MSUB SPORTS – Pitching for the Billings Scarlets as a freshman in high school, Brady Muller first recognized that he had a gift within his left arm.
 
In a tournament against the legion team from Bozeman, Mont., the 15-year-old Muller worked a no-hitter into the seventh inning before surrendering a single and being pulled from the game. He had baffled Bozeman's 17 and 18-year-old hitters through the first six frames, and it was then that Muller knew his pitching potential could take him somewhere.
 
On Saturday, that somewhere that Muller landed was on the mound at the Saint Martin's baseball field as he started Game 1 of a four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series for the Montana State University Billings baseball team.
 
It was the 41st career start for the Billings West High School product, more than any player in the history of the GNAC as he set a new standard for pitchers in the conference. It was also one of the best starts ever by a Yellowjacket, as Muller threw a 9-inning complete game and did not allow an earned run while striking out six to set the tone in a record-breaking pitching series for the Yellowjackets.
 
When Muller next takes the mound, the 42nd start will be arguably the most important of his career. The Yellowjackets' ace will be on the hill at Dehler Park in Billings next week, as MSUB hosts the 2015 GNAC Championships and serves as the No. 1 seed after clinching the regular-season title on Saturday.
 
In his back pocket, Muller will have the third-most strikeouts (236), fourth-most innings pitched (272 1/3) and fourth-most wins (20) in conference history.
 
What stands out beyond the historic numbers however, is the unmatched competitiveness Muller has put on display through his four years as a Yellowjacket. Time and time again Muller has taken the ball for his turn in the rotation, and the result has been the greatest pitching career in MSUB history unfolding over the past four seasons.
 
BAND OF BROTHERS
 
Muller grew up in Billings the middle child of Dan and Sheri Muller, playing any sport that involved a ball with his brothers Brian and Daine. Muller played against Brian in little league, before the two spent time as teammates when they reached the age of legion baseball. In Muller's junior year at West High, all three of the Mullers teamed up on the Golden Bears' basketball team and were in the starting rotation.
 
"Ever since I was old enough to walk my parents had us playing sports," Muller said. "I grew up in an athletic family and there was always competition. My brothers and I always pushed each other."
 
Despite being a natural southpaw, Muller got started on the diamond playing catcher as a little leaguer. "I didn't know any better at the time," Muller said regarding the rarity of a left-hander suiting up in catcher's gear. "It was hard to find a left-handed catcher's glove."
 
Muller didn't give up the pads until eighth grade, when he turned his focus solely towards pitching. Throughout legion ball in high school, Muller was found in right field when he wasn't on the mound as he stayed involved in every game.
 
The result of the competitiveness Muller brought to the diamond was made evident by the Scarlets' three state championship titles in 2008, '09 and '11. During his junior season, the success Muller was having while traveling across the Pacific Northwest and facing teams throughout the region pushed him to start thinking about carrying on with his baseball career into college.
 
"My junior season is when I really considered playing at the next level," Muller said. "The success I was having in legion ball proved to me I could compete."
 
Among the competition Muller faced throughout his legion career were several of his soon-to-be teammates, as he took on the likes of Brody Miller, Blake Loran and Luke Reinschmidt.
 
In the state championship game Muller's senior year, he struck out Reinschmidt looking with a pair of curve balls. "He threw me two nasty curveballs, and then on a fastball he struck me out," Reinschmidt said. "My junior year we split the season series with his team but we never beat Brady. We mess around with it now and he always jokes how he struck me out to get his ring."
 
MULLER TO MSUB
 
"The success Coach Bishop had at Miles City showed me that he knew what it took to win. I could tell he was going to turn the program around and help out around here." – Brady Muller on MSUB head coach Rob Bishop and why he chose to become a Yellowjacket.
 
As Muller considered whether or not to pursue the junior college route, academics came to the forefront of his mind as he ultimately elected to remain close to home and attend MSUB. "I didn't want to take a chance on credits not transferring after my first two years, so I decided not to go that route," Muller said. "I thought I'd stay here and that the support of the local Billings community would help out."
 
Unsure of whether or not he could compete as a freshman at MSUB, Muller clicked with fellow freshman and pitcher Lee Busto in their first season as Yellowjackets.
 
"Brady didn't talk much, he was pretty quiet," Busto said regarding his first impressions of Muller. "Once you got to know him though, he was almost the opposite of that. When he gets excited he almost won't stop talking to you."
 
Any doubt was lifted from Muller's mind after his first career start for MSUB, as he struck out five and allowed just two runs in six innings to push the 'Jackets to a 7-2 win over Colorado State-Pueblo on Feb. 19, 2012. His stellar freshman season was highlighted by an 8 2/3-inning shutout performance against Northwest Nazarene, during which he struck out seven and allowed just four hits and hinted that he was about to become a fixture in MSUB's rotation.
 
