tyler Pfeffer

Whitworth, Freshman

Spokane, Wash./Shadle Park 

Pfeffer batted .444 in four games, leading the Pirates in RBIs (8) and runs scored (5). He had two of Whitworth’s three RBIs at NAIA power LCSC. He also had at least one hit in all four games, and either scored or drove in a run in all four games.

Honorable Mention –

Eric Evenson (Linfield, Sr. – Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis HS)

Matt Cox (Puget Sound, Jr. – Salem, Ore./South Salem HS)

Mike Nagamine (Pacific, Jr. – Aiea, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute)

Jay Richards (Whitman, Sr. – Gig Harbor, Wash./Bellarmine Prep)

Max Stepan (Willamette, Sr. – Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo County HS)

Dan Winterstein (George Fox, sr. – Eugene, Ore./North Eugene HS)

Jacob Hoffman (Pacific Lutheran, Fr. – University Place, Wash./Curtis HS)

Pitcher

Brian Ranta

George Fox, Junior

Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS

Ranta threw his fourth complete game of the season and second career shutout in the first game of the Willamette series. He allowed only three hits through eight innings and improved his season record to 5-1 while lowering his ERA to 1.93.

Honorable Mention

Scott Wall (Pacific Lutheran, Sr. – Yakima, Wash./LaSalle HS)

Rob Dittrick (Pacific, So. – Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute)

Liam O’Brien (Whitworth, Sr. – Prosser, Wash./Prosser)

Ryan Larson (Linfield, Jr. – Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton)

Brandon Simon (Willamette, So. – Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills HS)

Cameron Duvall (Puget Sound, Sr. – Lakewood, Wash./Lakes HS)

March 15

Offensive/Field

Jay Richards

Whitman, Senior

Gig Harbor, Wash./Bellarmine Prep 

Richards was six for nine at the plate (plus two walks), scoring five runs and knocking in two, as Whitman swept two games from Lewis & Clark on Saturday. He played errorless ball at second base (six putouts, six assists) throughout the three-game weekend set.

Honorable Mention –

Matt Cox (Puget Sound, Jr. – Salem, Ore./South Salem HS)

Cole Bixenman (Linfield, Sr. – Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer)

Derek Aldrich (George Fox, Sr. – North Bend, Wash./Mt. Si HS)

Tosh Semlacher (Willamette, Fr. – Gold River, Calif./Jesuit HS)

Kevin Schwartz (Pacific, Jr. – Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

Pitcher

Jake Nelson

Whitman, Junior

Kennewick, Wash./WWCC/Kennewick HS

Nelson was masterful in giving up just three hits – two to one player – while striking out five. He lost his shutout in the third inning on a base on balls, ground-out and two –out single. Apart from issuing a walk in the fifth and another in the seventh, Nelson retired the pioneers in order from the fourth through the eighth innings. He gave up his hit of the day in the ninth but then ended the game by throwing a double-play ground ball. 

Honorable Mention

Ryan Larson (Linfield, Jr. – Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton)

Jason Sawyer (Pacific, Fr. – Scappoose, Ore./Scappoose)

Eliot Smith (Lewis & Clark, So. – West Linn, Ore./West Linn)

Brandon Simon (Willamette, So. – Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills HS)

Taylor Volz (Puget Sound, Jr. – Portland, Ore./Grant HS)

March 8

Offensive/Field

Kevin Allan

Linfield, Junior

Yakima, Wash./West Valley

Allan had two multiple-hit games over the weekend to help No. 9 Linfield earn a pair of wins over Pacific. In the second game of the series, he hit 3-for-4 with two doubles. Over three games, he posted a .545 batting average, .727 slugging percentage and .583 on-base percentage. He also recorded a .947 fielding percentage over 16 chances.

Honorable Mention

Andrew Grady (Puget Sound, Jr. – Cave Creek, Ariz./Phoenix Country Day)

T.C. Lee (Willamette, Sr. – Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS)

Jaron Iwakami (Pacific Lutheran, Jr. – Renton, Wash./Liberty HS)

Kevin Schwartz (Pacific, Jr. – Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

Sam Stahl (George Fox, Sr. – Vista, Calif./Chemeketa CC/Rancho Buena Vista HS)

Pitcher

Scott Wall

Pacific Lutheran, Senior

Yakima, Wash./La Salle HS

Scott dominated nationally-ranked George Fox, allowing only one earned run on six hits while striking out nine and walking none. Wall retired the first eight batters he faced and did not allow a runner to second base until the fifth inning. Through the first seven innings, the Bruins had only four on base against Wall.

