(MSU Billings release)
BILLINGS – Adding four more players to his squad for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year, Montana State University Billings baseball head coach Aaron Sutton announced his latest batch of recruits on Tuesday.
The latest additions feature four transfers including Billings native and Billings West High School graduate Cole Jones. Also among the group is Washington State University transfer Will Heward, Bellevue University transfer Jarrod Molnaa, and South Mountain Community College transfer Sam Powers.
The latest group of signings joins a batch of 12 players who have already signed with the Yellowjackets for the upcoming school year, bringing the total for 2018-19 to 16 new players.
2018-19 MSUB Baseball Signings
Name Position Hometown Previous School
PJ Ausmus Second Baseman Parker, CO Legend HS
Declan Beers Utility Luverne, MN Luverne HS
Tyler Detloff Rightfielder Kennewick, WA Yakima Valley College
Maxwell Glenn Outfielder Spring Hill, FL Springstead HS
Will Heward Right-Handed Pitcher Ogden, UT Washington State
Matt Houlihan RHP/Utility Great Falls, MT Charles M. Russell HS
Dylan Johnson Catcher Billings, MT Billings West HS
Cole Jones Outfielder/RHP Billings, MT Clarke University
Sterling Lay Left-Handed Pitcher Livingston, MT Salt Lake Community College
Keven Mackintosh Left-Handed Pitcher Aurora, CO Lamar Community College
Alex McFarland-Smith First Baseman Boise, ID Timberline HS
Jarrod Molnaa Right-Handed Pitcher Kennewick, WA Bellevue University
Brian Orr Infield/Outfield Santa Rosa, CA Maria Carrillo HS
Zander Petrich Catcher/RHP Livingston, MT Park HS
Sam Powers Outfielder/Infielder Las Vegas, NV South Mountain CC
Brooks Zimmer Right-Handed Pitcher Billings, MT Billings Senior HS
Will Heward
Ogden, Utah
Bonneville High School/Salt Lake Community College/Washington State University
5’10” – Right-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Public Relations
Heward appeared in three games last season at WSU, logging 3 1/3 innings pitched for the Cougars. Prior to his NCAA Division I stop, Heward threw two seasons at Salt Lake Community College where he was an NJCAA All-American. In 2017 at SLCC, Heward carried a 2.19 ERA while tossing 24 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in 17 appearances. He posted 20 strikeouts against just nine walks, and held the opposition to a batting average of .193.
Heward attended Bonneville High School in his home town of Ogden, Utah, where he was a three-time letterwinner on the baseball team. He was a two-time all-state, first-team all-region, and all-star game MVP during his prep years.
Coach Sutton on Heward: “Will is as good as they come as a student-athlete. On the field he has the potential to be a back-end arm with a very live arm. He is a converted outfielder so his time has been limited on the mound, but we believe he has a very high ceiling and look forward to his development next year.”
Heward on choosing MSUB: “Billings is a great place for my wife Carley and I to be for the next two years. We like the area and feel like the program is solid and on the rise. We were especially impressed by Coach Sutton.”
Cole Jones
Billings, Montana
Billings West High School/Treasure Valley Community College/Clarke University
5’9” – Outfielder/Right-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Business
Returning to his home town for the final two years of his collegiate career, Jones comes to MSUB after one year each at Treasure Valley Community College and Clarke University.
Last spring with the Pride, Jones was limited to seven games played but carried a .294 batting average and on-base percentage of .500.
In his first collegiate season at TVCC, Jones hit .253 with four doubles, one home run, and 22 RBIs while playing in 46 games. He also stole 10 bases as a freshman during the 2016 campaign, and was named an NWAC East all-star.
While at West High, Jones competed for the Billings Scarlets for four years, and also played hockey and football.
Coach Sutton on Jones: “It is great to get Cole back home to Billings. He played for me one season at Treasure Valley, and we are looking forward to getting back to work together. Cole is a dynamic athlete who will be able to fill multiple roles for us on the field.”
Jones on choosing MSUB: “I was ready to be closer to home and my family, and to play for a great baseball program made it much easier to make my decision to return to MSUB.”
Jarrod Molnaa
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick High School/Walla Walla Community College/Bellevue University
6’3” – Right-Handed Pitcher
Intended Major: Business
Molnaa was a second-team NSAA selection last spring, after logging 48 strikeouts in 48 innings and a 1.88 ERA on the mound at Bellevue University. The right-hander made 11 appearances including six starts, while leading his team in ERA.
Spending his first two years at Walla Walla Community College, Molnaa was a two-time NWAC second-team selection. As a sophomore in 2017 Molnaa ranked second on his team with 79 1/3 innings pitched, while striking out 72 against just 26 walks and holding an ERA of 2.83. Posting solid numbers as a freshman in 2016, Molnaa made 11 starts and struck out 43 in 59 innings with a 4.11 ERA.
Molnaa was a three-year letterwinner at Kennewick High School, where he was a first-team all-state selection as a senior and was named the pitcher of the year.
Coach Sutton on Molnaa: “We have seen Jarrod pitch a lot in his career, and each year he has gotten better. He is an established arm that has had a tremendous career up to this point. We expect Jarrod to come in and immediately compete to make our pitching staff better.”
Molnaa on choosing MSUB: “I chose to finish my athletic career at MSUB after seeing the success the team has had recently and trusting that I would be in great hands with Coach Sutton and the rest of his staff. I have heard nothing but good things from current players, and I feel like I know what kind of program Coach Sutton runs from my time competing against him in the NWAC. That kind of competitive environment with great coaches and teammates is a recipe for success and that is something I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of.”
Sam Powers
Las Vegas, Nevada
Palo Verde High School/South Mountain Community College
6’0” – Outfielder/Infielder
Intended Major: Kinesiology
Playing in 16 games at South Mountain Community College last spring, Powers posted a slash line of .389/.450/.500. He notched four doubles in 36 at-bats. As a freshman in 2017, Powers saw action in 19 games, while batting .293 with two doubles and a pair of triples.
Prior to his collegiate career, Powers earned three letters in baseball at Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas. He was a first-team all-state pick, and also earned all-region and all-conference accolades. During his time in the Panthers’ program, Powers was a scholar athlete and was named a Nevada Preps honorable mention.
Coach Sutton on Powers: “Sam adds a lot of versatility to our roster. He has the athleticism to play the outfield and experience to compete at the corners in the infield as well. The bat is going to play and Sam really fits into our hitting approach. We know he is looking forward to getting to work here soon.”
Powers on choosing MSUB: “I chose MSUB because of the interest expressed in me and the hospitality the coaching staff showed me. I look forward to becoming a Yellowjacket.”
The Yellowjackets broke the school record for wins in a season in 2018, going 33-18 en route to their third Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season title in the last four seasons.
