PORTLAND, Ore. – After leading the Montana State University Billings baseball team to a four-game sweep of Northwest Nazarene on the road, junior infielder Kyle Durbin and junior right-handed pitcher Cody Cooper have swept the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week awards announced by the conference office Monday.
 
Cooper authored a complete-game shutout in the series finale, striking out 10 and walking just one to clinch the series sweep for the Yellowjackets. He scattered four hits over seven innings of work, none of which went for extra bases. The stellar start ensured MSUB's first GNAC sweep since the 2009 season, when the 'Jackets also swept NNU on the road.
 
"Cody was terrific this weekend," said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "He had great command of three pitches and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam early in the game that gave him a chance to throw a complete game. He deserves this honor with a great performance this week."
 
Durbin played the role of hero for MSUB, coming through with back-to-back game-winning doubles in the final inning of each game, leading the Yellowjackets to a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Nazarene on Friday. He broke a 3-3 tie in Game 1 with a two-run double into left field to finish off a three-run, game-winning rally in the ninth inning for MSUB. In the nightcap, Durbin came through with a two-run double with MSUB trailing 3-2 that was part of a five-run seventh-inning rally for the win. The game-winning hit gave Bishop his 500th career victory, after five seasons at MSUB, 10 at Miles Community College and one at Huron University. Durbin finished the weekend 5-for-15 and hit his first home run of the season in the series finale on Saturday. He drove in a team-high seven runs, scored two, had two sacrifice hits, and slugged .733 on the weekend. The junior utility infielder also made 17 plays without committing an error defensively.

"Kyle was clutch all weekend," Bishop said. "He has been all over in the lineup and played various positions which is a lot to ask. He has done whatever is best for our team and weekends like this are the reward for him and us. Kyle has been great all year."

Carl Svanevik of Saint Martin's shared the Player of the Week honor with Durbin, as he helped the Saints to a four-game sweep of Central Washington.
Durbin and Cooper joined Luke Reinschmidt as 2015 GNAC Players of the Week, as the junior center fielder received the accolade in February after hitting four home runs in an eight game span. His performance eventually led to selection as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Player of the Week.
 
The Yellowjackets have their home opener this weekend at Dehler Park in Billings, Mont., where MSUB will square off against Saint Martin's in a four-game series spanning Friday and Saturday.