The Northwest Conference office announced their annual Baseball All-Northwest Conference teams on Thursday afternoon, highlighting four Wildcats over three teams, lead by senior infielder Ely Kennel. Sophomore pitcher Colton Ouellette was named to the Second Team, meanwhile junior pitchers Zack Hampson and Matthew Tacheny rounded out the Third Team.
 
Kennel transferred to Linfield following stints at both Washington State and Oregon State, representing Linfield at second base on the All-Northwest Conference First Team. The Monmouth, Oregon, native finished the regular season with a .318 batting average over 38 games played and 36 starts. The son of Aimee and Jeremy Kennel, Ely raked six home runs and drove in 33 while also stealing nine bags. In NWC play, Kennel ranked No. 14 with a .352 average, hitting seven doubles, a pair of homers, and slugging .495. 
 
Sophomore Colton Ouellette finished the season strong, moving into the starting rotation for the final three series, where he earned two wins while averaging nearly seven strikeouts in his final three starts. The Reno, Nevada, native earned Second Team All-NWC in his second season as a Wildcat, earning a 2.41 ERA against conference opponents, trailing only teammate Zack Hampson as the conference's best. In the NWC, Ouellette's 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio was one of the league's best. The sophomore is the son of Carri and Mike Ouellette, and has now been a part of two Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament teams in his time as a Wildcat.
 
On the All-NWC Third Team, junior Seattle, Washington, native Zack Hampson was one of the nation's best with six wins and five saves out of the bullpen. He led the NWC with a 2.02 ERA against conference opponents, allowing just six runs in 26.2 innings pitched, striking out 17 while walking just three batters. 
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Matthew Tacheny served as the Wildcat's top starter all season, finishing the regular season with a 3.23 ERA, trailing only Hampson and Ouellette as the best against conference opponents this season. The native of Happy Valley, Oregon, struck out 26 baters over 47.1 innings on the bump, giving way to his Third Team All-NWC recognition. 
 
Linfield baseball (23-17, 15-9 NWC) saw their most NWC wins since the 2018 season under first-year Head Coach Jordan Harlow, earning the No. 2-seed in this Friday's conference tournament. The Wildcats are set to face the Lewis & Clark River Otters on Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Spokane, Washington, on the campus of the regular-season champion Whitworth Pirates. The winner of Friday's tournament opener will face the winner of Whitworth and Puget Sound at 3:30 p.m. in the championship game of the single-elimination tournament. The winner of the tournament will earn the NWC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. 
 
To follow Linfield Wildcats coverage all season long, visit golinfieldwildcats.com. Please consider following Linfield Athletics on Facebook, and @LinfieldSports on Instagram and X.com.