Joyner Receives NWC Weekly Pitching Honor after Earning Two Saves at Whitman

Brady Joyner reaches back (ball out of view) before sending a pitch toward the plate.
Brady Joyner (Jr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS)

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Brady Joyner (Jr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS)  of Willamette University was chosen as the Northwest Conference Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after earning two saves as the Bearcats swept a three-game series at Whitman College on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2. Joyner also received the NWC's weekly pitching honor for his two saves against George Fox University on May 4 and May 5.

Joyner registered a 0.00 earned run average while pitching a total of 2 1/3 innings in a pair of 8-6 wins over the Blues. In the second game on Saturday, he pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and struck out 4 batters, while not allowing a run and holding Whitman to one hit and two walks. In the next game, played on Sunday, he pitched the final 2/3 of an inning. He struck out one batter, allowed one walk, and gave up one hit while securing the win. Joyner leads the NWC and the NCAA with eight saves.

His eight saves place him second on Willamette's all-time single season list. He trails only Chris Hopton in 1993 and Mike Corey in 1994, who are tied for the school record with 10 saves. Joyner has achieved 17 career saves, good for second on WU's all-time list. The Willamette career record is 23 saves, set by Corey from 1994-98.

Willamette has accumulated an 18-7 record this season, including a 13-5 mark in the NWC. The Bearcats hold second place in the NWC, one-half game behind Pacific University, which leads the conference with a 14-5 record.

The Bearcats will host Lewis & Clark College in an NWC series at John Lewis Field on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8. On Friday, the teams will play one game starting at 3 p.m. (PDT). Willamette will host the Pioneers in the final two games of the series in a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.