BILLINGS, Mont. – Adding two more recruits for the 2021-22 academic year, Montana State University Billings baseball head coach Derek Waddoups announced the signing of Jaxon Woodhouse and Jackson Betancourt on Monday.
 
The latest two letter of intent signings bring the Yellowjacket baseball program's total number of new recruits for next year to nine.
 

Player	Position	Hometown	Previous School
James Anderson	Outfielder/First Baseman	Corvallis, OR	Skagit Valley College
Jackson Betancourt	Pitcher/First Baseman/Outfielder	San Diego, CA	Mira Mesa High School
Cooper Dulich	Shortstop/Pitcher	Encinitas, CA	La Costa Canyon High School
Logan Fragomeni	Pitcher/First Baseman	Maple Grove, MN	Wayzata High School
Carson Green	Infielder	Kennewick, WA	Walla Walla CC
Diego Hernandez	Outfielder/Pitcher	Kuna, ID	Kuna High School
Austin Willson	Infielder	Enumclaw, WA	Skagit Valley College
Jaxon Woodhouse	First Baseman/Outfielder	Vancouver, WA	Lane CC
Bodee Wright	Shortstop	Morgan, UT	Northridge High School

Jackson Betancourt
Position: Left-Handed Pitcher/First Baseman/Outfielder
Hometown: San Diego, California
Previous School: Mira Mesa High School
 
Betancourt is a two-sport standout at Mira Mesa High School, competing in both baseball and football for the Marauders. In his most recent season on the diamond, Betancourt was voted as his team's pitcher of the year and earned second-team all-Eastern League honors as a sophomore. Betancourt is versatile on the diamond, spending time pitching, playing first base, and in the outfield. On the football field, he played a variety of positions and earned all-academic honors during his junior year.
 
Coach Waddoups on Betancourt: "Jackson is a unique athlete that has the real ability to impact the game both as a pitcher and hitter. He has a quick arm from the left side and great understanding of how to pitch. We are excited to see what he and Coach (Matt) Hape can accomplish together. He is a very quick twitch athlete with a beautiful swing. It will be fun to watch him grow here at MSUB. When it is all said and done, it will be awesome seeing how he positively impacts the program."
 
Betancourt on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because they encourage a great culture around such a competitive program. The positive and optimistic approach that they take really brought me in, as well as the success the program has had in the past."
 

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Jaxon Woodhouse
Position: First Baseman/Outfielder
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
Previous Schools: Union High School/Lane Community College
 
Woodhouse brings two years of collegiate experience to the Yellowjackets' program, after playing at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon in 2019 and 2020. As a sophomore last season, Woodhouse had 31 at-bats and played in all nine of his team's games before the year was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He had a successful freshman campaign with the Titans, batting .321 with five doubles and 18 RBIs while earning playing time in 26 contests in 2019. He earned the Freshman of the Year award and was a first-team all-region pick in the Northwest Athletic Conference after his debut season at Lane.
 
Prior to his collegiate career, Woodhouse played four years of baseball at Union High School under head coach Ben McGrew. He was a three-year letterwinner playing primarily at the corner infield positions during his prep career.
 
Coach Waddoups on Woodhouse: "Jaxon is a pure hitter with outstanding feel for hitting. If you want to see a thing of beauty all you need to do is watch his swing. He has the ability to do damage in a variety of ways offensively. He stays through the baseball to all fields and continues to develop as a power bat. He has a strong desire to be part of a championship program here at MSUB. We are grateful for the positive energy he will bring to the program."
 
Woodhouse on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because of the winning culture they have created, and the sense of family amongst the players and coaches. They are a feared team and I knew right away that it was something special that I wanted to be a part of. The competitiveness in the GNAC is as good as anywhere else, and I want to win more than anything, and I cannot think of a better place to do that at than MSUB. Ever since the first phone call with Coach Wad I knew it was the place for me."
 
MSUB's baseball team kicks off the 2021 campaign this week, with four games in Grand Junction, Colorado. The 'Jackets play New Mexico Highlands on Thursday and Saturday, with a doubleheader against No. 5 Colorado Mesa University scheduled in between on Friday. Live coverage for the first series of the year will be available online here.