BILLINGS, Mont. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference season will be in full swing this weekend as the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets (8-8) will face the Simon Fraser Clan (3-0) in Burnaby, B.C. The conference rivals hope to play four games over Saturday and Sunday with the pair of doubleheaders starting at 1 p.m. and 12 p.m. respectively. Heavy precipitation, including snow, has hit the Burnaby area and could impact the start times or playing of the games.
 
Starting this weekend, the Yellowjackets will play GNAC opponents in 28 of the remaining 34 games during the 2018 season.
 
"I'm definitely happy with the way we have started the season and where we are heading into conference," head coach Jessica Rayman said after playing the first 16 games against non-conference opponents. "The girls came out and started the season really strong and now we have been focusing on our consistency and playing solid defense in the field. As we get into conference, we need to eliminate errors and make the routine plays. Our offense is going to be there for us and I think we've had the experiences we need to execute during the GNAC season."
 
SIERIES BREAKDOWN: The Yellowjackets went 1-3 against the Clan last season as they hosted SFU for the final series of the season in Billings. Heather Tracy had two home runs over the four games to the lead the MSUB offense and Vanessa Almario hit her second home run of the season in the 'Jackets' Game 3 win over the Clan. Megan Dettling recorded the only win in the series allowing just two runs in a complete game which featured four strikeouts from the pitcher.
 
"With Simon Fraser just playing three games so far, we have focused more on the way they approached our games against them last season," Rayman said of MSUB's preparations. "We keep a close eye on everyone in our league and have a scouting report for this season but I think we have a good feel of what they're going to do."  
 
MSUB last took a series from SFU in 2015 when they won three of the four games in Billings. That season, the 'Jackets went on to win the GNAC Championship Tournament and advance to the NCAA Division II West Regional. In the all-time series, MSU Billings leads Simon 17-15 with a winning record both at home (9-7) and on the road (8-7). The Clan won the only neutral site contest when the teams first played in Richland, Wash. in 2001. SFU also holds the only sweep ever recorded in the series when they won all four games in 2016, when the 'Jackets last visited Burnaby.
 
NUMBERS AND NOTES
 
CASSISNELLI ON-DECK FOR MSUB RECORD: Senior first baseman Cameron Cassinelli picked up three RBI last weekend and has collected 136 runs batted in during her MSUB career which ties her for the most in program history with Emily Osborn. The Santan Valley, Ariz. native has brought home a runner in exactly half of MSUB's 16 games this season and leads the team with 15 RBI. Cassinelli drove in a school record 51 runs last season and is on pace to finish the season with 46 RBI this season which would rank fourth for a single season in school history.

 

The senior will hold a handful of top marks by the end of the season as the slugger ranks second in home runs (32) and on-base percentage (.439) and third in slugging percentage (.654) and walks (58). Cassinelli is hitting .333 in the early season with two home runs, three doubles and six runs scored.
 
TRACY TOPS THE NATION: Through 16 games this season, Heather Tracy has a Division II leading 33 hits this season. The MSUB right fielder is tied for the fewest games played amongst hitters ranking in the top-10 in the nation with some teams having 20 or more games played this season. Her .559 batting average is 16th nationally however, Tracy is second among hitters with more than 30 at-bats this season. Last weekend she became MSUB softball's all-time hits leader when she hit her team-leading fourth home run of the season for her 216th career hit. She ranks fourth in the nation in total bases with 51 this season and has a team-best 22 runs scored in 16 games. Tracy has collected a hit in each game this season and has now tied her own record for the longest hitting streak in school history with 21 consecutive games dating back to last season.

 

DETTLING STRIKES AGAIN: Senior pitched Megan Dettling (2-2, 4.33 ERA) has sat down 52 batters on strikes this season which ranks her 16th in the nation. In just 10 appearances this season, Dettling has already collected more than half of her junior-season strikeout total of 102 in 28 appearances, which ranked eighth in MSUB history. With a career total of 279 strikeouts, the right-hander is within striking distance of becoming the seventh player in program history to record 300 strikeouts in a career.        
 
NEWCOMERS BRING POP: With head coach Jessica Rayman's first full recruiting class coming to the plate, the Yellowjackets have seen a strong compliment of newcomers in their lineup. In the 6-3 win over Metropolitan State University last Saturday, junior transfer Kelsee Bushell became the fourth 2018 addition to hit a home run this season. Fellow junior transfer Shayla Felix added a solo shot in the sixth inning to pad the MSUB-lead in the victory. Freshmen Brittanee Fisher and Allie Hughes have also gone deep for the Yellowjackets this season.
 
Felix and Fisher each have three round-trippers this season and in total, the eight homers from first-year 'Jackets account for nearly half of the teams' 17 home runs this season. The quartette also accounts for 30 RBIs on a combined 35 hits.
 
 
Simon Fraser University Clan
Saturday, March 3 | 1 P.M. Doubleheader | Burnaby, B.C.  
Sunday, March 4 | 12 P.M. Doubleheader | Burnaby, B.C.  
2018 Record: 3-0
Head Coach: Mike Renney (23rd Season)
2017 Record: 12-32, 8-20 GNAC
Roster | Stats
 
FOLLOW: All MSUB home games as well as GNAC road contests will be available through the MSUB Stretch Internet Portal.
 
A small sample size has produced big numbers for the Clan this season as they lead the nation in team batting average (.419) and runs per game (10.33) after three games. Simon Fraser earned an 8-7 win over Biola University in La Miranda, Calif. before heading to Hawaii where they took two games from Chaminade University, 9-2 and 14-6. A doubleheader against Hawaii Pacific was cancelled due to rain.
 
Taylor Gillis leads the Clan's offense with a .615 batting average so far this season. The left-handed outfielder is one of three Simon Fraser players with more than 10 at-bats this season and has gone 8-for-13 at the plate. Five SFU players with fewer than 10 at-bats have an average above .500 this season. Simon batters have struck out just five times this season.
 
As a team, the Clan has only collected one home run over the three games while striking three doubles. Taylor Lundrigan is the only member of the team with multiple extra-base hits with two doubles on the year. In the circle, senior Alia Stachoski (2-0, 4.50 ERA) has two wins in as many starts with one complete game.  
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets are coming off of a bye week after going 1-3 in a pair of doubleheaders two weeks ago in Colorado. MSUB split a pair of games against Metropolitan State University Denver before dropping two games to Colorado School of Mines.
 
In the first game against Metro State, MSU Billings played catch-up the entire game after two early runs in the bottom of the first inning gave MSUD a lead. The 'Jackets had nine hits in the game but were defeated by six hits from the Roadrunners delivering a 5-3 win. In Game 2, Maddy Lincoln held Metro State scoreless for six innings while the 'Jackets tallied six runs. The Roadrunnes hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh but MSUB held on for the 6-3 win.
 
Against Colorado Mines, the 'Jackets plated just three runs over the two games while the Orediggers collected a pair of wins, 7-1 and 7-2. Casssinelli drove in all three runs over the doubleheader as the MSUB offense struggled to gain momentum.