BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings baseball team looks to get back on the winning track this weekend as it hosts Northwest Nazarene in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference series Friday and Saturday at Dehler Park.  The Jackets and Crusaders are scheduled for doubleheaders both days beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Yellowjackets are coming off of a disappointing, four game series against Saint Martin's University over the weekend where they had leads in three of the games, but weren't able to hold on in any of them.  SMU extended its lead to four games in the conference race over Western Oregon with the sweep of the Jackets.

Despite losing the four games, MSUB showed it can compete with the top team in the GNAC as is right there week-in-week-out.  Senior Jeff Ridgeway led the Yellowjacket attack against the Saints as he was 6 of 11 from the plate in four starts with four runs scored, one double and one RBI.  Senior Jordan Kessler was 8 of 16 with two runs scored one double, one RBI.  Ridgeway slugged a team-high .636 for the series.

As a team, MSUB hit better than it had in recent series' going 36 of 122 for a .295 average.  They scored 18 runs with 11 doubles, and 16 RBI.  Ten errors proved costly, however.  SMU hit a blazing .320 on 40 of 125 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and 24 RBI.  The Saints were deadly on the base paths going 15 of 17 while the Jackets were 4 of 7. 

MSUB enters the series against NNU with a 14-17 record overall and a 5-11 mark in the GNAC.  NNU stands at 25-11 overall and 10-10 in conference play.  The Crusaders are 4-4 in their last eight games, losing three of four against Western Oregon and winning three of four against Central Washington.

The Yellowjackets and the Crusaders split four games earlier this season in Nampa, Idaho.  The Jackets won games two and three by scores of 6-5.  Ridgeway and freshman Dillon Ness each collected six hits in the series to lead the team, while Kessler and sophomore Colby Robison each had five hits. Ridgeway led the team with two home runs in the series with five RBI and five runs scored.

On the mound, both Yellowjacket wins came in relief as junior Kyle Gieselman held NNU to hitting just .182 against him in 3.1 scoreless innings, while senior Archie Smith pitched 2.2 innings to earn the win.  Junior Brian Hutchings became just the fourth player in MSUB history to pitch nine or more innings as he allowed nine hits one earned run, one walk and he fanned five.  Hutchings didn't factor into the decision as NNU won the game in the 10^th inning.  It was scheduled for a seven inning contest.

Leading the way for the Jackets this season is Ridgeway who leads the team with a .340 average.  He leads the team with 23 runs scored and is third in hits with 34.  Ridgeway is second in doubles with six and leads the team with four home runs.  He is slugging .520 which is second-best on the team.  Robison leads the team with 39 hits, 11 doubles, four triples and 29 RBI. He is hitting .331 on the year and slugging a team-high .542.

As a team, the Jackets are hitting .273 on the year in 31 games with 264 hits.  They have 53 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs, while slugging .364.  MSUB has a .952 fielding percentage with 51 errors leading to 29 unearned runs.

As a staff, the Jackets are led by Smith who leads the team with a 4-2 record on the year in 10 relief appearances.  Hutchings leads the starters with a 3-3 record and a 4.08 ERA in a team-high 46.1 innings of work.  Hutchings is second in strikeouts with 32.  Senior Kody Kennedy is second in innings pitched at 36.1 and leads the team with 39 strikeouts.  Senior Brian Howe leads the team with five saves.

Northwest Nazarene is led by Logan Parker who leads the team with a .389 average in 36 games.  Parker leads the team with 49 hits and is third in doubles with six.  His 23 RBIs is good for third on the team.  Second on the team in average is Derek Bettinson who is hitting .356.  Bettinson is tied with Sean McDonald for the team lead in doubles with 10.  McDonald, who is hitting .331 on the year, leads the team with three home runs and 26 RBIs.

As a team, the Crusaders are hitting .296 with 344 hits, including 55 doubles, four triples and six home runs.  NNU has a .961 fielding percentage with 52 errors leading to 41 unearned runs.

J.T. Brodrick leads the team with a 6-2 record in nine starts.  His 3.69 ERA is second-best on the team.  Brodrick leads the team with 63.1 innings pitched and is second in strikeouts with 39.  Zeb Sneed leads the team with 40 strikeouts and is 2-3 with a 4.82 ERA.  McDonald leads the team with five saves and has a 2.25 ERA in 12 appearances with three starts.

Northwest Nazarene leads the all-time series 21-15 and has won 10 of the last 13 meetings.  Prior to that, MSUB had won eight-straight.  The two wins by the Jackets earlier this season snapped a string of seven-straight losses.  NNU leads 10-6 in Billings as they have won five-straight at Dehler dating back to the Jackets' 6-1 win Apr. 11, 2009.