GSAC All-Conference Release

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – Shortstop Tyler Gordon headlined the announcement of the baseball postseason awards on Monday as the Golden State Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.

Dane Nakatsuka and Dylan McDonald also made the GSAC All-Conference Team, giving the Lions at least one representative for the ninth straight year.

The only regular freshman position player in the starting lineup, Gordon led the Blue and Gold with a .358 average. He tied for sixth on the team in runs scored (25), and ranked third in both stolen bases (15) and hits (49). 

Gordon finished the regular season with five doubles, a triple and a home run. He had 13 multi-hit games, including a 5-for-5 performance against Arizona Christian on February 18. The Orange, Calif. native scored a career-best four runs in that game, and completed the series 8-for-12 (.667) to earn GSAC Player of the Week accolades.

He hit his first career home run and finished with a career-best three RBI in a 13-11 win at Menlo on April 21.

Among the GSAC leaders, he ranked eighth in average, tied for seventh in stolen bases and 15th in hits.

Vanguard placed an outfielder on the all-conference list for the eighth straight season with Nakatsuka's selection. He made 44 starts with a team second-best .355 average. Nakatsuka's six doubles, three triples and seven home runs led to his team-leading .554 slugging percentage. The left fielder led the club in hits (59) and runs scored (37), while his 31 RBI tied for second.

Nakatsuka posted 18 multi-games, including one stretch with five straight in conference play against Westmont and Jessup. He enters the postseason on a 20-game hitting streak, going 36-for-78 (.462) during that stretch.

On the GSAC leaderboard, Nakatsuka finished the regular season sixth in hits and 10th in average.

McDonald gives the Lions an all-conference pitcher for the third consecutive season. He finished 5-2 with a team-low 2.44 ERA, while leading the squad in strikeouts (75) and innings pitched (70.0).

The right-hander led the GSAC with four complete games. In his Blue and Gold debut against Westcliff on January 28, McDonald fanned a career-best 14 strikeouts, including 10 in a row, and earned NAIA Ball Pitcher of the Week honors for his efforts.

McDonald struck out 10 or more three times this season, including his final two starts against San Diego Christian and Menlo. Against the Hawks, he tossed his second shutout, a five-hitter with one walk and 10 strikeouts.

The native of Pacifica, Calif. ranked third in the GSAC in innings and ERA, fourth in strikeouts and tied for ninth in victories. McDonald's 9.64 strikeouts per nine innings also ranked sixth.

The trio helped the Lions finish 33-14 overall and 15-9 in the GSAC, good for third place. VU enters the GSAC Tournament as the third seed, ranked No. 13 in the NAIA poll.