BILLINGS, Mont. – The two teams that ended the 2018 Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball season will fittingly kick off the 2019 campaign, as Montana State University Billings gets its league schedule underway this weekend at Western Oregon University.
 
Doubleheaders in a 9-inning/7-inning format are scheduled for noon Pacific time both Saturday and Sunday at the WOU Baseball Field in Monmouth, Oregon. Live video and live statistics will be available for the games on Sunday, and live statistics will be available for all four games through the MSUB Stretch Internet portal online here.
 
"We are looking forward to opening conference play after a tough preseason," said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. "This group was tested early, and we hope that prepared us for a very competitive conference schedule. It is always fun to match up with WOU, as both sides play really good baseball. We know both programs have a mutual respect for one another, and this should be a very competitive series."
 
Both teams have battled significant weather hardships early in the season, with MSUB (0-8) having its season-opening series at Colorado School of Mines (Feb. 9-10) canceled due to snow. Western Oregon (2-0) meanwhile, has played just two games after having four-game series at both Lewis-Clark State and Fresno Pacific University canceled.
 
The initial series of the 2019 conference season will be a rematch of last year's GNAC Championships, when the Wolves outlasted the 'Jackets 8-4 in the title game. Western Oregon was picked as the favorite in the 2019 preseason coaches' poll, while the defending regular-season champion Yellowjackets were slated to take second place this season.
 
MSUB is coming off a tough series at No. 20 Dixie State University, losing all four games for the second straight weekend. The Trailblazers won by no more than four runs in any of the games, and capped the series off with a dramatic, walk-off three-run home run to prevent MSUB from snagging its first win of the 2019 season.
 
SETIAN SOLID ATOP LINEUP: Sophomore shortstop Wyatt Setian went 6-for-15 (.400) in last week's series at Dixie State, while also drawing a pair of walks and being hit by a pitch twice. Overall he is getting on base at a clip of .387 and is slugging at .536, and is tied for the team lead with six RBIs.
 
GARCIA CLIMBS MSUB HIT CHART: Senior Jalen Garcia continued to climb the MSUB career hits chart last week, as he upped his total to 131 while beginning just his third season in the program. Garcia enters the week tied with Colter Sternhagen (2013-16), and Jeff Ridgeway (2008-11) for No. 7 in the MSUB record books, and needs three more to reach Kevin Toon's mark of 134 which is next on the list.
 

Rank	Name	Hits	Seasons
1	Brody Miller	249	2012-15
2	Matt Schoonover	213	2007-10
3	Luke Reinschmidt	192	2014-16
4	Colby Robison	168	2011-13
5	Casey Merritt	145	2013-17
6	Kevin Toon	134	2014-16
7	Colter Sternhagen	131	2013-16
	Jeff Ridgeway	131	2008-11
	Jalen Garcia	131	2017-19
10	Conner Linebarger	117	2017-19

 
Garcia is also just seven RBIs shy of 100 in his career, a plateau that only three Yellowjackets have reached. Garcia's current mark of 93 RBIs is fifth-best in school history.
 
NEXT K MAKES 100 FOR WINSLOW: Senior right-hander Jared Winslow is sitting on 99 career strikeouts, and he will become the ninth player in school history to reach the century mark with his next punch out. Winslow's 121 1/3 innings pitched are tied for 10th most in school history, and his 13 wins are No. 2 behind Brady Muller's career record of 20.
 

Rank	Name	Strikeouts	Seasons
1	Cody Cooper	237	2014-17
2	Brady Muller	232	2012-15
3	Brian Howe	143	2008-11
4	Tanner Johnson	130	2015-16
5	Steen Fredrickson	127	2016-19
6	Brian Hutchings	120	2010-12
7	Kody Kennedy	113	2010-11
8	Adam Cox	110	2015-18
9	Jared Winslow	99	2016-19
10	Samuel Paterson	98	2012-13

 
FREDRICKSON STEADY IN FIRST 2 OUTINGS: Senior right-hander Steen Fredrickson has been steady in his first two outings of the season, lasting 5 2/3 innings in starts against No. 12 Colorado Mesa and No. 20 Dixie State. Fredrickson has 10 strikeouts to go against six walks in his 11 1/3 innings. Fredrickson's 127 career strikeouts are fifth most in school history, and he needs three more to match No. 4 Tanner Johnson's mark of 130. Fredrickson is also 26 strikeouts away from breaking into the GNAC career top-20.
 
MUSKAT UNBLEMISHED SO FAR: Junior left-hander Sam Muskat has not allowed a run in his first four appearances of the year out of the bullpen, which covers a stretch of 5 1/3 innings. Muskat has six strikeouts and only a pair of walks, and has given up just two base hits for an opponents' batting average of .105.
 
'JACKETS LOOK TO GET OFFENSE GOING: After breaking the GNAC record for runs per game last year at 8.41, the Yellowjackets have gotten off to a slower start offensively this spring. Through the first eight games, the team is scoring an average of 4.38 runs per game, and has a team batting average of .244.
 
Western Oregon University Wolves
Saturday, March 2 – 12 PM DOUBLEHEADER – Monmouth, Oregon
Sunday, March 3 – 12 PM DOUBLEHEADER – Monmouth, Oregon
2019 Record: 2-0
Head Coach: Kellen Walker, 7th season
2018 Record: 27-21, 24-16 GNAC (2nd place, GNAC Tournament Champion)
 
The Wolves took care of business in their first two games of the year, beating Central Washington 13-1 and Concordia 3-2 in a pair of non-conference games against GNAC teams. The Wolves go on the road next week to take on Central Washington after the weekend series against the 'Jackets.
 
Alex Roth, who shared GNAC Pitcher of the Year honors with Fredrickson last season, struck out nine batters over five innings to earn the win over Central Washington. The righty struck out 58 and held a 3.77 earned run average in 10 starts last season. The Wolves' other start this year went to Jacob Fricke, who threw four innings of no-hit ball with five strikeouts in the narrow victory over Concordia.
 
Offensively, Connor McCord has the lone home run of the year and is tied for the team lead with four RBIs. The 2017 GNAC Freshman of the Year and second-team all-leaguer last season batted .306 with 11 long balls and a team-best 48 RBIs in 2018. Jared McDonald is off to a 3-for-6 start to the year, and will be another bat the 'Jackets keep their eye on after he hit .349 with nine homers and 35 RBIs last season.
 
The Wolves figure to have a stingy pitching staff this season, and gave up just three runs over their first two games of the year.
 
The Series: MSUB is 23-70 all-time against Western Oregon, and has a record of 10-29 in games played in Monmouth.
 
Last Time Out: MSUB won 6-4 behind a stellar complete-game performance by senior right-hander Michael Gahan, to force an if-necessary game at the 2018 GNAC Championships. The Wolves claimed the tournament crown however, winning 8-4 in the final game of the season.