PORTLAND, Ore. – Stepping up when his team needed him most, Alaska’s Tyriq Luke delivered a career performance in a road victory Saturday, headlining the latest list of Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week announced on Monday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyriq Luke – University of Alaska
First-career player of the week.
Luke helped keep the Alaska Nanooks alive and well in the race towards the 2026 GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships, leading his team to a pair of impressive road victories. In the Nanooks’ 101-97, overtime win over Montana State Billings on Saturday, Luke made 6 of 11 threes on his way to a career-high 38 points. He added seven rebounds, five assists and a steal, playing 41 of 45 minutes in the win. Luke was also instrumental in his team’s 78-74 triumph over Seattle Pacific on Thursday, shooting an efficient 4-for-8 from the floor on his way to a dozen points. Luke’s 38 points Saturday tied him for third-most by a GNAC player in a game this season. The hometown, West Valley High School product upped his season average to 14.8 points per game which ranks him 11th in the GNAC.
Alaska Head Coach Frank Ostanik: “Going into the weekend I had a feeling someone would need to step up for us if we were going to come away with two really big road wins. Tyriq was that guy. He carried us the first half against SPU and on Saturday, he simply took over. Not only did Tyriq score at a very efficient level, but he also did a great job on the glass and setting up his teammates. It was exciting to watch someone who works as hard as Tyriq does play so well.”
Also Nominated: Elijah Mobley, Alaska Anchorage; Bradley Swillie, Central Washington; Mason Landdeck, Montana State Billings; Jaden Byers, Northwest Nazarene; Kaden Hansen, Saint Martin’s; Henry Sandberg, Seattle Pacific; Zach Stone, Simon Fraser; Jadin Penigar, Western Oregon.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Avery Oaster – Saint Martin’s University
Second-career player of the week, second this season.
Oaster snagged her second weekly honor of 2025-26, recording a pair of double-doubles. In the Saints’ triumph over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Oaster had career-highs of 30 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots, playing 33 minutes to fuel her team to victory. She made 15 of 21 field-goal attempts – also a career best. She followed that with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double on Saturday against Central Washington, adding two more blocks and a pair of steals. In 69 minutes on the floor last week, Oaster committed just one turnover and shot 55.6% (20-for-36) from the floor. She averaged 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.
SMU Head Coach Natalie Marlowe: “It is no surprise to me how Avery has been performing. As one of our captains, she leads by example every day. Whether it’s her intentionality towards scouting reports, effort in practice or motor for rebounding, she has cemented herself as one of the best post players in our conference and she is having fun again. Avery is a true competitor and wants to positively impact games for her teammates more than any individual statistic. Things are starting to click for her right on schedule.”
Also Nominated: Elaina Mack, Alaska Anchorage; Emily Freeman, Alaska; Asher Cai, Central Washington; Cassie Chesnut, Montana State Billings; Grace Leasure, Seattle Pacific; Rachel Loukes, Simon Fraser; Kylani Rookstool, Western Oregon; Olivia Hodges, Western Washington.
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Noah Albanese – Saint Martin’s University
First-career player of the week.
Albanese was constantly on base in the Saints’ four-game series against Whitworth, hitting .563 (9-for-16) and reaching base at a clip of .632 (12-for-19). The junior transfer from Edmonds Community College also went a perfect 5-for-5 in the stolen base department, drew three walks and had three doubles. Albanese scored four runs in SMU’s doubleheader sweep on Saturday, and he placed error-free defense across 11 total chances in the series. Through the first 14 games of the year, Albanese leads the GNAC with a spotless 12-for-12 mark in stolen bases, while hitting .367 and reaching base at .492.
SMU Head Coach Jacob Garsez: “Noah is a player that we know can make a continuous impact on our team. His swing decisions and consistency at the plate last weekend did just that. He ranged really well in the outfield, making great plays and continued to be a difference-maker on the bases. He is a hard-working player who is a great example of the culture of our program.”
Also Nominated: Sinclair Lee, Central Washington; Jack Nehler, Montana State Billings; Alex Harden, Western Oregon.
BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Shane Bailey – Western Oregon University
First-career pitcher of the week.
Bailey was outstanding in his turn in the rotation against Stanislaus State, tossing a season-high eight frames to secure his first win of the year. The right-hander limited the Warriors to one run on three hits, while striking out seven and issuing just one walk. Bailey tossed 116 pitches to contribute to the Wolves’ 3-1 series win over the NCAA West Region opponent.
WOU Head Coach Kellen Walker: “Shane had a big outing for us to get us back into the series. He and Coach Hatley have been working really hard and I was happy for Shane that he was able to execute his plan this week to get a quality result.”
Also Nominated: Drake Anderson, Central Washington; Malcolm Bartholomew, Montana State Billings; Nikki Scott II, Saint Martin’s.
SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ava Clark – Northwest Nazarene University
First-career player of the week.
Clark helped lead the Nighthawks to a 3-1 record in their home-opening weekend, with productive plate appearances throughout all four games. Clark posted an on-base percentage of .714, reaching base in 10 of 14 plate appearances. She also went a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts, struck out zero times and committed zero errors defensively. Clark totaled four hits on the week, drove in three runs and scored five times to help fuel the Nighthawk offense to victory. Clark leads the GNAC with a perfect 10-for-10 mark in stolen bases this season, while posting a slash line of .370/.500/.478.
NNU Head Coach Rich Wagner: “Ava did a great job getting herself in position to score and keep our offense moving all week. She had quite a few five-plus pitch at-bats that turned into walks or hits. Those kind of at-bats are contagious for her teammates and put a lot of stress on the other team.”
Also Nominated: Jadyn Holdren, Central Washington; Marleigh Nieto, Montana State Billings; Cassidy Affeldt, Simon Fraser; Reghann Fairbairn, Western Oregon; Haylee Kim, Western Washington.
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Alanna Wirtala – Western Washington University
First-career pitcher of the week.
Wirtala was dominant in a pair of appearances against Simon Fraser last week. Tossing 9 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Wirtala limited SFU to just six baserunners for a WHIP of 0.62, allowing three hits in each appearance and zero total walks. Additionally, she posted eight strikeouts combined in her outings and earned a pair of victories. Her most impressive effort of the week came on Saturday, when she tossed all seven innings allowing just one unearned run and striking out five batters to earn the victory. On the season, she holds a 3.59 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 50 2/3 innings pitched.
WWU Head Coach Sheryl Gilmore: “Alanna has been the workhorse for us so far this season, even when she wasn’t feeling her best, which speaks volumes about her toughness and her character. She is a great competitor and is incredibly composed, especially for a freshman. Whether it’s a start, battling for seven innings in a tight game or coming in with the bases loaded to get us out of a jam, the moment is never too big for her. We are so proud of the impact she has already made here at WWU and are very excited for her future in this program.”
Also Nominated: Zoey Theophilus, Central Washington; Miah Lusk, Northwest Nazarene; Monica Bourque, Simon Fraser; Braeli Martin, Western Oregon.