"In our rotation beginning his freshman year, Brady was as good as anybody in our league," commented MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "He was flying under the radar a little bit during high school, and we felt like he was a really good athlete who could develop as a pitcher."
 
Bishop's prediction was right on the spot, as Muller progressed into a first-team all-GNAC pitcher his sophomore season with three complete games, a 3.47 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings pitched.
 
Despite facing injuries in his junior season, Muller still didn't miss a turn in the rotation and struck out 36 while only walking a dozen a season ago. Now a senior, he has responded stronger than ever and is having one of the best single seasons in program history.
 
With one more guaranteed start, Muller is leading the GNAC in strikeouts (74), is tied for second in wins (6), and is fifth in innings pitched (73). With only 25 walks on the season, Muller holds a 3-1 strikeout

to walk ratio. Muller has also been excellent defensively for MSUB, making just four errors in 83 chances fielding through his four seasons.
 
"First of all, he is just a competitive kid who has great natural movement and a great feel for his secondary pitches," Bishop said. "If you look at his overall approach, you'll see that he is a strike thrower, almost to a fault sometimes."
 
"We have always been able to depend on Brady," Busto said. "When you give him the ball you always know he's going to get you deep into the game. He has proved that with every start."
 
Muller credits his early development as a pitcher to one of his father's friends, Tom Schaler. "He was a big influence on me and was there whenever I had questions growing up," Muller said. "More than anything he showed me sound pitching mechanics."
 
The curveballs Muller eventually used to baffle Reinschmidt as a high school senior were not developed at a young age, as Schaler urged Muller to stick with fastballs and changeups as a young pitcher. "It wasn't until I was older that he allowed me to throw a curveball on a more consistent basis," Muller said.
 
The patience Schaler helped instill paid off, as Muller has used his curve to strike out more batters than anyone in MSUB history.
 
THE YELLOWJACKETS' WARRIOR
 
"He has a warrior mentality and is a real competitor. He never gives up and competes on every pitch. That really wears off on me." – Lee Busto on Brady Muller.
 
The Yellowjackets entered last week's regular-season finale against Saint Martin's tied with Western Oregon for first place in the GNAC standings. The Wolves held the tiebreaker over the 'Jackets however, meaning MSUB had to win one more game than WOU in order to clinch the regular season title and hosting rights for the GNAC Championships.
 
With no control over the outcome of the series in Monmouth, Ore., between WOU and Northwest Nazarene, all MSUB could do was take care of business and win its games against the Saints. Muller's gem in Game 1 set the tone for the weekend, and pushed MSUB to its sixth straight conference series win and second series sweep of the season.
 
"I don't like losing, and we knew it was possible for us to have success this year as long as we competed every game," Muller said. "If you give games away it will cost you at the end of the season. That was the biggest thing last year, we just couldn't finish games."
 
After missing out on the GNAC Championships a season ago, it will be Muller's turn again in the rotation this week after MSUB snapped Western Oregon's 13-year run as GNAC regular-season champions.
 
LASTING LEGACY
 
While Muller's standout career has established him as one of the alltime greats, he has contributed much more to the Yellowjacket program than what he has accomplished on the field. He was selected to the GNAC academic all-conference team for the third year in a row, and was a repeat honoree at MSUB's Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society ceremony earlier this spring.
 
Muller carries a 3.42 grade point average and is completing his degree in business management. "Brady is really together academically, and has held a job most of the last couple of years while playing," Bishop said. "I have no doubt that whatever he chooses to do with his degree he will be successful."
 
The injuries Muller battled through as a junior motivated him to come back stronger than ever his senior season, as every workout and weight lifting session during the offseason was focused towards getting him healthy for his final season.
 
"It motivated me a lot to do what it took to get healthy and get stronger," Muller said regarding his injury. "My personal goals have been to set the tone early and go deep into games so our relievers don't get used up very much. Every time I'm on the mound I want to win and I'll do whatever it takes to do that."
 
What stands out to Bishop most in terms of Muller's legacy is his fearless approach on the mound, as he aggressively attacks hitters and takes command. "If I could, I would teach Brady's aggressiveness in the strike zone to every kid I have," Bishop said. "He never pitches out of fear. He's the aggressor, the one with the ball forcing the action."
 
Considering the Yellowjackets have won more games with Muller on the mound than anybody else, it's safe to assume that when he takes the biggest stage of his career this week at home they'll be favored to win one more behind MSUB's career ace.