NAIA Ball Weekly Awards #1

Team of the week

Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) of the Golden State Athletic Conference had a solid start of their 2024 season. The Spirit took on Taylor University (No. 9) and was able to capture three wins in a four-game series.

The Friday game was won by the score of 7-2, Nathan Tarver led his team with two hits, while also collecting two RBIs.

A day later, the OUAZ Spirit really got the bats going. In the fifth inning, they scored ten runs, helping them to their 14-1 victory. Zach Hangas and Brandon Smith split the duties on the mound, keeping Taylor to only one run.

Taylor fought back in the third game of the series, which was a seven-inning game following the previous game on Saturday. Thanks to an offensive outburst in the third inning, Taylor was able to plate four which was enough to secure a 4-3 victory.

The final game which was played on Sunday was another slugfest, a total of 22 runs were scored by both teams combined. OUAZ came out on top, scoring thirteen versus Taylor’s nine. The Spirit’s lead-off batter, Nicholas Lustig had himself a day at the plate going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Sergio Alfaro can also look back on a good day at the plate, collecting four RBIs to help his team secure the victory.

-Milan van der Breggen – Staff Writer