BILLINGS, Mont. – Hovering less than half a game out of first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, the Montana State University Billings baseball team will conclude its 2015 home schedule this weekend with a four-game series against conference opponent Northwest Nazarene University.
 
After taking three out of five games from Western Oregon at home last weekend, the Yellowjackets are now in second place in the conference standings with a GNAC record of 15-9 and a winning percentage of .625. The Wolves remained in first place with a GNAC record of 18-10, but lead MSUB by just 18 percentage points as their winning percentage is .643.
 
Overall MSUB is 20-20, and has eight games on its conference schedule remaining. With one more victory or a loss by Saint Martin's, the Yellowjackets would clinch a berth in the 2015 GNAC Championships hosted by the regular season champion.
 
The last time the Yellowjackets squared off with the Crusaders, MSUB held NNU to just six runs in a four-game road sweep that earned it GNAC co-Team of the Week honors.
 
"NNU is a very good hitting team," commented MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "Part of our success last series was that we pitched really well and part of it was we caught them on a little bit of a down weekend offensively. In the GNAC when you face teams two times, and it comes five or six weeks apart, a lot of times you see a different team the next time."
 
The Crusaders split their series against Central Washington last weekend and currently sit in third place in the GNAC standings with a conference record of 13-11.
 
This weekend's series is scheduled for Friday and Saturday with doubleheaders starting at 1 p.m. both days at Dehler Park. All four games will feature live video with play-by-play commentary, and live statistics via www.msubsports.com.
 
Before Saturday's games, the nine graduating seniors from MSUB's program will be honored in a pregame ceremony on the field. This year's seniors are Bret Bitow, Lucas Blehm, Jake Campeau, Conner Holbrook, Blake Loran, Brody Miller, Jake Mills, Brady Muller, and Trevor Nix.
 
"This is a great group of guys," Bishop said regarding his seniors. "That's why you're in college athletics and why you coach. You get to build relationships with those guys and see them develop as people and baseball players. All of these guys are very special to me and to our program."
 

STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: With the extended five-game series last week, Bishop's key was for his starting pitchers to go deep into games to help conserve the Yellowjackets' bullpen. After senior left-hander Brady Muller tossed all seven innings in MSUB's 8-5 Game 1 victory, senior righty Jake Campeau followed with eight stellar innings in Game 2 to set up the Yellowjackets' 5-4 walkoff win.
 
"That put us in a position where we could compete for the entire series," Bishop said regarding the starts by Muller and Campeau. "Five games in a series is a tall order, and those guys, Tanner and Cody all pitched really well for us."
 
Tanner Johnson followed with six strong innings in the 7-inning Game 3, and Cody Cooper went the distance in Game 4 with seven full innings. By the time the series finale rolled around the 'Jackets had used just two relief pitchers for a total of two innings.
 
CAREER START FOR CAMPEAU: In Campeau's eight innings, he allowed three runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks. It was the longest outing of his two-year career at MSUB, and his 108-pitch effort set the Yellowjackets up for the victory.
 
COMPLETE EFFORT FROM MULLER: Because Muller's appearance in Game 1 was technically in relief due to the suspended game, he was not credited with a start or a complete game. Nonetheless, he recorded all 21 outs and struck out seven batters along the way.
 
He remained one start shy of the GNAC career record of 40, which he is on pace to break with two more conference series this season. With his seven strikeouts he moved up to No. 4 alltime in the GNAC and is now six shy of the No. 3 mark.
 
Brady Muller GNAC Career Milestone Chase
 

Rk.	Category	Muller	Next	Name, School	GNAC Record	Name, School
3	Starts	39	--	--	40	2 Players with
4	Strikeouts	225	231	Steven Schutte, NNU	269	Nick Waechter, WOU
5	Innings	259	262	Tip Wonhoff, SMU	280.1	Nick Waechter, WOU
6	Wins	19	20	2 Players with	28	Nick Waechter, WOU

 
MORRIS STANDS TALL AT SHORTSTOP: Getting it done at the plate and in the field all season has been junior shortstop Corey Morris. He now has the second highest batting average on the team at .361, and is reaching base at a clip of .407.
 
