Region II Spring Players of the Week :: Baseball, Softball Players and Pitchers

April 25, 2006

APRIL 25, 2006

Baseball - Pitcher
Jon Conley - Concordia
Junior · Pitcher
Monrovia, Calif.
In his only outing of the week, junior hurler Jon Conley went the distance allowing only one earned run on 4 hits while striking out 8 to give the NAIA's No. 20-ranked Concordia a win in the second game of the doubleheader sweep of The Master's.

Baseball - Player
Josh Banda - California Baptist
Junior · Catcher
Lakewood, Calif.
Junior Josh Banda was 7-for-13 (.538) at the plate with 3 runs, 2 walks, 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 4 RBIs as No. 2-ranked California Baptist won 3 of its 4 games last week to close within one win of its first GSAC title since 1997. In a doubleheader sweep of Westmont, Banda was 5-for-6 with 2 runs, 2 doubles, a home run and 2 RBIs. In a split with No. 20 Concordia, he had a pair of hits, a run, a double and 2 RBIs.

Softball - Pitcher
Candice Thomas - California Baptist
Junior · Pitcher
Barstow, Calif.
Junior All-American Candice Thomas worked in all 4 games last week, picking up a save and a pair of wins as No. 1-ranked California Baptist won 3 of its 4 conference games on the road and moved into first place in the GSAC. She allowed only one earned run and one walk while striking out 12 in 18.2 innings of work. In a complete-game win over No. 9 Concordia, she gave up 2 hits and struck out 4. In 2.1 innings in the loss to Concordia, she gave up one hit and again struck out 4 batters. In the first game against Vanguard, Thomas earned the win giving up 6 hits and an earned run while striking out 3. In 2.1 innings of the second game against the Lions, she recorded a save. This is the third time in 7 weeks, Thomas has been named NAIA Region II Pitcher of the Week.

Softball - Player
Amerra Kesterson - Biola
Junior · Centerfielder
Anaheim, Calif.
Junior Amerra Kesterson was 4-for-8 (.500) at the plate as Biola won both games of its doubleheader at Azusa Pacific. She scored 3 runs, had 2 RBIs and a stolen base. With a triple in the second game, she moved to within only one triple from tying the NAIA record for most triples in a season (16).

APRIL 18, 2006

Baseball - Pitcher
Kyle Thomas - California Baptist
Junior · Pitcher
Riverside, Calif.
Junior Kyle Thomas came on in relief against No. 4-ranked and defending national champion Oklahoma City to pick up the win for No. 3 California Baptist. In 6 innings of work, Thomas did not give up an earned run or a walk while striking out 11 of 18 batters.

Baseball - Player
Charlie Douglas - Concordia
Senior · Third Baseman
Chino Hills, Calif.
Senior Charlie Douglas was 3-for-9 (.333) at the plate with 3 runs, a walk, a double, a home run, and 3 RBIs as Concordia defeated No. 12-ranked Point Loma Nazarene in both games last week. He had a double that ignited a 4-run inning and singled in a run in the 8-3 win in the first game. Douglas hit what held up as the game-winning 3-run home run in a 7-5 victory.

Softball - Pitcher
Krista Mahan - Vanguard
Sophomore · Pitcher
Wildomar, Calif.
Sophomore Krista Mahan did not allow an earned run in 12.1 innings of work as Vanguard split its doubleheader with No. 6-ranked Point Loma Nazarene. She earned the win in the first game with a 5-hit, 9-inning shutout, her third of the year. In the second game, Mahan pitched 3.1 innings of relief, giving up 4 hits and striking out one, taking the 4-3 loss on an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Softball - Player
Amerra Kesterson - Biola
Junior · Centerfielder
Anaheim, Calif.
Junior Amerra Kesterson hit a home run in each game of Biola's doubleheader sweep of No. 8-ranked Concordia. For the 2 games, she was 3-for-7 (.429) at the plate with 3 runs, 3 RBI and a stolen base. In the second game, she hit a 2-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. She now has 6 homers, one shy of the school record and 14 triples, 2 short of tying the NAIA record.

APRIL 11, 2006

Baseball - Pitcher

Clay Brown - Vanguard

Senior · Pitcher

Dana Point, Calif.

