BILLINGS, Mont. – Seven players signed early letters of intent to join the Montana State University Billings baseball team for the 2018-19 academic year, announced Yellowjacket head coach Aaron Sutton on Monday.
 
The class features four players from Montana, and players from Colorado and California as well. Six of the seven will be true freshmen next year, with one junior-college transfer being added to the mix.
 
"This early signing period was a successful one for the Yellowjackets," said Coach Sutton, who is in his second year piloting the baseball team. "We are very excited about the future of these young men and their addition to MSUB. Each player brings depth and the opportunity to be an immediate-impact guy. They have really helped us identify some needs for the following year, and we know these guys are hungry to get to work. What really impressed our coaching staff the most was the maturity throughout the recruiting process. In this program, we don't just recruit the player, but the entire family as well. We know we are adding seven outstanding groups to the Yellowjacket Family moving forward."
 
2018-19 MSUB Baseball Recruiting Class

Name	Position	Hometown	Previous School
PJ Ausmus	Second Baseman	Parker, CO	Legend HS
Matt Houlihan	RHP/Utility	Great Falls, MT	Charles M. Russell HS
Dylan Johnson	Catcher	Billings, MT	Billings West HS
Keven Mackintosh	Left-Handed Pitcher	Aurora, CO	Lamar Community College
Brian Orr	Infield/Outfield	Santa Rosa, CA	Maria Carrillo HS
Zander Petrich	Catcher/RHP	Livingston, MT	Park HS
Brooks Zimmer	Right-Handed Pitcher	Billings, MT	Billings Senior HS

PJ Ausmus
Parker, Colorado
Legend High School
5'9" – Second Baseman
Intended Major: Undecided
 
Entering his senior season this spring, Ausmus has won a pair of letters as a second baseman under head coach Scott Boyd at Legend High School. In 2017, Ausmus batted .373 and had a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage in 46 chances in the infield. He was a second-team all-Continental League selection in baseball last spring as well.
 
Ausmus also earned three letters in football, where he was a team captain and first-team academic all-league selection. In 15 varsity games as a wide receiver, Ausmus grabbed 28 catches for 402 yards.
 
Coach Sutton on Ausmus: "PJ comes from a quality program and brings a very sound approach to Billings. Defensively, he can step onto the field right now and have an impact. The biggest trait we like about PJ is his mindset. He is as tough as they come, and plays the game the right way. His skillset really fits into our offensive approach, and he brings a lot to the table. PJ is a special type of person and will add a lot to our team on and off the field."
 
Ausmus on choosing MSUB: "The atmosphere in Billings was amazing on my visit. The coaches, players, and people make you feel like part of the family. This is a program that's about to make some big strides going forward and I wanted to be a part of that."

Matt Houlihan
Great Falls, Montana
Charles M. Russell High School
6'3" – Utility/Right-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Undecided
 
Houlihan competed for the Great Falls Chargers American Legion team for four seasons, playing primarily as a catcher. In 2016-17, Houlihan was tabbed as his team's most improved player.
 
Coach Sutton on Houlihan: "Matt is a very dynamic player and brings a lot of upside to our program. He brings some bat speed to the plate and some athleticism in the field. Matt really projects on the mound as he has shown to have a very loose and quick arm with limited innings pitched in his career. Our staff is looking forward to the opportunity to develop Matt over the course of his career at MSUB."
 
Houlihan on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because of its amazing baseball program. I am excited to get started in a program with such great coaches. I am eager to pursue my career in physical therapy, and MSUB is the best choice to help me reach my goals. Being close to my family also helped me to decide that MSUB was the right fit. When I visited MSUB the coaching staff impressed me and made it easy for me to make the decision to sign early."

Dylan Johnson
Billings, Montana
Billings West High School
Intended Major: Undecided
 
A local product from Billings, Johnson is fresh off four years competing with the Billings Scarlets where he was an all-state selection last summer. Johnson led his team in batting average and on-base plus slugging, and was also an all-conference utility player. Throughout his four years at Billings West, Johnson was a four-time honor roll student.
 
Coach Sutton on Johnson: "Dylan is a true competitor who brings a high passion for the game of baseball and the ability to be a potential game-changer as an underclassman. We really like his approach as a hitter, as he can carry bat speed to all fields and be a middle of the order threat in a lineup. On the mound, Dylan has one of the fastest arms in the Northwest. As he continues to develop as a pitcher, we really feel he is a true two-way player who can help us on both sides of the ball."
 
Johnson on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because of the coaches. I am excited to continue my education and baseball career at MSUB, and am excited to see what these next four years have in store."
 
