MONMOUTH, Ore.—After picking up two non-conference games against GNAC members last week, the Western Oregon (2-0) baseball team will open league play with a four-game home series against Montana State Billings on March 2-3

Both doubleheaders are scheduled for noon starts at the WOU Baseball Field... All WOU baseball games are admission free for 2019.

OPENING WEEK: After seeing the first two series of the season cancelled due to weather-related issues, the Wolves picked up two games in Portland and went 2-0 while playing at Concordia's Porter Park... WOU defeated Central Washington, 13-1, on Feb. 18 and Concordia, 3-2, on Feb. 21 in the mid-weed contests... WOU pitchers combined to strike out 31 batters in 18 innings of work while sporting a 1.50 earned-run average in the two games.  

ABOUT MSUB: The Yellowjackets will arrive in Monmouth with an 0-8 record after being swept by No. 12-ranked Colorado Mesa and No. 20-ranked Dixie State… MSUB was picked to place second in the GNAC Preseason Poll after winning the regular-season title in 2018… WOU went 4-2 against the Yellowjackets last season, including two wins in the GNAC Tournament.

PRESEASON HONORS FOR McCORD & McDONALD: Infielders Connor McCord and Jared McDonald were honored by the NCBWA after being named to the West Region Preseason Team on Jan. 23... McDonald started 46 of Western Oregon's 48 games a season ago and made an appearance in all but one contest for the GNAC Tournament champions... McDonald hit .349 on the season and had a team-leading 24 extra-base hits... McCord started all 48 games during his sophomore season and ended the year with a .306 batting average... McCord belted a team-high 11 home runs and paced the club with 48 RBI... McCord also logged eight appearances (four starts) from the mound.

2019 PRESEASON POLL: Western Oregon will wear the favorite's crown during the 2019 season as the Wolves were picked to win the GNAC according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll... WOU collected three of the six first-place votes to edge Montana State Billings in total points, 33 to 31… Central Washington (21 pts) and Concordia (17 pts) were picked in the third and fourth positions while Northwest Nazarene (13 pts) and Saint Martin's (11 pts) rounded out the poll.

GNAC GETS AUTOMATIC SPOT TO REGIONALS: For the first time since the league was formed in 2002, the GNAC will be awarded an automatic spot in the West Region Championship... The spot in the six-team postseason tourney will be given to the winner of the GNAC Tournament.

GNAC DOMINANCE: Western Oregon has captured 14 of the 17 regular-season GNAC titles since the inaugural season in 2002… The Wolves won 13 straight regular-season crowns (2002-14) before MSU Billings broke the streak with a one-game lead over the Wolves in 2015.

GNAC TOURNEY TITLES: Since the GNAC started a conference tournament in 2013, WOU has went on to win four of the six chances at the postseason event... The Wolves have made it to the finals of the tournament every year with Central Washington stopping the Wolves in the championship round in 2014 and Northwest Nazarene winning the title in 2016.

COMBINED TITLES: WOU has combined to win 18 of the 23 total GNAC regular-season or tournament titles since 2002... MSU Billings is next up with three titles over that span while NNU and CWU have each earned one championship... The Wolves have won either a regular-season or tournament championship in all but one of the 17 seasons of GNAC play with 2016 the lone outlier.

GNAC HISTORY AT WEST REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS: Western Oregon remains the only GNAC team to ever play in the NCAA DII West Region Tournament... The Wolves have advanced to regional play on seven occasions with the most recent occurrence in the 2012 season... WOU hosted the West Region Championships in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

WOU at West Region Championships
2003: 0-2 (Hays, Kan.) #3 seed
2005: 2-2 (Grand Junction, Colo.) #3 seed
2006: 2-2 (Salem, Ore.) #1 seed
2008: 0-2 (Chico, Calif.) #5 seed
2009: 1-2 (Keizer, Ore.) #2 seed
2011: 0-2 (San Diego, Calif.) #2 seed
2012: 0-2 (Salem, Ore.) #1 seed

2019 RETURNING PITCHERS: Western Oregon returns 25 players from last season, including 11 pitchers from a staff that led the GNAC with a 4.64 ERA last season... The Wolves return three of its four pitchers that logged at least 50 innings of work last season with Alex Roth (2.77 ERA, 57.1 inn.), Jacob Fricke (4.01 ERA, 51.2 inn.) and Gabe Benavides (4.45 ERA, 58.2 inn.) returning to the rotation.

2019 RETURNING HITTERS: Three players that hit over .300 last season will return to the lineup this season, including All-GNAC catcher Jared McDonald... McDonald went .349 at the plate last season with a team-leading 15 doubles... Griffey Halle (.312) and Connor McCord (.306) also return after successful 2018 campaigns.

2018 RECAP: Western Oregon compiled a 27-21 overall record in 2018 with a 24-16 mark in conference play... MSU Billings went 29-11 in league competitions to win the GNAC title by 5.0 games over the Wolves... As the No. 2 seed, WOU went on to win the GNAC title with an 8-4 victory over the Yellowjackets... The Wolves hit .299 as a team for No. 2 in the conference... Starters Alex Roth and Jacob Fricke posted the leagues's top two ERA's in the GNAC' with Roth edging his teammate 3.77 to 4.01... 13 players earned All-GNAC honors for the Wolves, including four first-team members and four second-team picks.. Roth was joined by junior catcher Jared McDonald, senior infielder Jay Leverett and senior outfielder Jacob Martinez on the All-GNAC First Team...  Fricke was a second-team selection along with senior pitcher Craig Grubbe, sophomore infielder/pitcher Connor McCord and senior infielder Nyles Nygaard.