Garcia earns GNAC Player of the Week honor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, May 8, 2017 Garcia earns GNAC Player of the Week honor

A week of all-around excellence from sophomore rightfielder Jalen Garcia results in GNAC Player of the Week honors after the final regular-season series.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Sophomore rightfielder Jalen Garcia will help lead the Montana State University Billings baseball team into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships this week with the latest piece of individual hardware, as he was named the GNAC Player of the Week on Monday.

Garcia had a stellar all-around weekend, helping MSUB to a 3-1 series win over Central Washington by hitting .467 at the plate and making numerous highlight-reel plays in right field. “Jalen impacted the series in every facet of the game,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “His defense was impeccable, and adding in his offense and base running, he had a tremendous week. Any time we have our middle of the order guys going like that, we have a good chance to win.”

Garcia was 7-for-15 in the series, with a double, two home runs, and a team-high eight RBIs. He also stole a base and scored a team-leading seven runs, while making 15 plays in right field without an error.

The timing of Garcia’s production was most important, as his two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning in the series finale pulled MSUB even at 4-4 in an eventual 5-4 win. The sophomore’s fifth homer of the year came after making one of the top defensive plays of the year in right. Catching a deep fly ball 10 feet in front of the warning track, Garcia unleashed a throw of around 230 feet in the air all the way to third base to throw out the runner tagging and trying to advance.

His other home run came in the second inning of the opener, a three-run shot amidst a four-run inning that set the early tone in a 19-11 win for MSUB. Garcia also had a diving catch into the right center gap, and a leaping grab in foul territory as he crashed into the wall and flipped over it. He also drew a walk and had a sacrifice fly, while holding an on-base percentage of .471 and a slugging percentage of .933.

Garcia is now batting .331 on the season, and ranks second on the team with 35 RBIs while slugging .511. He has also been a threat on the bases with nine steals, and has scored 28 runs in 40 games.

The Billings native is the sixth different Yellowjacket this spring to earn a weekly honor from the GNAC, and the third position player as both his outfield comrades Casey Merritt and Zach Robinson earned the award earlier in the year as well.

MSUB finished the regular season 23-27 and tied for third in the GNAC at 21-19 in league play. The ‘Jackets face Western Oregon University in the first round of the GNAC Championships on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Pacific time in Portland, Ore.

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