FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, February 13, 2017 Merritt earns GNAC honor in return to diamond
After missing the majority of the 2016 baseball season, senior outfielder Casey Merritt is named the GNAC Player of the Week after a red-hot start to the 2017 campaign last week. PORTLAND, Ore. – After missing all but 12 games last year due to an injury, Montana State University Billings baseball senior Casey Merritt couldn’t have had a better start to his 2017 season as he was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week announced by the conference office Monday. “It was a great weekend overall for Casey, and he really set the table for us throughout the series offensively,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “He is seeing the ball very well and has a very sound approach at the plate.” Merritt reached base in 9 of 14 plate appearances in his first series of the year, including a mark of 7-for-11 in batting. The senior also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch, stole a base and laid down a sacrifice bunt hitting as the leadoff man in all three of the Yellowjackets’ games at Colorado Mines.
Merritt struck out just one time, stole a base, and scored a pair of runs. In center field, he made four catches in his return to the team after missing the majority of the 2016 season with an injury. In his three-plus seasons at MSUB, Merritt is a .315 career hitter with 88 hits, 61 runs scored and 42 RBIs. He has played in 94 games with 78 starts. This is the first-ever GNAC Player of the Week award for Merritt, who was a secondteam all-GNAC outfielder in 2015 in helping the ‘Jackets to their first conference title in program history. He is also a two-time academic all-conference athlete at MSUB. Senior right-handed pitcher Bryon Baker was an honorable mention for GNAC Pitcher of the Week, after tossing 2 2/3 perfect innings in relief in his first appearance of the year. The Yellowjackets (0-3) are next in action this weekend as they travel to No. 10 Colorado Mesa for a four-game series running Friday-Sunday in Grand Junction, Colo. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--