Baseball | 2/28/2013 12:05:00 PM

BASEBALL - MONTANA STATE BILLINGS AT WESTERN OREGON (DH)
Saturday, March 2, 2013 – 12:00 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm

BASEBALL - MONTANA STATE BILLINGS AT WESTERN OREGON (DH)
Sunday, March 3, 2013 - 12:00 p.m. - Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon baseball team opens its defense of 11 straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles when the Wolves host Montana State Billings in the home opener on Saturday, March 2, at 12:00 p.m. The four-game series opens with the doubleheader on Saturday and concludes with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 3, at 12:00 p.m.

Western Oregon enters the week with a mark of 5-6 on the season after the Wolves split a four-game series against Lewis-Clark State last week. Daniel McNabb and Gary Steindorf led the Wolves on the road trip as they were named GNAC Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for their performances.

McNabb leads the team and league in hitting with a .404 average after he had eight hits in 17 at bats in the series against LCSC. The outfielder leads the team in runs scored (12), RBI (11), on-base percentage (.481) and slugging percentage (.489). Scott David is also off to a strong start for the Wolves as he ranks second on the squad with a .333 batting average.

As a team, the Wolves rank fourth in the league in hitting with a .250 average as WOU ranks third in the conference in runs scored with 49.

Steindorf leads a strong, Wolves pitching staff as he has posted a 1-0 record with a 2.12 ERA in three starts. The sophomore has allowed on 18 hits in 17.0 innings of work after tossing seven shutout innings in the victory over LCSC last week.

The Wolves staff leads the league in pitching with a 4.19 ERA as WOU has only allowed 43 earned runs in 92.1 innings of work.

Montana State Billings enters the conference opener with a 2-11-1 record after dropping all four games on the road at No. 24 Dixie State last week. The Yellowjackets have lost seven in a row since a win in the opener of a four-game series against Colorado Mesa.

The Yellowjackets, hitting .262 as a team, are led by Drew Fosnes as he leads the squad with a .353 average while driving in eight RBI. Brady Muller leads MSUB on the mound as he has posted a 1-1 record and 2.29 ERA in 19.2 innings of work.

WOU leads the all-time series, 39-4, after the Wolves swept all eight games from the Yellowjackets a season ago.

Admission to each day of the series is $6 for adults and $4 for non-WOU students and seniors as current WOU students are admitted for free with a valid identification card. WOU Spring All-Sports passes will also be available for $35, which allows bearer one general admission ticket to all WOU baseball, softball and track & field home events (excluding postseason events).

Following the four-game set, WOU will return to action on Friday, March 8, when the Wolves travel to Nampa, Idaho, for the start of a four-game series against Northwest Nazarene at 4:00 p.m.