FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, September 30, 2016 Sutton announces 2017 MSUB baseball schedule
MSUB’s baseball team will play non-conference series at Colorado Mesa and Dixie State, before starting a 40-game GNAC slate that features five home and five away series. BILLINGS, Mont. – Announcing a 47-game regular-season schedule on Friday, Montana State University Billings baseball head coach Aaron Sutton unveiled the Yellowjackets’ full slate of games which kick off in February of 2017. All of MSUB’s home games will once again be played at Dehler Park in Billings, and ticket prices will remain the same at $5 for the general public, $3 for seniors, students in grades 7-12, and MSUB faculty and staff, and free admission for all MSUB students and students in grades six and under. All GNAC series will be played as four games over two days in a 9-inning/7-inning doubleheader format. MSUB, the back-to-back reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season champion, will open the year with four games at Colorado Mesa University on Feb. 17-19, before traveling to Dixie State University for three more nonconference matchups on Feb. 24-26. “We are playing some quality competition that we feel will prepare us for a tough
GNAC schedule,” Sutton commented on his team’s non-conference opponents. “Any time you can play top-level programs, you are going to get a lot out of it from a competitive standpoint.” The Yellowjackets set a program record for wins with their mark of 30-20 in 2015, and tied for the top spot in the league with a GNAC record of 23-15. The team’s 40-game GNAC schedule starts with back-to-back road trips, at Western Oregon University on March 4-5 and at Saint Martin’s University on March 10-11. MSUB’s home debut will fall on March 18-19, with a four-game series against Concordia University (Ore.). “It is important that we start off on the right foot, as we are on the road for the first four weeks of the season,” said Sutton. “We need to be prepared to have a hot start coming out of the break in January. We know how close the conference has been the last three seasons, and it really shows that every game matters.” The ‘Jackets will host last year’s regular-season co-champion Northwest Nazarene University in a four-game series on March 24-25. MSUB has another eight-game home stand running April 14-22, as it hosts WOU and SMU for four games apiece. The 2017 regular season concludes with a four-game series against Central Washington University on May 5-6, with the final two games falling on Senior Day. The 2017 GNAC Championships will be played at Concordia University at Porter Park in Portland, Ore., and for the first time since the tournament’s inception four teams will be included in the field. The NCAA West Region Championships will follow on May 18-20 at the site of the No. 1 seed in the region. Though the GNAC does not receive an automatic bid to the regional tournament this season, starting in 2018 the GNAC tournament champion will be guaranteed a trip to NCAA postseason play. “We are looking forward to putting our product out there,” Sutton commented on the spring season. “We feel like we have a tough schedule, and I’m excited to see how we will match up against quality opponents.” All home games and select road games will feature live video with play-by-play commentary, and live statistics available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.
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