BILLINGS, Mont. – Looking to keep its early momentum rolling this weekend, the Montana State University Billings baseball team will square off with the College of Idaho in a three-game series on the road.
 
The Yellowjackets (3-1) are coming off three straight victories last week in St. George, Utah, rallying to beat No. 15 Dixie State University twice and Cal State San Bernardino once after falling in the 2018 season opener.
 
This week, MSUB will face a test against a tough NAIA program in COI with a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game set for Sunday. The doubleheader is set for a noon first pitch, and Sunday's game will start at 11 a.m., and live video and statistics will be available throughout the weekend online here.
 
"We are ready to get back out on the road again against another quality opponent," commented MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. "The College of Idaho is coming off another NAIA national tournament berth in 2017, and they will be very well coached."

The 'Jackets have just six more non-conference games, as they will play at NCAA Division I University of Northern Colorado next weekend. After that, the 'Jackets start their schedule of 40 straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference games at Concordia University on March 3-4 in Portland, Ore.
 
"Our group is really keeping focus on the trip this weekend, and we are looking to continuously get better as we have more opportunities to compete," Sutton said.
 
STEEN, SLICE SWEEP POTW AWARDS: Junior Steen Fredrickson and sophomore Andrew Schleusner were rewarded for their efforts in MSUB's success last week, as the pitcher-catcher duo for the 'Jackets claimed both of the GNAC Player of the Week awards. Fredrickson tossed a career-best seven innings in MSUB's 12-5 win over CSU San Bernardino, while Schleusner was the team's leading hitter on the weekend going 6-for-13 with a home run and seven RBIs. It was the first-career player of the week award for each player.
 
MYERS PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Senior Ryan Myers led the GNAC in on-base percentage a year ago at .474, and appears to be poised for a similar campaign this year. Through the four games last week, Myers drew six walks and was hit by a pitch twice, contributing to an on-base percentage of .667. When the slugger got pitches to hit, he did major damage with a pair of home runs and six hits in 13 at bats. Myer's two-homer game against Dixie State in the finale was his second multi-homer game of his brief career at MSUB, and he now has 13 home runs which is tied for third most in school history.
 
GARCIA THE GLUE IN 3RD SPOT: Junior Jalen Garcia had a team-high eight hits last week, including two doubles and two home runs for a slugging percentage of .889 in his first series of the year. The preseason all-region centerfielder struck out just once in 22 plate appearances, while reaching base at a clip of .500 and matching Myers for the team lead in runs scored with seven. Garcia also made his season debut on the mound, cleaning up the final game of the series with a strikeout in one inning of work.
 
TETER BRINGS SOLIDITY TO INFIELD: Senior Chase Teter delivered in his first series as a Yellowjacket, and stood out with errorless defense in 20 chances at second and third base over the weekend. At the plate, he went 5-for-12 while hitting his first MSUB home run and driving in four. Teter also walked four times and was hit by a pitch four times, getting on base more often than not at a clip of .650.
 
COX UNTOUCHABLE ON MOUND: Making his 2018 pitching debut last week, senior Adam Cox was a mystery for the Dixie State hitters in two shutout innings of relief. Facing seven total batters, Cox logged five strikeouts to earn the 10th save of his career. Cox also performed at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
 
MUSKAT'S DEBUT SPELLS DEJA-VU: For the second season in-a-row, MSUB left-hander Sam Muskat logged a multi-inning performance with no earned runs allowed in his debut. Last year, Muskat earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week after five perfect innings in his first collegiate appearance against Colorado Mesa. The sophomore was similarly effective against Dixie State last weekend, with a pair of strikeouts and no earned runs allowed in 3 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
 
EDGAR IMPRESSES IN FIRST OUTING: Senior right-hander Travis Edgar was another key arm for MSUB over the weekend, as he earned the win in the series finale against DSU. The 6-foot-7 reliever struck out a pair and did not allow a hit in two shutout innings, as the move to save him for the final game paid off for the 'Jackets.

College of Idaho Coyotes
Saturday, Feb. 17 – 12 PM Doubleheader – Wolfe Field
Sunday, Feb. 18 – 11 AM – Wolfe Field
2018 Record: 5-8
Head Coach: Shawn Humberger, 18th season
2017 Record: 25-30, 14-18 NAIA West
 
Already well into its 2018 schedule, COI is off to a 5-8 start under long-time head coach Shawn Humberger. Last week, the Yotes split a four-game series at Ottawa University in Phoenix, Ariz., which included a dramatic, 12-10 11-inning victory.
 
Austin Van Horne and Dominic Conigliaro are the top hitters early on in the year, with each player hitting .326 through 13 games. Conigliaro has one of just two home runs hit by the team, and is second on the squad with nine RBIs.
 
Johnny Hyland is another solid hitter, who is off to a .310 start to the year and has already racked up seven stolen bases. Nate Hundley is getting on base at a clip of .519, and is also a threat on the base paths with a success rate of 3-for-5 in steals.
 
Tate Spivey leads the team with 10 RBIs, and has a team-high 49 at-bats to go along with a .224 batting average.
 
Hunter Boyd and Miles Bigelow have each started three games on the mound, with the former leading the team with 21 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. Conigliaro is a strong two-way player for COI, as he has a 3.12 earned run average in 17 1/3 innings pitched to go along with his .326 batting average.
 
Gaige Kepner has shown signs of taking on the closer role for the Yotes, with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings and a 3.38 ERA in four total appearances.
 
As a team COI is batting .266, as a team ERA of 5.74, and is fielding at .955.
 
The Series: MSUB is 2-0 all-time against the College of Idaho, with both games being played in Caldwell.
 
Last Time Out: The 'Jackets swept a doubleheader on March 3, 2011, winning 3-2 and 3-1 in a pair of close contests.