BILLINGS, Mont. – With just eight games remaining in the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season, the Montana State University Billings baseball team hits the road this week for a four-game series at Central Washington University.
 
The Yellowjackets (22-18, 22-10 GNAC) are in first place in the GNAC standings, and are three games ahead of Western Oregon University in the win column. MSUB has clinched a berth in the 2019 GNAC Championships, which will run May 7-9 at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon.
 
This week, doubleheaders against the Wildcats are scheduled for noon Pacific time/1 p.m. Mountain on Friday and 11 a.m. Pacific/noon Mountain on Saturday at the CWU Baseball Field in Ellensburg, Washington. Live video and live statistics will be available for all four games through the MSUB Stretch Internet portal online here.
 
"Our guys look to get back out on the road after a nice home stretch," said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton, whose team is coming off three straight weekends at home in Dehler Park. "Ellensburg is always a tough place to play, so our guys know it is going to be a challenge heading into this weekend's series with CWU. We had a very tough-fought series in Wyoming against this club, and we know they are playing with their backs against the wall a bit. We know our team is expecting a competitive series and we look to get prepared this week in practice."
 
MSUB is coming off a 3-1 series win over Northwest Nazarene University last weekend, and has upped its impressive record since the second week of conference play to 22-7 after starting the year 0-11. The Yellowjackets will close the 2019 regular season next week with a four-game home series against Concordia University running May 2-3.
 
FIRST NCAA RANKINGS RELEASED: The Yellowjackets made an appearance in the initial 2019 NCAA D2 West Region rankings, which were released on Wednesday. MSUB checked in at No. 8 in the rankings, which will eventually determine the six-team playoff field for the 2019 regional championships. View the full rankings online here.
 
MSUB also remained at No. 7 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association top-10, the third straight week the 'Jackets occupied that position. View the full Week 10 NCBWA west region rankings online here.
 

Week	Poll	MSUB Ranking	Movement	Full Rankings
Preseason	NCBWA	7	0	Preseason Rankings
Week 1 - Feb. 18	NCBWA	T10	-3	Week 1 Rankings
Week 2 - Feb. 25	NCBWA	--	DROP	Week 2 Rankings
Week 3 - March 4	NCBWA	--	--	Week 3 Rankings
Week 4 - March 11	NCBWA	--	--	Week 4 Rankings
Week 5 - March 18	NCBWA	RV	--	Week 5 Rankings
Week 6 - March 25	NCBWA	10	IN	Week 6 Rankings
Week 7 - April 1	NCBWA	8	+2	Week 7 Rankings
Week 8 - April 8	NCBWA	7	+1	Week 8 Rankings
Week 9 - April 15	NCBWA	7	0	Week 9 Rankings
Week 10 - April 22	NCBWA	7	0	Week 10 Rankings
Week 1 - April 23	NCAA - West Region	8	0	West Region Rakings (1)

ANOTHER GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Jalen Garcia made it eight straight weeks with MSUB receiving the GNAC Player or Pitcher of the Week, and he became the ninth different player on the Yellowjacket roster this season to earn the award. That set the school record for most different players of the week in a season, and it is one away from the GNAC record of 10 set by Western Oregon in 2002 and matched in 2007. The eight straight weeks with a GNAC Player of the Week also tied WOU's mark from March 21-May 15, 2005.
 
Garcia raised his career batting average by 10 points by going 11-for-19 in the four-game series against Northwest Nazarene, and he is now No. 2 in school history at .348 behind Luke Reinschmidt.
 

Rank	Name	AVG	Hits	AB	Seasons
1	Luke Reinschmidt	0.352	192	545	2014-16
2	Jalen Garcia	0.348	170	489	2017-19
3	Brody Miller	0.347	249	718	2012-15
4	Adam Cox	0.337	88	261	2015-18
5	Matt Schoonover	0.335	213	635	2007-10
6	Kade Hall	0.331	98	296	2017-18
	Colby Robison	0.330	168	509	2011-13
	Ryan Myers	0.330	96	291	2017-18
9	Kyle Durbin	0.327	111	339	2015-16
10	Conner Linebarger	0.323	138	427	2017-19

 *Minimum 250 at-bats
 
Garcia also had a pair of triples last week, and is up to 11 in his career with the 'Jackets. He is one shy of Reinschmidt's career mark of 12 triples, and is three shy of Joey Price's GNAC record of 14 career triples (Western Oregon, 1999-2002).
 

