CORVALLIS, Ore. –
The following eight CCC student-athletes have been recognized as the WVT Laboratory Players of the Week for their performances during competition from April 18-24, 2022.
Softball – Pitcher
(RV) Eastern Oregon University’s Amanda Smith was named the WVT Laboratory Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season.
Smith, a senior pitcher from Sisters, Ore., was superb in the circle and limited No. 3-ranked Oregon Tech to just six runs over two starts, both of which she pitched complete games to go 2-0. She struck out six batters in her two wins and improved to 16-4 on the year, sporting a 1.78 ERA and has pitched 16 complete games. Her efforts in the circle helped EOU secure a 3-0 CCC series sweep over OIT and moved them into a tie for first place in the CCC.
Softball – Player
(RV) Eastern Oregon University’s Grace Gaither was named the WVT Laboratory Softball Player of the Week.
Gaither, a junior utility player from Silverton, Ore., was a force at the plate for EOU in its 3-1 series win over No. 3-ranked Oregon Tech. She smacked three home runs against the Owls, with two coming on the first day. Gaither had multiple hits in every CCC game against OIT and tallied at least one hit in all four games. She slugged 1.417, had three extra-base hits, tallied five RBIs, scored four runs, and struck out just once against the best pitching staff in the conference. Gaither is also currently on a six-game hitting streak.
Baseball – Pitcher
Corban University’s Mason Shaw was named the WVT Laboratory Baseball Pitcher of the Week.
Shaw, a right-handed pitcher from Ferndale, Wash., turned in a sparkling effort on the mound to lead the Warriors to a victory in the first game of the doubleheader against UBC. He threw seven innings and recorded three strikeouts while scattering six hits to help Corban shut out the T-Birds 1-0.
Baseball – Player
No. 5-ranked Lewis-Clark State College’s Sam Linscott was named the WVT Laboratory Baseball Player of the Week for the third time this year.
Linscott, a senior outfielder from Marysville, Wash., had an historic day at the plate on Sunday when he became the fifth Warrior in program history to hit for the cycle. His game included an RBI-double and go-ahead two-run home run in extra innings to complete the first LC State cycle since 2018. Linscott totaled nine hits over the weekend, including three doubles, a triple and a homer. He scored seven runs and knocked in three to help the No. 5 Warriors to four wins and a regular-season CCC title.
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete
College of Idaho’s Sage Martin was named the WVT Laboratory Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week for the third time this season.
Martin, a sophomore from Meridian, Idaho, set a new school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10 minutes, 30.32 seconds. She earned an NAIA "A" qualifying time in a field full of NCAA Division I athletes, taking eighth overall.
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete
Corban University’s Valerie Schmidt was named the WVT Laboratory Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.
Schmidt, a junior from Battle Ground, Wash., got off to a hot start, breaking her own school record in the 100-meter hurdles (14.57 seconds) in the first event of the CCC heptathlon championship on Thursday. That was one of her three new personal records of day one's four events. Schmidt then added a pair of personal records on day two, uncorking a toss of 125' 4.75" (No. 8 all-time in program history) in the javelin and leaping a distance of 17' 11.5" (No. 2 all-time). She already boasted the NAIA's top score in the heptathlon entering this week by over 250 points, and that margin figures to grow after her historic performance in La Grande, Ore., to win the CCC championship.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete
Eastern Oregon University’s Cody Milmine was named the WVT Laboratory Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week.
Milmine, a senior from Buffalo, Wyo., picked up the event win in the 100-meter dash, clocking a CCC-best time of 10.77 seconds at the EOU Open. He was also the anchor leg for the 4x100 that won in a combined time of 42.72 seconds, which is now the second-fastest in the CCC.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete
Eastern Oregon University’s TJ Davis was named the WVT Laboratory Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week for the second time this year.
Davis, a junior from Sandpoint, Idaho, dominated the decathlon at the CCC Multi-Event Championships, scoring 7,101 points to repeat as the CCC Decathlon Champion. His score is second highest in the NAIA now after he won seven of the 10 events, including a day 1 sweep of the first five events. Davis also ran an NAIA “A” qualifying time in the 110m hurdles in the decathlon, clocking in at 14.52 seconds, which ranks 16th in the NAIA.