In the series against Western Oregon, Morris hit 6-for-16 with three runs scored including the game-winner in Game 2 on Holbrook's walkoff single.
 
Defensively, Morris was perfect in the five-game series with 21 assists, six putouts and no errors. Morris has not made an error in his last seven games and has made just one total in his last 10 games through 54 chances.
 
"I just try to stick to my approach and not do too much at the plate," Morris said. "I just try to get on base and let the guys behind me score me.
 
"We want the pitchers to keep doing what they are doing and giving us chances in the infield," Morris said regarding the upcoming series.
 
"Our defense was really good," Bishop said. "The main reason that we won three games against the Wolves was that we pitched really well and defended really well."
 
BLEHM FROM THE 'PEN: Blehm had a pair of relief appearances for the 'Jackets last week, and picked up his second save of the season as he took over for Johnson in Game 3. The senior right hander did not allow

a hit in 2 1/3 innings as he contributed 68 pitches on the weekend.
 
"It has been very nice being a student-athlete here," said Blehm, a four-year letterwinner with the Yellowjackets. "I've gotten to know the coaches really well and they have all been very easy to talk to. It has been very rewarding over the last four years, and I couldn't ask for anything more."
 
Blehm was one of 11 Yellowjacket baseball players honored at the third-annual Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society induction ceremony on Tuesday evening. The award is presented to junior and senior student-athletes who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher, and Blehm was honored for the second year in a row.
 
BUSTO BUSTS MSUB APPEARANCES RECORD: Having made 23 appearances this season, junior Lee Busto is now the MSUB single-season leader in that category. He is now tied for second in MSUB career appearances with 45, and the alltime record is 56 held by Brian Howe (2008-11).
 
HOLBROOK WALKS OFF AGAIN: For the second time in three games, Holbrook had the magic hit as his base hit in the eighth inning of Game 2 scored Morris for the walkoff 5-4 victory. Holbrook caught in all five games against WOU, starting three and he also hit his first home run of the season.
 
MERRITT OF HONOR: Sophomore left fielder Casey Merritt had four more hits last week, including a big two-run base hit in Game 2 that helped set the stage for Holbrook's heroics. Merritt is now batting .281 on the season and is 14 for his last 28 at the plate.
 
MILLER ALLTIME GNAC WALKS KING: With five walks in the series against WOU – including one intentional pass – Brody Miller became the GNAC career leader in the category with 107.
 
Despite going 0-for-13 at the plate, Miller had a couple of huge sacrifice flies with the bases loaded, that each missed leaving Dehler Park by 10 feet in right-center field. The senior second baseman also played error-free defense in 22 chances.
 
Brody Miller GNAC Career Milestone Chase
 

Rk.	Category	Miller	Next	Name, School	GNAC Record	Name, School
1	Walks	107	--	--	--	--
2	Assists	460	--	--	570	Jamie Nilsen, CWU
2	Total Bases	358	--	--	469	Jamie Nilsen, CWU
4	Home Runs	24	26	Daniel Dillard, WOU	43	Chandler Tracy, SMU
4	RBIs	154	165	Bryce Gardinier, WOU	183	2 Players With
4	Hits	240	241	Sean McDonald, NNU	295	Jamie Nilsen, CWU
5	Starts	183	185	Shane Schoeneberg, SMU	201	Jamie Nilsen, CWU
5	Doubles	44	51	Greg McCarthy, WOU	61	Jamie Nilsen, CWU
7	At-Bats	670	682	Shane Shoeneberg, SMU	746	Joey Price, WOU
8	Runs	131	138	Shane Schoeneberg, SMU	242	Jamie Nilsen, CWU
8	Games	183	183	Tim Andra, NNU	215	Travis Chetock, WOU

 
RUN OF THE MILLS STARTER/RELIEVER: Moving back into a starting role last week, senior right hander Jake Mills didn't miss a beat as he did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and ended up throwing 6 1/3 strong frames in the finale. It was Mills's first start since March 20, and he made five relief appearances between the two.
 
