By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Becoming the second school in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history to win consecutive baseball tournament titles on Friday at the CWU baseball field, Northwest Nazarene defeated Montana State Billings 8-7 in the title tilt of the GNAC Baseball Championships.
 
The Nighthawks (40-13) held off a spirited comeback effort by the Yellowjackets (32-20), successfully defending their 2024 GNAC Championships crown. Ranked No. 1 in the latest NCAA regional rankings released on Wednesday, NNU’s 2-1 performance at this week’s tournament was strong enough not only to solidify an NCAA West Region Championships berth but could have also kept the Nighthawks in position to host next week’s regional. The baseball selection show, during which the final seeding for the field will be announced, is scheduled for Sunday, May 11.
 
The Yellowjackets, who were ranked fifth in this week’s regional rankings, will also be anxiously watching Sunday’s selection show to see if they did enough this week to earn the program’s second regional playoff appearance.
 
After NNU, MSUB and No. 3 seed Central Washington each went 1-1 in Thursday’s tournament opener, the Nighthawks earned automatic advancement to the title game on Friday. The Yellowjackets eliminated tournament host Central Washington with a 7-4 triumph earlier on Friday, before coming up just short against the Nighthawks in the finale.
 
In the loss to the Yellowjackets, Central Washington’s Brandham Ponce broke the GNAC single-season record with his 19th and final home run of the campaign. The GNAC Player of the Year entered the day tied with former Wildcat Kyle Sani (2013) and Montana State Billings’ Daniel Cipriano (2019) with 18 long balls. Ponce also finished his historic 2025 season with 66 RBIs – the third-highest single-season total in GNAC history.
 

GNAC Baseball Single-Season RBI Leaders
Rank	Player	School	RBIs	Season
1	Chris Ridenour	Western Oregon	69	2002
2	Bo Folkinga	Western Oregon	68	2012
3	Brandham Ponce	Central Washington	66	2025
4	Troy Martin	Central Washington	65	2005
5	Greg McCarthy	Western Oregon	64	2005

   

GNAC Baseball Single-Season HR Leaders
Rank	Player	School	HRs	Season
1	Brandham Ponce	Central Washington	19	2025
2	Kyle Sani	Central Washington	18	2013
	Daniel Cipriano	Montana State Billings	18	2019
4	Brian Viafore	Central Washington	17	2003
	Kaleo Johnson	Montana State Billings	17	2018
	John Gonzalez	Northwest Nazarene	17	2021

 
It was the fourth overall tournament title for the Nighthawks – second most all-time within the conference behind Western Oregon’s six tournament crowns. In addition to the 2024 title, NNU’s other GNAC Championships wins came in 2016 and 2021. Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, who came through with an eight-strikeout, two-hit shutout in an elimination game on Thursday, was selected as the GNAC Championships Most Valuable Player.
 

2025 GNAC Baseball Championships All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, Northwest Nazarene
Position	Player	School
Pitcher	Ernesto Lugo-Canchola	Northwest Nazarene
Pitcher	Brennen Chappell	Montana State Billings
Catcher	Brady Hinkle	Central Washington
First Baseman	Jack Nehler	Montana State Billings
Second Baseman	Bodee Wright	Montana State Billings
Third Baseman	Brandham Ponce	Central Washington
Shortstop	Cole Calnon	Northwest Nazarene
Outfielder	Casey Wayne	Northwest Nazarene
Outfielder	Nin Burns II	Northwest Nazarene
Outfielder	Kaden Kirshenbaum	Montana State Billings
Utility	Kaleb Karpstein	Northwest Nazarene

 

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Championship Game: Northwest Nazarene 8, Montana State Billings 7 | Box Score
 
It appeared that the Nighthawks were going to run away with the crown, as they jumped out to a 6-0 advantage after the top of the third inning. But the title game fittingly came down to the final out, as the Yellowjackets got the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth as the comeback effort fell just short.
 
Down 8-6 entering the final inning of the tournament, first-team all-GNAC second baseman Bodee Wright ripped a one-out triple into center field before his double-play partner Zack Blaszak scored him on a successful squeeze play. The Nighthawks summoned closer Wade Duncan from the bullpen, and he got MSUB’s all-conference tandem of Jack Nehler and Kaden Kirshenbaum to each line out to end the game with the tying run stranded at first base.
 
