Softball | 4/2/2015 2:00:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash.  (Apr. 2) - The Central Washington softball team is coming off a 3-3 weekend in Turlock, Calif. at the Tournament of Champions and head to Montana State Billings for a four-game series.
 
Both teams participated in the Tournament of Champions and Billings earned a spot in the gold bracket over the Wildcats who ended up in the silver bracket. Billings also shut out Cal State-Monterey Bay, the fourth ranked team in the nation, which the Wildcats were swept by earlier in the week.
 
The Wildcats were paced by sophomore first baseman Kailyn Campbell who collected eight hits and 10 RBIs and redshirt junior catcher Austin Wilkerson turned in eight hits and six RBIs to go along with a homer against Hawaii-Hilo.  Campbell led the tournament in RBIs and was also named to the all-tournament team. Wilkerson is hitting .382, tops on the team and seventh in the Great Northwest Athletics Conference.
 
This series looms large for the Wildcats as only two games separate the two teams. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC standings with a 8-4 conference record and 17-14 overall. Billings is 6-6 in the conference and 16-17 overall.
 
Aubrey Conceicao spearheads a Billings offense that hits .317 as a team.  She leads the team in batting average (.400) and hits (40). Taylor Hoke and Emily Osborn provide offense in a big way as well, combining for 14 homeruns and 52 RBIs.  
 
A matchup to watch will feature Billings pitching versus a bevy of Wildcat hitters who combine to hit .329 as a team. Billings' team ERA is 4.45, but they lean on Jessyka MacDonald, who sports a 2.87 ERA, leads the team in appearances, innings pitched and games started.
 
The two teams will play two double-headers on Friday and Saturday at Avitus Group Stadium.