Keven Mackintosh
Aurora, Colorado
Cherokee Trail High School/Lamar Community College
6'1" – Left-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Undecided
 
Mackintosh had a stellar freshman season at Lamar Community College, where he ranked second on the team with 68.0 innings pitched and 92 strikeouts. The righty posted an 8-3 record in 14 starts, with an ERA of 5.16 in his debut collegiate season. He posted a season-high 10 strikeouts at Otero Junior College on April 14, while throwing 5 1/3 innings.
 
Prior to his time at Lamar CC, Mackintosh was a two-year letterwinner in baseball at Cherokee Trail High School where he split time as a pitcher and first baseman.
 
Coach Sutton on Mackintosh: "The lefty adds some much-needed depth from that side of the mound on our staff. Keven has shown he can pitch at the collegiate level, and put up some really impressive numbers last year at Lamar. We know he comes from a very competitive program and brings a bulldog mentality to Billings. Keven's style of pitching really fits our pitching staff, and we are excited to have him competing in a Yellowjacket uniform."
 
Mackintosh on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because I want to be on a competitive team that wants to win as badly as I do. The team has a great atmosphere that I'd love to be a part of. This school fits my personality and will help me pursue my career."
 
Brian Orr
Santa Rosa, California
Maria Carrillo High School
6'1" – Infielder/Outfielder
Intended Major: Undecided
 
Orr will win his fourth letter in baseball in the spring of 2018 at Maria Carrillo High School. Playing primarily as a left-side infielder, Orr was an all-North Bay League selection in 2017 after batting .308. He is a four-time NCS Scholar Athlete Award winner, and is a member of the National Honor Society. Orr was also a member of the Norcal/Northwest NTIS team that competed in Cary, N.C.
 
Coach Sutton on Orr: "Brian brings a special type of bat speed to this class. The big right-handed bat can be electric at times, and will develop into a true threat in our lineup. Brian has also played a lot of baseball at a high level, and his experience will translate to the next level here at MSUB. His true position is shortstop, but he has shown the ability to play a corner infield and outfield spot. That versatility is what really caught our attention, as he can add an offensive threat to our team anywhere on the field."
 
Orr on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because I wanted to be a part of the culture that the coaching staff and players are creating, while earning a degree from a great university. I cannot wait to explore Montana and enjoy the outdoors."

Zander Petrich
Livingston, Montana
Park High School
5'11" – Catcher/Right-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Business
 
Petrich will compete for the Livingston Braves American Legion team for his fourth year this spring, where he has developed into a versatile player both on the mound and as a catcher and infielder. He was a 2017 Montana Legion Baseball all-state selection, after posting a slash line of .464/.433/.533 during his junior season. He also stole 35 bases and scored 61 runs in 40 games played last spring, while fielding at a clip of .931.
 
Petrich has been a member of the National Honor Society the last two years, carrying a cumulative high-school grade point average of 3.78.
 
Coach Sutton on Petrich: "Zander is as talented and raw of an athlete we can find on the baseball diamond. His true position is behind the plate as a catcher, but he has the speed and arm strength to play anywhere on the field. Zander really has a chance to be special on the mound, with an electric fastball and a hard slider. He and his family are as good as they come, and we are looking forward to the next four years with them."
 
Petrich on choosing MSUB: "I chose to attend MSUB to play baseball because of the location, quality program, coaching staff, and my desire to play the game at the next level."
 
Brooks Zimmer
Billings, Montana
Billings Senior High School
6'6" – Right-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Engineering
 
Competing for the Billings Royals American Legion team, Zimmer will continue to call Dehler Park his home when his collegiate career begins. He has won three letters so far in baseball and two in basketball for the Billings Senior Broncs.
 
His highlights on the baseball diamond include a complete-game shutout against the Billings Cardinals during his freshman season. In basketball, the 6-foot-6 forward was named the 2016-17 Billings Senior Defensive Player of the Year, after leading the state with 2.2 blocked shots per game.
 
Coach Sutton on Zimmer: "Brooks is a projectable right-hander who has easy velocity and one of the highest ceilings in this class. He has proven he can be a front-line arm for the Royals, and with his frame and athleticism he is only going to improve when he arrives at MSUB. We are extremely excited to provide Brooks with the opportunity to continue his baseball career here at home in Billings."
 
Zimmer on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because I think it is a place I can get better both on the field and in the classroom. I also really enjoy the coaches and the direction the program is heading."
 
The Yellowjackets went 23-29 in 2017 and tied for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings at 21-19 in league play to advance to their third-straight conference tournament. View MSUB's 2018 schedule online here.