PORTLAND, Ore. – After claiming a 3-1 series victory over Saint Martin's highlighted by a historic milestone head coach Derek Waddoups, Montana State University Billings baseball sweeps GNAC weekly awards, earning Player, Pitcher, and Team of the Week honors.
 
With the Yellowjackets' 10-3 victory in the series finale at Saint Martin's on Saturday, Waddoups earned his 136th career victory – the most of any head coach since the program was formed in 2006. Now in his seventh season in charge, Waddoups surpassed Rob Bishop who won 135 games at the helm during his tenure from 2011-16.
 
"Anytime you reach a milestone in life it gives you an opportunity to reflect on the journey that brought you to this point," said Waddoups. "In sports we celebrate wins, but I believe there is so much more to coaching. I am beyond grateful for the relationships that MSUB baseball has brought to my life and it starts with the players. I love what each of them contribute to the overall experience and I have been blessed to work with so many outstanding people along the way."
 
Earning GNAC Player of the Week, River Smith had one of the best individual series by any player in the conference thus far in 2026. All seven of his hits on the weekend went for extra bases as he homered twice and collected five doubles on his way to a slugging percentage of 1.500. Overall he was 7-for-12 (.583) with three RBIs, seven runs scored and an on-base percentage of .667. Smith upped his season batting average to .328 and his slugging percentage to .552 in his first season as a regular starter in the Yellowjacket lineup.
 
Coxen, who earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week, delivered his best start of the year on Friday against Saint Martin's, setting the tone in an eventual 3-1 series victory for the Yellowjackets. Taking the hill in the series opener, Coxen authored seven shutout frames with five strikeouts and just six baserunners allowed. The right-hander scattered five hits and issued just one walk in the 100-pitch effort, collecting his fourth win of the season. It was Coxen's first scoreless outing of his sophomore season, and it lowered his ERA to 3.76 across 55 innings pitched in 2026.
 
The three wins last week were important ones for Montana State Billings, which moved to 18-17 overall on the season and kept itself in second place in the GNAC standings at 12-8 in league play. After the positive step towards securing one of the three available GNAC Championships berths, the Yellowjackets were selected as the Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week on Monday.
 
After losing consecutive GNAC series, urgency fueled the Yellowjackets heading into last week's road set against the Saints (10-29, 2-18 GNAC). Newly minted GNAC Pitcher of the Week Sam Coxen delivered in a big way in the series opener, setting the tone with seven shutout innings of work. The 'Jacket offense took care of business, building a 9-0 lead by the fifth inning and never looking back.
 
It was right-hander Brennen Chappell's turn to dominate on the mound in the second game of the day, as he allowed one unearned run in six strong innings of work. A five-run fifth inning gave the 'Jackets some breathing room late, as they pulled away for a 7-1 win to sweep the Friday doubleheader.
 
It took a last-ditch rally by the Saints to avoid being swept, as the Yellowjackets carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning in the third game of the series. Perhaps the only costly miscue of the weekend for MSUB was an error that eventually led to a three-run inning to give the hosts a 4-3 triumph.
 
Waddoups' crew had a short memory however, bouncing right back to score seven runs in the second inning and cruise to a 10-3 win in the finale. Five different players in the lineup had multiple hits as the 'Jackets totaled a dozen, while six different players drove in at least one run.
 
Several other Yellowjacket hitters had timely contributions throughout the successful weekend as well. Leftfielder Nick Reed went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the series opener, while catcher Jason Wright drove in three runs out of the leadoff spot. Kaden Bertram had the first of his three multi-hit performances in the game-two victory, while Ryker Fortier led the team with a pair of RBIs.
 
Bertram followed by going 5-for-6 in the day-two doubleheader, while he, Smith and Nate McDonald each drove in a pair of runs to help the team clinch Waddoups' landmark triumph.
 
While the offense averaged 8.25 runs per game, the team's starting pitchers combined for a lights-out series. The Yellowjackets' four starters teamed up for a 1.19 ERA across 22 2/3 innings pitched, striking out 20 Saints hitters and posting a WHIP of 1.32. MSUB's starters averaged five strikeouts, 5 2/3 innings pitched and 101.3 pitches per start. "As a team, starting pitching sets the tone," said Waddoups. "Coxen, Chappell, Queen and Klinker each gave us quality starts and an opportunity to win. Coach (Brian) Greisman worked with the staff throughout the week on getting ahead and pitching in the bottom of the zone to create ground balls and swing-and-miss opportunities. The rotation executed the gameplan and pitched fabulously all weekend."
 
Coxen has been among the league's best pitchers all season, ranking second in the GNAC with a 3.76 ERA and third with 55 innings pitched. He and Chappell are tied for second in the GNAC with 57 strikeouts apiece. Cade Queen meanwhile ranks third in the conference with a 4.34 ERA in his first season in the MSUB rotation.
 
Offensively, Bertram is the GNAC's leading hitter at .449 across his 35 games played this spring. He leads the GNAC with nine home runs and a .787 slugging percentage, is second with a .486 on-base percentage and third with 14 doubles. Smith leads the conference with 17 doubles while ranking fourth with a .328 batting average. Senior Jack Nehler is fourth in the GNAC with a .366 batting average, with his career average of .383, ranking him seventh in GNAC history. The fourth-year Yellowjacket has also ascended to a tie for eighth in conference history with 218 hits and 10th with 129 RBIs.
 
The 'Jackets have another big road test this week, with five games on the calendar at Western Oregon (16-22, 8-12 GNAC). The series kicks off with a makeup game on Thursday at 3 p.m. (Mountain), before the regularly scheduled four-game set proceeds on Friday and Saturday in Monmouth, Ore.
 
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025, and it will sponsor the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.