BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings' softball team opens its 2013 home schedule this week with doubleheaders against Central Washington University Thursday and Northwest Nazarene University Saturday.
The Yellowjackets (4-12, 3-6 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) have yet to reach to the halfway point of their conference schedule, but are at a critical juncture of their slate. After MSUB plays Central Washington Thursday, it will have faced all of the GNAC members once this season, marking the midway spot in conference play. Montana State Billings enters the week fifth place in the conference standings. The top four teams in the GNAC qualify for the conference's first postseason tournament, hosted by MSU Billings.
The defending conference champions earn the right to host the following season's conference tournament, and the Yellowjackets must pick up victories at home during the rest of the regular season to help its chances at not only repeating as GNAC champions, but finishing in the top four in the conference. MSUB was selected as the preseason favorite to win the GNAC title.
Thursday, Montana State Billings and Central Washington meet for the 43rd and 44th time. The Wildcats have won three straight in the series. The last meeting in Billings was a 16-1 five-inning Central victory last season. Both teams have won eight meetings in Billings.
Central Washington University has found success this season at the plate. The Wildcats lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in batting average (.327), slugging percentage (.468), and on base percentage (.374). CWU has connected on 28 extra-base hits this season, including 14 home runs. On the mound, Central Washington has a 4.85 earned run average and a .305 opponent's batting average. Michaela Hazlett has a .419 batting average, while Jill McDaniels has drove in 19 RBI behind six home runs. Heidy Wells has won three of her four games on the mound this season.
“Thursday should be a couple of exciting games because Central Washington is the only GNAC team that we have not played against yet.” MSUB Head Coach
Lisa Allen said. “They are also one of our biggest rivals.”
The Yellowjackets and Northwest Nazarene meet for the 50th and 51st time Saturday. The series is the second-most games with an opponent for MSU Billings. MSUB has won 11 straight over the Crusaders. The last NNU win in the series was a 9-7 victory in Nampa on March 12, 2011. The Crusaders have lost all 18 meetings in Billings.
On March 2, Montana State University Billings' grabbed a pair of victories at Northwest Nazarene University to begin its 2013 Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule. The Yellowjackets outscored NNU, 12-0, on the first day of the conference slate. MSU Billings grabbed the first game, 8-0, in six innings, and then Game 2, 4-0. It was the 10th and 11th straight wins for MSUB over Northwest Nazarene. Montana State Billings improved to 20-6 all-time at NNU.
Northwest Nazarene University enters the week on a 14-game skid, and is 0-10 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Crusaders are seventh in the GNAC in batting average (.238) and on-base percentage (.310). On the mound, they are also seventh in opponents' batting average (.352). Baylee Jolliffe leads NNU with a .282 batting average and Shelby Johnson has 13 RBI and four home runs. Noelle Wright is 5-15 on the mound with a 4.43 ERA. Northwest Nazarene has won one of its 10 road contests so far this season, and has never won in Billings over MSU Billings.
“For Northwest Nazarene, we saw them a couple of weeks ago and need to play the same ball that we did the last time we faced them,” Allen said. “Overall the team is excited to finally be home after having 16 road games.”
Both doubleheaders have first pitches scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain Time. There will be live stats from Bjorgum Field for both doubleheaders on MSUBSports.com. Admission is five dollars for general public, three dollars for seniors 65 and over, three dollars for students in seventh through 12th grades, and three dollars for MSUB faculty and staff. MSU Billings students with current I.D., kindergarten through sixth-grade students, and preschool age children are all admitted free.
