ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings baseball team experienced both triumph and heartbreak on the final day of the 2025 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament. After knocking off Central Washington 7-4 in the semifinals, the Yellowjackets rallied from a six-run deficit in the title game but came up just short, falling 8-7 to Northwest Nazarene.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "Chappell kept getting stronger the longer he pitched in game one. A nine-inning complete game speaks for his competitive nature. Ryker and
Kaden Bertram were the loud bats that hit the big home runs for us, but we had so many players step up defensively. Our defensive plays and clutch at bats proved to be the difference against Central Washington."
Semifinal Heroics
MSUB punched its ticket to the championship thanks to a masterful, career-best performance from
Brennen Chappell. The junior right-hander tossed a complete game, throwing 127 pitches while allowing just four runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. His dominant outing earned him a spot on the GNAC All-Tournament Team.
The Yellowjacket offense backed Chappell with timely power.
Ryker Fortier launched his second career home run in the sixth to put MSUB ahead 4-3, while
Kaden Bertram sealed the win with a three-run homer in the eighth that extended the lead to 7-3. The Wildcats managed a late run, but Chappell closed the door, earning his fourth win of the year.
Title Game Thriller
The GNAC Championship was highlighted by a combined effort from the 'Jackets top arms.
Cy Miller made the start and went 2.2 innings with one strikeout, followed by
Andy Evans who threw the next 3.1 innings while allowing just one run,
Hayden Mullins throwing the next 2.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts, and
Jackson Betancourt closing out the final 0.2 innings.
Leading the way on the offensive side was no other than
Bodee Wright,
Jack Nehler, and
Kaden Kirshenbaum who all found their way onto the All-Tournament Team. Wright collected a pair of hits, two runs, an RBI, and a triple while Nehler also tallied two hits, two RBIs, and a run. Kirshenbaum added two hits, three RBIs, and a run. Kirshenbaum is now tied for second in the MSUB record books for career home runs (28) after hitting the momentum shifting three run bomb in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring them within one run.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "I am extremely proud of the way our team represented Billings and the 'Jacket Nation. I love how our team competed and showed heart throughout the entire weekend. I am truly honored to be coaching such an amazing group of young men."
GAME ONE: #2 MSUB 7; #3 CWU 4
Coming off a 6-3 victory over Northwest Nazarene in game two of the 2025 GNAC Tournament, Central Washington came out hot early by striking first. After a solo run from the Wildcats in the top of the first inning, the Yellowjackets responded immediately with one of their own on an RBI single from
Jack Nehler. Chappell then began to settle in, retiring the next nine batters in order while tallying his fourth strikeout of the game.
The 'Jackets stuck again in the next two innings, scoring two in the bottom of the fifth and one in the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom frame of the fifth,
Zack Blaszak and Nehler pushed runs across on back-to-back RBI singles while
Ryker Fortier added his second career home run in the bottom of the sixth to give MSUB the 4-3 advantage.
As Chappell continued to cruise, the Yellowjackets went ahead and added three more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, all from the bat of
Kaden Bertram. With runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth, Bertram sent one deep over the left field wall to give the 'Jackets a 7-3 lead. From there, Chappell closed it out himself to end the game with a nine-inning complete game. The junior right-hander led MSUB to a must win 7-4 victory with six strikeouts while allowing just six hits, four runs, and zero walks in route to his fourth win of the season.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: Nehler was outstanding in both games today for us, he smoked the ball in the ninth inning against NNU that I thought would fall but they made a great diving play in the gap. Kirshenbaum had the three-run blast that got us back in the game and I really thought we would come out on top. We took good at bats and hit balls hard, but they just didn't fall in the ninth."
GAME TWO: #2 MSUB 7; #1 NNU 8
In what looked to be another repeat of the Yellowjackets previous loss to the Nighthawks took a huge turn. Similar to the first matchup, NNU attacked early, scoring runs in four straight innings to take an early 7-0 lead behind their ace Cole Calnon. The GNAC Pitcher of the year kept the Yellowjacket offense quiet until the bottom of the third inning when the 'Jackets crossed two on an RBI double from
Bodee Wright and an RBI single from
Jack Nehler.
After a scoreless top half of the fifth from the Nighthawks, fireworks for the Yellowjackets developed in the bottom frame.
Parker Bleggi started the inning with a leadoff double, followed by
Zack Blaszak drawing a hit by pitch, with Nehler bringing Bleggi home on another RBI single. With momentum starting to flow in MSUB's direction,
Kaden Kirshenbaum capitalized by hitting a three-run blast to deep left field to make it a 7-6 ball game.
Entering in the top of the top of the third, Evans limited the damage in the fourth inning, allowing just one run to get out of a jam. Evans then settled in to set up the big inning for the Yellowjackets by throwing back-to-back scoreless innings. Evans made his exit after the sixth inning and was relieved by
Hayden Mullins, but not before throwing 3.1 innings while allowing just one run.
From there both squads were held scoreless until the top of the eighth when NNU extended their lead to two and were able to hold off the Yellowjackets in the bottom of the eighth. After 2.1 innings of work with a pair of strikeouts, Mullins made his exit. In came the GNAC all-time career starts leader to make just his third appearance out of the pen in his career.
Jackson Betancourt came into the game to collect a pair of outs and hold off the Nighthawks who had runners on first and second. Betancourt did exactly that, collecting a double-play in his fist batter faced to send the Yellowjacket lineup to work.
In the bottom of the ninth and down by two runs, the 'Jackets started to amount their comeback. With one out, Wright got things going with a triple off the right-center wall and was brought home on an RBI bunt base hit from Blaszak on the next pitch. Their momentum stopped their as Nehler and Kirshenbaum both had loud outs, lining out to center and left field to ultimately fall short 8-7.
2025 GNAC Championships All-Tournament Team
P: Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, MVP (NNU)
P: Brennen Chappell (MSUB)
C: Brady Hinkle (CWU)
1B: Jack Nehler (MSUB)
2B: Bodee Wright (MSUB)
3B: Brandham Ponce (CWU)
SS: Cole Calnon (NNU)
OF: Kaden Kirshenbaum (MSUB)
OF: Nin Burns II (NNU)
OF: Casey Wayne (NNU)
UTL: Kaleb Karpstein (NNU)
THE BUZZ: Brennen Chappell was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after for game one and
Kaden Kirshenbaum was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game two.
UP NEXT: Ranked No. 5 in the latest NCAA West Region rankings, MSUB now awaits its postseason fate. The NCAA Division II selection show will air at 8:30 PM (MT)
here, with the top six teams in the region earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "I believe we have the resume to play for the regional next week, and we will be looking forward to watching Sunday night. No matter what happens I am proud of this group and what they have accomplished as a team together."