Senior Clay Brown pitched a complete-game shutout as Vanguard defeated The Master's 1-0. In 9 innings of work he gave up 7 hits and no walks while striking out 6. This was his fifth complete-game effort of the season, dropping his season ERA to 2.10, and his first shutout of the season.

Baseball - Player

Matt Voorhies - Vanguard

Junior · Right fielder

Wenatchee, Wash.

Junior Matt Voorhies hit .500 (6-for-12) at the plate with 2 runs, a triple, a homerun, 2 RBIs, 2 walks and a stolen base as Vanguard went 3-1 for the week. He had an on-base percentage of .625 and accumulated 11 total bases. In the split with Fresno Pacific, he had 2 hits including a triple, a run and a walk. In the sweep of The Master's, Voorhies was 4-for-5 (.800) with a run, a home run and 2 RBIs.

Softball - Pitcher

KC Robertson - Point Loma Nazarene

Junior · Pitcher

Newbury Park, Calif.

Junior KC Robertson pitched 2 complete-game shutouts for Point Loma Nazarene on the road. For the week she gave up 8 hits and a walk while striking out 6. At Azusa Pacific she gave up 5 hits and struck out 4 to earn the win. At No. 17 Biola, Robertson only gave up 3 hits and a walk while striking out 2.

Softball - Player

Allie Boeckelman - Point Loma Nazarene

Sophomore · Catcher

San Diego, Calif.

Sophomore Allie Boeckelman hit .538 (7-for-13) at the plate with 3 runs, 3 doubles, a home run, 4 RBIs, and caught 4 wins as No. 6-ranked Point Loma Nazarene swept both of its GSAC opponents last week. In the wins at Azusa Pacific, she was 4-for-7 with 2 runs and 2 doubles. In the wins at Biola, Boeckelman was 3-for-6 with a run, a double, a home run and 3 RBIs.

APRIL 4, 2006

Baseball - Pitcher

Jimmy Johnson - Biola

Sophomore · Pitcher

La Mirada, Calif.

Jimmy Johnson ran his scoreless innings streak to 20 straight by tossing 7.2 scoreless innings last week in a pair of Biola wins. In a 5-0 win over No. 2 California Baptist, Johnson threw 7.1 innings, allowing just 5 hits (2 of them in the seventh). He struck out 8 and gave up 3 walks to pick up the win. He also struck out the only batter he faced in a 3-1 win over Vanguard.

Baseball - Player

Mike Swain - California Baptist

Senior · Outfielder

San Clemente, Calif.

In 4 games last week, Mike Swain hit .538 (7-for-13) with 6 runs, 5 RBIs, 2 home runs and a double to lead No. 2 California Baptist to a 3-1 week, including a split with No. 5 Biola. He was also hit by a pitch 4 times. After going 0-for-3 in a 5-0 setback to Biola, he rebounded the next day by going 3-for-3 with 3 runs a home run and 2 RBIs in a 7-3 win over the Eagles. Then in a doubleheader sweep of Fresno Pacific, Swain was 4-for-7 with 3 runs, 3 RBIs a double and a home run.

Softball - Pitcher

Sarah Sherman - California Baptist

Junior · Pitcher

Glendale, Calif.

In 3 outings last week, Sherman went 15 innings, allowing just 6 hits and one earned run (0.47 ERA). All 3 of her victories were 5-inning, mercy-ruled wins. She also finished with 24 strikeouts. She gave up 2 hits and struck out 4 in an 8-0 shutout of No. 25 Biola. Against No. 11 Concordia, Sherman gave up 4 hits and one earned run while striking out 8. She then capped her week with a perfect-game against Hope International, striking out 12 of the 15 batters she faced.

Softball - Player

Geanie Jenkins - California Baptist

Junior · First Baseman

Moreno Valley, Calif.

Geanie Jenkins hit .500 (9-for-18) with 7 runs, 6 RBIs, 3 doubles and 3 home runs to lead No. 1-ranked California Baptist to a 5-1 week. After the Lancers suffered just their second loss of the season to No. 11 Concordia, Jenkins keyed them to a 14-1 win in the nightcap by going 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and 3 RBIs. In a 9-0 win over Hope International, she was 1-for-3 with a 3-run home run, her school single-season record tying tenth of the season.

