Merritt, Robinson highlight 9 all-conference ‘Jackets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Merritt, Robinson highlight 9 all-conference ‘Jackets

Senior outfielders Casey Merritt and Zach Robinson are first-team all-GNAC selections, and MSUB’s baseball team has nine total players selected to the all-conference squad.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Senior outfielders Casey Merritt and Zach Robinson were named first-team all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball players on Tuesday, highlighting a list of nine Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets to receive all-conference recognition.

Junior slugger Ryan Myers, sophomore rightfielder Jalen Garcia, and freshman shortstop Caje Golden were each secondteam all-league honorees. Senior pitchers Cody Cooper, Bryon Baker, and Tanner Watson were honorable mention selections, as was freshman second baseman Max Hartgraves.

“These all-conference awards are a testament to the work our guys put in all season,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “They each had individually outstanding years and I am really proud of them.”

Cooper and Merritt each earned all-conference for the second time in their careers, as the former was a first-team all-league pick last year and Merritt was a second-team outfielder as a sophomore in 2015.

Leading the team and ranking fourth in the GNAC in hitting this season, Merritt has a .350 batting average and is third in the league with 15 stolen bases entering this week’s GNAC Championships. Merritt’s 63 hits are second most in the league, and he ranks first in triples (4), third in runs scored (38), eighth in total bases (82), ninth in doubles (11), and 10th in on-base percentage (.429).

Robinson has had a similarly impressive season, as he leads the GNAC with an MSUB single-season record 51 runs scored. He is also second in the league in doubles (15), walks (34), and stolen bases (17), third in hits (57) and triples (3), sixth in total bases (84), and ninth in on-base percentage (.432).

“Those two guys have been the fuel to our fire all season, and have led us on and off the field,” Sutton commented on the leadoff and second-place hitters in MSUB’s lineup. “They have both had outstanding years, and we wouldn’t be where we are at without those two guys.”

Myers enters the week as the GNAC leader in on-base percentage at .473. His 10 home runs are third-most in the GNAC, and his 36 RBIs are tied for fourth. Myers has drawn 27 walks and been hit by 14 pitches, to go along with 10 doubles among his 37 hits.

Merritt is batting .350 this season, and ranks second in the GNAC with 63 hits.

Golden stands just behind Myers in terms of power numbers, ranking fourth in the GNAC with nine home runs and contributing 27 RBIs. Golden’s home run total is the most ever by a freshman in the conference, and he has started 43 games as the team’s shortstop in his first college season.

Garcia is a dynamic threat in all facets of the game, ranking second on the squad with a .331 batting average and second with 35 RBIs. He has hit five home runs and 10 doubles, while stealing nine bases and playing perfect defense in right field in 79 chances.

“All three of those guys are very impactful for us being run producers, and we have seen great power numbers from all three,” Sutton commented on the Yellowjackets’ second-team selections, who have a combined 24 home runs. “Jalen in the outfield has played tremendous defense all season, and it is good to see the conference acknowledge the play of those three.”

After a slow start to the year, Cooper has returned to all-conference form with a dominant run down the final stretch of the year. The senior right-hander is tied for the most innings pitched in the GNAC with 81 2/3, and is third in strikeouts with 66 entering the conference tournament. Cooper has also thrown a pair of complete games, and has two 10-plus strikeout performances on the year as well.

Baker has battled through injury to contribute a 4.21 ERA through 47 innings pitched, and has 39 strikeouts against 23 walks while matching Cooper with two complete games. The senior had a strong stretch of five straight games of pitching into the seventh inning during the middle of the year.

Fellow fifth-year senior Watson contributed as a hitter and pitcher this year, batting .274 with three home runs and 21 RBIs while leading the staff with a 4.19 ERA in 38 2/3 innings pitched. The lefty’s six strikeouts against Concordia on April 28 were a career high.

Hartgraves is a redshirt freshman for MSUB, who hasn’t looked back after turning a major corner midseason. Batting just .111 on March 6, Hartgraves has hit .301 since (25-for-83) with 22 RBIs and 24 runs scored in 35 starts.

“It is good for these guys to see that the conference recognized them as being outstanding for us,” Sutton said. “It was a tough year to vote, as there were a lot of really good players on the board.”

Billy King of Northwest Nazarene University, who leads the GNAC with 14 home runs, was named the GNAC Player of the Year.

Western Oregon University head coach Kellen Walker took home Coach of the Year honors, after piloting the Wolves to their 14th GNAC regular season title. WOU’s Connor McCord was the GNAC Freshman of the Year, and the Wolves’ Nyles Nygaard was picked as the Newcomer of the Year. Mackenzie Gaul of Central Washington University was tabbed the GNAC Pitcher of the Year.

Baker is second on the squad with a 4.21 ERA in 47 innings pitched this spring.

MSUB’s nine all-GNAC selections were tied for second-most in the league, behind WOU’s 10. The Yellowjackets (23-27, 21-19 GNAC) take on Western Oregon in the opening round of the GNAC Championships on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Pacific time at Porter Park in Portland, Ore. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--