By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – A record-tying season by Central Washington’s Brandham Ponce earned the senior Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors, as he headlined the baseball all-conference team announced on Tuesday.
 

The senior transfer from Washington State tied the GNAC single-season record with 18 home runs and was unanimously voted a first-team all-conference selection as a utility player. Ponce became the seventh man in CWU history to claim the league’s top baseball honor and made it two consecutive years with a Wildcat winner after teammate Ben Leid was named the 2024 GNAC Player of the Year. Also on that list from CWU was 2013 GNAC Player of the Year Kyle Sani, whose record 18 home runs were matched this spring by Ponce.
 

2025 GNAC Baseball Special Awards
Player of the Year	Brandham Ponce, Central Washington
Pitcher of the Year	Cole Calnon, Northwest Nazarene
Newcomer of the Year	Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, Northwest Nazarene
Freshman of the Year	Sam Coxen, Montana State Billings
Coach of the Year	Derek Waddoups, Montana State Billings

 

First-Team All-Conference
Name	School	Position	Height	Year	Hometown (Previous School)
*$ Cole Calnon	Northwest Nazarene	Starting Pitcher	5-10	SR	Snohomish, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy)
*Ernesto Lugo-Canchola	Northwest Nazarene	Starting Pitcher	6-5	SR	Pleasant Grove, Utah (Utah)
*@ Devin Bell	Western Oregon	Starting Pitcher	6-4	JR	La Grande, Ore. (La Grande)
*# Jonathan Garza II	Central Washington	Starting Pitcher	6-0	SR	Othello, Wash. (Columbia Basin Coll.)
*Hayden Mullins	Montana State Billings	Relief Pitcher	6-0	JR	Denton, Texas (SW Assemblies of God)
*Collin Irwin	Western Oregon	Catcher	6-0	JR	Pinole, Calif. (Pinole Valley)
*% Kaleb Karpstein	Northwest Nazarene	First Baseman	6-0	JR	Bend, Ore. (Bend Senior)
*#+ Bodee Wright	Montana State Billings	Second Baseman	5-9	SR	Morgan, Utah (Northridge)
*# Bryan Rojas	Northwest Nazarene	Third Baseman	6-3	SR	Provo, Utah (Lane CC)
*# Zack Blaszak	Montana State Billings	Shortstop	6-0	SR	Park City, Utah (Salt Lake CC)
*Nin Burns II	Northwest Nazarene	Outfielder	6-0	SR	Covina, Calif. (Texas Southern)
*$% Kaden Kirshenbaum	Montana State Billings	Outfielder	6-0	SR	Federal Way, Wash. (Skagit Valley Coll.)
*@ Ryan Jeffrey	Montana State Billings	Outfielder	6-0	SR	Park City, Utah (Everett CC)
*@ Owen Bischoff	Western Oregon	Outfielder	5-11	SR	Mt. Angel, Ore. (Yakima Valley Coll.)
*Cris Enriquez	Northwest Nazarene	Designated Hitter	6-0	SR	Fontana, Calif. (Tarleton State)
*Brandham Ponce	Central Washington	Utility	6-3	SR	Federal Way, Wash. (Washington State)
* - Unanimous Selection | $ - 2024 First-Team All-GNAC | # - 2024 Second-Team All-GNAC | @ - 2024 Honorable Mention All-GNAC ^ - 2023 First-Team All-GNAC | % - 2023 Second-Team All-GNAC | + - 2023 Honorable Mention All-GNAC

 

Second-Team All-Conference
Name	School	Position	Height	Year	Hometown (Previous School)
Jackson Betancourt	Montana State Billings	Starting Pitcher	6-1	SR	San Diego, Calif. (Mira Mesa)
Sam Coxen	Montana State Billings	Starting Pitcher	6-2	FR	Granite Bay, Calif. (Del Oro)
+ Jonathan Zayas	Northwest Nazarene	Relief Pitcher	6-0	SR	Williamsport, Pa. (Arizona Western Coll.)
Brady Hinkle	Central Washington	Catcher	6-0	SR	Puyallup, Wash. (USC Upstate)
$+ Jack Nehler	Montana State Billings	First Baseman	6-0	JR	Gresham, Ore. (Gresham)
@ Gavin Brubaker	Northwest Nazarene	Second Baseman	6-0	SO	Lakewood, Wash. (Curtis)
@^ John Oleson	Western Oregon	Third Baseman	6-4	SR	Portland, Ore. (Ventura)
$ Cole Calnon	Northwest Nazarene	Shortstop	5-10	SR	Snohomish, Wash. (Lane CC)
$^ Ben Leid	Central Washington	Outfielder	6-2	SR	Corvallis, Ore. (Wenatchee Valley Coll.)
Max Bledy	Central Washington	Outfielder	6-0	JR	Wilsonville, Ore. (Pacific)
Alex Hartnett	Saint Martin's	Outfielder	6-2	JR	Kirkland, Wash. (Lower Columbia Coll.)
@ Peter Hollabaugh	Saint Martin's	Designated Hitter	6-0	SO	Normandy Park, Wash. (Kennedy Catholic)
Ryker Fortier	Montana State Billings	Utility	6-0	JR	Ellensburg, Wash. (Bellevue Coll.)
$ - 2024 First-Team All-GNAC | # - 2024 Second-Team All-GNAC | @ - 2024 Honorable Mention All-GNAC ^ - 2023 First-Team All-GNAC | % - 2023 Second-Team All-GNAC | + - 2023 Honorable Mention All-GNAC

