BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Baseball Team adds 6 Junior College signees to their 2023 recruiting class.
 
Nathan May of Murrieta, California, Thomas O'Connell of Kalispell, Montana, Kevin McClellan of Anacortes, Washington, Beau Burnett of Eugene, Oregon, Jarret Elmer of Salem, Utah, and Berkley Barnes of Alpine, Utah all join the MSUB Yellowjackets under head coach Derek Waddoups as 2023 junior college transfer signees.
 

Nathan May
Catcher/ Utility
Murrieta, California
Murrieta Mesa High School/ Lane CC
May joins the Yellowjacket baseball roster as a catcher/ utility from Murrieta, California. May had a great high school career as he was a freshman Gold Glove winner, All-Conference Outfielder, and was a 2x basketball defensive player of the year. At Lane Community College he was an All-NWAC 1^st team catcher in the south division, and a the team captain. In the classroom May was All-NWAC Academic, and in high school he was top 20 in is class.
Waddoups on May: "Nate has really impressed us with his communication and athletic ability. He is an outstanding person that wants to lead and compete. He is a standout defender that will make our pitching staff better. We look forward to his work with our staff. He will be an offensive contributor and has the ability to produce runs."
May on choosing MSUB: "I chose to continue my academic and athletic career at MSUB because I believe it gives me the best opportunity to become the best player on and off the field."
 
Thomas O'Connell
Utility
Kalispell, Montana
Glacier High School/ Miles City CC
O'Connell joins the Yellowjackets as a true Utility player playing infield, outfield, and spending time as a designated hitter. In high school O'Connell was an All-Conference baseball player while also playing football. During his time at Miles City, he earned All-Conference, and All-Region honors while hitting .333 with 11 home runs, and 48 RBI's.
Waddoups on O'Connell: "Thomas had an outstanding season with Miles CC. He is a power bat that has proved he can hit home runs. We are excited to add his power to the program and lineup. His bother Mike is the head coach at Miles. He comes from a great baseball family and really understands the game and his swing. We look forward to what he brings to our clubhouse." 
O'Connell on choosing MSUB: "Montana and stay close to home. MSUB was the best option for me because there is better competition and I want to challenge myself to become a better baseball player. I want to become a PT after college and help people recover from injuries because I injured my shoulder and know the pain after surgery. But the main reason I chose MSUB is because I love baseball and will do anything to win."
 
Kevin McClellan
Pitcher
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes High School/ Skagit Valley CC
McClellan joins the Yellowjackets as a 6'5 right-handed pitcher from Anacortes, Washington. McClellan trough a total of 13 games for Skagit Valley with a total of 45.1 innings. He posted a 3.92 ERA in 2022-23 allowing just 17 earned runs and striking out 24.
Waddoups on McClellan: "We are lucky to have Kevin join us this fall. He has shown the ability to really compete and pitch at a high level. He has a strong arm with quality secondary pitches. Kevin will be competing for a rotation spot this fall. Kevin will fit into our culture right away.  He is an outstanding teammate that will compete and improve our team on the mound and has a high ceiling. We are excited to see what he can accomplish while working with Coach Hape and our pitching staff." 
McClellan on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB for the opportunity to further develop as an athlete and a person."
 
Beau Burnett
Pitcher
Eugene, Oregon
Churchill High School/ Lane CC
Burnett will join the Jackets as a right-handed pitcher from Eugene, Oregon. Burnett had an outstanding high school career as he was a 2017 Oregon 5A State Champion, was Pitcher of the Year in 2019, and played in the Oregon 5A All-Star Game in 2019 as well.
Waddoups on Burnett: "Beau is coming off a successful junior college career. He has shown the ability to be a rotation arm along with a bull pen stopper. He will be a great addition to the staff with his ability to pitch in multiple roles and to compete in the strike zone. He has shown the ability to compete at the college level and has poise on the mound. He can shut down a game or extend for quality outings as well. We look forward to him bringing a competitive edge to our program."
Burnett on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because I felt like it was a good fit for me not only in baseball, but for school and a place to live as well. I have only been told good things about the school and the surrounding areas and am excited to see what I can accomplish while at MSUB."
 
Jarret Elmer
Cather/ Outfield
Salem, Utah
Salem Hills High School/ SLCC
Elmer will join the Jackets as a catcher/outfielder from Salem, Utah. Elmer was a two-sport athlete in high school participating in 4 years each in both baseball and football. In high school Elmer was Second Team All-State in 2019 for football, Second Team All-State again in 2020, as well as First Team All-Region in baseball in 2021. During his time at Salt Lake Community College, he won the Region 18 Defensive Catcher of the Year award in 2023.
Waddoups on Elmer: "This past season Jarret lead Salt Lake CC to their first JUCO World Series appearance. He knows how to situationally hit and displays power potential with his physical frame. He is an outstanding leader and defender that has the ability to throw and defend at a high level."
Elmer on choosing MSUB: "It will be a good place for me to become a better player with coaches who will be invested in not only as a player but as a person. I have had many people tell me that they have either loved playing for the coaches at MSUB or love who the coaches are there. I also have a couple of past teammates that are playing for MSUB, and I am excited to rejoin and play with them again."

Berkley Barnes
Utility
Alpine, Utah
Lone Peak High School/ Colorado Northwestern CC
Barnes will join the Jackets as a utility player that can play both infield and outfield. Barnes has had consistent success in his career as he was Second Team All-State in high school, Second Team All-Conference in JUCO, and made the All-Star team in the Utah Collegiate Summer League.
Waddoups on Barnes: "Berk comes from a very competitive Scenic West Athletic Conference. He displayed power with wood and will transition well into our offense with metal bats. He is known as a great teammate, and we look forward to adding his work ethic into our program."
Barnes on choosing MSUB: "I want to continue to compete and have a winning experience. I like the values that coach Waddoups teaches the team and know that the offense at MSUB has been explosive in the past. I want to be a part of that."