FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, April 25, 2016 Baseball road trip continues with 5 games against WOU this week
MSUB’s longest road trip of the year continues this week with five games at GNAC-leading Western Oregon after the ‘Jackets win a series 3-1 over Concordia on Sunday. MONMOUTH, Ore. – Winning three of its first four games in an overall nine-game road trip, the Montana State University Billings baseball team is set to continue Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week with five more games at Western Oregon University. Playing only three games in Billings, Mont., on March 26-27, the fourth game of the series between MSUB and WOU was postponed due to weather and will be made up on Wednesday. The single, seven-inning contest will start at 3 p.m. Mountain time, and MSUB will play as the home team at the WOU baseball field. The teams will then meet in a normal, four-game series scheduled for Friday and Saturday with 2 p.m. start times both days. The series will be played in the 9-inning/7-inning doubleheader format, with live video and live statistics available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here for all five games this week. “Playing five games at Western this week will be a good challenge for us,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “They always have a great club, so we definitely expect a battle.”
The Yellowjackets (21-17, 15-14 GNAC) are coming off of a 3-1 series win at Concordia University, sweeping a doubleheader on Sunday to keep pace in the conference standings. The Wolves (25-16, 20-11 GNAC) hold a half-game lead over second-place Northwest Nazarene University (24-16, 19-11), after losing 3 of 4 to the Crusaders over the weekend. Central Washington (22-19, 18-14) occupies the third-place spot in the standings and is three games ahead of MSUB in the win column. The top-three teams at the end of the year convene at the site of the regular-season champion for the GNAC Baseball Championships. DURBIN STAYS HOT AT THE PLATE: Senior Kyle Durbin reached base 11 times in 19 plate appearances, including seven hits and four walks to help MSUB to a 3-1 series win at Concordia. Durbin had his first career five-hit game on Sunday, as he went 5-for-6 with two runs scored, a double, and an RBI in a 10-9 win for MSUB. Durbin scored five runs overall in the series, and had two doubles and two RBIs in the second spot in the batting order. The senior third baseman continues to lead the team in hitting and now ranks second in the GNAC with a batting average of .371 on the season. He also leads the GNAC in on-base percentage at .465 this year. Now five hits away from 100 in his two-year career, Durbin has a chance to become just the ninth player in modern-day MSUB history to reach the century mark in hits. MSUB Career Hits Leaders Rk. Name Hits 1. Brody Miller 249 2. Matt Schoonover 213 3. Luke Reinschmidt 175 4. Colby Robison 168 5. Jeff Ridgeway 131 6. Kevin Toon 127 7. Colter Sternhagen 120 8. Austin Rue 105 9. Kyle Durbin 95 10. Jordan Kessler 94
Years 2012-15 2007-10 2014-16 2011-13 2008-11 2014-16 2013-16 2011-13 2015-16 2010-11
Senior Kyle Durbin leads the GNAC in on-base percentage (.465) and ranks second in batting average (.371). He needs five more hits to reach 100 in his two-year career at MSUB.
