FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Preview: ‘Jackets kick off GNAC play this weekend at Central Washington
With the first four conference games of the year coming up this weekend, MSUB heads to Ellensburg, Wash., to take on Central Washington University. BILLINGS, Mont. – The first of 40 straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball games are on tap this weekend, as Montana State University Billings challenges Central Washington University in a four-game road series in Ellensburg, Wash. The ‘Jackets and Wildcats will play 9-inning/7-inning doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain time each day. Live video and statistics for all four games will be available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. It will be the first of eight straight road games to open the conference season, as MSUB will continue on to Nampa, Idaho next weekend to take on Northwest Nazarene University. MSUB makes its 2016 home debut on March 19 with a four-game series against Concordia University.
The Yellowjackets (6-3) were off last weekend after completing a four-game road sweep of Metro State University on Feb. 19-21 in Denver, Colo. MSUB will try to carry its momentum into this week’s games, after going 2-3 in the seasonopening series against Holy Names University and Dixie State University Feb. 12-14 in St. George, Utah. “Regardless of how we feel about how the last series went, the biggest thing for this weekend is just to be confident in what we do and stay within our approach,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “We know that Central is going to have a good club, and they have a very talented team every single year. Anywhere on the road in the GNAC is a tough place to play, and it is going to be a battle.” REINSCHMIDT RAKING: After earning GNAC Player of the Week the first series of the season, senior center fielder Luke Reinschmidt had another big week at the plate in the four games against the Roadrunners. Reinschmidt is batting .432 on the year and has seven extra-base hits with three home runs and a team-high 16 RBIs. With two home runs on the second day against Metro State, Reinschmidt pulled into second place in the MSUB record books with 15 in his career and now trails only Brody Miller (25). He is now also just one RBI away from 100 in his career, a feat that only Miller (158) and Colby Robison (111) have achieved as Yellowjackets. Reinschmidt is also tied for 15th in GNAC history in RBIs, and is tied for fourth in career triples with 10. GNAC Career Runs Batted In Leaders Rk. Name School 1. Greg McCarthy Western Oregon Jamie Nilsen Central Washington 3. Bryce Gardinier Western Oregon 4. Brody Miller MSU Billings 5. Chandler Tracy Saint Martin’s 6. Sean McDonald Northwest Nazarene 7. Matt Lowe Northwest Nazarene 8. Adam Siler Saint Martin’s 9. Colby Robison MSU Billings 10. Shane Schoeneberg Saint Martin’s Kasey Bielec Central Washington 12. Daniel Dillard Western Oregon Chris Sepanski Central Washington Travis Jones Saint Martin’s 15. Luke Reinschmidt MSU Billings Travis Chetock Western Oregon Troy Martin Central Washington Joey Price Western Oregon
RBIs 183 183 165 158 138 125 124 118 111 110 110 102 102 102 99 99 99 99
Years 2002-05 2005-08 2000-03 2012-15 2012-15 2009-12 2000-03 2004-07 2011-13 2005, 2007-09
2012-15 2010-11 2005-06 2009-12 2014-16 2000-03 2004-05 1999-2002
JOHNSON, COOPER PACING STAFF: Starters Tanner Johnson and Cody Senior Luke Reinschmidt. Cooper have set the tone on the mound for the ‘Jackets, each turning in two solid starts in their first two appearances of the season. The duo has 34 strikeouts against just three walks, and has allowed just five earned runs in 30 1/3 innings for a 1.48 earned run average. BULLPEN BELIEVES IN BUSTO: Appearing in eight of MSUB’s nine games this season, senior right-hander Lee Busto has allowed just two hits in 8 1/3 innings pitched. Seven of his appearances have been scoreless affairs, and he has 10 strikeouts against six walks on the season. Busto appeared in all four of MSUB’s victories against Metro State, allowing
just three baserunners and no runs on one hit. Only three of the 12 baserunners Busto has inherited this season have come around to score. Last season, Busto ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division II in appearances with 27, which set a new MSUB single season record. With his sixth appearance of the year, Busto became No. 1 in MSUB history as he has now appeared in 59 games in his three-plus seasons. In the scope of the GNAC, Busto is now tied for 14th in career appearances. “It’s a great feeling to be able to help your team win, and it’s especially exciting when you can win four games in a row,” Busto said on his team’s recent series sweep. “I like going into the game when we are in a jam, and you just have so much more adrenaline going in there when you know you need to get that out. Even if it is just getting one batter, that’s what is exciting to me.” GNAC Career Pitching Appearance Leaders Rk. Name School 1. Kalen Hruza Northwest Nazarene 2. Tip Wonhoff Saint Martin’s 3. Kaleb Wilson Saint Martin’s 4. Nick Patee Northwest Nazarene 5. Chase Decoito Saint Martin’s 6. Anthony LaDue Saint Martin’s 7. Aaron Stuvland Northwest Nazarene 8. Ryan Brown Northwest Nazarene Brad Banker Saint Martin’s 10. Zach Carter Saint Martin’s Lindsay McCargar Western Oregon Josh Moss Saint Martin’s 13. Tommy DeBoer Saint Martin’s 14. Lee Busto MSU Billings Andrew Groves Northwest Nazarene Neil Elder Northwest Nazarene
