FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu April 6, 2016 ‘Jackets restart conference slate with 12 games in 10 days MSUB Softball on Facebook | MSUB Softball on ISSUU Preview interviews with juniors Nikki Tiffany and Kelsey Devlin and MSUB head coach Rebekah Gasner GNAC Standings | GNAC Weekly Release
Taylor Tokach and the MSUB softball team start a monster 10-day, 12 game schedule on Friday at Central Washington.
Almost to the half-way point in the season, MSUB softball is heading out to play eight conference games on the road in five days. BILLINGS, Mont. – Just back from California and the Tournament of Champions on Monday, the MSUB team is turning right back around and heading out on Thursday for a Great Northwest Athletic Conference trip that includes playing eight games in five days. Due to weather conditions postponing the ‘Jackets series against Western Oregon, MSUB moved its games against Central Washington up a day, and will play the make-up games against at WOU on Monday and Tuesday of next week. MSUB then travels home on Wednesday to get ready to host the GNAC’s newest member Concordia (Ore.) on Saturday and Sunday.
Upcoming schedule: Apr. 8-9 - at Central Washington, Apr. 11-12 - at Western Oregon, Apr. 16-17 - vs Concordia (Ore.). All of the teams in the GNAC have been on the receiving end of rain-delays and postponements this year. While Saint Martin’s leads the conference with a 10-4 record, five teams are at an even .500 and of those teams there is a discrepancy of 10 games between Western Washington at 10-10 and Concordia (Ore.) sitting at 5-5. MSU Billings is 2-10 in the GNAC, but with more than half of its conference schedule left, MSUB certainly has a chance to move up in the standings, particularly with so many make-up games being played between other teams around the league. GNAC Standings Team Saint Martin’s Central Washington Simon Fraser Western Washington Concordia (Ore.) Western Oregon Northwest Nazarene MSU Billings
GNAC Record 10-4 9-7 9-9 10-10 5-5 6-6 7-7 2-10
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: MSU Billings (10-24) played its way to a 1-5 overall record in California at the Stanislaus State hosted Tournament of Champions. The Yellowjackets lost two 8inning games - to San Francisco State and Dominican, and fell by one run to UC San Diego, but did pick-up a win over Cal State East Bay 6-4. For the tournament, MSUB batted .258 as a team with 40 hits in the six games, including four home runs. Four players from MSUB hit .300 or better across the three days. Third baseman Kelsey Devlin ended the tournament batting .412 with seven hits, two home runs, and five RBI. Myrissa Prince batted .353 with six hits, a home run, and three RBI. Heather Tracy had seven hits and scored a team-high five runs. Designated player Nicole Tiffany batted .313 with five hits and a team-leading six RBI. Senior right-handed pitcher Amanda Roark tossed 25 and 2/3 innings for the team making appearances in five of the six games, including complete games against San Francisco State and UC San Diego. Taylor Tokach tossed seven innings for the team making appearances in three games while Megan Dettling saw time in the circle during two games. Senior Amanda Roark has 42 strikeouts on the season.
