HILLSBORO, Ore. – Not many people throughout the Northwest Conference thought the Linfield Wildcats would end the season as one of the top teams in the league, but here they are with two major postseason accolades and six players named to the 2022 All-NWC Baseball Team, released Tuesday.
 
Dan Spencer was named by his peers as the NWC Coach of the Year while Colton Meyer earned NWC Pitcher of the Year honors in his senior campaign, making him the seventh Wildcat to receive the award and the first since Cason Cunningham in 2017. Meyer was tabbed as a First Team All-NWC selection along with senior shortstop Tanner Jacques.
 
Sophomore second baseman Mike LaVigne, Jacques' right-hand man in the middle infield, was picked as a Second Team All-NWC selection after being named an honorable mention as a freshman in 2021. Rounding out the Wildcats' honorees are senior first baseman Branden Pasion, sophomore utility man Daniel Kahn and senior pitcher Skyler Manelski, all of whom were selected as honorable mentions.
 
If there was anyone who knew just how talented the 'Cats could be in 2022, it was Spencer. The third-year head coach led the program to a share of its first NWC regular season title since 2017 despite being picked eighth in the NWC preseason poll. Finishing the 2021 season with records of 10-28 overall and 8-22 in NWC play, the 'Cats bounced back in 2022 to go 20-17 overall with a 14-10 NWC mark en route to being named regular season co-champions with the Pacific Boxers. The award marks the 17th time that a Linfield skipper was named the NWC Coach of the Year and the first since Scott Carnahan in 2017.
 
Meyer transitioned from the starting rotation to the bullpen and thrived in his new role. The hard-throwing lefty from Silverton, Oregon, went 4-0 this spring with seven saves and a team-leading 53 strikeouts in 19 relief appearances. He led the NWC with a .167 opposing batting average and a 1.63 ERA, which ranks No. 30 in Division III.
 
Jacques was consistent at the plate and flashed the leather on defense. The Vancouver, Washington, native and Skagit Valley College transfer batted .306 with a .354 on-base percentage and a .419 slugging percentage. He led the 'Cats with 49 hits, 34 runs, 33 RBI and three home runs while sitting atop the NWC rankings with 120 fielding assists.
 
LaVigne started in 36 games at second base, finishing the year with a .292 batting average and 45 hits. Pasion caught fire in the home stretch of the season and leads the 'Cats with a .326 batting average, 12 doubles, 20 walks and 10 hit by pitches. His .442 on-base percentage ranks in the NWC's top 10. Kahn saw action in the outfield, at third base and as a designated hitter, collecting 37 hits and 28 RBI. Manelski anchored the back end of games alongside Meyer. The sidewinder went 4-0 on the mound with a .174 opposing batting average and a 2.10 ERA in 21 appearances.
 
Linfield's chase for its first NWC Tournament championship since 2017 fell just short in a pair of losses to Pacific on Championship Sunday in Forest Grove, Oregon. The 'Cats will wrap up their season with a three-game series at the College of Idaho on April 29-May 1 in Caldwell, Idaho.