REINSCHMIDT PUSHING SINGLE-SEASON MARKS: With six more hits last week junior center fielder Luke Reinschmidt pushed his season total to 61, just six shy of Miller's MSUB single-season record of 67 set last year. Reinschmidt is approaching several MSUB single-season records and has already set a new standard for total bases in a season with 105 and counting.
 
Luke Reinschmidt MSUB Single-Season Milestone Chase
 

Rk.	Category	Reinschmidt	Next	Name, Year	MSUB Record	Name, Year
1	Total Bases	105	--	--	--	--
2	Home Runs	10	--	--	12	Brody Miller, 2015
2	RBI	49	--	--	52	Colby Robison, 2013
2	SLG	.656	--	--	.750	Ryan Duncan, 2008
3	Runs	39	--	--	42	2 With
5	Hits	61	62	Ty Gilmore, 2012	67	Brody Miller, 2014
8	OBP	.468	.471	Patch Wirtzberger, 2008	.667	Ryan Duncan, 2008
13	At Bats	160	168	3 With	187	Colby Robison, 2013

 

 
Friday, April 24 – 1 p.m. – Dehler Park – DOUBLEHEADER
Saturday, April 25 – 1 p.m. – Dehler Park – DOUBLEHEADER – SENIOR DAY
Northwest Nazarene University Crusaders
2015 Record: 25-20, 13-11 GNAC
Head Coach: Rocke Musgraves, 2nd season
2014 GNAC Finish: 4th (18-31, 13-19 GNAC)
 
The Crusaders are coming off of a series split against Central Washington and have won six of their last eight GNAC contests overall. NNU picked up a four game sweep over Saint Martin's, lost the first two at home against CWU, then responded with two victories on Saturday.
 
Offensively, NNU is paced by the second-leading hitter in the GNAC in Josh Hatfield. He is batting .390 with a conference-best 41 runs scored while adding 10 doubles and 23 RBIs. Hatfield's 11 steals are also the most in the GNAC.
 
Tyler Davis, Andrew Helmstadter and Jesse Hilyard are all each also hitting north of .300 on the season for NNU. Davis is the team's leader in home runs with eight on the season, and he has added 34 RBIs with a .329 batting average. Davis and Helmstadter are tied for the GNAC lead in doubles with 16 apiece, and the latter has 30 RBIs to go along with a .307 batting average.
 
Another key player for the 'Saders is Kyle Thomson, who carries a .393 average in 24 starts.
 
On the mound, NNU has been led by a trio of outstanding starters all with ERAs below 4.00. Jake Reppert heads the pack with a 2.18 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings over 10 starts. He and Colben McGuire provide a strong one-two punch as the latter has a GNAC-high 67 strikeouts in a dozen starts and 77 2/3 innings pitched.
 
Blake Mitchell has started 10 games for NNU, and has 46 strikeouts in 60 innings with a 3.90 ERA.
 
In relief, Noah Starr has been outstanding with a 1.98 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings with seven appearances.
 
The Crusaders average 5.51 runs per game while allowing 4.78, and their team ERA of 4.13 is the lowest in the conference.
 
The Series: With the four wins earlier in the year MSUB pulled the alltime series against the Crusaders even at 34-34 dating back to 2006. The Yellowjackets have now won the last six meetings and eight of the last 10 dating back to the 2014 season.
 
Last Time Out: Cooper earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors after striking out 10 in a complete game shutout that clinched the four-game series sweep for MSUB from March 20-21 in Nampa, Idaho. Through the four games, MSUB allowed just six runs while scoring 22.