BILLINGS, Mont. – Set for its first series at Dehler Park this season, the Montana State University baseball team plays host to Northwest Nazarene University in a four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series due to kick off Friday.
 
This Week's Schedule
Friday, March 25 – 1 p.m. doubleheader – Dehler Park
Saturday, March 26 – noon doubleheader – Dehler Park
 
The Yellowjackets (13-13, 4-4 GNAC) are set to play their first home conference series of the season at Dehler Park. Live video will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here. Tickets are $5 for general admission, with free admittance for MSUB students and staff, and children in sixth grade or under. Tickets may be purchased at the gate.
 
"After a long stretch on the road we are excited to host our first GNAC series at Dehler Park," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "We love playing in Billings and it is always great to be at home. Our guys love the opportunity to play in such a beautiful stadium and setting."
 
MSUB (13-13) returns to Billings after a 3-1 series victory against GNAC foe Saint Martin's University. The 'Jackets were able to win three of the four games against the Saints, earning their first series win over a conference opponent this season. "We have been playing some real high-quality baseball," said Waddoups. "Our pitching staff has really stepped up and is performing and giving us a chance to win in each game. Redmond is coming off winning the GNAC Pitcher of the Week which is always a high honor. Tyler Elliott has been outstanding along with several others out of the 'pen. Our rotation has been doing a great job of giving our offense a chance to be in every game. I love the energy our guys bring as a group together."
 
The Yellowjackets face a tough opponent in Northwest Nazarene. The Nighthawks sit perched at the top of the GNAC standings coming into the series against MSUB. "NNU is a solid baseball team," Waddoups said. "They play every phase of the game well and typically do not beat themselves. We will have to play solid baseball and win the freebie wars against them. They have a quality staff that really pounds the strike zone which will give us an opportunity to hit. For us to create success we will need to take advantage of given opportunities as they do a great job of commanding the zone. They are an athletic group that has some really strong hitters in the middle of the order. It will be another good test for our team."
 
BARKLEY STATS UPDATE: Senior southpaw Dylan Barkley has spent his season chasing a variety of pitching records for the 'Jackets, and he earned some more after throwing six innings in the series opening win against Saint Martin's. Barkley allowed only one run and five hits, while striking out three batters. It was his 12th career win, moving him into sole possession of the fourth most wins in MSUB history. Barkley, who is tied for the third most starts in Yellowjacket history, will undoubtably pass that record with a start against Northwest Nazarene. He remains in striking distance of the third most strikeouts in MSUB history, entering this week with 168.
 
MSUB Baseball Career Strikeout Leaders (as of March 24, 2022)

Rank	Player	Strikeouts	Career
1	Cody Cooper	237	2014-17
2	Brady Muller	232	2012-15
3	Steen Fredrickson	209	2016-19
4	Dylan Barkley	168	2019-22
5	Brian Howe	143	2008-11
6	Tanner Johnson	130	2015-16
7	Jared Winslow	121	2016-19
8	Brian Hutchings	120	2010-12
9	Steve Scott	114	2007-09
10	Kody Kennedy	113	2010-11

 
STARTERS PERFORM WELL: MSUB starting pitchers put their team in a great position to win all weekend against Saint Martin's. The four starting pitchers for each game combined to allow just five runs during the series against the Saints. Like Barkley's start, sophomore Matthew Houlihan threw six innings, allowing only one run. Senior Conner Redmond ended the series by throwing 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball on his way to winning his first career GNAC Pitcher of the Week award. Those three have each won three games for the 'Jackets, more than any other pitchers.
 
WAGENMANN HOMERS AGAIN: Catcher AJ Wagenmann smacked his second home run of the season, and third of his career against Saint Martin's. The junior featured behind the dish in two games of the series, going 4-for-8 combined with three runs in his two appearances.
 
POWELL STAYS HOT: For only making his season debut two weeks ago, Mason Powell has wasted no time heating up for the 'Jackets. The sophomore infielder had hits in three games against Saint Martin's, hitting two doubles and driving in four runs while playing flawless defense at third base.
 
GREEN OPENS SERIES WITH HOMER: Carson Green wasted no time getting the Yellowjackets on the board in the series against Saint Martin's. The junior homered to open the series in the first at-bat the Yellowjackets had all weekend. That home run was the first of six hits the outfielder collected against the Saints.
 
FOLTZ FIRES 'JACKETS OFFENSE: Junior outfielder Hayden Foltz collected two RBIs during the Saint Martin's series. Those two runs batted in give him a team leading 21 RBIs this season for the Yellowjackets.
 
DULICH KEEPS HITTING WELL: Shortstop Cooper Dulich had three hits in the series against Saint Martin's and drove in a run with each one of them. The freshman phenom leads MSUB this season in hits and batting average and ranks second in RBIs for the team.
 
WILSON SHUTS OUT SAINTS: Following six great innings from Houlihan, freshman lefty Ty Wilson threw three innings of shutout ball to close out Saint Martin's. For his work Wilson collected the save, the first of his collegiate career.
 

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Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks
2022 Record: 17-11, 9-3 GNAC
Head Coach: Joe Schaefer, fourth season
2021 Record: 35-10, 17-5 in GNAC
 
Northwest Nazarene is coming off a series victory against Western Oregon as it travels to Billings to face the Yellowjackets. The Nighthawks, defending GNAC regular season and tournament winners, return a good portion of a talented roster that won the NCAA West Region title, and finished the year ranked sixth in the Division II baseball standings.
 
A deep group of hitters is getting contributions from players up and down the lineup. Seniors Haden Keller and Parker Price have been two major pieces of that lineup this season. Keller bats .350 for the Nighthawks, with three homers and 15 RBIs, while Price leads the team in RBIs with 24, with his own .317 average and a three home runs. And nobody in the GNAC has hit more home runs than sophomore Grant Kerry, who leads the GNAC with eight long balls this year.
 
On the mound, Keller also ranks as one of Northwest Nazarene's better starters. He and junior Spencer Schwehr make up a good duo with ERAs of 3.23 and 3.38, respectively. A trio of standout relievers makes sure the Nighthawks remain hard to hit when their starters exit the game. Blake McFadden and Joseph Ihli have one start between them but have each thrown almost as many innings as the Nighthawks starting pitchers, while ranking first and second on the team in ERA. And with eight saves this season, senior Max Holtzclaw has proven adept at turning close games into wins for Northwest Nazarene.
 
THE SERIES: Northwest Nazarene holds a slight edge in the all-time series record, with a 57-56 record against the 'Jackets. MSUB has dropped nine straight games against NNU dating back to 2019.
 
LAST TIME OUT: During the 2021 season, the Yellowjackets went 0-8 against the Nighthawks.