 

Honorable Mention All-Conference
Name	School	Position	Height	Year	Hometown (Previous School)
$ Marcus Manzardo	Central Washington	Second Baseman	6-0	SR	Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (Spokane Falls CC)
$ Baba Varner Jr.	Central Washington	Outfielder	5-11	SR	Wailuku, Hawaii (Pierce Coll.)
Brennan Chappell	Montana State Billings	Starting Pitcher	6-2	JR	Kimberly, Idaho (Coll. of Southern Idaho)
Jarrett Elmer	Montana State Billings	Catcher	6-0	SR	Salem, Utah (Salt Lake CC)
Adrian Arechiga	Northwest Nazarene	Outfielder	5-11	SR	Jurupa Valley, Calif. (Riverside City Coll.)
Jason Bell	Northwest Nazarene	Catcher	6-4	SR	La Quinta, Calif. (Umpqua CC)
$ Wade Duncan	Northwest Nazarene	Relief Pitcher	6-0	SO	Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Los Osos)
Landen Parker	Northwest Nazarene	Starting Pitcher	6-1	JR	Veneta, Ore. (Umpqua CC)
# Carter Walsh	Northwest Nazarene	Outfielder	5-9	SO	Boise, Idaho (Timberline)
Isaac Hoag	Saint Martin's	Outfielder	5-10	JR	Pasco, Wash. (Everett CC)
Wyatt Ishii	Saint Martin's	Starting Pitcher	5-10	FR	Honolulu, Hawaii (Kalani)
Evan Nicol	Saint Martin's	First Baseman	6-5	SO	Olympia, Wash. (Olympia)
Kyle Schabot	Saint Martin's	Utility	6-1	JR	Meridian, Idaho (Centennial)
Zane Garvey	Western Oregon	Shortstop	6-4	FR	Beaverton, Ore. (Southridge)
$ - 2024 First-Team All-GNAC | # - 2024 Second-Team All-GNAC | @ - 2024 Honorable Mention All-GNAC ^ - 2023 First-Team All-GNAC | % - 2023 Second-Team All-GNAC | + - 2023 Honorable Mention All-GNAC

 

Ponce’s OPS of 1.179 led the GNAC, as did his slugging percentage (.739) and RBI total (62). Ponce hit .364 during the regular season, reached base at a clip of .440, totaled 67 hits and crossed the plate 45 times. In addition to his offensive contributions, Ponce also recorded 25 strikeouts across 45 innings pitched and earned three victories in 10 appearances on the mound.
 
Northwest Nazarene University’s dual pitching aces each also received a top award from the league, with Cole Calnon being voted the GNAC Pitcher of the Year and Ernesto Lugo-Canchola being tabbed the GNAC Newcomer of the Year. Calnon led the GNAC and ranked fifth in Division II baseball with a 1.78 earned run average, a figure that currently stands as the fourth-lowest in GNAC single-season history among qualifying pitchers. Calnon recorded 57 strikeouts across a league-leading 76 innings pitched, posted a perfect 9-0 record and issued just 12 walks across his 11 starts this spring. In addition to being a unanimous first-team all-league pitcher, Calnon was also voted a second-team all-GNAC shortstop after hitting .304 with 24 RBIs and playing 49 of 50 games for the Nighthawks in the lineup. Calnon is the third in NNU history to earn GNAC Pitcher of the Year, joining 2024 selection Kyle Ethridge and 2023 pick Ty Pohlmann.
 
Lugo-Canchola, a senior transfer from the University of Utah, led the GNAC with 80 strikeouts across 67 1/3 innings pitched, while ranking second in the league behind Calnon

with an ERA of 2.27 during the regular season. The opposition hit just .183 off the left-hander, and he also racked up a perfect 9-0 record across his 12 starts. Lugo-Canchola is the fourth player in program history to claim the GNAC Newcomer of the Year award, joining 2021 selection Grant Kerry, 2015 selection Tyler Davis and 2007 pick Nick Ray.
 

