Wyatt Barajas
Ketchikan’s Wyatt Barajas pulled double duty for Clackamas Community College in a 3-1 victory in the NWAC.
The sophomore standout pitched eight shutout innings, hit an RBI double and scored the winning run to carry his team over Chemeketa and snap its 13-game losing skid.
Barajas allowed four hits and zero walks while striking out three batters — two in the first inning and his final batter in the eighth.
He gave up consecutive singles to start the game but escaped the jam on his way to retiring 14 straight batters. His two-out hit batsman in the fifth inning was the first baserunner to reach since the first inning. After having runners at second and third in the first, Chemeketa didn’t get another runner into scoring position until the seventh inning.
Barajas finished 2-for-4 at the plate and had his fingerprints all over Clackamas’ two-run second inning with an RBI and run scored. In the second game of the doubleheader, he played first base and went 2-for-5 in a 9-8 win.
The Southeast slugger is batting .241 in 28 games with 3 home runs and 17 RBIs.
On the mound, Barajas has posted a 2-3 record in seven appearances and 5.01 ERA over a career-high 41.1 innings. This was his best outing of the season and continued a strong stretch that has seen him throw scoreless frames in 16 of his last 19 innings.
He also went eight innings April 7 in a 3-2 loss to South division frontrunner Linn-Benton.
Anchorage’s Lian Lincoln. Photo by Macalester College SID
At Macalester College, Anchorage’s Lian Lincoln is hitting .380 in 21 games for the NCAA Division III school in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
He’s already had three games with 3 hits and four games with 2 hits this season, and reached the 70-hit career benchmark. His longest hit streak was six games. The senior outfielder has scored 11 runs, two shy of his career high.
Lincoln (South) – a former CIC MVP – is batting .310 in 71 career games on 71-for-229 hitting.
Justin Nevells
At Doane University, Chugiak’s Justin Nevells raised his batting average to .346 in 41 games after going 2-for-4 in Game 2 of a doubleheader against Mount Marty in NAIA action.
He saw his 10-game hit streak come to an end in Game 1, so he started a new one in Game 2.
Nevells (Chugiak) has produced 6 home runs, 32 RBIs and 39 runs. He’s had some huge games – two triples against SAGU, six hits against Briar Cliff, 4 RBIs against York and Dakota Wesleyan.
At Findlandia University, Eagle River’s Christian Frederick has lifted his batting average 48 points over the last four games with a 5-for-11 hot streak.
Christian Frederick
The senior third baseman is now hitting .298 in 17 games, his highest average since March 27.
Frederick (Eagle River) has recorded six RBIs on the season, with three of them coming in the last three games.
At Pierce College, Balas Buckmaster of Anchorage is enjoying a sold season with 26 runs in 35 games and a career-best 14 stolen bases.
He also surpassed the 60-run benchmark for his career and has touched home plate 61 times in 71 career games in the NWAC.
Balas Buckmaster
Buckmaster (East) has produced 45 RBIs despite only having 10 career extra-base hits, which speaks to his ability to be clutch and come through with runners in scoring position.
He can play second base and center field and owns a .961 career fielding percentage with 44 assists.
The former Wasilla Legion Post 35 all-star has nice range in center and isn’t afraid to sell out to make the play.
Wasilla’s @BBuckmaster_ getting it done at the next level. #topplays. pic.twitter.com/5vEmkav4p6
— Wasilla Warrior Baseball (@WarriorWasilla) April 3, 2022