Rank	Player	School	Triples	Seasons
1	Joey Price	Western Oregon	14	1999-02
2	Jamie Nilsen	Central Washington	13	2005-08
	Shane Schoeneberg	Saint Martin's	13	2005, 07-09
4	Luke Reinschmidt	MSU Billings	12	2014-16
	Andrew Helmstadter	Northwest Nazarene	12	2014-17
6	Jalen Garcia	MSU Billings	11	2017-19
7	Bryce Gardinier	Western Oregon	10	2000-03
	Daniel McNabb	Western Oregon	9	2013-14
	Travis Chetock	Western Oregon	9	2000-03

 
THE GREAT HOME RUN CHASE: Daniel Cipriano clubbed three home runs in last week's series against Northwest Nazarene, moving past teammate Matt Dillon for the GNAC lead with 13 on the season. Dillon meanwhile is just one behind with 12, as both players figure to make a push for both the school and conference record. The MSUB record stands at 17 home runs, and was set by Kaleo Johnson during the 2018 season. The GNAC record is just one more than that at 18 home runs, achieved by Kyle Sani of Central Washington University during the 2013 season.
   

Rank	Name	HR	Season
1	Kaleo Johnson	17	2018
2	Ryan Myers	16	2018
3	Brody Miller	14	2015
4	Daniel Cipriano	13	2019
5	Matt Dillon	12	2019
6	Ryan Myers	11	2017
7	Luke Reinschmidt	10	2016
	Luke Reinschmidt	10	2015
	Wyatt Setian	10	2019
10	Adam Cox	9	2016
	Caje Golden	9	2017
	Kade Hall	9	2018
	Jalen Garcia	9	2018

 
While Cipriano and Dillon lead the squad, the 'Jackets overall are on another historic home run pace with 59 already through 40 games. That is tied for the third-highest total in GNAC history, and MSUB is 19 home runs away from its own conference record of 78 which it established last year. The 'Jackets are also hitting home runs at a pace of 1.48 per game, which is the second-highest total in GNAC history behind last year's MSUB rate of 1.53 home runs per game. Both MSUB's total home runs and home runs per game figures rank in the top-10 in the NCAA.
   

Rank	Team	HR-Game	Season
1	MSU Billings	1.53	2018
2	MSU Billings	1.48	2019
3	Western Oregon	1.20	2010
4	Northwest Nazarene	1.17	2017
5	Western Oregon	1.06	2012
6	Central Washington	1.05	2005
7	Western Oregon	0.97	2019
8	Western Oregon	0.96	2006
9	Western Oregon	0.94	2018
10	Central Washington	0.90	2002

 
SETIAN SLUGS FROM LEADOFF SPOT: Sophomore shortstop Wyatt Setian had another strong weekend at the plate, and is No. 6 in the GNAC with a batting average of .340. He continues to lead the league with 54 hits, and is fifth in slugging percentage at .623. His 13 doubles are the most in the conference, and he is third in the league with 10 home runs. With a pair of long balls last weekend against NNU, Setian became the third player on MSUB's team to reach double figures in home runs this season. It is just the second time in GNAC history that a team has had three different players reach double figures in home runs, with MSUB's trio of Cipriano, Dillon, and Setian joining the 2005 Central Washington University group of Kevin Knutsen (13), Troy Martin (12), and Ryan Rockhill (10).
 
ARPAN DANGEROUS IN LINEUP: Junior Chris Arpan hit two doubles and two home runs last week against NNU, upping his season slugging percentage to .588. The first-year transfer from the University of Portland is now second in the GNAC behind Setian with 12 doubles, and he is fourth on the team with six home runs. He is also reaching base at a clip of .433 which is fourth on the team, and he holds a .336 batting average. Including Arpan, MSUB has five players this season who are in the top-15 in school history in single-season slugging percentage.
 

Rank	Name	SLG	Season
1	Kaleo Johnson	0.845	2018
2	Daniel Cipriano	0.785	2019
3	Matt Dillon	0.708	2019
4	Ryan Myers	0.696	2018
5	Brody Miller	0.670	2015
6	Jalen Garcia	0.653	2018
7	Ryan Myers	0.631	2017
8	Adam Cox	0.629	2016
9	Luke Reinschmidt	0.625	2015
10	Wyatt Setian	0.623	2019
11	Drew Fosnes	0.615	2013
12	Jalen Garcia	0.607	2019
13	Luke Reinschmidt	0.594	2016
14	Brody Miller	0.591	2014
15	Chris Arpan	0.588	2019

 *Minimum 100 at-bats
 
WALK-OFF FOR DETLOFF: Junior Tyler Detloff had one of the biggest hits of the season for MSUB, delivering a pinch-hit, walk-off knock to give the 'Jackets an 8-7 win in Game 1 against NNU. Detloff has had a knack for delivering in clutch situations, as he is 3-for-5 with three RBIs, a double, and three runs scored when entering the game as a pinch hitter.


 
FREDRICKSON CRACKS GNAC TOP-10: Senior right-hander Steen Fredrickson cracked into the top-10 in GNAC history in strikeouts, as he now has 180 in his four-year career with the 'Jackets. Last week he surpassed Kirk Lind of Western Oregon, who had 179 from 2009-2012 for the No. 10 spot. Next on the list is Mike Eisenhauer of Western Oregon, who had 185 strikeouts from 2007-09. Mickey Walker of Saint Martin's, who is currently a senior, also has 185 to date and is tied with Eisenhauer for No. 8 on the all-time list. SMU's Aaron Shoup, who is also a senior this year, is No. 12 on the list with 176 in his career.
   

