BILLINGS, Mont. – The third Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season championship in the last four years for the Montana State University Billings baseball team was clinched in the least dramatic fashion of the three on Tuesday, but for the Yellowjackets it is just as sweet as the first two.
 
"On our checklist of the next 100 feet, winning the regular season was No. 1 on our list," commented MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. "I am so proud of our guys for the way they handled adversity this year, and they have definitely earned it. Winning a conference title is always tough, and we knew we had a lot of growth coming off last year. Winning three of the last four titles is a testament to what this athletic department does and what Coach (Rob) Bishop started, and hopefully we can continue to move in the right direction."
 
With Concordia University defeating Western Oregon University 9-8 in a makeup game in Monmouth, Ore., Tuesday afternoon, the Wolves fell out of contention to match the Yellowjackets for the 2018 regular-season title. With four regular-season games left to play, MSUB is 27-9 in conference play, five games clear of WOU.
 
For the Yellowjackets' second-year head coach, it is the first GNAC regular-season title. This is the fourth year in-a-row that MSUB has qualified for the conference tournament, and it is the second time in that span that the 'Jackets enter the event as the No. 1 overall seed (also in 2015).
 
Overall, MSUB is 28-14, and will host Central Washington University in a crucial four-game series this weekend at Dehler Park. Doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday and noon on Friday. Live video with play-by-play commentary and live statistics will be available online for all four games through MSUB's Stretch Internet portal here.
 
"This is a big series for us against a very quality opponent," said Sutton. "Central can really swing it, and they are about as offensive as we are as a club. It's going to be a lot about doing the small things right, coming up with timely hits, and pitching and playing defense well. This will be a tough conference battle, and our seniors are looking forward to going out and having a terrific end to their home careers at Dehler Park."

SENIOR SENDOFF: Prior to Friday's doubleheader, the 10 graduating players from MSUB's program will be honored in a pregame Senior Day ceremony. Kade Hall, Talon Derrick, Corbin Smith, Chase Teter, Michael Gahan, Tristan Shockley, Adam Cox, Ryan Myers, Jarod Paul, and Travis Edgar will each be joined by family members and friends during the ceremony on the field.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS: Though the conference tournament lies on the horizon, MSUB has a task in front of it this week with regional ranking implications hanging in the balance of the series against the Wildcats. After earning their first-ever NCAA D2 West Region ranking last week at the No. 6 spot, the 'Jackets slipped one position and were ranked No. 7 in the latest poll released on Wednesday. The NCAA rankings will eventually determine the field for the NCAA D2 West Region Championships, which features the top-six teams in the region. The 'Jackets moved to No. 7 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association west region poll as well.
 
A BID FOR HISTORY: In what has already become an historic season, the Yellowjackets have gone undefeated in their nine conference series thus far in 2018. If MSUB can split or win this weekend's series against Central Washington, it would be the only team in GNAC history besides Western Oregon to complete an entire GNAC regular-season schedule with zero series losses. The Wolves have achieved that feat 10 times in their historic dominance of the GNAC since its inception in 2002, including four seasons in which they won all their conference series without a split. The Yellowjackets are also looking to tie WOU's record of eight series wins in a season, a feat it achieved in 2012 when it went 29-3 and 8-0 in conference series.
 
GNAC Baseball Undefeated Series Seasons (all series are four games)

Team	Season	Series W	Series T	Series L	Sweeps	Total Series	GNAC W	GNAC L	PCT	GNAC Games	Place
WOU	2003	6	0	0	4	6	22	2	0.9167	24	1
WOU	2005	6	0	0	3	6	21	3	0.8750	24	1
WOU	2006	5	1	0	3	6	20	4	0.8333	24	1
WOU	2007	4	2	0	2	6	18	6	0.7500	24	1
WOU	2009	7	0	0	3	7	24	4	0.8571	28	1
WOU	2010	7	1	0	5	8	28	4	0.8750	32	1
WOU	2011	7	1	0	4	8	27	5	0.8438	32	1
WOU	2012	8	0	0	5	8	29	3	0.9063	32	1
WOU	2013	6	2	0	2	8	24	8	0.7500	32	1
WOU	2017	5	5	0	2	10	27	12	0.6923	39	1
MSUB*	2018	7	2	0	2	9	27	9	0.7500	36	1

*MSUB has one regular-season series remaining in 2018.
**As the GNAC has expanded from four teams in 2002 to six teams in 2018, the schedule has progressed from six conference series up to 10 in the current model.
 