WINSLOW WINS IN DEBUT AS STARTER: Freshman Jared Winslow earned a victory in his first career start, as he gave up one earned run on seven hits with six strikeouts and zero walks in six innings. Throwing exactly 100 pitches, Winslow kept Concordia’s hitters off-balance and had four strikeouts in the first three innings while MSUB built a lead. Winslow has allowed just one earned run over his last four appearances, and totaled nine strikeouts and just one walk during that stretch which includes 10 2/3 innings. Jared Winslow | March 27-April 23 | 4 Appearances Date Opponent IP H R ER BB SO 3/27 Western Ore. 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 4/2 Saint Martin’s 2.1 2 0 0 0 2 4/8 Central Wash. 1.1 2 1 0 1 0 4/23 Concordia* 6.0 7 2 1 0 6 Totals 10.2 10 3 1 1 9 *-First Career Start
HR 0 0 0 0 0
WP NP 0 10 0 24 0 24 0 100 0 158
ERA 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.50 0.88
WHIP 0.00 0.86 2.25 1.17 1.03
PRODUCTIVE WEEK FOR REINSCHMIDT: All four of the hits for senior center fielder Luke Reinschmidt last week went for extra bases, as he tripled on Day 1, homered on the first pitch of Game 3, and added a pair of doubles on Sunday. Reinschmidt had four total RBIs and continues to lead the GNAC in that category with 36, and his seven home runs on the year rank second in the conference. Reinschmidt is now tied for 17th in the GNAC for career hits with 175, and moved into eighth place in career RBIs with 119. He needs two more triples to tie the conference career mark of 14, and his 112 runs scored are 13thmost in conference history. GNAC Career Triples Leaders Rk. Name School 1. Joey Price Western Oregon 2. Jamie Nilsen Central Washington Shane Schoeneberg Saint Martin’s 4. Luke Reinschmidt MSU Billings 5. Bryce Gardinier Western Oregon Andrew Helmstadter Northwest Nazarene
Triples 14 13 13 12 10 10
Years 1999-2002 2005-08
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. Luke Reinschmidt MSU Billings 9. Adam Siler Saint Martin’s 10. Colby Robison MSU Billings
RBIs 183 183 165 158 138 125 124 119 118 111
Years 2002-05 2005-08 2000-03 2012-15 2012-15 2009-12 2000-03 2014-16 2004-07 2011-13
2005, 2007-09
2014-16 2000-03 2014-16
Senior Luke Reinschmidt needs two more triples to tie the GNAC career record of 14.
UPPER-CLASS STARTERS: While Winslow may have had the best start on the mound of the weekend, senior Tanner Johnson and juniors Cody Cooper and Matt Hape were nearly equally impressive in their outings. Johnson had eight strikeouts and just one walk, giving up two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings and taking the tough loss in Game 1. Cooper was robbed of his seventh win of the year by a five-run, game-tying rally by CU in the ninth inning, but he had six strikeouts and had a big lead when he exited after 6 2/3 innings in Game 3. Hape tossed his third complete game in his last four outings, and earned the win in the series finale with three strikeouts and four runs allowed in seven innings. With his eight strikeouts, Johnson became the sixth in modern-day MSUB baseball history to reach 100 in his career. Cooper is now two strikeouts away from breaking the MSUB single-season record of 79 (Brady Muller, 2015), and remains in third place in the career category with 136. He continues to lead the GNAC in strikeouts (78), and innings pitched (76 2/3).
MSUB Single Season Strikeout Leaders Rk. Name Ks Year 1. Brady Muller 79 2015 2. Cody Cooper 78 2016 3. Brady Muller 64 2013 4. Kody Kennedy 59 2011 5. Kody Kennedy 54 2010 Brian Howe 54 2009 Tanner Johnson 54 2015 MSUB Career Strikeout Leaders Rk. Name Ks 1. Brady Muller 232 2. Brian Howe 143 3. Cody Cooper 136 4. Brian Hutchings 120 5. Kody Kennedy 113 6. Tanner Johnson 105 7. Samuel Paterson 98
Years 2012-15 2008-11 2014-16 2010-12 2010-11 2015-16 2012-13
Tanner Johnson (left) and Cody Cooper continue their ascent up the MSUB single season and career pitching record books.
COX DRIVES IN SEVEN: With at least one RBI in each game last week, sophomore Adam Cox totaled seven hits to bring home seven runs in a big performance offensively. He now ranks fourth on the team with a .314 batting average and is third in the GNAC with 29 RBIs. WATSON PICKS UP THREE HITS: Junior first baseman Tanner Watson went 3-for-9 in three games against the ‘Cavs and ranks second on the team with a .367 batting average. Used primarily as a pinch hitter, Watson has picked up 11 hits in 30 at bats while driving in five runs and striking out just four times on the year. CLEAN DEFENSE CONTINUES FOR STERNHAGEN: Continuing an errorless streak at second base that began 34 games ago, senior Colter Sternhagen has now made 142 consecutive plays without a miscue. He had eight assists in the seriesopener against the ‘Cavs, and he and shortstop Corey Morris turned three more double plays to push their season total to 17. With 15 assists on the weekend, Sternhagen jumped to sole possession of fifth place in MSUB history in the category with 233 in his three seasons. MSUB Career Assists Leaders Rk. Name Assists 1. Brody Miller 477 2. Matt Schoonover 377 3. Colby Robison 359 4. Kyle Pryor 296 5. Colter Sternhagen 233 6. Corey Morris 220 7. Cole Pryor 218 8. Kyle Durbin 120
Years 2012-15 2007-10 2011-13 2006-07 2013-16 2015-16 2008-09 2015-16
Seniors Colter Sternhagen (8) and Corey Morris rank fifth and sixth, respectively, iamong MSUB’s career assists leaders.