Rank	Name	Strikeouts	School	Seasons
1	Nick Waechter	269	WOU	2004-06
2	Roger Evenson	246	NNU	2003-05
3	Cody Cooper	237	MSUB	2014-17
4	Brady Muller	232	MSUB	2012-15
5	Steven Schutte	231	NNU	2002-04
6	Mike Ward	223	WOU	2007-08, 2010-11
7	Brady Miller	187	WOU	2015-17
8	Mike Eisenhauer	185	WOU	2007-09
	Mickey Walker	185	SMU	2016-19
10	Steen Fredrickson	180	MSUB	2016-19
11	Kirk Lind	179	WOU	2009-12
12	Aaron Shoup	176	SMU	2016-19

 
Fredrickson, who was named the Male Athlete of the Year at the 2019 Buzzies on Wednesday night, is in the top-five in the GNAC in almost every major pitching category.
 
STARTING STAFF AMONG HISTORIC GROUPS: The Yellowjackets' starting pitching rotation has been historically steady this season, as Fredrickson, Dylan Barkley, Jarrod Molnaa, and Keven Mackintosh have each started 10 games on the year. To date, MSUB has only utilized four different starting pitchers this season throughout its 40 games. No team in GNAC history has ever utilized fewer than five different starting pitchers during an entire season, with five different teams completing their campaigns using five arms in a starting role. The last team to get through a season with only five different starters was the 2016 Northwest Nazarene University team, while the 2011 MSU Billings team is the only one in school history to use only five starters.
 
Fewest Starting Pitchers Used, GNAC Season (as of April 25, 2019)

Team	Season	SP
MSU Billings	2019	4
Saint Martin's	2005	5
Northwest Nazarene	2010	5
MSU Billings	2011	5
Western Oregon	2013	5
Northwest Nazarene	2016	5

 
Additionally, there have only been 14 teams in GNAC history to have four different pitchers make 10 or more starts during a given season. Among those 14 teams, this year's MSUB staff has already accumulated 18 wins which is sixth most, 219 strikeouts which is seventh most, and has issued just 68 walks which is the second fewest.
 
SCHLEUSNER STANDS OUT IN DEBUT ON MOUND: Junior Andrew Schleusner made his collegiate debut on the mound last week against Northwest Nazarene, and logged 2 1/3 shutout innings while striking out four and giving up three hits. It was his first-ever appearance on the mound in an MSUB uniform, and he helped the 'Jackets hold on to a 6-5 win in Game 2 against the Nighthawks.
 
Central Washington University Wildcats
Friday, April 26 – 12 PM DOUBLEHEADER – Ellensburg, Washington
Saturday, April 27 – 11 AM DOUBLEHEADER – Ellensburg, Washington
2019 Record: 14-21-1, 11-20 GNAC
Head Coach: Desi Storey, 28th season
2018 Record: 27-26, 21-19 GNAC (3rd place)
First Meeting: MSUB 3, CWU 1 (March 16-17 at Cowley, WY) | CWU 8, MSUB 5 | MSUB 10, CWU 8 | MSUB 5, CWU 3 | MSUB 2, CWU 1
 
The Wildcats have slipped into last place in the GNAC standings but remain in contention for a playoff berth with eight games left to play. After being swept in a four-game series at Western Oregon last week, the Wildcats enter this weekend's set against MSUB on a string of seven straight defeats. CWU closes the 2019 regular season next week at Northwest Nazarene University on May 2-3.
 
Mitch Lesmeister leads CWU with a .341 batting average and 19 RBIs, and is tied for the team lead with four home runs. Justin Hampson is also a top hitter for the Wildcats, at .309 with four home runs and 14 RBIs. Hampson and Lesmeister are 1-2 on the team in stolen bases with 10 and nine, respectively.
 
CWU hasn't shown a ton of power, with just 13 home runs and a slugging percentage of .331 as a team. The Wildcats have had success on the base paths with 38 steals which is the third most in the conference.
 
Tyler Hoefer has been the top starting pitcher for CWU, with 51 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings pitched and a 4.26 earned run average in his 10 turns on the hill. Connor Stevenson has also made 10 starts, and is close behind with a 4.56 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings. Hunter French has made nine starts, and James Brooks has made eight starts.
 
Jacob Forrester has been CWU's top closer with five saves, but he has thrown just 13 1/3 innings in his 12 appearances while carrying a 3.38 ERA.
 
The Series: MSUB is 51-49 all-time against CWU and is 24-25 in road games.
 
Last Time Out: The Yellowjackets overcame an 8-5 defeat in Game 1 to win three tightly-contested games and take the series. The three victories kicked off MSUB's program-record 10-game winning streak, which is what initially vaulted the 'Jackets into first place in the conference standings.