Montana State Billings right-hander Sam Coxen was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year, after helping solidify the Yellowjackets’ pitching rotation in his debut collegiate season. The Granite Bay, Calif., native struck out 46 hitters across 49 2/3 innings pitched, carrying a 3.81 ERA and earning seven wins across his 10 starts during the regular season. Coxen is just the second Yellowjacket to earn the league’s top freshman award, joining 2022 GNAC Freshman of the Year Cooper Dulich.
 
Yellowjacket head coach Derek Waddoups was tabbed by his peers as the GNAC Coach of the Year, after piloting the Yellowjackets to a record of 30-18 overall and 21-11 in league play to finish in second place. MSUB earned its first trip to the GNAC Championships since the 2022 campaign, posting a team ERA of 4.94 to tie the school record set in 2016. Offensively the Yellowjackets averaged 7.5 runs per game, hit .309, slugged 34 home runs and had a team fielding percentage of .963. Waddoups is the third skipper in MSUB history to claim the award, joining Aaron Sutton (2018, 2019) and Rob Bishop (2015).
 
Joining Calnon and Lugo-Canchola on the first-team for the GNAC regular-season champion Nighthawks were four offensive standouts within the conference’s top lineup. First

baseman Kaleb Karpstein led the GNAC in hitting at .406 this spring, while reaching base at a clip of .506 and posting an OPS of 1.092. It was his second-career all-conference honor, after earning second-team all-league in 2023.
 
NNU third baseman Bryan Rojas was also a first-team pick, after ranking second on the squad with a .371 batting average and adding six home runs and 37 RBIs. Rojas, who reached base at .415 and had a team-best 17 doubles, was a second-team all-GNAC pick last spring. Nin Burns II had perhaps the most well-rounded offensive season for the Nighthawks, slashing .456/.454/.622, leading the team with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and 59 runs scored, and stealing 15 bases while starting 49 of 50 games in the outfield. Designated hitter Cris Enriquez also landed on the first team, after starting 46 games and hitting .283 with more walks drawn (24) than strikeouts (23).
 
The GNAC runner-up Yellowjackets had five first-team all-conference selections. Reliever Hayden Mullins earned the nod after posting a 2.41 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings in 16 appearances out of the bullpen. Mullins earned four wins and chipped in three saves on the season and pitched in multiple innings in 14 of his 16 appearances this spring. A pair of Yellowjacket outfielders were recognized on the first team in seniors Kaden Kirshenbaum and Ryan Jeffrey. Kirshenbaum slashed .346/.435/.599 with a team-leading eight home runs and 49 RBIs in his final collegiate campaign. He also led the squad with 18 doubles, with his slugging percentage of .599 ranking him third in the conference. Jeffrey hit .339 with five homers and 41 RBIs, holding an on-base percentage of .445 and starting 47 of 48 games for the ‘Jackets.
 
MSUB Second baseman Bodee Wright picked up his third all-conference recognition, after being second-team in 2024 and honorable mention in 2023. Wright hit .333 with 29 RBIs and eight stolen bases, while starting 45 games for MSUB. Double-play partner Zack Blaszak was also a first-team selection at shortstop, after ranking second on the team with a .377 batting average and 15 stolen bases in 48 games played. Blaszak reached base at a clip of .425 and slugged .523, while helping the Yellowjackets turn 26 double plays on the campaign.
 
Third-place Central Washington had a pair of first-team all-GNAC selections in senior pitcher Jonathan Garza II and Ponce, the player of the year. Garza II had 58 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings pitched, while posting an ERA of 6.11 and making 12 starts for the Wildcats. It marked his second-straight all-GNAC recognition, after being a second-team pick in 2024.
 
A trio of Western Oregon Wolves landed on the first-team, including the top-ranked starting battery in the league. Starter Devin Bell had a GNAC-best .174 opponents’ batting average, while ranking second in the league with 77 strikeouts and third in the league with a 2.39 ERA. Bell ate up 75 1/3 innings this season, and earned six wins. Junior catcher Collin Irwin was also a first-team pick, after hitting .315 and reaching base at a clip of .431 in 42 starts behind the plate. Irwin totaled 26 RBIs with seven doubles while managing the WOU pitching staff. Senior outfielder Owen Bischoff hit .323 with a team-best 12 doubles and nine stolen bases in 32 games played to land first-team recognition as well.
 
Saint Martin’s, which finished fifth in the GNAC standings, had a pair of second-team all-conference picks in outfielder Alex Hartnett and designated hitter Peter Hollabaugh. Hartnett hit .317 with team highs of six home runs and 30 RBIs. Hollabaugh posted a slash line of .267/.342/.426, adding a team-best 14 doubles, four home runs and 29 RBIs.
 
The 2025 GNAC Baseball Championships kick off on Thursday at Central Washington’s baseball field in Ellensburg, Wash. Championship information is available online here.