BILLINGS, Mont. – With a fully loaded roster and a fresh slate of 50 games on the horizon, the Montana State University Billings baseball team enters the 2022 campaign with its sights set on a return to postseason play.
 
The Yellowjackets begin their full schedule of games on Friday, kicking off a four-game series at Cal State Los Angeles. The full 2022 schedule can be found online here.
 
"We are very optimistic about the guys we have brought in," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups, who begins his third season guiding the Yellowjackets. "The offense will have a completely new face. We have a very athletic group that can be a little more dynamic on the base paths this year, and still provide the power we are known for."
 
The Yellowjackets are looking to bounce back from a 2021 season in which they went 10-30 overall and finished fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 10-22 in league play. It was the first time MSUB missed the playoffs since 2014. The Yellowjackets were selected fourth in the 2022 GNAC baseball preseason coaches poll, released in January.
 
"What will determine our success will be our pitching and defense," said Waddoups. "Our pitching staff performed really well in the fall, and I look forward to both the new arms and young arms that pitched last year getting knowledge of what it takes to be successful moving forward."
 
The Yellowjackets bid farewell to All-Americans Daniel Cipriano, who finished as the program's all-time leader in home runs, batting average, and slugging percentage, and Will Riley, who were at the core of the team's offense during the 2021 campaign. Other departing seniors included Tanner Cantwell, who hit 10 home runs, Tanner Parker, who started 34 games as an infielder, program anchor Andrew Schleusner, who caught for five seasons, and Chris Arpan, whose 19 career home runs tied for sixth most in school history.
 
Back in the lineup with 38 games of experience from last season is junior outfielder Carson Green, who hit .268 with eight doubles, four home runs, and 22 RBIs in his first season with the 'Jackets last year. A second-team all-GNAC selection, Green reached base at a clip of .342 while primarily hitting out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
 
"He has been working on his consistency, and he is one of our best runners," said Waddoups on Green, who split time between the infield and outfield in 2021. "He and Hayden (Foltz) are two of our most dynamic baserunners, and we like them in that leadoff spot. Carson had some stretches last year in which he was really good, and he also has some pop."
 
Playing alongside Green in the outfield will be honorable mention all-GNAC selection Hayden Foltz, who played in 29 games with 19 starts in his debut MSUB season. Foltz hit .292 with a pair of home runs and 11 RBIs in 72 at-bats during the 2021 season. "Hayden is our best outfielder, and he can really play," said Waddoups. "He is a complete hitter, and can handle the bat in the bunt game while also hitting for power. Foltz will be special, and I hope he can perform like I think he will. He is a lot like Will Riley approach wise offensively, and he is one of the best people I have ever met."
 
Hometown outfielder Cory Brownson will make his collegiate debut this season, after redshirting during the 2021 campaign. MSUB will have further depth in the outfield in the form of senior Dominick Buso and sophomore Koby Croft, and three of the Yellowjackets' four catchers will also vie for innings defensively in the outfield.
 
PJ Ausmus is set to return from an injury and is the Yellowjackets' most experienced returning infielder. Injuries have limited him to just 13 starts in his first three collegiate seasons, but Ausmus will have a chance to bring an above average glove – .949 career fielding percentage – to MSUB's lineup this spring.
 
The Yellowjackets will rely on talented new faces to fill the void in the infield, with a mix of transfers and freshmen slated to be impact players. Washington State transfer Payton Flynn figures to be a rock in MSUB's lineup, and is projected to see major innings as the team's third baseman. Flynn saw the field in four games for the Pac-12 Cougars and notched a pair of hits during his limited Division I career. "Payton is a good dude, is a hard worker, and goes about things the right way," said Waddoups. "He is professional in how he approaches the game, and defensively he is solid."
 
True freshman Cooper Dulich is expected to play a key role at shortstop for MSUB, filling in the shoes of Riley who started all 40 games in 2021. Dulich was a four-year starter at La Costa Canyon High School in his home town of Encinitas, Calif., and has major upside at the outset of his collegiate career. "Cooper is just a gamer and a winner," said Waddoups. "He is a great teammate, and is very sound fundamentally defensively. He will be productive offensively for us as well."
 
The third stop in the collegiate journey for James Anderson has the potential to be his best yet, as he has been limited to 44 games over three fragmented collegiate seasons at Western Oregon and Skagit Valley College. Anderson projects well into MSUB's lineup primarily as a first baseman who could also see innings in the outfield. Anderson showed power potential in his most recent collegiate season, hitting four home runs in 24 games at SVC in 2021.
 
Another newcomer seeking to make an impact this season is Tyler Godfrey, who was last in action during the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Godfrey hit .298 with a pair of home runs in his short stint at Luna College, and figures to bolster MSUB's infield at multiple positions.
 
Bodee Wright is a true freshman who will be in the mix at the middle infield spots, after an all-star career at Northridge High School in Morgan, Utah. Mason Powell is back for the 'Jackets after hitting .300 in 10 at-bats last year, while redshirt freshman Kevin Blair and third-year Yellowjacket Mitch Winter will each seek to make their collegiate debuts this season.
 
MSUB returns its two most prominent catchers from last season, with senior Justin Lutz and sophomore Ethan Babcock-Barrie expected to handle the majority of the innings behind the plate. Lutz hit .261 with five home runs and 22 RBIs, while Babcock-Barrie hit .357 in 28 at-bats with a pair of long balls in his freshman season last spring. "Ethan has some juice offensively, is a plus thrower, and is a good receiver," Waddoups said. "Our staff loves throwing to him, and he matured offensively last year. He showed some good growth which continued into the fall."
 
