By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – In what was perhaps the most pivotal series of the season up to this point for the Central Washington baseball team, it came through with a gritty triumph over the weekend at Montana State Billings.
 
The Wildcats were 8-8 in conference play entering the week, tied with Western Oregon on winning percentage for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Standings. CWU did its part in taking 3 of 4 games from the Yellowjackets and generated significant separation from the Wolves who were swept by Northwest Nazarene. The Wildcats were selected as the Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week on Monday.
 
The season is far from over, but with three conference series left on their schedule the Wildcats hold a firm grip on a GNAC Championships tournament berth. CWU is 11-9 (.550) in conference play, just a few percentage points behind the second-place Yellowjackets who are 9-7 (.562). The ‘Cats are in search of their fourth consecutive GNAC Championships tournament berth and will need to remain in the top-three in the standings across the final 12 games of the conference season to secure it.
 
Central Washington relied on an offense that averaged 8.8 runs per game last week, as it started the series strong with a doubleheader sweep and finished with its largest victory margin at 11-2 in the finale. The Wildcats came close to making it a sweep, but a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning in game three slipped away in the eventual 6-5 defeat. “I thought we played well all around,” said CWU head coach Desi Storey. “We knew that we were facing a strong opponent with a great offense, so we focused on getting ahead and commanding the bottom of the zone. Our hitters knew we had to have good at-bats and score runs to be in these games.”
 
GNAC Player of the Week Conrad Henkel sparked the offense all series long. He homered three times, drove in seven runs and scored seven runs to lead the way in the series. The junior outfielder went 7-for-14 at the plate, posting a slash line of .500/.588/1.143 and extending his hitting streak to nine games. Henkel delivered his second multi-homer game of the season in the second game of the series, hitting a pair of long balls and driving in three runs to highlight his productivity. The first-year Wildcat raised his season batting average to .333, and he ranks second in the conference with seven home runs in 2026.
 
In the series-opening 9-6 win, it was ninth-place hitter Max Bledy who turned in a heroic performance with six RBIs. With CWU trailing 5-3 in the fifth inning, he delivered a grand slam before launching a two-run homer in the ninth to seal the win. The Wildcats then showed resiliency late in the second game of the doubleheader, holding on for a 10-8 triumph. Things appeared to be in control with a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but a four-run frame by the Yellowjackets instantly made it a one-run ballgame. The CWU offense responded immediately, scoring four runs in the seventh capped by Henkel’s two-run homer to wrestle back command.
 
The back end of the bullpen was anchored by Kellen Berg, who picked up saves in each of the first two games of the series allowing one baserunner in 1 2/3 shutout frames. Ethan Swenson matched Henkel with a team-leading three RBIs in the day one nightcap and was one of four Wildcats to produce a pair of hits in the contest.
 
Quickly shaking off the narrow loss in game three, CWU closed the series emphatically by scoring 11 unanswered runs to seal the win. All nine batters in the lineup had at least one hit and one run scored, and seven different players drove in runs in the comprehensive game-four win.
 
The Wildcats also got their best pitching outing of the weekend in the finale, with Camdyn Martindale going the distance on the hill. The senior right-hander allowed two runs on nine hits, while issuing just one walk and striking out five in his 87-pitch performance.
 

The series win over the Yellowjackets extended the Wildcats’ stretch of overall team success across the last four league series. Since losing 3 of 4 against MSUB at the end of February, CWU has gone 10-6 in conference games to play its way up the standings. Storey, a CWU alumnus, is in his 35th campaign with his alma mater. He has racked up a career record of 744-864-2 during his tenure including a GNAC record of 351-431. Since the GNAC was formed in 2002, his 541 overall wins and 327 conference wins are the most by any baseball coach in league history.
 
The next series figures to be just as crucial as the last one was, as the Wildcats kick off a 10-game homestand by hosting Western Oregon this weekend. The series kicks off on Friday with a noon (Pacific) doubleheader and wraps up on Saturday with a noon (Pacific) doubleheader.
 
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025 and it will sponsor the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.