NEWBERG, Ore. --- The 2022 Northwest Conference tournament field was still in flux as of this morning, but the Bruins are in the field as the third-seeded team by virtue of their head to head tiebreaker against Pacific Lutheran.

After an up and down conference season, Fox won its way into the field with two walk-off victories against top-seeded tourney host Pacific last weekend.

Puget Sound had its chance to fight for a three-way share of the conference championship and the no. 1 seed, but a loss to Whitman this afternoon has eliminated the Loggers entirely. With the seeding finally cemented, Fox will face no. 2 seed Linfield at Pacific tomorrow in the second game of the tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm following the Boxers' game against Pacific Lutheran.

Fox will be led in the tournament by young up-and-coming talent. Noah Meffert leads the Bruins on the mound in saves (3), wins (5), and has a 1.26 ERA against conference opponents as a reliever. At the plate, the freshman has turned into the Bruins' best weapon with a .382 average in 68 at-bats and has notched a .544 SLG% with two homers, three doubles, a triple, and 14 RBI against NWC schools. He has also struck out 37 in his 25.2 innings as a pitcher, which is more than double the times he's been retired at the plate via strikeout (17).

Jeremy Sangalang leads the conference in stolen bases with 23 this year, and 18 of those came against conference foes. He has a .477 on-base percentage with a team-high 20 runs scored in conference games, and his plate appearances and baserunning will also be key for Bruin wins in their postseason run. Additionally, third-year catcher Spencer Roos should be vital to the Bruins' postseason run as his .354 average, 14 RBI, and three homers are all among team leaders against conference opponents. Roos has also thrown out nine would-be stolen base attempts during NWC games alone.

On the hill, Fox's starting arms have been led by Sean Wiese this season with a 3.78 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 50 innings. Travis Miller and Ben Wills each have sub-five ERAs, and coaches Kevin Kopple and Brandon Rupp have constructed a deep bullpen roster.

In their previous meetings, Linfield took three of the four matchups, including two in their conference series, but the Bruins were able to get the last game of the season series and should be able to make adjustments for tomorrow's matchup. The Linfield pitchers have done a good job this season of limiting opposing baserunners' steal attempts, but Fox can still find other ways to score without stealing their way into scoring position.

Pacific will host the tournament and tickets can be purchased online from HomeTown ticketing prior to the game. For more information about the tournament, click here.