Honorable Mention

Robert Vaughn (Linfield, Jr. – Placerville, Calif./Union Mine)

Brian Ranta (George Fox, Jr. – Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS)

Rob Dittrick (Pacific, So. – Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute)

Brandon Simon (Willamette, So. – Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills HS)

Matt Robinson (Puget Sound, So. – Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo HS)

March 1

Offensive/Field

Max Stepan

Willamette, Senior

Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo County HS

Stepan, a catcher and DH, hit .533 during the week with three doubles and four home runs. He hit two doubles and one homer against 18th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer and earned a double and three home runs against Occidental. In the win over Occidental, he was 5-for-6 with four runs and six RBIs.

Honorable Mention

Erik Korsmo (Whitman, Sr. – Clyde Hill, Wash./Bellevue HS)

Jared Van Hoon (Pacific, Jr. – Lake Oswego, Ore./Coll. of the Desert)

Dan Winterstein (George Fox, Sr. – Eugene, Ore./North Eugene HS)

Cole Bixenman (Linfield, Sr. – Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer)

Pitcher

Brian Ranta

George Fox, Junior

Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS

Ranta improved to 3-0 and lowered his season ERA to 2.14 with six innings of three-hit shutout ball in the first game of a DH against Concordia-Portland. In 21 innings this season, he has held opponents to a .216 BA with 23 strikeouts and only one walk.

Honorable Mention

Chris Torgerson (Willamette, Sr. – Sacramento, Calif./Jesuit HS)

Rob Dittrick (Pacific, So. – Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute)

Jake Nelson (Whitman, Jr. – Kennewick, Wash./Walla Walla CC/Kennewick HS

Ryan Larson (Linfield, Jr. – Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton)

February 22

Offensive/Field

Taylor Hunter

George Fox, Junior

Canby, Ore./Oregon State

Hunter batted .642 (9-14) with three three-hit games as the Bruins went 3-0 in Cascade Collegiate Conference/Northwest Conference Challenge at Wilsonville (Ore.) High School. He had .714 slugging pct., .625 on base pct., and a game-winning RBI single in a win over Concordia. He has solidified the Bruin defense with slick fielding at shortstop as the Bruins have gone four straight games without an error.

Honorable Mention

T.C. Lee (Willamette, Sr. – Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS)

Dakota Resnik (Puget Sound, Sr. – Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS)

Kevin Schwartz (Pacific, Jr. – Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam)

Ryan Frost (Pacific Lutheran, Jr. – Olympia, Wash./Tumwater HS)

Tyler Pfeffer (Whitworth, Fr. – Spokane, Wash/Shadle Park)

Clayton Truex (Linfield, Fr. – Kirkland, Wash/Washington State)

Erik Korsmo (Whitman, Sr. – Clyde Hill, Wash./Bellevue HS)

Pitcher

Brian Ranta

George Fox, Junior

Clackamas, Ore./Rex Putnam HS

Ranta threw a complete-game five-hit win over Corban with 11 strikeouts and no walks in the Cascade College Conference/northwest Conference Challenge at Wilsonville (Ore.) High School. The only runs allowed were on a two-run homer on a pitch up and out of strike zone.

Honorable Mention

Rob Dittrick (Pacific, So. – Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute)

Chris Torgerson (Willamette, Sr. – Sacramento, Calif./Jesuit HS)

Scott Wall (Pacific Lutheran, Sr. – Yakima, Wash./La Salle HS)

Matt Robinson (Puget Sound, So. – Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo HS)

Evan Hilberg (Linfield, Sr. – Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis)

February 15

Offensive/Field

Josh Rapacz

George Fox, Sophomore

West Richland, Wash./Richland HS

Rapacz batted .471 (8-17) while leading the team in doubles (4), RBIs (7), and slugging percentage (.706) as the Bruins went 4-0 at the season-opening Arizona Desert Classic.

Honorable Mention –

Dustin Smith (Linfield, Sr. – Talent, Ore./Phoenix)

Tyler Pfeffer (Whitworth, Fr. – Spokane, Wash./Shadle Park)

Dakota Resnik (Puget Sound, Sr. – Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS)

Pitcher

Max Beatty

Pacific Lutheran, Sophomore

Vancouver, Wash./Fort Vancouver

Beatty gave PLU its one solid pitching performance in its five-game season-opening trip to Arizona. He allowed only one unearned run in eight innings, striking out two, walking one, and coaxing 16 ground ball outs.

Honorable Mention –

Andrew Snyder (George Fox, Sr. – Oceanside, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista HS)

Robert Vaughn (Linfield, So. – Placerville, Calif./Union Mine)

C.J. Perry (Whitworth, Jr. – Newman Lake, Wash./Gonzaga Prep)

Adam Rager (Lewis & Clark, Sr. – Bellingham, Wash./Sehorn)

Lucas Stone (Puget Sound, Fr. – Ashland, Ore./Ashland HS)