(MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS – For the first time in program history, the Montana State University Billings baseball team has been ranked, as the first NCAA Division II West Region rankings of the 2018 season were released on Wednesday.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference-leading Yellowjackets checked in at No. 6 in the west-region rankings, which eventually determine the six teams to compete in the 2018 NCAA D2 West Region Championships the third week in May.
MSUB is 26-12 overall on the year, and leads the GNAC by 5.5 games with a conference record of 25-7. The Yellowjackets host Saint Martin’s University in a four-game series this weekend at Dehler Park, and close the 2018 regular season at home with a four-game series against Central Washington University next weekend.
NCAA Division II West Region Rankings – April 25, 2018
Rank Team Record Conference
1 Cal State Monterey Bay 31-11 CCAA
2 Azusa Pacific 34-6 PacWest
3 UC San Diego 28-13 CCAA
4 Point Loma Nazarene 27-14 PacWest
5 Cal Baptist 28-14 PacWest
6 MSU Billings 26-12 GNAC
7 Chico State 27-17 CCAA
8 Cal Poly Pomona 23-19 CCAA
The NCAA regional rankings will be released each of the next three weeks, with the final rankings being revealed on May 13 to announce this year’s regional playoff field.
The ‘Jackets clinched a berth in the 2018 GNAC Championships with a four-game series sweep of Concordia University last week at home, and will play in the conference tournament in Ellensburg, Wash., from May 9-11. MSUB has won five GNAC series in a row, six straight games, and nine of its last 10 entering this weekend.
