BILLINGS, Mont. – Kicking off a 12-game home stand to close the 2021 regular season, the Montana State University Billings softball team hosts Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Western Oregon University this weekend at Avitus Group Stadium.
 
Doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday, with live video available online here and live statistics available online here. Per GNAC mandate, no fans are allowed at MSUB home softball games during the 2021 spring season. "The Wolves have always been a strong team, but I think if we play like we played at Western Washington we will be very competitive," MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney said. "Throughout the season we have been getting better and better each and every series, and if we can continue to do that we are going to start coming up with some more wins."
 
The Yellowjackets (6-18, 2-6 GNAC) are coming off a hard-fought 3-1 series defeat at Western Washington University last weekend, with all four games against the Vikings being decided by two runs. "It's really nice to be back, and all of us are excited especially after COVID last year and not being able to play," said senior leftfielder Allie Hughes. "We don't take moments for granted, and we are all thankful to be out here getting a season. I think we are all confident in ourselves and we know how we can play, so we are just taking that confidence into this weekend."
 
MSUB will host Saint Martin's University April 24-25 and Northwest Nazarene University April 30-May 1 to close the 2021 regular season at home. "Our number one goal is to make it to GNAC, and I think we can do that if we just keep playing how we did last weekend," Hughes said. "Personally I just want to keep getting hits that help us win games, and keep making the catches that I need to make in the outfield."
 
GNAC STANDINGS AT A GLANCE: With 12 games left on the conference schedule, the Yellowjackets are in the thick of the hunt towards the GNAC Championships scheduled for May 6-8 at Western Oregon University. The top-four teams in the final regular-season standings earn a berth in the tournament, with the winner of the championship earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Regional Championship.
 
Entering this weekend's series against the Wolves, the Yellowjackets are tied for fifth place with Saint Martin's University with a record of 2-6 in GNAC games. MSUB is just two games behind WOU, which enters the pivotal series with a 4-4 conference record. Western Washington is in first place at 6-2 while Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington are tied for second each with a 5-3 conference record.
 
PITCHING STAFF SHOWS STRONG IN WWU SERIES: Putting together its best collective series of the season so far, MSUB's pitching staff gave up no more than four runs and helped keep the Yellowjackets in all four of last week's games at Western Washington. One of the keys to the weekend was the team's command, as it struck out 14 batters while issuing just five walks over the four-game series. Alyssa Etheridge threw a pair of complete games, while Jenna Kister and Julia Qualteri each also tossed a complete-game effort to lead the way in the circle.
 
"I give a lot of credit to our pitchers, and they did an amazing job on the mound for us all weekend long," McKinney commented on the WWU series. "They held them to very few runs and kept us in every game. Our pitchers did a good job of mixing their pitches and keeping their hitters off balance, and they did a good job of attacking different zones throughout the weekend."
 
FISHER CONTINUES HR CLIMB: Senior slugger Brittanee Fisher hit two more home runs last week, pushing her team-leading season total to seven and her career total to 27. Fisher moved up to No. 6 in the MSUB career home run rankings, now trailing No. 5 Meg Harasymczuk by two home runs.
 
MSUB Softball Career Home Run Leaders (as of April 8, 2021)

Rank	Player	Home Runs	Career
1	Cameron Cassinelli	40	2015-18
2	Kelly Parsons	35	2008-11
3	Kelsey Devlin	30	2014-17
	Emily Osborn	30	2012-15
5	Meg Harasymczuk	29	2011-12
6	Brittanee Fisher	27	2018-21
7	Stephanie Gosselin	25	2006-09
8	Theresa Campbell	23	2002-05
	Kaycee Hoffman	23	2010-11
10	Heather Tracy	21	2015-18
	Christy Wankel	21	2003-06

Fisher ranks second in the conference in home runs and is sixth in runs batted in with 20. She is second on the team with a .345 batting average, while reaching base at a clip of .418 and slugging .741.
 
HUGHES HELPING CARRY OFFENSE: Senior Allie Hughes has helped carry the conference's top home run hitting team, as she ranks second on the squad behind Fisher with six home runs. Hughes carries a .313 batting average to rank third on the squad, and her 18 RBIs are second on the team as well. "Allie has always been a really consistent hitter for us, and she does a good job of putting the ball in play," McKinney commented on the fourth-year senior. "It has been nice to see her continue that this year, and she has had a really great career here."
 
"It's a good competition, it's friendly, and we have fun with it," Hughes commented on the senior trio of herself, Fisher, and Hailee Gregerson leading the team in home runs. "We just encourage each other to keep going and we are having fun while doing it."
 
JENKINS HEATING UP AT PLATE: Junior catcher Skyler Jenkins had her best offensive series of the season last week, going 4-for-11 with a double at the plate. Jenkins had the game-winning hit in the Yellowjackets' victory over the Vikings, with a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 3.
 
Western Oregon University Wolves
2021 Record: 8-8, 4-4 GNAC
All-Time Series: WOU 35, MSUB 33
Series at Billings, MT: MSUB 17, WOU 7
Last Series: WOU 3, MSUB 1 (2019 season)
 
The Wolves are off to a .500 start to the season both overall and in conference play, and are coming off a 3-1 series victory over Northwest Nazarene University last week. Western Oregon returns home to host Central Washington in a four-game series on April 24-25 after this week's series in Billings.
 
WOU's offense is led by Chandler Bishop, who is hitting a team-best .348 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Kirah McGlothan is tied with Bishop for the team lead also with three homers, while Sydney Bowers has hit a pair of long balls and has a team-best 11 hits through the first 16 games of the year. WOU hits .230 as a team while reaching base at .294 and slugging .353.
 
GNAC Pitcher of the Year candidate Reilly Tidwell ranks third in the conference with a 1.82 ERA and a .216 opponents' batting average, and she threw a no-hitter against Northwest Nazarene University on March 26 to highlight her season. Erica Soliz adds further depth to the staff with a 3.27 ERA, and the dual-threat Bishop has made four starts in the circle as well. WOU holds a 4.26 team ERA and the opposition is hitting .299 against the Wolves.