MARCH 28, 2006

Baseball - Pitcher

Jared Eskew - Point Loma Nazarene

Freshman · Pitcher

Bakersfield, Calif.

Freshman Jared Eskew struck out 11 batters while shutting out No. 2-ranked California Baptist for 7 innings to pick up the win. He gave up 9 hits, but did not allow an earned run or a walk.

Baseball - Player

Nick Dietzen - Biola

Junior · First Baseman

Moses Lake, Wash.

Junior Nick Dietzen was 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate with 5 runs, 4 doubles, 2 home runs and 8 RBIs as Biola won 4-of-5 games last week. In the loss to The Master's, which was the completion of a game started last month, he had 2 doubles and 2 RBIs. In the doubleheader sweep of The Master's that followed, Dietzen had 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. In the doubleheader sweep at Azusa Pacific, he had 3 hits, a run, 2 doubles, and an RBI.

Softball - Pitcher

Candice Thomas - California Baptist

Junior · Pitcher

Barstow, Calif.

Junior Candice Thomas allowed just one earned run and 2 walks while striking out 7 in 14 innings of work to pick up 2 wins for top-ranked California Baptist, improving to 19-0 on the season. In the win over Vanguard, she gave up an earned run on 4 hits while striking out 4 and walking one. In the win at No. 7-ranked Point Loma Nazarene, she allowed just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 3. That win gave California Baptist an NAIA-record 32-game winning streak.

Softball - Player

Ruth Atkins - Point Loma Nazarene

Senior · Third Baseman

Santa Rosa, Calif.

Senior Ruth Atkins was instrumental in 3 of No. 7-ranked Point Loma Nazarene's wins in 4 games against ranked opponents last week. She hit .462 (6-for-13) with 3 runs, 2 doubles, a home run, and 8 RBIs. She drove in the game-winning run in the first game against No. 13 Concordia. In the second win over Concordia, she had 3 hits, including a home run, and 4 RBIs. In the second game against No. 1 California Baptist, Atkins drove in the tying run with a sixth-inning double. She later scored the winning run in handing California Baptist its first loss of the year.

MARCH 22, 2006

Baseball - Pitcher
Clay Brown - Vanguard
Senior · Pitcher
Dana Point, Calif.
Clay Brown pitched a complete-game in Vanguard's 3-1 win over NAIA No. 2 ranked California Baptist. Brown held CBU's offense to 9 hits and one earned run while striking out 5 to improve to 5-2 overall this season. He also held No. 6 Point Loma Nazarene to one earned run in 6-plus innings on Monday, as the Lions dropped a 2-1 decision in San Diego. He allowed 3 total runs in 15.1 innings on the mound this week for a 1.17 ERA while striking out 11.

Baseball - Player
Aaron Seuss - California Baptist
Junior · Outfielder
La Quinta, Calif.
Junior Aaron Seuss continued his torrid season, hitting .533 (8-for-15) in 4 games last week. He also had 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 6 runs, 8 RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. He was 2-for-3 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs in the NAIA's No. 1-ranked Lancers' 10-0 win over Simpson. In a doubleheader split with Vanguard, Seuss was 5-for-9 with 2 doubles and a home run, 3 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. He currently leads the GSAC with 11 home runs.

Softball - Pitcher
Katie McColeman - Point Loma Nazarene
Senior · Pitcher
Grand Terrace, Calif.
Katie McColeman picked up 3 more wins last week and is now 11-0 on the year. In 22.2 innings, McColeman allowed just one earned run (0.31 ERA) and recorded 13 strikeouts. Against No. 25 Biola, she threw a shutout, giving up just 3 hits.

Softball - Player
Caitlyn Senkbeil - Concordia
Sophomore · Shortstop
Dana Point, Calif.
Caitlyn Senkbeil hit .652 (15-for-23) in 6 games last week as Concordia went 4-2 on the week. She also scored 10 runs and had 10 RBIs while hitting 4 doubles, a triple and 5 home runs. She went 6-for-8 with a double and 2 home runs in a sweep of Hope International, and her home run in the second win over the Royals set the school single-season record with 12. Her 2-homer game in a 9-3 loss to No. 25 Biola was just the fourth in school history.