Yellowjackets Host Bemidji State in Non-Conference Action this Weekend

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings baseball team is scheduled to host Bemidji State this weekend in a non-conference four game series at Dehler Park.  The Yellowjackets and the Beavers play two, seven-inning games Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.

Saturday is Alumni Day as the Yellowjackets will honor the MSUB baseball alumni in attendance prior to the first game at 1:30.  On Saturday, all alumni in attendance are admitted free.  Sunday is Senior Day as MSUB will honor nine seniors playing their final seasons for the Yellowjackets.

The 2009 Senior Class includes; Bryce Thomas (Laurel, Mont./Rocky Mountain College), Cole Pryor (Billings, Mont./Miles CC), Andrew Hernandez (Tigard, Ore./Pacific Lutheran), Stefan Malkuch (Kalispell, Mont./Spokane Falls CC), Brian Strom (Littleton, Colo./Regis University), Levi Johnson (Great Falls, Mont./Miles CC), Nick Harris (Helena, Mont./Miles CC), Steve Scott (Billings, Mont./Chapman) and Joe Via (Price, Utah/College of Eastern Utah).

Leading the way for the Yellowjackets this season is Malkuch who has a team-high .364 batting average.  He leads the team with eight doubles and 25 RBI.  Second on the team in average is Harris who is at a .362 clip.  Harris is second in hits with 50 and leads the team with 68 total bases.  Brian Dukart is third at a .361 average.

Since Mar. 13, junior Matt Schoonover has been on a tear as he has hit .382 in the 24 games since to lead the team.  He has a team-high 34 hits, with four doubles and eight RBI during that span.  Schoonover had just 15 hits in the prior 17 games.  For the season, Schoonover is at a .342 clip and has a team-high 51 hits with six doubles, one home run and 21 RBI. 

As a team, the Yellowjackets are hitting .290 for the year compared to .289 for their opponents.  The ‘Jackets have 96 extra-base hits as do their opponents.  MSUB is slugging .395 on the year and has a fielding percentage of .949.

On the mound, the Yellowjackets are led by Scott who has a 3.46 ERA and a 5-4 record which both are best on the team among starters.  Scott has appeared and started in 11 games this season with five complete games and one shutout.  He is second in innings pitched at 67.2 and has allowed a team-low eight unearned runs.  Brian Howe is second on the team with a 3.82 ERA and a 4-5 record.  He leads the team in innings pitched (68.1) and is just two strikeouts away from the single season school record.  Scott set the record last season with 49.

As a staff, the Yellowjackets carry a 5.18 ERA into the weekend series with 13 complete games and 200 strikeouts.  MSUB has surrendered 62 unearned runs as a team on 75 errors.   The opponents have a 4.87 ERA and have allowed 68 unearned runs on 82 errors. 

Bemidji State enters the weekend series with a 15-34 record overall and an 8-22 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  The Beavers dropped a 15-0 decision to the University of Mary in their last outing on Apr. 29, and went 1-2 against the Marauders this season.  MSUB and Mary split a four game series earlier this year in Arizona.

The Beavers are led by Ryan Sander who is batting .341 on the year with 29 hits and 16 RBI.  Colton Smith leads the team in hits (46), doubles (10), RBI (29) and total bases with 66.  Alex Messick leads the team in home runs with three.

On the mound, BSU is led by Brent Vollbrecht who is 3-5 on the year with a 4.96 ERA.  He has appeared in 11 games with 10 starts and two complete games.  Vollbrecht leads the team in innings pitched with 52.2.  Ryan Bohannan leads the team in strikeouts with 40 and has four saves on the year.

The staff has a 7.93 ERA and have allowed 59 unearned runs, but has surrendered 357 total runs for the season.  The Beavers only have scored 228 runs.  Opponents are hitting .332 against BSU.

MSUB head coach, Chris Brown, is no stranger to Bemidji State as he was the head coach for the Beavers for two years (2003-2004) before taking the head job at MSUB.  The Yellowjackets and Bemidji State never have met on the baseball diamond.

MSUB then will conclude the regular season, May 7-8, versus league champion Western Oregon at Dehler Park in a make-up series from Apr. 4-5.  The teams decided to flip-flop the series due to inclement weather in Billings the weekend of April 4-5.