MSUB plays 4 games at Metro State this weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, February 17, 2016 MSUB plays 4 games at Metro State this weekend

In its final nonconference series of the season, MSUB challenges Metro State University in a four-game series in Denver this weekend before GNAC play kicks off next weekend.

BILLINGS, Mont. – With the addition of a new team and the expansion of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference league schedule to 40 games, the Montana State University Billings baseball team will complete its nonconference games this weekend in just its second series of the 2016 season.

The Yellowjackets (2-3) will challenge Metro State University this weekend in Denver, Colo., with four games standing as the team’s final tune-up before GNAC play starts next weekend at Central Washington University. The ‘Jackets will play at noon Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the middle day featuring a pair of 7-inning games and the other two days featuring single, 9-inning games. Live statistics will be available for all four games here, which will take place at the Regency Athletic Complex.

Opening its season in St. George, Utah, last weekend, the Yellowjackets won two out of three games against Holy Names University, and narrowly missed splitting a pair against Dixie State University with a 10-9, 10-inning loss in the finale last Sunday. This weekend marks the start of a dozen more road games, before the ‘Jackets make their 2016 home debut at Dehler Park in Billings on March 19 against Concordia University.

“The biggest thing that was a positive from last week is each game we played, we were a little bit better and cleaner,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “I think we showed flashes of the team that we can be, and our guys competed hard.

Our goal is always to win the series, but our bigger goal at this point is to continue to develop into the team that we need to be for the GNAC season. Two series before conference play starts isn’t a lot, and it is an adjustment for all of the GNAC teams.”

JOHNSON PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: In his first start of the 2016 season, senior right-hander Tanner Johnson scattered four hits over eight shutout innings and struck out five batters to help MSUB to a 3-0 win over Holy Names on Friday.

Jonson earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in his career, and is slotted to be the Yellowjackets’ ace all season long.

Dating back to last season, Johnson has a 2.06 earned run average and has lasted 6 1/3 innings over his last seven starts. He has posted a record of 5-0 in that time span, and has 38 strikeouts against just 19 walks.

REINSCHMIDT HEATS UP: Starting the season just 1-for-8 in his first two games, senior center fielder Luke Reinschmidt went 7-for-16 the rest of the series, and led his team with eight RBIs to collect the third GNAC Player of the Week honor of his career. Reinschmidt had two doubles, a triple, and a home run, totaling 15 bases and a stolen base in his first series of the season. Reinschmidt also had 10 putouts in center field, and ended the sixth inning by throwing a runner out at home against Holy Names on Friday.

Senior Tanner Johnson.

TOON’S TIMELY TOUCH: No one got more crucial hits than senior first baseman Kevin Toon last week, who smashed a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning to give his team insurance in the 3-0 win over Holy Names Friday. Toon also had a big two-run single in the first inning of MSUB’s 10-5 win over the Hawks, setting the tone for the big offensive output by the ‘Jackets. Toon also drew five walks, pushing his on-base percentage on the series to .476.

After setting an MSUB record for fielding percentage in a season last year with just two errors in 343 chances, Toon started his season by making 38 plays at first base without an error last weekend.

“I felt good at the plate, and I was just trying to stay back and stay in my approach,” Toon said. “Our main goal overall is just to go into conference healthy, but we would also like to go in with a record over five hundred. Last year we started off a little slow and it cost us a regional berth, but this year we feel like with what we have as a team, we can definitely make a run for a regional.”

COOPER SETTLES INTO GROOVE: Getting off to a strong start was right-handed starter Cody Cooper, who struck out 10 batters and allowed just one earned run in seven innings Sunday against Holy Names. Cooper walked just one batter, and earned his first victory of the season after serving consistently as a starter in last year’s rotation.

“I started out a little bit rough, but I started working down in the zone and trusting my pitches,” Cooper commented.

“Landon Peterson behind the plate called a great game, and I just got through seven innings and let our hitters do the rest.”

MERRITT SOLID IN LEADOFF ROLE: The Yellowjackets received major production out of their leadoff spot in the lineup, as junior left fielder Casey Merritt went 7-for-22 with three doubles, four RBIs, and five runs scored. In addition for setting the table for MSUB’s sluggers, Merritt made several outstanding catches in the outfield that took hits away. After earning second-team all-GNAC honors a season ago, Merritt figures to be a mainstay atop the lineup for the rest of the season.

BERKRAM SCORES IN FOUR: Junior outfielder Myles Berkram scored once in all four of the games he played in last week, and did well at the plate with a line of 5-for-10 overall. Berkram also stole a base and drew a pair of walks for a team-leading on-base percentage of .583.

BIG DEBUTS, WEEKEND OF FIRSTS: Perhaps the most impressive weekend offensively among newcomers came from junior outfielder Zach Robinson, who went 7-for-13 with four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases in his Yellowjacket debut. The transfer from Miles Community College also drew a walk and drove in a run, finishing his week with a 4-for-5 performance against Dixie State on Sunday. Three other Yellowjackets picked up their first career hits, with senior Brett Christina doing so in a big pinch hitting role Sunday against Dixie State, and freshman Scott Allison picking up an RBI with a double. Sophomore Adam Cox, who was MSUB’s top closer last season and figures to fill that role again this season, hit a home run in his first-ever at bat for the ‘Jackets, driving the ball out to center field on Sunday against the Red Storm. Alec Leighton got his first career hit on Sunday against Holy Names, while Tanner Watson went 2-for-4 in his debut after missing all of last season with an injury.

Sophomore Adam Cox made two appearances on

On the mound, Jared Winslow, Garrett Baldry, Steen Fredrickson, and Matt the mound and hit a home run in his first Hape all made their first-ever appearances for the Yellowjackets. Winslow and collegiate at bat last week.

Baldry had nearly identical lines, each throwing 3.0 innings with three strikeouts, one walk, four hits, one extra-base hit, and one run allowed in relief appearances. Fredrickson, a true freshman, ate up 4.0 innings in relief of the extra-inning game on Sunday, and had a pair of strikeouts with three runs allowed. Left-hander Drew Christina made his first start since the 2014 season, tossing 4 1/3 innings in his debut appearance after missing last year with an injury.

Metropolitan State University of Denver Friday – 12 PM Saturday – 12 PM Doubleheader (7 Innings) Sunday – 12 PM 2016 Record: 1-2 Head Coach: Jerrid Oates, 5th season After their first series of the season was canceled due to weather, the Roadrunners opened with a 1-2 weekend against Emporia State University. MSU dropped the first two games in the series, before rallying for a tight, 6-5 win on Sunday at home.

Andrew Paust hit a grand slam in a five-run second inning for the ‘Runners on Sunday, and finished the series batting 5for-12 with six RBIs and nine total bases. Jake Ekman also had a big opening weekend at the plate, batting 4-for-11 with a double, and Hunter Donaldson drove in three runs in his first three games of the year.

MSU was excellent defensively in its opening series, making just one error in 124 chances (.991).

On the mound, Julian Garcia and Javi Vega each had stellar debut performances. Garcia struck out nine and allowed one run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings of work, while Vega had seven strikeouts with one run on six hits in 7.0 innings.

The Series: This will be the second four-game series between the Yellowjackets and Roadrunners, with Metro winning 3 of 4 in February of 2009.

Last Time Out: The ‘Jackets won the first game 8-4, but lost 5-2, 6-4, and 2-1 the rest of the way in a series played in Denver seven years ago.

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