2008 Montana State Billings Baseball Lewis-Clark State Tournament MSUB Media Relations 2007 Record: 24-26 (P) 406-657-2130 Home Record: 8-12 (F) 406-657-2919 Away/Neutral Record: 16-14 Baseball Contact: Kit Strief 2007 Heartland Conference: 16-20 E-Mail: [email protected] Head Coach: Chris Brown Website: www.msubillings.ed/athletics (3rd Season 39-61) 20008 Scheduule & Results MSUB KICKS OFF SEASON AT LEWIS-CLARK DATE OPPONENT RESULT/TIME STATES TOURNAMENTOU 2/22 vs. British Columbia$ 10 a.m. 2/22 at Lewis-Clark State$ 12:30 p.m. 2/23 vs. Western Oregon$ 3 p.m. Montana State Billings • Harris Field 2/24 vs. Saint Martin’s$ 10 a.m. Lewiston, Idaho 3/2 vs. Madonna^ 1 p.m. (0-0, 0-0 GNAC) 3/3 vs. St. Cloud State^ 12 p.m. 3/3 vs. St. Cloud State^ 2:30 p.m. vs. Lewis-Clark State Host 3/5 vs. Mayville State^ 2 p.m. 3/6 vs. Madonna^ 9;30 a.m. • Feb. 22-24, 2008 3/6 vs. Madonna^ 12 p.m. 3/7 vs. Mary^ 9:30 a.m. British Columbia 3/7 vs. Mary^ 12 p.m. (4-2) 3/15 at Saint Martin’s* 1 p.m. 3/15 at Saint Martin’s* 3:30 p.m. 3/16 at Saint Martin’s* 12 p.m. 3/16 at Saint Martin’s* 2:30 p.m. 3/22 at Central Washington* 12 p.m. IN THE BATTER’S BOX UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 3/22 at Central Washington* 2:30 p.m. MSUB begins its fi rst season in the Great The Thunderbirds enter the season with 3/23 at Central Washington* 12 p.m. Northwest Athletic Conference at the a record of 4-2. UBC, a NAIA member, 3/23 at Central Washington* 2:30 p.m. 3/25 Colorado Christian 12 p.m. Lewis-Clark State Tournament this week- fi nished the 2007 season with a 21-20 3/25 Colorado Christian 2:30 p.m. end. The Yellowjackets are scheduled to record and an 18-9 record in conference 3/26 Colorado Christian 12 p.m. open the 2008 season against NAIA foe play. UBC went to the NAIA Region I 3/28 at Northwest Nazarene* 4 p.m. University of British Columbia. Host and tournament last year and went 0-2. UBC 3/28 at Northwest Nazarene* 6;30 p.m. 3/29 at Northwest Nazarene* 12 p.m. defending NAIA champion Lewis-Clark started the season 0-2, but have won four 3/29 at Northwest Nazarene* 2:30 p.m. State College also will be on the ticket. In straight. 4/2 Dickinson State 2 p.m. addition, MSUB will get a look at two of 4/2 Dickinson State 4:30 p.m. 4/5 Western Oregon* 1 p.m. the GNAC schools in defending champion LEWIS-CLARK STATE 4/5 Western Oregon* 3:30 p.m. Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s. The Warriors enter the tournament with a 4/6 Western Oregon* 1 p.m. 6-2 record after going 3-1 in the Regence 4/6 Western Oregon* 3:30 p.m. THE SERIES’ Blue Shield of Idaho Classic this past 4/9 Mary 1 p.m. 4/9 Mary 3:30 p.m. The Yellowjackets have not faced any of weekend. Lewis-Clark, the defending, 4/11 at Northern Colorado 2 p.m. the four teams in this tournament since NAIA National Champion, is led by Brent 4/12 at Northern Colorado 1 p.m. baseball added as a sport in 2006. Wyatt who is hitting .407 through the fi rst 4/13 at Northern Colorado 12 p.m. 4/19 Saint Martin’s* 1 p.m. eight games. He leads the team with 4/19 Saint Martin’s* 3:30 p.m. MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 11 hits and nine RBI. He also has one 4/20 Saint Martin’s* 1 p.m. The Yellowjackets begin their third season home run. As a team, LCSC is hitting .324 4/20 Saint Martin’s* 3:30 p.m. since baseball was reinstated in 2006. compared to its opponents .204. On the 4/25 Northwest Nazarene* 1 p.m. 4/25 Northwest Nazarene* 3:30 p.m. MSUB welcomes back 11 letterwinners hill, the Warriors have an ERA of 1.85 led 4/26 Northwest Nazarene* 1 p.m. from last season’s 24-26 squad that by Matt Fitts (2-0, 2.45) and Nick Masters 4/26 Northwest Nazarene* 3:30 p.m. fi nished 16-20 in the Heartland Confer- (2-0, 2.84). Both losses for the Warriors 5/3 Central Washington* 1 p.m. 5/3 Central Washington* 3:30 p.m. ence. Head coach Chris Brown is in his this season have been by one run. 5/4 Central Washington* 1 p.m. third year at the helm of the Yellowjacket 5/5 Central Washington* 3:30 p.m. program. He welcomes back two starters WESTERN OREGON 5/9 at Western Oregon* 1 p.m. and three pitchers from 2007. The Jackets The Wolves enter the week with a 6-7 re- 5/9 at Western Oregon* 3:30 p.m. 5/10 at Western Oregon* 12 p.m. have a number of new faces throughout cord after splitting four games against San 5/10 at Western Oregon* 2:30 p.m. their lineup and will rely