Hoffman is Named Second Team All-Northwest Conference in Baseball

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University starting pitcher Peter Hoffman (So., RHP, Hayden, ID/Lake City HS) has been named Second Team All-Northwest Conference in baseball for the 2013 season in voting by the NWC head coaches. In addition, eight other Bearcats were chosen for Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition.

"This is the most selections that we have had in school history," Head Coach Aaron Swick said. "It is a testament to the hard work and dedication our players put in year round and their constant desire to get better."

The Bearcats finished in third place in the NWC with a 13-11 record. Willamette went 20-20 overall after achieving a 17-12 record in the final 29 games of the season. Head Coach Aaron Swick completed his fifth season leading the Bearcats.

Players receiving Honorable Mention from Willamette were Brad Breier (So., C, Torrance, CA/South HS), Brandon Chinn (Jr., 1B, Salem, OR/Sprague HS), Hunter Gallant (So., 3B, Rescue, CA/Ponderosa HS), Tyson Giza (Sr., CF, Salem, OR/Sprague HS), Parker Johnson (Sr., RHP, Carlsbad, CA/La Costa Canyon HS), Ben Petersen (Sr., C, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS/Butte College), Tosh Semlacher (Jr., RF, Gold River, CA/Jesuit HS) and Brandon Simon (Sr., RHP, Los Angeles, CA/Pacific Hills School).

A total of 66 athletes received All-NWC honors this spring, with 17 players on the First Team, 17 players on the Second Team, and 32 players earning Honorable Mention. Linfield College, which won the NWC title, placed seven athletes on the First Team, including Chris Haddeland, who was chosen NWC Pitcher of the Year.

George Fox University catcher Josh Repacz was named NWC Player of the Year. Linfield Head Coach Josh Brosius was selected as the NWC Coach of the Year.

Second Team All-NWC

Peter Hoffman (So., RHP) earned Second Team All-NWC honors after leading the Bearcats with a 7-4 record and ranking second on the team with a 3.18 earned run average. He threw five complete games in his 11 starts. Hoffman pitched a team-high 85 innings and registered 60 strikeouts, while allowing 23 walks. He limited opponents to a .196 batting average.

Hoffman achieved two complete-game shutouts for the Bearcats. He threw all nine innings in a 6-0 non-conference win over the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 23 and went the distance in a 7-0 victory over Lewis & Clark College in NWC action on March 23.

In addition to the win over the Pioneers, Hoffman also attained NWC wins over Pacific University, Whitman College, Whitworth University and Puget Sound.

During two seasons at Willamette, Hoffman has pitched in 23 games, with 19 starts and six complete-game appearances. He owns a 4.01 career ERA over 139 innings. He has recorded 92 strikeouts and allowed 40 walks.

"Peter was a workhorse this season. He did a great job giving us quality innings every start," Head Coach Aaron Swick commented. "He was definitely one of the best pitchers in the conference this year.

Honorable Mention All-NWC

Brad Breier (So., DH) contributed to the Bearcats as a designated hitter and a catcher. He played in 30 games with 28 starts and ranked second on the squad with a .330 batting average and 13 doubles. He scored 18 runs and earned 23 RBIs. He earned a hit in 10 consecutive starts between March 16 and March 30.

Breier received limited playing time as a freshman in 2012, but went 4 for 12 at the plate. His career batting average is .331 and he has a career fielding percentage of .974.

Brandon Chinn (Jr., 1B) hit .316 for the season with 13 runs and 20 RBIs. He also contributed five sacrifice bunts and two sacrifice flies. Chinn batted .371 (26 of 70) in his final 21 games of the season. On defense, he led the team with 276 putouts and achieved a .990 fielding percentage.

Through three seasons at Willamette, he owns a .305 career batting average to go with 36 runs and 40 RBIs. He ranks fifth all-time for the Bearcats with 687 putouts. He was named Second Team All-NWC in 2011.

