Yellowjackets Finish Regular Season at Central Washington this Weekend

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings baseball team completes the 2010 regular season Friday and Saturday with a pair of doubleheaders each day at Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Central Washington. The Yellowjackets enter the final series with a 10-32 record overall and a 7-21 mark in conference play.  CWU is 11-35 overall and 5-23 in conference play.

MSUB snapped a 16-game losing streak in probably one of its best performances of the season last Saturday, sweeping a weather-shortened series from Bemidji State.  The Yellowjackets won the opener in the bottom of the ninth 9-8 and down the visiting Beavers 12-3 in the nightcap.  It was the first doubleheader sweep for MSUB this season.  The series originally was a four-game set, but high winds, unplayable field conditions and cold temperatures forced a cancellation of the first doubleheader last Friday. 

Saturday, the Yellowjackets honored six seniors who played their final home series in a Yellowjacket uniform between the first and second game.  The 2010 senior class includes: Cody Clark; Brian Dukart; Chris Round; Matt Schoonover; Ty Sobieraj and Patch Wirtzberger.

Leading the way for the Yellowjackets this season is Dukart who leads the team with a .333 average among everyday starters.  He is tied for third in hits with 44, has six doubles one triple and one home run on the year.  Dukart is third on the team in RBIs with 19 and third in total bases with 55.  Reigning GNAC Co-Player of the Week, Kevin Zukaitis, leads the team with a .404 average in 20 games.  He is second on the team with three home runs and is slugging a team-high .681. 

Schoonover leads the team with 48 hits, second in doubles with 11, tied for first with two triples and is second in total bases with 63.  Jaret Chatwood leads the team with 13 doubles, four home runs and 30 RBIs. 

As a team, the Jackets are hitting .295 on the year with 387 hits, 79 doubles, eight triples and 15 home runs.  The Yellowjackets have 189 RBIs and 527 total bases for a .402 slugging percentage.  MSUB has reached base at a .362 clip and has a .943 fielding percentage with 80 errors in 1396 attempts.

On the mound, the Jackets are led by Kody Kennedy who leads the team with a 4-4 record on the year in 53.2 innings which is good for second on the team.  He has 10 starts with two complete games and a team-high 50 strikeouts.  Teams are hitting just .221 against him. 

As a staff, the Jackets have an 8.58 ERA in 42 games with five complete games and one shutout.  MSUB has allowed 391 runs on the year with 304 earned runs and 87 unearned runs on 80 errors.  The Yellowjackets have fanned 222 and walked 194 as teams are hitting .338 against them.

The Wildcats enter looking to snap a six-game skid, and have lost 18 of their past 23 dating back to Mar. 27 in a 13-12 loss at MSUB.  CWU and MSUB split the four-game series in Billings. 

Central Washington is led by Jake Hammons who is hitting .349 on the year and leads the team with 53 hits and 30 RBIs.  Kevin Schneider is second on the team in average at a .333 clip and leads the team with five round-trippers.  Kevin Walkenhauer leads the team with 12 doubles and is second in home runs with four. 

As a team, the Wildcats are hitting .296 on the year with 439 hits, 84 doubles, 11 triples and 32 home runs.  The squad is slugging .432 on the year and has an on-base percentage of .375.  CWU had committed 82 miscues on the year. 

On the bump, the Wildcats have a 7.69 ERA in 353.1 innings of work.  They have 14 complete games with one save and have allowed 560 hits, with 391 runs allowed and 89 unearned runs.  Teams are hitting .361 against them.  Bryce Hjellum leads the team with 68.1 innings pitched and 53 strikeouts, while Jake Millbauer is second with 67.2 innings of work in a team-high 11 appearances.

Central Washington leads the all-time series 15-11 and 7-5 in Ellensburg.  MSUB won three of four in Ellensburg last season.  In the matchup in Billings earlier this season, the teams combined for 97 runs, 43 extra-base hits including 31 doubles and 11 home runs.  Both teams hit over .380 for the series.  18 errors counted for 43 of the 97 runs being unearned in the series.