Central Washington had the best home field advantage in the GNAC in 2014, winning 17 of its 23 games played in Ellensburg.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Central Washington will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this season. Offensively, the Wildcats lose the GNAC’s batting
champion in Sterkel and .300-plus hitters Eric Tinnell and Josh Potter due to graduation. Starting pitchers Stuart Fewel and Skye
Adams, who combined for 11-wins last season, have also graduated.
Williams and Bielec are arguably two of the conferences five best players and the West Regions, having both landed on the NCBWA
All- West Region first-team. The Wildcat teammates are two of just nine letter winners to return from last year’s championship
team.
Williams, the GNAC’s top pitcher last season, and Davis Engel are the only two pitchers returning who started a game for the
Wildcats. Closer Cory Welch, who saved a conference-high 11 games and pitched in 34 innings in 2014, is the lone remaining
returnee from the bullpen.
Welch, a second-team NCBWA selection, is also one of the Wildcats top returning bats, having driven in 19 runs in 48 hits last
season. CWU’s power-bat Bielec, who led the conference in RBI’s and finished second in home runs (7), total bases (89) and walks
(23), is also back for his senior season.
Four other players who made at least nine starts remain with the team, highlighted by second-team all-conference catcher Zach
Reay.
Six incoming transfers earned all-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges honors last season, including first-team
pitchers Dean Gettman and southpaw Zach Johnson.
OUTLOOK
Central will look to defend its first conference baseball title in 2015 with top incoming JUCO talent while still boasting one
of the top pitching and hitting prospects in the GNAC.
The Wildcats return three first-team GNAC selections including possibly the top duel-threat player in the conference in
Welch. The infield is mostly taken care of in 2015 with Bielec at third base, Welch at shortstop and second base and Jeff
Beckman at second while Cameron Harper provides experience in the outfield.
With two qualify pitchers and the starting catcher returning in Reay, the Wildcats might get their most production off the
mound this season.
Central’s non-conference schedule includes games against top West Region opponents in San Francisco State, Sonoma State and
Holy Names while also being challenged in home games by Whitworth and the NAIA’s Lewis-Clark State.
WESTERN OREGON Wolves
Preseason Rank: 2
Head Coach: Kellen Walker, Point Loma Nazarene ’06 (64-41, 2 years)
Assistants: Miles Kizer, J.J. Mascolo, Ruben Noriega
Pitching Coach: Mike McInerney
2014 Record: 30-21
Conference: 22-10, 1st (2nd in GNAC Tournament)
Returning Letter Winners: 13
Returning Position Starters: 5
Returning Pitching Starters: 2
Key Returnees (Min. 25 at bats, 15 IP):
Position Players
GP-GS R
H
RBI
BA
*Matt Taylor (SR), OF
49-48
32 61
33
.333
*Nathan Etheridge (JR), INF
47-46
23 52
32
.306
Tim Rausch (SR), OF
45-41
26 37
29
.250
*Garret Harpole (SR), INF
44-42
32 48
27
.306
*Austin Hamilton (SR), INF
40-35
14 34
14
.296
Michael Sherwin (SR), C
25-18
4
12
9
.197
Marcus Madden (SR), INF
23-14
7
12
8
.240
Jacob Whisler (SR), INF
20-13
4
10
4
.238
Marcus Hinkle (SR), INF
20-8
7
7
1
.226
Pitchers
ERA
W-L GP-GS IP
BB-SO
Eric Huson was second in the GNAC in ERA last season at 2.81.