NAMPA, Ida. – The Montana State University Billings baseball team's historic season came to an end at the NCAA West Region Championships earlier this evening at Elmore W. Vail field. The Yellowjackets fell short 10-6 against #1 Northwest Nazarene and lost 5-0 to #4 Point Loma in the West Region Tournament elimination game.
Arguably one of the best seasons in MSUB baseball history, the 'Jackets ended their season tied for the most wins in school history (33) while earning the first ever NCAA Tournament victory in program history. As a team in the single season record books offensively, the Yellowjackets 2025 season ranks second in total hits (562), third in runs scored (400), third in RBIs (361), fourth in batting average (.302). On the mound, they posted the second-best team ERA in school history heading into the weekend (5.12), finished out with the most innings pitched (451), ranked third in saves (9). Defensively, the Jackets turned 50 double plays—most ever in a single season for the program.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "I am so grateful and proud of this team for the way they compete. Today just wasn't our day but I could not say enough about the camaraderie, grit, and passion that they showed throughout the season. Looking back on the season, we created some great memories. Again, I am just so grateful for the opportunity to work with and coach these fine young men."
Game one of the day saw highlight performances from Andy Evans who went four complete innings out of the pen with two strikeouts while allowing just one hit and zero runs. On the offensive end, Zack Blaszak led the team with two hits while Bodee Wright led in RBIs with two. Also highlighting the game was Kaden Kirshenbaum's solo home run that moved him into second all-time for career home runs in the MSUB record books.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "We had a rough start in game one, but I was impressed with Andy Evans outing. He put up four zeros in the middle innings and did an outstanding job. We got the late home run from Bodee Wright and showed some good fight with four runs in the ninth. We just had too many miscues in the early innings which made it a tough deficit to overcome."
GAME ONE: #5 MSUB 6; #1 NNU 10
In game one of the day and game two of the tournament for the Yellowjackets, the Nighthawks got out to a blazing start. NNU who dropped their first game of the NCAA West Regional 20-6 to #4 Point Loma, came out for blood early. The Nighthawks scored three in the top of the first inning, but Kirshenbaum had a quick response for that. In the bottom of the second, Kirshenbaum got the 'Jackets on the board with a solo home run to left field to make it a 3-1 ball game. This homer moved him into second all-time in the MSUB record books for career home runs (29), surpassing assistant coach and alumni Payton Flynn who tallied 28 career bombs in just two seasons.
NNU kept their foot on the gas pedal, scoring two more runs in the top of the third via back-to-back homers and took the 8-1 advantage after three more in the fourth. With just one out in the top of the fourth, Andy Evans came out of the bullpen and was able to retire two straight batters to get out of the jam and send the Yellowjacket lineup back to work. MSUB responded again with one more in the bottom of the fourth after Blaszak led off with a base hit and later came around to score on an RBI fielders choice from the bat of Ryker Fortier.
After four straight scoreless innings from Evans, Gunner Thompson came in for his ninth appearance of the season. Evans dished out a pair of strikeouts while allowing just one hit, one walk and zero runs in his four complete innings of work. From there, the Nighthawks continued to extend their lead, scoring two more in the top of the eighth inning to make it a 10-2 ball game. After a scoreless relief inning from Malcolm Bartholomew the 'Jackets headed into the bottom of the ninth with an eight-run deficit.
MSUB did not lay down, as they quickly loaded the bases with no outs behind back-to-back singles from Jeffrey and Fortier and Bertram drawing a hit by pitch. Parker Bleggi then put the ball in play and forced a Nighthawk fielding error to push two runs across. Wright then did the rest, hitting a two-run blast to deep center field, cutting their deficit to just four runs. That would unfortunately be the last run of the ballgame from the Yellowjackets and NNU went on to take the 10-6 victory.
HEAR FROM COACH WADDOUPS: "Coxen had a quality start for us in our second matchup against Point Loma and Mullins was lights out from the pen. Blaszak and Fortier were both able to get on base bunches today, but we just couldn't get the clutch hit to score them."
Game two of the day saw a quality start from Sam Coxen who went five complete with a pair of strikeouts, and Hayden Mullins capping his season with one of his best outings. The second team all-west region recipient dished two strikeouts while not allowing a single hit or run in his three complete innings of work. Despite not being able to scratch across a run, Blaszak and Fortier each tallied three hits apiece.
GAME TWO: MSUB 0; PLNU 5
Coxen got the ball for the game three start of the NCAA West Region Tournament elimination game. The freshman went back-to-back scoreless innings until the Sea Lions struck first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. He bounced back with another scoreless fourth inning but faced adversity in the bottom of the fifth when Point Loma added three more. All the while the 'Jackets offense was struggling to push any runs across. At this point in the game, MSUB had seven hits and one hit by pitch but had stranded all eight runners on base.
From there, Mullins entered into the game but not before Coxen finished with a pair of strikeouts while allowing five runs in his five complete innings of work. The Yellowjackets were able to get runners on in the sixth and seventh innings highlighted by a pair of base hits from Bleggi and Fortier but again they were not able to convert. Mullins went on to throw three straight scoreless innings with two strikeouts while allowing zero runs and zero hits, but it was not enough. Point Loma went on to claim the 5-0 victory, knocking out the 'Jackets of NCAA Super Regional contention.
THE BUZZ: Andy Evans was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one and Ryker Fortier was named Intermountain Health Player of the game for game two.
UP NEXT: After the NCAA West Region Tournament elimination game loss, that wraps up the 2025 season for the Montana State University Billings baseball team. We would like to thank all the players, coaches, staff, and fans for making this one of the most memorable seasons in program history!