Fourth-year Yellowjacket AJ Wagenmann is also back, and he and newcomer Blake Murray figure to compete for innings both behind the plate and within the outfield.
 
MSUB will look for an improved performance from its pitching staff this season, after the unit posted a collective team ERA of 10.00 last year.
 
Fifth-year 'Jacket Dylan Barkley has the most experience on the staff, and is 1 of 3 players on the roster who played on the 2019 GNAC Championship and NCAA West Region Championships team. Barkley has logged 126 2/3 innings in his collegiate career, with 127 strikeouts against just 43 walks and a 6.18 earned run average. Barkley tossed 31 2/3 innings last spring, with 32 strikeouts and a 10.52 ERA. Barkley's strikeout total ranks him sixth in school history.
 
Matthew Houlihan begins his fourth season as a Yellowjacket and projects to be another key piece of the rotation. Houlihan ranked third on the team with 31 innings pitched last year, holding a 10.74 ERA with 29 strikeouts. Connor Redmond led the team with 34 1/3 innings pitched in his first year at MSUB, and paced the squad with 53 strikeouts. He looks to improve upon last year's 7.86 ERA in his second and final season with the 'Jackets. "We are looking forward to Connor being more consistent for us now in his senior season," said Waddoups. "I am really excited for him, and he has put in a lot of work to grow and mature."
 
Third-year Yellowjacket Braelen Pippin and second-year hurler Logan Siblerud are both back to bolster the rotation's depth as well. Pippin has 18 2/3 innings under his belt and Siblerud notched 26 2/3 innings last year while striking out 24 hitters.
 
MSUB will also have returners Brooks Zimmer, Diego Hernandez, and Tyler Elliott, who could each be used in a variety of roles. Next to Barkley, Zimmer is MSUB's most experienced pitcher with 20 career appearances including five starts, and 44 career strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings. Elliott pitched in nine games out of the bullpen last season, and struck out 18 hitters in 14 innings on the mound. Hernandez also threw in nine games as a reliever, striking out 11 hitters in 13 2/3 innings while holding a 7.24 ERA.
 
Among MSUB's newcomers to the mound, true freshman Jackson Betancourt figures to be one of the key pieces to the rotation. A two-sport standout at Mira Mesa High School in California, the 6-foot-1 left-hander was an all-league selection and a two-sport athlete also competing in football.
 
MSUB is also optimistic about the potential of newcomer Trevor Cassell, who saw action in 13 games during three modified seasons at Skagit Valley College. Cassell tossed 57 innings as a freshman in 2019, earning three wins in nine starts. "Trevor will pitch a lot, and has a really calm demeanor," Waddoups said. "He can handle any situation, and is one of the most mature arms we have."
 
Mike Ouwehand is another transfer who will compete for innings, with his daunting 6-foot-8 frame and left-handed delivery making him a force on the mound. Ouwehand totaled five games in his two abbreviated seasons at Walla Walla Community College.
 
Second-year pitcher Hunter Runion made the most of his collegiate debut in 2021, striking out two hitters and allowing just one hit in 2 2/3 shutout innings in his lone appearance. Runion and fellow left-hander Ty Wilson, who redshirted last year, will give the Yellowjackets further depth this spring. Nolan Thebiay, who originally signed with MSUB in 2018 before stepping away from baseball, will make his return to the diamond this year and will fit into the pitching mix as well.
 
MSUB's other newcomers on the pitching staff include five other transfers and another true freshman. Blake Rainey pitched in 12 games at Sierra College while Sage Wayment, who is a 6-foot-4 righty, threw 59 2/3 innings at Highland Community College. Michael Buchanan is in his fourth collegiate season after a three-year stint at Edmonds Community College, while Logan Wensley pitched at both University of Northern Colorado and Southwester Illinois Community College.
 
True freshman Logan Fragomeni will also factor into the mix on the hill, after a promising prep career at Wayzata High School in Minnesota. Jordan Banholzer, who last pitched during his prep career at Cupertino High School in California, is also set to make his collegiate debut as a 6-foot-3 left-hander.
 
Matt Hape begins his fourth season on the MSUB coaching staff in 2022 and is the top assistant under Waddoups. Hape is the program's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, after pitching for the Yellowjackets to close his collegiate career in 2015-16. "Matt is a very intense competitor and is very organized, and I am excited to see what our staff can do under him as he continues to grow and develop as a coach," said Waddoups. "He has done a fantastic job bringing in talent and high-character, self-motivated athletes."
 
Ryan Swan joins MSUB's coaching staff in his first season, along with first-year graduate assistant coach Jarrett Hunt. "Ryan is the epitome of positive energy, and he brings it every day to the group," said Waddoups. "He loves the guys, is a hard worker, and we are excited to have him on the baseball field. Jarrett has done a great job helping both with hitting and defense, and he brings a good, calming demeanor to the team."
 
The top-three teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the conference championships, with the winner of the tournament earning the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA West Region Championships.
 
Live video and live statistics for all of MSUB's games can be found online here. All home games will be streamed live on the MSUB Sports YouTube channel with play-by-play commentary. Tickets for MSUB home games, which are played at Dehler Park, cost $5 for general admission and are available at the gate. Admission is free for all children in sixth grade and below and for MSUB students and staff with their MSUB I.D.