BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings baseball team opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this weekend with a four-game series at Saint Martin's University. The Jackets and the Saints are schedule for doubleheaders Sat., Mar. 12 and Sun., Mar. 13, at 1 p.m. and 12 p.m., Pacific Time, respectively.
The Yellowjackets enter with a 7-6 record and are the last team in the conference to begin league play. MSUB has not played since sweeping a doubleheader at the College of Idaho Mar. 3. SMU is 5-10 overall and a 3-1 mark in the GNAC after winning its opening series at Northwest Nazarene last weekend. The Crusaders had been on a roll and ranked as high as seventh in the NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) prior to the SMU series.
MSUB, currently ranked tied for 10th in the latest NCBWA poll, is led by sophomore Colby Robison who leads the team hitting .478 on the year. He has a team-high 22 hits with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 18 RBI. Robison is slugging .761 and is reaching base at a .536 clip. He is the lone Yellowjacket to have played and started all 13 games.
Senior Sam Kinzeler is second in average among everyday starters at a .316 clip. He has 12 hits with five doubles and nine RBI. Senior Jordan Kessler (.295 avg.) is second on the team in hits with 13. Freshman Dillon Ness also has had an immediate impact as he is third in average at a .314 clip and leads the team with 13 runs scored.
As a team, the Jackets are hitting .282 on the year with 118 hits, including 26 doubles, three triples and four home runs. They have 73 RBIs and are slugging at a .388 clip. MSUB is reaching base at a .381 average and has 16 miscues in 430 chances for a .963 fielding percentage.
On the mound, the Jackets are led by redshirt senior Archie Smith. He leads the team with a 2.19 ERA and is 2-1 on the year in five relief appearances with one save. The opposition is hitting just .214 against him as he is returning to his 2009 form. Smith suffered an injury which sidelined him most of 2010.
Junior Brian Hutchings also is 2-1 on the year and carries a 5.50 ERA in three starts. He leads the team with 18 innings pitched and is second in strikeouts with 14. Smith's brother, Zachary, is 2-0 with a 5.71 ERA in 17.1 innings of work. Senior Brian Howe leads the team with two saves.
As a staff, the Jackets have a 6.45 ERA with three saves. The Jackets have surrendered 79 runs with 71 earned in 99 innings. They have walked 41 and fanned 85 as the opposition is hitting .299 against them.
The Saints are 3-1 in their last four games after starting the season 2-9. Leading the way for SMU is Andrew Elke who carries a .313 average in 15 games. He is second on the team in hits with 15 and second in RBIs with eight. Elke is a perfect 8 for 8 in stolen bases this season. Josh Grenier is second in average at a .293 clip and leads the team with 17 hits.
Aaron Johnson leads the team with six doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. He also leads the squad in slugging percentage at a .500 clip.
As a team, the Saints are hitting just .234 on the year with 113 hits, including 20 doubles, four triples and four home runs. They have 56 RBIs and are slugging .309. SMU is reaching base .350 percent of the time and has a .966 fielding percentage with 18 miscues in 536 chances.
On the mound is where SMU has been strong as of late. The Saints are led by Casey Mitchell who leads the team with a 2.36 ERA and a 2-0 record in six appearances. Mitchell has three starts with one complete game and a shutout. He leads the team in innings pitched at a 26.2 clip. Mitchell has a team-high 17 strikeouts and just one walk on the year. The opposition is hitting just .215 against him.
Reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Week, Tommy DeBoer, is 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA. He has appeared in five games with four starts and one complete game. DeBoer also has one shutout. He is second in innings pitched with 23 as the opposition is hitting .233 off of him.
As a team, the Saints have a 4.64 ERA in 120.1 innings of work. SMU has surrendered 78 runs with 62 earned. The Saints have walked 48 and fanned 71 as the opponents are hitting .271 against them. The 18 errors have led to 16 unearned runs.
SMU owns a 19-4 record in the series versus MSUB. The Saints won 13 of the first 14 meetings in 2008 and 2009. SMU currently has won five of the last eight meetings.