on the services Francisco State this past weekend. WOU, of senior Seth Moir and sophomore Matt picked as Great Northwest Athletic Confer- * Great Northwest Athletic Conference Game $ Lewis-Clark State Tournament (Lewiston, Idaho) Schoonover to provide the leadership and ence favorite, is led by Cesar Lopes who ^ RussMatt Invitational (Chandler, Ariz.) experience in the fi eld. Schoonover was is batting .378. Lopes leads the team in Times Local to Site a fi rst team all-conference selection as hits with 14 and is second on the squad in a freshman last year. On the bump, the RBI’s with seven. As a team, the Wolves Yellowjackets have three players who saw are hitting .250 for the year, while their op- signifi cant time last year. Senior Jeremy ponents are batting .288. On the mound, Knowles and juniors Brian Strom and Steve the Wolves have a 4.46 ERA while their Scott all look to make an immediate impact opponents card a 2.95 ERA. Greg Bobnick in the GNAC. has been the most consist ant starter, go- ing 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA. 24-26 in 2007. record and 6.02 ERA. The excitement is palpable as the Yel- Among the newcomers for the Yel- SAINT MARTIN’S lowjackets prepare to compete in the lowjackets are one four-year transfer and The Saints enter the week with a 2-2 re- GNAC against such teams as Central Wash- three JC all-stars. Junior College recruit, cord after splitting four games at California ington, St. Martin’s, Northwest Nazarene infi elder Cole Pryor, earned conference State Monterrey Bay last weekend. Shane and Western Oregon University in con- and region MVP honors at Miles CC. Pryor, Schoeneber leads the team with a .500 ference play. Coach Brown believes the whose brother Kyle batted .328 and led average, including eight hits, a triple, three GNAC is a good fi t for the ‘Jackets, as it’s the ‘Jackets in stolen bases last season home runs and 11 RBI. As a team, SMU geographically a little closer and levels the is hitting .299 compared to its opponents’ playing fi eld by including teams that battle .274 average. On the hill, SMU is led by the same types of weather-related issues MSUB QUICK FACTS Pat Capone who has a 4.50 ERA with one that MSUB regularly encounters. start and a 1-0 record. The Saints were Coach Brown sees the GNAC as a more picked to fi nish fi fth in the GNAC this hitter-dominant style of play than the GENERAL INFORMATION season. Heartland. “Our move could be compared School: Montana State Billings to going from the National League to the Location: Billings, Montana LAST TO START...FIRST TO BEGIN American League,” said Brown. “We won’t Address: 1500 University Drive Of the fi eld in the Lewis-Clark State change the way we play, but will continue Enrollment: 4,799 Tournament, MSUB is the last to begin to play good defense and drive the ball Founded: 1927 its season. WOU already has played 13 gap to gap. We plan to stretch the defense games, while LCSC has played eight, by offensively and come out aggressively on Chancellor: Dr. Ronald Sexton the time the tournament begins on Friday, the base paths. Good pitching beats good Director of Athletics: Dr. Gary Gray UBC will have played seven games and St. hitting every day. All in all, it will be a good FAR: Dr. Scott Harris Martin’s has played four. Ironically, MSUB fi t for us.” Conference: Great Northwest Athletic and UBC will be the fi rst teams in action in Despite losing all but two position play- Nickname: Yellowjackets the tournament on Friday at 10 a.m. ers and a majority of the staff to gradu- Colors: Navy Blue and Gold ation, the Yellowjackets return 11 letter Ballpark: Cobb Field, Pirtz Field (2008) 2008 OUTLOOK winners from a year ago and four starters. Montana State Billings Yellowjackets While former shortstop talent Kyle Pryor, baseball team is poised to begin its inau- capable catcher Jake Samuelson, and out- TEAM INFORMATION gural season in the Great Northwest Atlan- standing pitcher Ben Lewerke will be sorely 2007 Overall Record: 24-26 tic Conference under the direction of third- missed this season, along with much of 2007 Heartland Conference: 16-20 year head coach Chris Brown which was the Yellowjacket outfi eld, Brown is looking Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/23 reinstated three years ago following an positively upon a solid core of returning Starters R/L: 2/7 absence of 30 years.