Devlin and Tracy were error-free in the series. Devlin was clean at third base through 27 chances while in right field Tracy was clear through 12 opportunities. BACK TO CONFERENCE PLAY: After all eight GNAC teams competed at the Tournament of Champions last week, every conference team resumes league action this week. MSUB plays a four-game series at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday, has Sunday to travel before playing a four-games series at Western Oregon on Monday and Tuesday. TRACY STILL NUMBER 1: With her play in California, the outfielder remains at the top of the conference with a .425 batting average. She has 37 hits in 85 at-bats and is just one of two players in the GNAC’s top-20 that also has doubledigits in stolen bases with 10. In the game against Humboldt State, Tracy hit her third triple of the season to remain in a tie for first place in the conference. She is fourth in slugging percentage at .718 and fifth in on-base percentage at .467. CASSINELLI AS THE CLEAN-UP: First baseman Cameron Cassinelli is second in the league in slugging percentage at .758 and fourth in the GNAC in on-base percentage at .472. She is tied for fifth in the conference in walks per game (.52) and was intentionally walked twice in California. The left-handed slugger is second in the GNAC with 10 home runs this year and fifth in RBI with 30. DEVLIN PLAYING ALL-AROUND: Devlin’s appearances last week have moved her up to a season batting average of .333 for fourthbest on the team. She is carrying a third-best .667 slugging percentage and is second in home runs with seven. Devlin has been clean in the field in conference play and at the tournament in California, not recording an error in March or April. STEADY PRESENCE: Prince was a steady presence in the batter’s box and in the infield for the ‘Jackets last week. She started the week batting .367 and came out of the six-games batting .365 to remain at second on the MSUB team. The second baseman is second on the team in hits with 35 and RBI with 27. OUTSTANDING OUTFIELD: The experience and depth in the MSUB outfield keeps paying-off for the team. Cori Gammon in left field, along with Bella Rovens in center, combined with Tracy in right field has been a potent combination for the team. Gammon at .307 and Rovens at .309 are both batting above the .300 mark. Gammon is second on the team in hits with 35 and first in runs scored with 26. Rovens leads the team in doubles with five and is second on the team in walks with 13. Both players have been a big presence in leadership roles, especially defensively. Gammon Kelsey Devlin hit .412 at the TOC in California. made two big plays for the team against Dominican last week, including back-to-back outs that involved a throw to home from left field to catch what would have been the winning run at the plate. ADJUSTING INFIELD: With an infield that is still finding its footing, the team has benefited from the leadership of senior catcher Haley Rowe. The transfer last season has been a calm and commanding presence behind the plate for the team this year and is second in the GNAC in catching runners stealing (10).
Central Washington University Wildcats Friday, April 8 – 1 PM DOUBLEHEADER Saturday, April 9 – 1 PM DOUBLEHEADER Gary and Bobbi Frederick Field 2016 Record: 25-10, 9-7 GNAC Head Coach: Mike Larabee, 1st season 2015 GNAC Finish: 20-23, 11-13 GNAC Central Washington is heading into the week second in the GNAC with a conference record of 9-7. The Wildcats were also at the Tournament of Champions last weekend, finishing the six games with a 4-2 record. CWU was in the same pool as MSUB, and picked up wins over Azusa Pacific (2-1), San Francisco State (11-3), Cal State San Bernardino (5-3), and Cal State East Bay (3-2). Central Washington opened its season with a solid start at the MSUB hosted Desert Stinger tournament finishing in third place. The Wildcats ended with a 4-1 record, losing one game against the eventual champion Concordia Irvine. The Wildcats have a new first-year coach in Mike Larabee who spent the previous six seasons at the University of Alabama. Central Washington was picked fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll (one spot behind MSUB) after finishing fifth in the conference last season at 11-13. CWU has benefited from the return of junior pitcher Kiana Wood. The left-handed hurler is second in the GNAC with a combined ERA of 2.31 in 115 innings of work. She has 50 strikeouts on the season in 29 appearances, and holds a league-best record of 15-3. Joining Wood in the circle is Brielle Copodonna with an ERA of 3.72, an overall record of 6-7 in 86 and 2/3 innings, and Kayla Smith with an ERA of 2.58 and a record of 4-0 (in 11 appearances) in 38 innings. Central Washington’s Kailyn Campbell is fifth in the league in batting average at .408 and is tied for first in hits with 53. Celine Fowler has 45 hits on a .385 average while Austin Wilkerson is batting .360 and leads the team in slugging percentage at .632. Wilkerson is tied with Devlin at seven home runs and has 10 doubles on the season. Rachel Johnson leads the team and is second in the GNAC in stolen bases with 15. Andrea Hamada has drawn the most walks with 17. The Series: (24-30, Away 8-10) MSU Billings has won five of its last eight contests against CWU. The last time MSUB was at CWU the teams split the series 2-2, including a 6-4 win in eight innings to open. Last Time Out: Last season at home, MSUB won the series winning three of the four games, including a 3-RBI walk-off home run from Rovens for a 12-10 victory during the second game. MSUB also had 21 hits during Game 2, tying the then-program record. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--