Malkuch and Howe Earn GNAC Weekly Honors

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State Billings’ baseball standouts, Stefan Malkuch and Brian Howe, were named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, the conference office announced Monday.  Howe shared the honor with Casey Mitchell of Saint Martin’s.

Malkuch, a senior outfielder/pitcher from Kalispell, Mont., continued his season domination of Northwest Nazarene pitching this past weekend as he 5 for 13 from the plate with a triple and home run to go along with three RBI and he scored three times.  He hit .385 for the week with a team-best slugging percentage of .769 and an on-base average of .467.  Malkuch hit the first home run in Dehler Park Friday in a 6-3 win in the Yellowjackets’ first game in the park.  In the nightcap, Malkuch hit a two run triple to tie the game at five in the bottom of the sixth inning.  MSUB won the game on a walk-off single in the seventh inning by Patch Wirtzberger, 6-5.

For the eight-game season series versus NNU, Malkuch led the team hitting .414 with a team-best 12 hits in 29 at bats.  He had three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 11 RBI against the Crusaders.  He had a team-best .793 slugging percentage and a .485 on-base percentage.

MSUB went 7-1 this season against NNU, marking the first winning season series versus a conference opponent since the Yellowjackets joined the GNAC last year.

Howe, a sophomore from Whitefish, Mont., equally dominated NNU this week and this season.  Howe pitched a complete game four-hitter, allowing one earned run as MSUB posted a 6-1 win on Saturday.  Howe didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and was helped out by three turned double plays by the defense.  It was Howe’s fourth complete game of the season and his first Pitcher of the Week honor of the year.

For the season series, Howe was just as effective against NNU, but from the mound instead of the plate.  He went 2-0 with two complete games (both nine inning games), allowed 10 hits, four runs – three earned, seven walks and six strikeouts.  Howe had a 1.50 ERA against NNU for the year, which was best among starters against the Crusaders.  He also held NNU batters to a .172 batting average, the best on the team.

Mitchell, earned the Co-Pitcher of the Week honors with Howe for his complete game, shutout (seven innings) 1-0 win over Central Washington Friday.  In three games last week, Mitchell did not allow a run in 9 2/3 innings of work.

MSUB hosts Central Washington this Friday and Saturday at Dehler Park with a pair of doubleheaders.  First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.