MORE OFFENSE, DEFENSE FROM COREY: Adding four hits and three RBIs, on the weekend, Morris continued his torrid streak at the plate and is now 14 for his last 35 (.400). He also has 11 of his 16 RBIs on the year in his last 12 games, and has scored seven times in that stretch. Morris was one away from his season-high in assists with five in Game 3 against the ‘Cavs, and he is right behind Sternhagen among the career leaders with 220 in just two seasons. LEIGHTON TAKES ADVANTAGE OF STARTS: Freshman Alec Leighton had four hits in 10 at-bats against Concordia, including an RBI-double and two runs scored in the second game of the series. The left fielder has pushed his average up to .273 in his first college season, ranking him sixth on the team in 16 games played. Western Oregon University Wolves Wednesday, April 27 – 3 PM MTN – 7-Inning Game Friday, April 29 – 2 PM MTN – 9-Inning/7-Inning Doubleheader Saturday, April 30 – 2 PM MTN – 9 Inning/7-Inning Doubleheader 2016 Record: 25-16, 20-11 GNAC (1st) Head Coach: Kellen Walker, 4th season First Series: MSUB 2, WOU 1 (at Dehler Park in Billings, Mont., March 28-29, 2016) Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box | Game 3 Box Despite losing 3 of 4 to Northwest Nazarene on the road, the Wolves remain as the GNAC leader in the standings thanks to a recent 14-game winnings streak. After dropping 2 of 3 in Billings in the team’s first meeting with the ‘Jackets in March, WOU did not lose another game until Friday in a doubleheader defeat against the ‘Saders. WOU is being led offensively by Trevor Podratz, whose .367 batting average ranks third in the conference behind MSUB’s Durbin. Podratz has 11 doubles and four home runs, and he is one of five players on the roster with at least 27 RBIs. Brandon Oliver (.356) and Jay Leverett (.329) have also been offensive catalysts, and senior Cody Sullivan is having the best season of them all. Sullivan is hitting .308 with team highs in doubles (14) and home runs (6). Oliver is tied for the team lead in RBIs with 29, and Kyle Vanderkin also has six home runs and 29 driven in on the year. The Wolves are batting .290 as a team and are averaging 6.2 runs per game. On the mound, GNAC Pitcher of the Year frontrunner Brady Miller is 8-1 with a 2.30 earned run average, but is coming off his worst career start allowing 13 runs in four innings in a 14-10 loss to the Crusaders. Darrien Moran is another starter with a sub-3.00 ERA, as he has 52 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 64 2/3 innings. Jacob Fricke has been the top reliever for WOU, sporting a 1.77 ERA with 13 strikeouts and nine walks in 20 1/3 innings. WOU’s team ERA of 3.26 is the best in the conference by almost a full run, and the Wolves are holding opposing hitters to a .243 batting average this year. The Series: MSUB is 14-56 all-time against the Wolves, and is 5-27 in away contests. The ‘Jackets have won five of the last nine meetings between the teams dating back to April of 2015. Last Time Out: MSUB shook off a 10-0 loss in Game 1, and rallied to win each of the next two in the abbreviated threegame series in Billings. Reinschmidt and Durbin were each 5-for-10 in the home series, and Cooper allowed one run with six strikeouts in eight stellar innings in the rubber match on Easter Sunday. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--