BILLINGS, Mont.  -  The Montana State University Billings Softball team will host Saint Martin's University in a two-day double-header schedule this Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 29 and 30.
 
MSU Billings (9-12, 4-8 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) will host their second conference opponent this weekend as they face the preseason favorite Saints. 
 
The Yellowjackets are coming off a 2-2 split with Western Washington University in last weekend's home-opener.  MSUB had a solid day at the plate on Saturday, but couldn't keep up with the firepower from the Vikings on Sunday as WWU scored 25 runs on 29 hits.
 
This weekend the 'Jackets are looking for solid performances from their pitchers and offense as MSUB hosts the third in the GNAC Saint Martin's University. 
 
"We are excited to be hosting again at home," Head Coach Lisa Allen said.  "We know that Saint Martin's is going to be another tough battle. We have been working hard this week on quicker throws and hitting since those were two of our weaknesses on Sunday last week. Our pitchers have also been focusing more on locations this week."
 
Saint Martin's is 13-13 overall and 7-4 in conference play.  SMU is coming off a split with Portland-Concordia on Wednesday who took one game from the Saints 3-1 before coming back and winning the second game 7-5.
 
The Saints are tied with MSUB, and fourth in the conference, with a team .304 batting average.  Taviah Jenkins is leading SMU with a .390 batting average.  Jenkins is ranked No. 7 in the conference while teammate Sam Munger is ranked No. 9 with a .384. 
 
Munger is also second in the GNAC with an ERA of 2.18.  She is 9-8 on the season with 66 strike-outs.
 
Montana State University Billings (9-12, 4-8 GNAC) is heading into the weekend fifth in the conference standings. 
 
The Yellowjackets' Aubrey Conceicao is batting .394 and is No. 5 in the GNAC.  Conceicao is also 10^th in the conference in hits with 26, and No. 2 in both doubles and triples.  Samantha Jo Everett is batting .341 for MSUB and is 19^th in the conference.  Bella Rovens who is batting .333 with a .415 on base percentage, is on a 13 reached base streak.  Rovens is also sitting at 13^th in the conference in runs scored with 15 and 14^th in the GNAC in hits with 24.
 
In the pitching circle for MSU Billings, Mary Grace Bywater has a combined ERA of 3.01 which places her at seventh in the GNAC while her four wins has her tied at fifth overall.  Jessyka MacDonald continues to be ranked fifth in the conference in strike-outs; she has 37 on the season. 
 
This Saturday's double-header will also be MSU Billings' "StrikeOut against Cancer" event.  Fans will be able to contribute to the American Cancer Society by making a donation and picking a piece of paper that looks like a softball in the color that they wish to represent.  All proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society.  The colored softballs will placed on a poster that will be displayed at the field.  Balloons will be put in bunches and attached to the bleachers to represent all of the family members and friends of the team that have been diagnosed with cancer.  Also in support of the event, the team will be in lavender shirts representing the "Strikeout" Cancer game.
 
"We are looking forward to the good weather," Coach Allen stated. "This weekend also marks our StrikeOut Cancer game where at the game will have several opportunities to donate money to the American Cancer Society, as several of our girls have family and friends that have been diagnosed with cancer."
 
MSU Billings is 30-15 all-time against the Saints.  The Yellowjackets are 10-8 at home, but have lost the last six games the two schools have played, including the last series at home. 
 
Saturday's double-header against SMU begins at 1 PM.  Sunday's games will have a 12 PM start-time.  All four games will have live video and live stats available at MSUBSports.com dependent on weather.