Jackets Look to Stay Hot at HLC Tourney (4/25/06)
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BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings softball team will try to carry its late season hot streak into the Heartland Conference Tournament this week in San Antonio, Tex.  The Yellowjackets, the No. 5 seed in the five-team tourney, will face No. 4 St. Mary’s University on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.  The winner will advance to face top-seeded St. Edward’s while the other will fall into the loser bracket.

Even though they are the only team in the tournament with an overall record below .500, the Yellowjackets have been one of the hottest teams in the conference down the stretch.  MSUB started the 24-game conference schedule 1-11 but finished at an even 12-12.  They won 11 of their last 12 games and 12 of their last 15.  The highlight of that stretch was a four-game sweep of eventual regular season co-champion St. Edward’s.

St. Ed’s and Incarnate Word tied for the regular season crown.  The Hilltoppers received the top seed in the tournament by virtue of a 3-1 head-to-head record against the Cardinals.  Incarnate Word will be the second seed followed by third-seeded Western New Mexico, fourth-seeded St. Mary’s and fifth-seeded MSU Billings.  St. Mary’s, the defending conference champion, is the tournament host.  The winner of the tournament, which concludes with Saturday’s championship game, will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA South Central Regional.

The Yellowjackets were 12-8 in April after starting the season 7-21.  A tough early season schedule combined with the loss of nine graduated seniors contributed to the slow start.  With many underclassmen in key roles—including all three starting pitchers—head coach Sean McGary’s squad took time to gel.  But once they started winning, the wins kept coming.

The Jackets are led by junior first baseman Rachel Quarnburg (Billings, MT).  The smooth-swinging southpaw is batting .418 for the season and leads the team with 11 home runs, 30 RBI, and a .827 slugging percentage.  After missing 14 games in the middle of the season with a back injury, Quarnburg has found her hitting stroke at the right time.  Eight of her home runs have come in the last 11 games.

The meat of the Jackets’ order has four players hitting over .300.  Stephanie Gosselin (Fr., Brentwood Bay, BC) has batted .397 in 28 games.  She didn’t break into the lineup until midseason but has made the most of her opportunity.  Senior Christy Wankel (Great Falls, MT) and sophomore Jenna Haacke (Billings, MT) are each hitting just over .300 and have combined for 17 home runs.  Last week Wankel became the second player in school history to hit 20 career home runs.

The Yellowjacket pitching rotation includes hurlers who were playing in high school at this time last year.  Terina Stacks (Washougal, WA) has been the hottest of the three, winning her last six decisions.  After starting the season 0-9, she will enter the Heartland tourney with a 6-9 record and a team-best 3.49 ERA. 

Lisa Moore (Bakersfield, CA) is the flamethrower of the bunch and leads the team with 104 strikeouts.  Moore (7-13, 3.92 ERA) has had six or more strikeouts in eight different games, including 14 in an upset win over nationally-ranked Southern Illinois-Edwardsville early in the season.  Rebekah Tsatsa (Eagle, ID) is the third pitcher in the rotation, posting a 4.03 ERA in 16 appearances.  Even though she has made the fewest appearances, Tsatsa has the highest winning percentage of the three Yellowjacket pitchers with a 6-7 record.

St. Mary’s, the Yellowjackets’ first round opponent, will enter the tournament with something to prove.  The No. 1 seed in the last four NCAA South Central Region tournaments, the Rattlers slipped to the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament after losing three of four games at Western New Mexico over the final weekend of the regular season.

The winner of the MSU Billings/St. Mary’s game will face St. Edward’s at 4:00 p.m.  The loser falls to the 7:00 p.m. game to take on the loser of the game between Western New Mexico and Incarnate Word.  The tournament is a double elimination format.