Griz depart for season-defining road trip

The Montana softball team, which has already clinched a spot at next week's Big Sky Conference Championship, will conclude its regular-season schedule this weekend with a three-game series at Southern Utah.

The Grizzlies (21-29, 7-8 BSC) and Thunderbirds (6-31, 4-11 BSC) will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at SUU's Kathryn Berg Field. The series finale will be played at noon on Sunday.

Montana will then travel to Sacramento, Calif., for the Big Sky tournament, which will open on Wednesday, May 8, at Sacramento State's Shea Stadium.

The Grizzlies won't return to Missoula until they are Big Sky Conference champions or their season has come to an end.

What's at stake (Montana): The Grizzlies will take a five-game winning streak to Cedar City, which includes a series sweep last week at home over Northern Colorado. Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Bears clinched a postseason spot for Montana for the fourth straight year.

The Grizzlies could take anywhere from the No. 3 to the No. 6 seed into next week's tournament, depending on results this weekend, not only in Cedar City but in Hillsboro, Ore., and Pocatello, Idaho, as well.

What's at stake (Southern Utah): Five spots to next week's tournament have been claimed by Weber State (12-1 BSC), Sacramento State (9-5), Portland State (7-7), Idaho State (7-7) and Montana (7-8).

That leaves one spot unclaimed. It will either go to Northern Colorado (5-12), which will be sitting at home in Greeley this weekend, its Big Sky schedule completed, or Southern Utah (4-11).

The Thunderbirds need two wins over the Grizzlies this weekend to jump over Northern Colorado and into the tournament. Anything less than that and the Bears will see their season extended.

Early tournament notes:

* Weber State has clinched the No. 1 seed by winning its fourth consecutive regular-season championship. The Wildcats will host next season's tournament.

* Sacramento State, Portland State and Idaho State could each play its way into the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

* The tournament will open on Wednesday, with the No. 4 and 5 seeds meeting at 10 a.m. (MT), followed by No. 3 and 6 playing at 12:30 p.m. (MT).

* The No. 4/5 winner will play Weber State at 3 p.m. (MT). The 3/6 winner will play the No. 2 seed at 5:30 p.m. (MT).

* The tournament will continue with three games on Thursday, two on Friday and at least one on Saturday.

Most recently (Montana): After dropping three games at Weber State, Montana returned home and posted five wins in six days at Grizzly Softball Field last week.

The 5-0 week began with a doubleheader sweep of Providence, then continued with a series sweep of Northern Colorado on Friday and Saturday.

Montana batted .346 in its series against the Bears. Four Griz pitchers had a 2.67 ERA and limited Northern Colorado to a .208 batting average.

Montana had 10 extra-base hits in the series, four coming off the bat of Cami Sellers. She had two doubles and two game-winning home runs to earn Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors for the first time on Monday.

The wins gave Montana a 16-3 record at Grizzly Softball Field this season, the best mark in program history, and improved the Grizzlies' all-time record at home to 66-25.

Montana won the final four games of last week's home stand after falling behind in each game.

Most recently (Southern Utah): The Thunderbirds have just six wins this season in 37 games, but four of those have come during their Big Sky schedule.

Southern Utah has a win at Sacramento State, something Montana was unable to do. SUU also won its home series against Northern Colorado, taking two of three games.

The Thunderbirds dropped two of three at home to Idaho State last weekend. They run-ruled the Bengals 12-4 in Game 2 but dropped the other two games 5-3 and 7-3.

Southern Utah has the same team batting average as Montana -- both teams are at .274 -- but the Thunderbirds' ERA (6.56) is more than two runs per game higher than the Grizzlies' (4.14).

Series history: Montana has gone 10-3 against Southern Utah, with five straight wins, including a series sweep in Cedar City last season. The Grizzlies are 5-1 on SUU's home field.

Southern Utah holds the top spot in a pair of games in the Montana record book.

When Montana overcame a 12-2 deficit to win 14-13 in eight innings at Southern Utah in 2016, it became (and remains) the largest deficit ever overcome in a victory in program history.

The largest lead ever given up by the Grizzlies in a loss also came against the Thunderbirds. Montana led 6-1 going into the sixth inning at home in 2015. SUU scored two in the sixth, four in the seventh to win 7-6.

Montana notes:

* Cami Sellers' 18-game hitting streak came to an end last week against Providence, even though she reached base five times in six plate appearances against the Argos.

There would be no post-streak slump for Sellers, who went 6 for 10 later in the week against Northern Colorado.

* Sellers has safely reached base in 23 straight games, the fifth-longest streak in program history. Topping the list: Bethany Olea at 32 consecutive games in 2016.

* Montana has won 10 of its last 13 games. Five in row at home over Portland State and Carroll, then the three losses at Weber State, followed by last week's 5-0 performance while facing Providence and Northern Colorado.

* Montana went 10-6 in April, its first winning month this season.

* How about those freshmen:

*** Kylie Becker has batted .381 since moving into the leadoff spot five games ago. She has a hit in all five games, with three multiple-hit games. She upped her batting average from .211 to .241 over five games last week.

*** Katie Pippel has started the last 15 games in right field. She has had a hit in 12 of those games, with four multiple-hit games. Her season batting average has gone from .200 to .306 over those 15 games.

*** Brooklyn Weisgram's season batting average is back over .300 (currently: .304) for the first time in more than a month. She went 6 for 11 over the final four home games last week.

* Montana is -63 in run differential this season in the first three innings. In innings 4-7, the Grizzlies are +26.

* Colleen Driscoll picked up season win No. 9 on Saturday in relief of Michaela Hood. That's the third-most wins in a season for a Montana pitcher in program history. Michaela Hood won 18 games in 2017, Sara Stephenson won 14 games in 2016.

* Montana's current team batting average of .274 is its highest of the season.

* The Grizzlies have dropped their team ERA to 4.14, the second-best mark in the Big Sky behind Sacramento State's 2.83. It's the lowest it's been since mid-February.

* Friday in the Big Sky: Sacramento State at Idaho State (DH), Weber State at Portland State (DH)

* Saturday in the Big Sky: Sacramento State at Idaho State, Weber State at Portland State, Montana at Southern Utah (DH)

* Sunday in the Big Sky: Montana at Southern Utah

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Players Mentioned

Kylie Becker

Colleen Driscoll

Michaela Hood

Bethany Olea

Katie Pippel

Cami Sellers

Sara Stephenson

Brooklyn Weisgram

University of Montana Athletics