MYERS' ELITE SEASON CONTINUES: Senior Ryan Myers is working on one of the best seasons in GNAC baseball history, entering this weekend leading the conference in batting average (.392), on-base percentage (.560), slugging percentage (.736), and home runs (11). His current on-base percentage of .560 is the highest in GNAC single-season history, and he is No. 3 in the NCAA in that category. Myers is also bidding to become just the third player in GNAC history to lead the conference in all three slash line categories, and the first to do so since the 2009 season.
 
GNAC Baseball Players to Lead League in AVG/OBP/SLG in a Season

Season	Player	School	Average	Slugging	On-Base
2008	Jamie Nilsen	Central Washington	0.468	0.780	0.557
2009	Thomas McCarthy	Western Oregon	0.461	0.594	0.530
2018	Ryan Myers	MSU Billings	0.392	0.736	0.560

 *Bold italics indicate GNAC single-season record
 
Myers also enters the week No. 3 in the GNAC with 42 RBIs, keeping his bid for the first Triple Crown in GNAC history alive. Jamie Nilsen also led the GNAC in RBIs with 59 in his historic 2008 campaign, but no player has led the league in the five stat categories of batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, and RBIs.
 
Ryan Myers Current GNAC Rankings (as of May 2, 2018)

Season	Player	School	Average	On-Base	Slugging	HR	RBI
2018	Ryan Myers	MSU Billings	1	1	1	1	3

 *Traditional baseball Triple Crown categories are batting average, home runs, and RBIs
 
GARCIA A 5-TOOL PLAYER: Hitting directly in front of Myers in the No. 2 spot, junior Jalen Garcia completes the most formidable offensive duo in the GNAC. Garcia leads the conference with 45 RBIs, while holding a .380/.426/.681 slash line. Garcia has equaled the MSUB single-season record with six triples, while adding 17 doubles and seven home runs. He also leads the conference with 24 stolen bases which is the MSUB single-season record, and needs two more to break the MSUB career record of 34 steals held by Colby Robison (2011-13).
 
MSUB Career Stolen Bases Leaders

Rank	Name	SB	Seasons
1	Colby Robison	34	2011-13
2	Kyle Pryor	33	2006-07
	Jalen Garcia	33	2017-18
4	Luke Reinschmidt	31	2013-16
5	Austin Rue	28	2011-13
6	Willie Crtalic	26	2006-07
	Casey Merritt	26	2014-17
8	Zach Robinson	23	2016-17
9	Nick Hoskyn	19	2006-07
10	Cole Pryor	18	2008-09

 
FREDRICKSON CONTINUES TO PACE STAFF: Though he received a no-decision last week, junior right-hander Steen Fredrickson remains at the top of the conference among starting pitchers with a perfect 6-0 record and a league-leading 63 strikeouts. Fredrickson's 59 1/3 innings pitched are tied for fourth most in the league, and his ERA of 3.34 is the second-lowest among qualifiers. The Ashland, Ore., native also ranks third in the conference with an opponents' batting average of .222, and is the only Yellowjacket to make a start in all 11 series this season. 

WONG GOES THE DISTANCE: Logging the first complete game of the year for the team, junior Sam Wong finished off MSUB's 6-1 win over Saint Martin's in Game 3 last week. The left-hander worked his ERA down to 4.47, and struck out five to give him 30 punch outs in 50 1/3 innings pitched this spring.
 
COX HAS ANOTHER DOMINANT OUTING: Right-handed closer Adam Cox had another stellar relief appearance last week, striking out four and giving up just one hit in two innings of relief. Upping his strikeout total to 39 on the season, he has now struck out 43.8 percent of the 89 batters that he has faced in his 22 2/3 innings pitched.
 
DANGEROUS LINEUP: Among the 12 major offensive stat categories, the GNAC leader is a Yellowjacket in 11 and the team has at least two players in the top-10 in all 12. There are five MSUB players in the top-10 in batting average, runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, despite MSUB playing the second-fewest games in the conference with 42 on the season.
 