Appearances 85 80 77 74 71 69 67 66 66 63 63 63 60 59 59 59
Years Played 2008-11 2004-07 2008-12 2003-06 2012-15 2010, 2012-14 2002-05 2009-12 2012-15 2012-15 1999-2002 2012-15 2009-12 2013-16 2013-15 2000-03
COX CLOSING, HITTING HOMERS: Having pitched in four games and five innings so far this season, sophomore closer Adam Cox has allowed just five Senior Lee Busto. baserunners and zero runs while striking out six. He has earned a victory and a save on the mound, and has been productive offensively at the plate as well. Filling in the role of designated hitter, Cox hit his first-ever home run against Dixie State and is batting .421 in 19 atbats this year with five RBIs. ROBINSON RIGHT AT HOME: Through his first nine games with the ‘Jackets, junior transfer Zach Robinson is batting .480 (12-for-25) and has scored seven runs while using his excellent speed to get on base at a clip of .552. He has stolen a pair of bases and has three extra-base hits on the year, earning five starts in the outfield and playing in all nine games. MERRITT, BERKRAM STRONG IN CORNER SPOTS: Batting leadoff and starting all nine games in left field, junior Casey Merritt is batting .306 and reaching base at a clip of .395 on the young season. His 11 runs are the most on the team, and he is second on the squad in doubles (4) and RBIs (8). Playing on the other side of Reinschmidt in right field, junior Myles Berkram is leading the team with a .563 batting average (9-for-16) and has scored eight runs while getting on base at a clip of .667 on the year.
OUTSTANDING OUTFIELD: Combining the numbers of Reinschmidt, Robinson, Merritt and Berkram, MSUB’s outfield is batting .421 with 16 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 72 total bases, and an on-base percentage of .489. “We have four incredible outfielders this year, and we are all fighting for a position but at the same time supporting each other and our successes,” said Robinson. “My expectations for this program have been fulfilled so far, and we have been very competitive through these first nine games.” TOON’S TIMELY HITTING: Continuing to pick up the team’s most important hits in the last series was senior first baseman Kevin Toon, who drilled a huge one-out, game-tying RBI-double in the top of the seventh and final inning against the Roadrunners. The ‘Jackets rallied to win the game 6-5 in extra innings, and it was Toon’s third RBI of the series. On the season he has eight RBIs and a team-high five doubles, and has drawn nine walks to boost his on-base percentage to .475. Having recorded at least one hit in all eight games this season, Toon has a 14-game hitting streak dating back to last year intact. DURBIN’S BAT HEATING UP: Senior third baseman Kyle Durbin ended his last series on a positive note, going 4-for-8 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the final two games. He has been solid defensively so far this year, ranking second on the team with 15 assists and adding six putouts for 21 total chances without making an error in nine games. Central Washington University Wildcats Friday, March 4 – 1 PM MTN – DOUBLEHEADER (9 Inn./7 Inn.) Saturday, March 5 – 1 PM MTN – DOUBLEHEADER (9 Inn./7 Inn.) CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, WA 2016 Record: 4-4 Head Coach: Desi Storey, 25th season 2015 GNAC Finish: 24-25, 14-18 GNAC (4th) The Wildcats have won four of their last five games after opening the 2016 season with three straight losses. CWU was in action over the weekend in San Francisco, and took 2 of 3 games from Academy of Art University to pull its season record even at 4-4. Through the first eight games, Randy Fuller is leading the squad with a .429 batting average, and has six RBIs while getting on base at .435. Ryan Atkinson and Darren Honeysett are tied for the team lead in hits with 11 apiece, and Jake Levin leads the ‘Cats in RBIs on the year with nine. Honeysett, a first-team all-GNAC pick and co-Newcomer of the Year a season ago, is the team’s top returner and has started all eight games in the outfield. On the mound, Mackenzie Gaul and Mitch Yada have been effective starters, each holding ERAs below 2.00 with 11-plus innings on the year. The duo has combined for 13 strikeouts against four walks, and has only allowed four earned runs in 23 2/3 innings. Kyle Blankenship has been the top reliever for CWU, striking out six and allowing zero earned runs in 7 1/3 innings over three appearances. The Series: MSUB holds a narrow, 36-35 edge in the all-time series against the ‘Cats, which dates back to April of 2006. MSUB took 5 of 8 games in last season’s series, but CWU achieved the same feat in 2014 as the teams have proven to be evenly matched over the last two years.
Last Time Out: MSUB took 3 of 4 from CWU at Dehler Park last April, after splitting with the Wildcats on the road. The final game between the two last year was a thrilling, come-from-behind extra-inning win for the ‘Jackets, in which Merritt hit a two-run home run to tie the game in the seventh and 2015 senior Conner Holbrook won it with a walk-off base hit in the eighth. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--