Hunter Gallant (So., 3B) topped the Bearcat offensive stats with a .365 batting average and 62 hits. He had 18 games with two or more hits and was one of just three players to start all 40 games. He scored 30 runs, led the team with 15 doubles and and ranked second with 29 RBIs. He achieved a .482 slugging percentage and a .389 on-base percentage.

Gallant set a school record with 170 at bats. He registered a hit in 15 consecutive games between March 29 and April 28 and hit .447 in WU's final 16 games. He was 6 for 7 with four runs, three doubles and two RBIs against Lewis & Clark College on April 23.

In his first two years at WU, Gallant has achieved a .328 average to go with 50 runs and 50 RBIs. He has hit 23 doubles and is 15 of 17 on stolen bases.

Tyson Giza (Sr., CF) set a Willamette record with 594 career at bats, breaking the record of 584 set by Doug Bloom from 2008-11. Giza finished his career ranked third in runs (134), third in stolen bases (48), fourth in hits (180), fifth in total sacrifices (23), tied for fifth in doubles (33) and tied for sixth in triples (5). He played in 151 games with 148 starts.

In 2013, Giza started all 40 games, hit .263 for the Bearcats, led the team with 40 runs scored, and provided 22 RBIs. He was 15 of 19 on stolen bases and led the team with 20 walks. He recorded 118 putouts in center field, giving him 434 career putouts, as he earned a .978 career fielding percentage.

Giza owns a .303 career batting average. He previously was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2010.

Parker Johnson (Sr., RHP) was selected to the All-NWC Team as a starting pitcher after moving from the role of closer midway through the season. He finished the year with a 3-2 record and a team-leading 3.07 ERA. He pitched in 10 games, including four starts and two complete games. He threw 44.0 innings and registered 22 strikeouts with four walks.

Johnson was the team's closer for three full seasons plus part of 2013. He recorded a 4.75 career ERA and a 7-5 overall record. He threw 96 2/3 innings and struck out 44 batters. He tied for seventh on Willamette's all-time list with 47 appearances. As a closer, he tied for third at WU with eight career saves.

Ben Petersen (Sr., C) hit .296 this season, while playing in 23 games with 22 starts. He provided the Bearcats with 11 runs and 11 RBIs. As a catcher, he achieved a .988 fielding percentage with 78 putouts, seven assists and just one error.

During two seasons at Willamette, Petersen achieved a .306 career batting average with 17 runs and 20 RBIs. He played in 42 games with 35 starts. On defense, he made 151 putouts, earned 14 assists, and committed one error to claim a .994 career fielding percentage.

Tosh Semlacher (Jr., RF) achieved a .304 batting average this spring, while leading the team with 34 RBIs and finishing second with 34 runs. He led the Bearcats with seven homers and a .507 slugging percentage. In his final 16 games, he hit .381, belted all seven of his homers, scored 22 runs and earned 19 RBIs.

Semlacher moved from the infield into the outfield this season. He is a three-year starter for the Bearcats who has played in 105 games with 97 starts. He has attained a .292 career batting average, while earning 110 hits, scoring 79 runs and providing 66 RBIs. He is 28 of 34 on career stolen bases, including 14 for 16 this spring.

Brandon Simon (Sr., RHP) produced a 5-4 record and a 5.61 ERA this spring. He pitched 67 1/3 innings and struck out 34 batters, while allowing just 10 walks.

He was the winning pitcher in wins over Pacific Lutheran University (7-6 on March 3) and eventual NWC champion Linfield College (6-3 on March 10). On April 28, he earned a complete-game victory in a 6-4 win over the University of Puget Sound that clinched third place in the NWC standings.

Simon concluded his career with a 19-12 record to tie for fifth all-time in victories at WU. He placed ninth in appearances (46), was eighth in innings pitched (221 2/3) and finished eighth in pitching starts (31). He attained a 4.63 career ERA while earning 119 strikeouts. He was chosen Second Team All-NWC in 2011, when he went 7-3 with a 2.31 ERA.