BILLINGS, Mont. – Figuring to be one of the toughest tests of the 2018 season, the Montana State University Billings baseball team will play a three-game series at NCAA Division I opponent University of Northern Colorado this weekend in Greeley, Colo.
 
Games are scheduled for a noon first pitch on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at Jackson Field, and live stats will be available online here for all three games. The games on Sunday and Monday will be streamed live on Pluto.tv Channel 201 free of charge, available online here. "Anytime we can play quality opponents it makes us better as a club," said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. "Northern Colorado is a well-coached team that had a good campaign in 2017 and returns a lot of experience."
 
MSUB (4-3) is coming off a 1-2 series at the College of Idaho last week, dropping the first two contests and getting out of town with a 9-2 victory. This is the team's final non-conference series before jumping into Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on March 3 at Concordia University in Portland, Ore.

EARLY REGIONAL RANKINGS: The Yellowjackets appeared in the early-season National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association west region rankings, checking in at No. 7 in the top-10 poll released Wednesday.
 
BATS ON FIRE EARLY: There has been no shortage of offense this season for the Yellowjackets, who are averaging 11.3 runs per game through their first seven contests of the year. The team has already scored 79 times this season, and even if it doesn't keep up the remarkable pace MSUB figures to have a shot at the school single-season record of 375 runs (2015). Despite playing the fewest games among the six GNAC teams, MSUB has 21 more runs than the next closest team in Northwest Nazarene University (58 in 10 games). The 'Jackets are also hitting .332 as a team, with the next-closest GNAC team at .277.
 
"Offensively we have looked really strong, and we will be challenged seeing some top-end arms this week," Sutton said. "All around as a club we have got to continue to get better, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to get outside, work on things, and compete."
 
IN IT 'TIL THE END: All three of MSUB's losses this year have been by a single run at the hands of a walk-off hit in the bottom of the final inning. MSUB lost the first two games against COI on walk-off hits, the second coming in the 10th inning on a game that resumed the day after it was halted due to darkness. While MSUB has been out-scored by just three runs in its losses, the team's four victories have been more convincing. The closest margin in a win this year was a 14-11 triumph over Dixie State on Feb. 10, and overall MSUB has out-scored its opponents 50-25 in its four wins.
 
SOUTHPAW SAMS: Lefty pitchers Sam Wong and Sam Muskat have been among the Yellowjackets' top performers on the mound through the first two series of the year, and each contributed significantly last week at COI. Wong earned his first win in a Yellowjacket uniform, striking out six and walking none over six innings in the finale. The junior transfer from Treasure Valley Community College was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week for his performance, and the opposition is batting just .222 against him in 10 1/3 innings pitched. Muskat delivered the longest outing of his young career, as the sophomore battled through 5 2/3 innings of relief in Game 2.
 
WOOLERY BAFFLES YOTES: Junior right-hander Carson Woolery picked up his first save as a Yellowjacket in the win over COI, pitching three stellar frames to finish off what Wong started. Woolery allowed just one baserunner – a hit batter – in his three innings, while collecting six strikeouts and protecting MSUB's lead.
 
GARCIA HAS GREEN LIGHT: Jalen Garcia had another productive week at the plate, with five hits including a double and a triple. It's what the junior did on the base paths that is most impressive however, as he was a perfect 5-for-5 in the stolen base department. Garcia has had multiple hits in 5 of 7 games this year overall, and has had a knock in each of his last five games.
 
LINEBARGER, TETER LEADING HITTERS: Conner Linebarger and Chase Teter are each hitting over .390 to lead the Yellowjacket offense, and they rank second and third, respectively, on the team in runs scored. Quickly becoming a staple as an infielder, Teter leads the team with an on-base percentage of .588 as he has drawn five walks and been hit six times to go along with his nine hits in seven games. Defensively, Teter has committed just two errors in 30 chances playing primarily at third base and second base.
 
SCHLEUSNER, TALLMAN DOUBLE THEIR MONEY: Sophomore backstop Andrew Schleusner kept the hot start to his season going, doubling in each game last week and keeping his batting average at .385. Schleusner is second on the team with 12 RBIs and in slugging percentage at .615, trailing only Garcia (among qualifiers) who is at 13 and .706 in those categories. Jake Tallman made the most of his opportunities last week, recording a pair of leadoff doubles that helped spark MSUB rallies.
 
University of Northern Colorado Bears
Saturday, February 24 – 12 PM – Jackson Field
Sunday, February 25 – 12 PM – Jackson Field
Monday, February 26 – 12 PM – Jackson Field
2018 Record: 2-2
Head Coach: Carl Iwasaki, 8th season
Last Week: at San Jose State – L 7-4, W 12-7, L 11-10, W 6-5
2017 Record: 24-30, 10-14 Western Athletic Conference (6th place)
 
Like the 'Jackets, the Bears have been in close affairs more often than not early in the season. UNC started its year with a four-game split at San Jose State last weekend, and Saturday will mark the start of a 10-game home stand at Jackson Field.
 
The UNC offense produced during its opening weekend, scoring 32 runs on 43 hits. Four different players hit over .400 for the bears, led by Matt Burkart who went 5-for-11 and hit one of his team's two home runs. Dean Lawson and Jack Pauley each drove in six runs, while Tyler Yamaguchi matched Pauley for the team lead in hits with seven.
 
On the mound, Troy Watson and Keenan Lum are the top starters for UNC, as the duo combined for 15 strikeouts while each throwing six innings in their 2018 debut last week. Lum surrendered just one run on six hits to earn the win, while Watson gave up three earned runs on seven hits in his outing.
 
The Series: MSUB has never defeated Northern Colorado, with an 0-10 all-time record against the D1 opponent. All 10 games in the series have been played in Greeley, Colo.
 
Last Time Out: The teams last met in 2010, with UNC sweeping a three-game series from April 2-4. Patch Wirtzberger was 5-for-9 with four runs scored and three RBIs in the series to lead the 'Jackets at the plate.