Baseball | 2/25/2015 1:16:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash (Feb. 24) – The Central Washington baseball team (5-3) will be opening up Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this Saturday with a four game series against visiting Montana State University Billings (3-9).

The Yellowjackets were voted to finish last in the conference this season after finishing 16-30 and tied for last in the 2014 season.

The Wildcats will be fresh and ready to go as they start their quest to defend the GNAC title following a bye week.

"We've been a bit up and down offensively and defensively." CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said.  "We used the week to address some of those issues and get a little bit more consistent and even throughout the line-up."

They will have a large task at hand as MSUB leads the GNAC in hitting with a .320 team average, but CWU counters with the best team earned run average at 2.80. Montana State Billings will be led by returning GNAC player of the year, Brody Miller. The senior was an All-American last season after finishing with a .392 batting average, 34 RBI's and six home runs. He already has 11 RBI's and three home runs this season.

The Yellowjackets are also returning the third and fourth best batting averages of 2014 GNAC season, juniors Luke Reinschmidt and Kevin Toon. Reinschmidt, a returning NCBWA First-Team All-West Region selection, led the conference in doubles and triples. He was just the third player in GNAC history to hit for the cycle.

Expectations are high for the Cats going into the weekend expressed by Coach Storey, "We expect to win the series, to play well, and get four games if we can, even though it's a big challenge."

Central Washington's bats will look to stay hot as they are facing the highest ERA pitching staff in the GNAC. The Wildcats currently have seven players hitting above .350, with senior Kasey Bielec hitting a GNAC leading .478. He will be looking to get his team redemption for dropping five of eight games against the Yellowjackets last season.

Projected starters for game one and two will be left-handed Zach Johnson and ace Brandon Williams. Williams was 2-0 last season against the Yellowjackets, only giving up eight hits and two runs in 13 innings.

The series will begin on Feb. 28 at noon with a doubleheader and another the following day at CWU Baseball Field.