Baseball | 4/13/2015 12:08:00 PM

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PORTLAND, Ore. – After a very productive week for Western Oregon University Athletics, three student-athletes were named Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Athletes of the Week for their respective sports as announced Monday by the conference office.

Junior baseball player Darrien Moran earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors, junior track & field member Justin Larson was named GNAC Male Field Athlete of the Week, and sophomore Destiny Kuehl earned GNAC Co-Player of the Week accolades for the sport of softball.

Moran, a 6-foot left-hander pitcher, helped lead Western Oregon to five wins last week that included a four-game sweep over GNAC rival Saint Martin's The transfer from Pierce Community College pitched a complete game in the opener Saturday against SMU allowing one earned run on six hits to go along with a game-high tying six strikeouts. Moran faced four hitters or less in five of his nine innings, while holding the team to a .182 batting average.

So far this season, Moran has made nine start for the Wolves and compiled a win-loss record of 4-4 with an Earned Run Average (ERA) of 3.90. He has also struck out 26 batter in 55.1 innings of work this year.

"Darren consistently threw quality pitches on Saturday," said Head Baseball Coach Kellen Walker. "He was able to force contact and we played well defensively behind him."

Larson, who is the team's lone javelin thrower this year, was the highest collegiate finisher in the javelin event at last week's John Knight Twilight. He unleashed a career-best mark of 63.12 meters (207-1) to finish third overall behind a pair of former NCAA Division I student-athletes Cody Danielson and Ryan Brandel. Larson's throw currently ranks 14^th in NCAA Division II and also ranks 11^th in GNAC history, while also improving his provisional mark this season for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May.

"Justin is bringing all of his javelin experience together," said Head Track & Field Coach Mike Johnson. "He has now established a foundation for even better performances."

Kuehl, a 5-foot-8 infielder, helped lead Western Oregon to three wins in four games last week and kept the Wolves in the GNAC playoff picture. In four games including a sweep of Simon Fraser Sunday, Kuehl had eight hits in 10 at bats, scored seven runs and drove in four. She also registered a slugging percentage of 1.200 to lead the Wolves.

So far this season, Kuehl has registered 32 hits in 95 at-bats (.337) and scored 23 runs to go along with six doubles, two home runs, and 17 runs batted in. She also leads the team with 13 hit-by-pitch.

"Tess has worked so hard the past couple of years," said Head Softball Coach Lonny Sargent. "She came to Western looking to play middle infield and due to some injuries, she has stepped up and played third base for us this year and is doing a great job. Her hitting just keeps getting better and better every day. She is a special player and has really come out of her shell on the field and in the classroom."

This is the first GNAC Athlete of the Week award for each of these student-athletes.

Western Oregon's spring sport teams will be all over the West Coast this weekend, as the Wolves compete in track & field at the Mt. SAC Relays, Bryan Clay Invitational, Beach Invitational, and Lewis & Clark Open starting on Friday, April 17, in Azusa, California.

WOU's baseball team will play a five-game series against Montana State Billings beginning Friday, April 17, in Billings, Montana, while Western Oregon's softball team will begin its final home weekend of the regular season on Friday, April 17, against Saint Martin's starting at 2 PM on the WOU Softball Field in Monmouth.

Be sure to follow all the action this weekend by visiting WOUWolves.com.