GNAC Baseball Offensive Stat Leaders (as of May 2, 2018)

Category	MSUB Players in Top-10	Leader
Average	5	Myers
Hits	2	Hall
Runs	5	Garcia
Home Runs	4	Myers
Doubles	4	Smith (CWU)
Triples	2	Garcia
RBIs	5	Garcia
Stolen Bases	2	Garcia
Total Bases	4	Garcia
Walks	3	Myers
On-Base	5	Myers
Slugging	5	Myers

 
MAGIC NUMBERS: The Yellowjackets enter the week three wins from breaking the school record of 30 established in 2016, and are set to achieve a handful of team season records in the series against the Wildcats. MSUB enters the week tied for the school records in both doubles (103) and RBIs (325), is two sacrifice flies away from breaking the record of 25, five runs away from breaking the record of 357, and 24 total bases away from breaking the record of 781. Having already topped the program record for home runs in a season with 55 so far, the 'Jackets are eight home runs away from matching Northwest Nazarene University's GNAC record of 63 home runs established last year.
 
Notable MSUB Baseball Records Nearing Eclipse (as of May 2, 2018)

Category	Magic #	To Make	Record	Season
2B	1	103	102	2014
RBI	1	325	324	2015
SF	2	26	25	2013
Wins	3	31	30	2016
Runs	5	358	357	2015
TB	24	782	781	2015

Central Washington University Wildcats
Thursday, May 3 – 1 PM Doubleheader – Dehler Park
Friday, May 4 – 12 PM Doubleheader – Dehler Park
2018 Record: 24-22, 19-17 GNAC
Head Coach: Desi Storey, 26th season
First Series: MSUB 3, CWU 1 (March 30-31 at Ellensburg, Wash.) | CWU 14, MSUB 13 | MSUB 9, CWU 5 | MSUB 18, CWU 1 | MSUB 11, CWU 4
 
The Wildcats have clinched a spot in the conference tournament, and will host the event next week in Ellensburg, Wash., for the first time ever. CWU is coming off a 3-1 series loss to Western Oregon last week, during which it was out-scored 29-19. The first meeting of the year between the 'Jackets and 'Cats was a slugfest for MSUB, as it tied the GNAC record for home runs during a four-game series with 13 at the end of March.
 
James Smith III is the offensive leader for CWU, with a team-best .368 batting average, 19 doubles, eight home runs, and 43 RBIs. Smith ranks fourth in the GNAC – behind Myers, Kaleo Johnson, and Garcia – in slugging percentage at .626, and is also reaching base at a clip of .448 this season.
 
The Wildcats have five other players batting north of .300, including Dustin Braun with an average of .362. Braun is second on the squad with four home runs and 10 doubles, and has driven in 31 while slugging at .497. Tristin Parton (.346) and Justin Hampson (.341) are the next two leading hitters for the 'Cats, with the former hot at 11-for-28 (.393) over his last eight games.
 
On the mound, CWU has turned to Connor Stevenson (11 starts), Griffin Davis (12 starts), and reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Year Mackenzie Gaul (12 starts) for consistency in the role of starter. Stevenson has the top numbers among the rotation, with a 4.08 ERA and 51 strikeouts in a team-high 70 2/3 innings pitched. Gaul has 30 punch outs in 53 1/3 innings with a 5.23 ERA, and Davis has struck out 48 in 59 1/3 innings with a 6.07 ERA.
 
The 'Jackets could also see Seth Pedersen as a starter, as he pitched against them in the series in Ellensburg and has had seven turns on the mound this year with a 4.76 ERA. As a team CWU is second in the conference with a .301 batting average, while averaging 6.7 runs per game. The Wildcats have a team ERA of 5.95 this spring.
 
The Series: MSUB is 45-46 all-time against CWU, and has a record of 20-24 in home games against the Wildcats. MSUB has won the last two series, but CWU has taken three of the last five dating back to the start of the 2016 season.
 
Last Time Out: MSUB led 13-12 entering the bottom of the ninth in Game 1, but the 'Cats rallied for two runs to claim the 14-13 win in the opening game. It was the only thing that prevented CWU from being swept at home, as the 'Jackets racked up 51 runs over the one-sided four-game series.