BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings baseball team continues to shine both on the field and in the classroom, with five players earning spots on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Veterans
Andy Evans,
Kaden Kirshenbaum, and
Cy Miller each secured the honor for a second consecutive season, while newcomers
Brennen Chappell and
Ryker Fortier earned the accolade for the first time in their collegiate careers.
To qualify for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA and be at least a sophomore. On the field, position players must appear in 90% of games or start at least two-thirds, while pitchers must log a minimum of 17 appearances or 35 innings.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "This is an awesome honor for our program and these individual players. Each of these players had outstanding years on the field as well as in the classroom and I could not be prouder of them. It is an honor to work with students that understand that academics are a priority."
Leading the Yellowjackets in GPA and receiving the award for the second straight season is
Andy Evans. The senior right hander held a 3.85 GPA while earning a degree in chemistry. On the mound this season, Evans led the entire GNAC with 20 appearances out of the bull pen while tallying 33 total innings pitched. The Meridian, ID native held a 3.27 ERA with 24 strikeouts while also leading the conference in saves (6).
Next on the Academic All-District list out of the returners is
Kaden Kirshenbaum who held a 3.52 GPA while getting a degree in business administration. Kirshenbaum ended his season campaign as one of the most decorated Yellowjackets in school history. Just this season, Kirshenbaum was named NCBWA Second Team All-West Region, First Team All-GNAC, GNAC Championships All-Tournament Team, and NCBWA Preseason All-West Region. This year, the senior outfielder made the most single season starts in school history (55) while slashing .338/.590/.422 with a 1.012 OPS while leading the team in RBIs (56), home runs (10), and doubles (19).
Also receiving the award for the second time in their career is
Cy Miller who held a 3.50 GPA while earning a degree in health and human performance. Miller, who is also a two-time Academic All-GNAC recipient, etched his name onto the All-District team with his 52 complete innings and 13 starts this season. The left hander held opposing hitters to just a .299 batting average with 35 strikeouts while ranking second on the team in wins (5).
Receiving the award for the first time in their career,
Ryker Fortier holds a 3.82 GPA while working towards a degree in physical education and
Brennen Chappell holds a 3.80 GPA while working toward a degree in business administration. This season, Fortier made 52 starts while slashing .348/.449/.421 with 39 runs and 32 RBIs, making his way onto the All-GNAC Second Team as a newcomer. In the 2025 season, Fortier also broke the MSUB single season record for strikeout percentage, striking out just 14 times in 187 at bats (.075).
On the mound, Chappell was named Honorable Mention All-GNAC, GNAC Championships All-Tournament Team, and GNAC Player of the Week. In 2025, Chappell made 12 starts with 61 innings pitched while collecting four wins. The Kimberly, ID native totaled 50 strikeouts while allowing just 14 walks. Chappell threw three complete games on the year, including a nine-inning complete game win over Central Washington in the GNAC Championships elimination game.