The Nighthawks struck early and often on Friday afternoon, as an Adrian Arechiga two-run triple in the top of the first gave NNU a 2-0 advantage. Nin Burns II delivered his 12th homer of the year in the second and a two-run single off the bat of Carter Walsh highlighted a three-run third inning to give the reigning champions a hefty lead.
 
Facing GNAC Pitcher of the Year Cole Calnon, the Yellowjackets fought back starting with RBI knocks by Wright and Nehler to produce two runs in the third inning. All-tournament selection Kaleb Karpstein’s fifth home run of the season got NNU a run back in the top of the fourth, and Calnon delivered a shutdown inning in the bottom of the frame.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Yellowjackets put together a game-changing, four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to swing momentum into their favor. After an RBI-single by Nehler, Kirshenbaum hit his ninth and biggest home run of the season – a three-run shot down the left-field line to narrow the deficit to 7-6. The Yellowjackets managed just one baserunner over the next three innings however, as NNU reliever and second-team all-conference pick Jonathan Zayas kept his opponents’ bats at bay.
 
What proved to be a crucial insurance run for NNU came in the form of a two-out, RBI-triple off the bat of Calnon in the top of the eighth, which scored Casey Wayne from first base. In addition to the tournament-winning swing of the bat, Calnon improved to 10-0 on the season on the mound as he struck out five and walked none while allowing six runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. Zayas limited the ‘Jackets to one run on two hits with three strikeouts and a walk in 2 2/3 innings before Duncan shut the door to earn his fourth save of the year.
 
MSUB starter Cy Miller was tagged for six runs on four hits while striking out one and issuing four walks in 2 2/3 innings. Andy Evans, Hayden Mullins and Jackson Betancourt combined to limit NNU to just two runs across the final 6 1/3 innings of the game, as the team effort out of the bullpen gave MSUB a chance to win what would have been their second GNAC Championships title.
 
Calnon and Walsh each went 3-for-5 to lead the Nighthawks offensively, while Wayne drew four walks and reached base in all five of his plate appearances to earn himself a spot on the all-tournament team.
   

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Game 4: Montana State Billings 7, Central Washington 4 | Box Score
 
In Friday’s first elimination game, the Yellowjackets gutted out a narrow victory over the Wildcats. A three-run home run by Kaden Bertram in the bottom of the eighth inning was the biggest hit of the ballgame, as he gave MSUB breathing room in a game that neither team led by more than a single run up to that point.
 
Like the Yellowjackets would go on to do in their title-game loss, the Wildcats got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning. But Brennen Chappell solidified his spot on the all-tournament team by finishing off a complete-game effort and closing off the victory. Chappell struck out six and walked none, allowing four runs on six hits in the 127-pitch performance.
 
Ponce put his team ahead immediately, delivering an RBI-ground out in the top of the first inning to make the score 1-0. Nehler responded with an RBI-single in the bottom of the frame, kicking off a back-and-forth theme that persisted throughout the afternoon. After both Chappell and CWU starter Logan Pierce each put up three consecutive zeros, the Wildcats broke through on a Justin Birch RBI-single in the top of the fifth.
 
The lead was short-lived, with Blaszak and Nehler each plating runs with base hits in the bottom of the inning, to nudge the ‘Jackets ahead 3-2. Ponce’s record-breaking home run was a game-tying solo shot in the top of the sixth inning, but MSUB’s Ryker Fortier responded with a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the frame to help MSUB retake the lead.
 
All-tournament selection Brady Hinkle lofted a sacrifice fly into center field in the top of the ninth, but it was all the Wildcats could manage in the final frame as their season came to a close.
 
Pierce allowed four runs – three earned – on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in seven innings of work, throwing 85 pitches in his final outing of the season. Andrew Sharp was the lone Wildcat with multiple hits in a game where CWU managed just six total knocks. The ‘Cats completed their season with a record of 25-26.
 
OF NOTE: Friday’s effort by Chappell wasn’t the first time a Yellowjacket pitcher delivered a max-effort complete game in a must-win elimination game on the final day of the GNAC Championships. On the same field on May 11, 2018, former Yellowjacket Michael Gahan threw a 142-pitch complete game to lift the Yellowjackets to the title game of that tournament.