2007 Baseball Preview (2/6/07)
Roster     Schedule    '06 Stats

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings baseball team has dusted off their team uniforms and are eager to get outside and play baseball.  For the time being, the Yellowjackets find themselves practicing on the campus of MSUB in the gym while waiting for the snow to melt. 

Last year MSUB revived baseball after a 35-year absence and found that the season had its share of ups and downs as 40 players learned to be consistent teammates to one another.  After a tumultuous 0-18 start to the season the Jackets found their stride to finish the remainder of the season just under .500; not bad for a first year program.  The Jackets went on to finish 15-35 overall and 13-27 against stiff Heartland Conference opponents.

“You could call last season the good, the bad, and the ugly,” said second year Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “It was full of ups and downs with very little consistency.  Early on we struggled to jell and bond as a team and it reflected in our play.”

The Yellowjackets return 16 players from the 2006 roster.  Most notable is right-hand pitcher Kyle McBride (Billings, MT).  McBride finished the 2006 campaign ranked ninth in the Heartland Conference with a 4.38 earned run average.  He tallied a 6-4 record and forced a decision in all 10 appearances.  McBride led the Jackets on the mound notching 45 strikeouts. 

“He is a guy that you can run out on the mound every fourth game knowing he is going to give you a quality start and a chance to win,” said Brown of McBride.  “You can’t ask for more out of a starting pitcher.”

Southpaw pitcher Ben Lewerke (Mason City, IA) also returns to the mound for MSU Billings.  Lewerke threw 39.1 innings for the Jackets with a 5.03 earned run average while striking out 22.

“Ben is coming off elbow surgery and is stronger than ever,” said Brown.  “Last year he did a little of everything, and this year we expect more of the same from him.”

Four pitching newcomers transferring from other programs to the mix are left-hand pitchers James Lester (Missoula, MT), Steve Scott (Billings, MT), and Brian Strom (Littleton, CO); and right-hand thrower Jeremy Knowles (Three Forks, MT).

“We are looking for James to step into the starting rotation,” said Brown.  “He gives us a quality left-handed pitcher that will help balance our pitching staff.  Steve gives us another quality left-handed pitcher that will eat up major innings.  He has been a positive addition to our team, and we look for good things from him this spring.  Brian is another lefty pitcher for the team.  We expect him to be an impact guy, whether as a starter or reliever.  He gives our pitching staff depth and balance.  Jeremy, our new right-handed pitcher, is a bull dog when he’s on the mound.  We expect him to make an immediate impact and figure prominently into our pitching rotation.”

Shortstop Kyle Pryor (Billings, MT) returns for his senior season in a Yellowjacket uniform and was one of only three players last season that played in and started all 50 games.  He batted .261, turned in 26 runs, and drove in 13 RBI.

“Kyle is the heart and soul of our team,” said Brown.  “He is a focused individual that has an unmatched passion for the game of baseball.  He is our spark-plug, and we feed off his energy and ability to make things happen.”

Jake Samuelson (Helena, MT) is the big hitter on the team that seems to make plays when plays are needed.  Samuelson batted .328 during the 2006 season and drove in 22 RBI.

“Jake is our field general,” said Brown of his leadership abilities.  “He is a take charge kind of guy on the field.  He demands a lot of himself and his teammates.  He is a fierce competitor.”

The Yellowjackets return outfielders Nick Hoskyn (Oelwein, IA), Willie Crtalic (Billings, MT), and Doug Longfellow (Lewistown, MT).  Crtalic and Hoskyn are the only other two players that played in and started all 50 games during the 2006 season.  Longfellow played in and started 49. 

Hoskyn led the team in 2006 with 159 at bats where he turned in a .245 batting average.  He scored 25 runs and had a team-leading 26 RBI.  Crtalic is dangerous both at the plate and on the base paths.  He posted a .265 batting average and tanked in eight doubles, one triple, and one homerun.  Crtalic also went 15-of-16 in stolen bases to lead the Yellowjackets in stolen base percentage.  Longfellow led the team with three triples in 2006.  He scored 17 runs off 31 hits.

“Nick has the ability to change a game,” said Brown.  “He can play just about anywhere, and as a result, we ask a lot of him and he takes it in stride and just goes out and does it.  He is a vocal leader but also leads by example.  Willie is a rock defensively for us and that mentality carries over to the offensive side of his game as well.  He can make things happen whether it is in the field, at the plate, or on the bases.  Doug is our defensive guy.  He is as good an outfielder as anyone in the conference.  He is our even-keel that helps everyone stay steady and not get too up or too down.”

Since decent weather in the months of February and March in Billings are a bit of an anomaly, the 2007 season will play out similar to the 2006 baseball schedule.  The Jackets will wrack up the mileage both in the air and on the ground playing 30 games of a 54-game season on the road before ever swinging the bat at Cobb Field.

The Yellowjackets open the season with a difficult 10-day, 10-game road trip to Texas with contests scheduled against University of the Incarnate Word, Texas A&M – International, and St. Mary’s (TX).

The trip will test the Jackets right from the get-go as they will face 2006 Heartland Conference Champions Incarnate Word February 16 and 17 for four games.  The Cardinals finished last season 38-21 overall and 30-10 in the league and went on to lose the final game at the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament to Montevallo 9-8.  The Cards were also picked to finish first in the Heartland in the preseason poll.

The Yellowjackets play a double-header against Texas A&M – International on February 19.  The Dustdevils are provisional members of the Heartland Conference and will not count in the league standings but will be a part of the overall record. 

The Jackets will wrap up the trip with four games against St. Mary’s.  The Rattlers finished the 2006 season 39-18 and 28-12 in the Heartland Conference. They have also been ranked No. 24 in the nation for Division II in a recent NCAA preseason poll.  St. Mary’s was the only team in the Heartland Conference ranked in the top 25.

With less than a week turnaround time, the Yellowjackets travel back down South for a 12-game series against opponents St. Edward’s, Texas – Permian Basin, and Oklahoma Panhandle State.  Like Texas A&M – International, the Falcons of Permian Basin are also Heartland Conference provisional members.

The Yellowjackets make a quick jump over state lines March 17 and 18 to play four games against future Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Central Washington in Ellensburg.  The Jackets dropped a pair to the Wildcats last season at home with a barn-burning 49 runs scored between the two teams in the two games.

The last road trip of the season brings the Yellowjackets face-to-face with the Lincoln University Blue Tigers.  The Tigers have been picked to finish fifth in the conference, one spot behind the Yellowjackets.

Montana State-Billings will settle into a home conference schedule March 30 for the final 24 games of the regular season opening against Oklahoma Panhandle.  Games are scheduled for every weekend through April with the season’s final four games coming against St. Edward’s University May 7 and 8.

“The biggest goal we have this year is to be consistent on a daily basis,” added Brown.  “We showed signs of being a very good team last year, but just couldn’t always put it together.  We beat ourselves more often than not, and this year we want to have no regrets after each game.  If we can play hard from the first pitch to the last pitch, win or lose, we can leave it all between the lines and feel good about the way we played.  Once this happens, we will win a lot more games and be a fun team to watch.”