Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran University has four programs in action over the weekend. Baseball faces its crosstown rival on Thursday at Cheney Stadium before hosting two games on Saturday on Senior Day while the six-time Northwest Conference Champion women's rowing program is down in Sacramento for the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. Meanwhile, men's and women's track & field heads to Bellingham on Saturday for the first of several "last chance" meets to set some PRs and qualify for the NCAA Championships.
 
THURSDAY:
BB vs. Puget Sound at Cheney Stadium (6 p.m.)
SATURDAY:
WROW at WIRA Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
T&F at Ralph Vernacchia Invitational in Bellingham, Wash. 
BB hosts Pacific at PLU Field (10 a.m.)
BB hosts Willamette at PLU Field (3:30 p.m.)
SUNDAY:
WROW at WIRA Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
 
Women's Rowing: The 11th-ranked Lutes hoisted their sixth consecutive NWC title on Sunday, sweeping the championship races on Lake Vancouver.
 
The Lutes second varsity eight opened the day with a 15-second win over Lewis & Clark College, covering the 2,000-meter course in 8:10.96 before the varsity eight defeated runner-up University of Puget Sound by 10-seconds to cement the title, finishing in 7:34.79.
 
Clara Froeschner, Elizabeth Horner, and Julianna Johnson from the 1V were named All-NWC with Head Coach Andy Foltz securing NWC Coach of the Year.
 
Men's Track & Field: The Lutes won five conference titles over the weekend, finishing second as a team at the 2022 NWC Championships at Puget Sound.
 
Hezekiah Goodwin won both the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 800-meters while Grady Lemma won the 400-meter hurdles, Masum Real won the shot put, and Darius Chaffin won the javelin.
 
Lemma was tabbed the NWC Freshman of the Year at the meet's conclusion while Masum Real was the NWC Field Athlete of the Meet.
 
PLU scored 153 points in the team standings, finishing second for the program's best finish since the 2018 season.
 
Softball: Pacific Lutheran (30-14, 20-8 NWC) made a run to the NWC Tournament Championship Game over the weekend before falling in extra innings to nationally-ranked Linfield University.
 
PLU dropped the tournament opener on Friday 6-5 to 23rd-ranked George Fox University before winning elimination games over Whitworth University (4-1) and George Fox (5-3) on Saturday to punch a ticket to the finals.
 
Casey Wright drove in a run in the first and belted a solo home run in the sixth as the Lutes raced to a 3-1 lead before the host Wildcats tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run. The score remained deadlocked until the eighth-ranked Wildcats pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth on an error to win the league title.
 
On Tuesday the NWC released its All-Conference selections with nine Lutes being recognized. Erin McGrath and Mari Foster earned First Team honors, Cassidy Conrad, Wright, Sarah Potwin, Brooke Tilson, Molly House, and Emma Ware landed Second Team honors with Chaella Galapon landing Honorable Mention status.
 
Women's Track & Field: The 24th-ranked Lutes returned to the national rankings after placing second on Saturday at the 2022 NWC Championships. Bailey Forsyth was named NWC Track Athlete of the Meet after repeating as champion in the 100-meters and 200-meters while Ava Nelson won her third straight title in the javelin and was tabbed NWC Field Athlete of the Meet.
 
PLU racked up 149 points in the team standings, owning a 13-point edge on third place Whitworth University. It's the second straight season the Lutes have finished runner-up at the NWC Championships.
 
Men's Golf: Joshua Clogston placed second overall at the 2022 NWC Championships, powering the Lutes to a fourth place finish. Clogston shot a 143 for the event to place second while Caden Arnold was 15th with a 154. 
 
On Monday, Clogston was named First Team All-NWC and the NWC Freshman of the Year while Arnold was tabbed Second Team All-NWC.
 
Baseball: The Lutes (21-16, 13-11 NWC) fell one game short of the NWC Tournament title game last weekend, bowing out of the double elimination event on Saturday afternoon. The Lutes were edged 8-7 by host Pacific University in the opening game on a walkoff squeeze bunt before regrouping on Saturday with a 2-0 win over George Fox. The Lutes faced the Boxers once again for a spot in the championship game but fell 4-3.
 
PLU landed 10 on the All-NWC team on Tuesday with Andy Schmitz and Spencer Howell headlining the squad as First Team selections. Jordan Haworth, Tommy Snyder, and Noah Ferguson were Second Team picks while Cole Trotignon, Braeden Lundberg, Tori Doten, John Graham, and Alex Gregory all secured Honorable Mention All-NWC.
 
Women's Golf: The Lutes finished fourth at the NWC Championships on Sunday, securing third place overall in the final league standings. Emily Fisher was the top Lute at the Championships at the Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Oregon, shooting a 173 for 12th overall. Lauryn Tsukimura was 16th with a 181. 
 
Men's Tennis: Michael Campbell and Hampus Pers Eliasson advanced to the quarterfinals of the Ojai Tournament, highlighting the team's efforts in California. Campbell and Pers Eliasson won their opening round match 8-6 before being edged 8-5 in the quarterfinals.
 
Campbell was additionally recognized by the NWC this week, securing First Team All-NWC accolades.