BILLINGS, Mont. – After vaulting to the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament for the first time in program history, Great Northwest Conference Champion Montana State University Billings baseball is ready to take an even bigger step as they begin their 2020 campaign this week.
 
The Yellowjackets began 2019 winless in their first 11 games, then flipped the switch to finish 33-20 overall, 30-10 in the GNAC standings. MSUB won the regular season conference title for the fourth time in five seasons, then went on to defeat Saint Martin's in the GNAC Championship.
 
With five starting position players returning and one starting pitcher, the Yellowjackets are again favored to win the conference. MSU Billings was selected to finish two points ahead of Western Oregon University and received four of a possible six first place votes in last week's pre-season coaches' poll. Their quest for a berth to the Division II College World Series begins Friday in San Diego, California, where they will face Point Loma Nazarene. PLNU defeated MSUB in the first game of the region tournament last spring. "The guys have been fantastic," said first year head coach Derek Waddoups. "They are a mature group, especially offensively. We are a little younger on the mound but everybody is just going about their business and trying to keep a consistency from what coach Sutton had established. We have been focused on continuing to get better and getting ready to play."
 
Waddoups was hired as head baseball coach in December after the departure of head coach Aaron Sutton and Ryan Wright to minor league coaching jobs. He brings more than 10 years of college baseball coaching experience at Salt Lake Community College to Billings and recently added assistant coach Eric Morgan to the staff, which also includes Riley Drogesen and Matt Hape.
 
The GNAC receives an automatic berth into the six-team NCAA Division II west region playoff field again this season, with the winning team at the conference tournament being awarded an opportunity to continue on their post-season journey. The four-team conference tournament will run May 6-8, 2020 at Vail Baseball Field in Nampa, Idaho, on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University.
 
First the 'Jackets must play 40-games against conference foes, beginning with a four-game set at Western Oregon University February 29-30. The Yellowjackets play their non-conference home opener February 21-23 at Dehler Park, which consists of a three game series against Colorado School of Mines and Technology. Conference home games are scheduled for the weekend of March 13 against Central Washington University. All home games and select road contests throughout the year will feature live video with play-by-play commentary as well as live statistics, available through the MSUB Stretch Internet portal online here. "This first series (against Point Loma) is big for us," Waddoups said. "Then once you get into conference games, every weekend is a grind. Everybody is good enough to win at this level so you just have to stay focused and win as many as you can."
 
Opening weekend features a rematch against Point Loma, who defeated MSUB 10-2 on May 16 last season. The Sea Lions were ranked No. 24 in the nation at the time. The 'Jackets then play four non-consecutive games against Colorado State University-Pueblo and University of Sioux Falls February 14-16 in Pueblo, Colorado, followed by Colorado School of Mines to wrap up non-conference action.
 
CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP
 
The 'Jackets return 10 seniors to the 2020 team, including four starting position players and one starting pitcher. Reigning GNAC player of the year Daniel Cipriano was named preseason All-Region earlier this week. Cipriano led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage with 68 hits, 59 runs, 18 home runs, and 52 RBI, then earned Second Team All-American honors by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
 
 
Senior catcher Andrew Schleusner and junior shortstop Wyatt Setian also return this spring. Schleusner was distinguished first team all-GNAC and NCBWA honorable mention all-west region as a designated hitter last year and finished with a .293 batting average, 44 hits, 24 runs, and 29 RBI. Setian was another player selected to the all-GNAC first team. He was also an all-west region second team selection by D2CCA, ABCA, and NCBWA after hitting .327, with a conference leading 71 hits and 19 doubles.
 
Keven Mackintosh will again toe the rubber as the only returner on the starting staff. The senior left-hander was honorable mention all-conference with a 5.46 earned run average in 56.0 innings of work. Senior third baseman Chris Arpan was second team all-GNAC and second team all-region a year ago after hitting .357. Senior outfielder Tyler Detloff will again track fly balls after he hit .282 and was named all-GNAC honorable mention last season.
 
 
"I think all those guys, including Cipriano, Setian, Arpan, and Schleusner represent a really good core group that had some honors," Waddoups said. "Then looking at the pitching staff, we are little more banged up but have great potential. Really, I am just trying to let our players be themselves. Rather than trying to change things, it's just about keeping the game simple and letting them play to their level."
 
Other returning position players include Sam Powers, Connor Poulson, PJ Ausmus, Zander Petrich, Dylan Johnson, and AJ Wagenmann. In addition to Mackintosh, Dylan Barkley returns to the pitching staff after throwing 67.0 innings as a freshman. Barkley held a 4.84 ERA with 59 strikeouts and was a one-time GNAC player of the week.
 
From the bullpen, senior Sam Muskat will be available after he kept a 5.40 ERA over 26.2 innings last season, including 26 strikeouts. Seniors Will Heward and Sterling Lay provide more relief options along with sophomore Hunter Roubidoux and redshirt freshmen Tevin Hall and Matthew Houlihan.
 
 
INCOMING FRESHMEN AND TRANSFERS SUPPLEMENT ROSTER
 
A busy off-season for the MSUB coaching staff resulted in a variety of new faces being added, some of whom could play critical roles this season. The 'Jackets lost important pieces to graduation, including Jalen Garcia, Landon Peterson, Connor Linebarger, and Matt Dillon from the field as well as accomplished starting pitchers Steen Fredrickson and Jarrod Molnaa.
 
Infielder Tanner Parker brings the most experience among transfer players. The Spokane, Washington native spent time at Middle Tennessee Stats and Yakima Valley Community College before joining the 'Jackets as a senior. Braeden Bentley (San Diego Mesa Community College), Mason Abrath (Salt Lake Community College), Cort Dietrich (Spokane Falls Community College), Andrew Ellingson (Kennedy Catholic), and Tyler Elliott (Mond Hood Community College) are all on the staff as juniors. Sebastian Morrow is also in the mix as a redshirt freshman after transferring from Gonzaga University.
 
­­­All set to make their first official appearances this season are true freshmen Luke Bucher (INF/RHP, Seattle, Washington), Mason Powell (INF/OF, Gillette, Wyoming), Randy Stultz (INF, Bigfork, Montana), and Mitchell Winter (1B, Rio Rancho, New Mexico). Altogether, MSUB's roster features 23 returners, 10 newcomers, and 11 redshirts.
 
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think we could win," commented Waddoups. "This team took a step forward last year by winning the GNAC tournament. I believe a World Series berth is realistic. Anything can happen. We have to continue to take things one-step at a time and compete hard every day. We have to make the conference tournament to even have a chance to move on so our focus is on the regular season. It is possible but we know we have a lot of work to do because we face a lot of quality opponents that also have that same ceiling. That's why it's so important to just go out there and play catch and keep it simple."