By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Joey Faudskar (Sr., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) of the Willamette University baseball team tied for first in NCAA Divison III during the shortened 2020 season with 18 stolen bases. Faudskar's top ranking led a significant number of team and individual statistical rankings for the Bearcats this spring. All rankings are unofficial since teams were unable to complete most of their schedules.

Faudskar stole 18 bases in Willamette's 16 games. He tied Patrick Keller from the University of La Verne (Calif.), who also stole 18 bases. Faudskar was ranked 10th in the nation in stolen bases per game with 1.13 stolen bases per contest. He was 18 for 20 on stolen bases.

Pitcher Ben Whitten (Sr., RHP, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) was second in the nation with four pitching wins. He trailed only Ben Coker from Berry College (Ga.), who won six games. Whitten also ranked 10th with five games started. He was joined in 10th place by teammate Justin Miller (Jr., RHP, Poway, CA/Poway HS/Palomar CC) with five starts.

Ethan Fischel (So., SS, Eureka, CA/Valhalla HS) was ranked 13th in NCAA Division III with 20 runs batted in. He also was 13th with three sacrifice flies.

Power hitter Eric Waldichuk (So., 1B, San Diego, CA/University City HS) tied for 14th in home runs, as he smacked four homers for the Bearcats. With so many athletes playing a small number of games, Willamette's two players with three home runs -- Fischel and Michael Nelsen (Jr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) -- each tied for 46th in the country.

Tyler Vandemark (Jr., LF, Modesto, CA/Gregori HS) was 13th in sacrifice bunts, as he provided the Bearcats with three during the season.

Willamette was ranked nationally in many categories on offense. The Bearcats were fourth with 42 doubles in 16 games.

The Bearcats finished eighth with 14 home runs and were eighth with 86 walks. WU earned 14th place in stolen bases by accumulating 37 successful steals. With 13 sacrifice bunts, the Bearcats also ranked 14th. They were 18th with 121 runs scored.

Other top offensive rankings for the Bearcats included 36th in doubles per game (2.63), 39th in hits (154), 40th in home runs per game (0.88), 45th in stolen bases per game (2.31), and 61st in sacrifice flies (7).

The Bearcats were fifth in NCAA Division III with 16 doubles plays turned on defense. WU was 29th in the nation in double plays per game (1.0).

In addition to national rankings, Willamette's baseball team featured four players who batted above .300 with at least 16 at bats. Nick Di Fiori (1B/RHP, Monrovia, CA/Bishop Amat HS) led the team with a .393 batting average, while Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Fy., DH/UT, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) hit .390. Justin Scanlon (Sr., 2B, San Jose, CA/Leigh HS/West Valley College) batted .354. Layton Wagner (Fy., 3B, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) earned a .344 batting average. Sean Little (Jr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) batted just 14 times, but hit .357.

Waldichuk's four home runs led the Bearcats, while Wagner led the team with six doubles. Among those with the most at bats, Waldichuk was first with a .714 slugging percentage, while Scanlon topped the chart with a .475 on-base percentage.

Faudskar scored a team-high 18 runs, while Vandemark crossed the plate 16 times and Fischel scored 15 times. Waldichuk registered 21 RBIs. Di Fiori and Wagner each drove in 12 runs. Waldichuk also led the team with 66 putouts on defense. Fischel recorded 40 assists.

Among pitchers with at least 16 innings, Whitten was Willamette's leader with a 3.18 earned run average. He was 4-0 on the season and struck out a team-high 19 batters in 28 1/3 innings pitched. Miller was credited with a 4.60 ERA over 31 1/3 innings.

Mason Cook (RHP, Riverton, UT/Riverton HS) achieved a 0.00 ERA and allowed just four hits in five appearances that spanned nine innings. Cook, Pruitt Spritzer (Fy., RHP, Missouri City, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep), and Nathan Billings (Fy., RHP, Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga HS) each contributed one pitching save. Billings struck out 10 batters in 10 innings.

Willamette's season ended with the Bearcats at 8-8 overall and 5-4 in the Northwest Conference. Head Coach Aaron Swick concluded the year with a career record of 242-210-1.