Griz host DePaul, Seattle for Montana Invitational

The Montana softball team will make its home debut this week when it hosts DePaul and Seattle at the three-day, six-game Montana Invitational at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

The tournament will start Friday morning and wrap up on Sunday afternoon.

Montana will host DePaul in a doubleheader on Friday, then play single games against Seattle on both Saturday and Sunday. The Redhawks will start those days with a game against the Blue Demons.

The schedule:

Friday, 11:30 a.m. – Montana vs. DePaul
Friday, 2 p.m. – Montana vs. DePaul
Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – Seattle vs. DePaul
Saturday, 2 p.m. – Montana vs. Seattle
Sunday, 10 a.m. – DePaul vs. Seattle
Sunday, 12:30 p.m. – Montana vs. Seattle

Coverage: All six games will be streamed on ESPN+, with Paul Yarbrough calling the action. Live stats for all six games also will be available.

At a glance (Montana): The Grizzlies will take a 9-11 record into this week's tournament after going 3-2 last weekend at the Grand Canyon Invitational. Montana defeated San Jose State twice and Binghamton once, and lost twice to the host Lopes.

At a glance (DePaul): The Blue Demons are 7-11 after opening the season with five straight wins, including four victories at the DePaul Dome Tournament. After defeating Iowa 13-0 in San Diego to improve to 5-0, the Blue Demons lost eight straight.

DePaul defeated Tulsa and Stanford last weekend in Oklahoma.

DePaul has 21 times advanced to the NCAA tournament, four times played in the Women's College World Series and last spring won the Big East with a 13-1 league record. DePaul was picked second in this year's Big East preseason coaches' poll, coming in behind Villanova.

At a glance (Seattle): The Redhawks, who host Robert Morris on Wednesday, are 11-9. Like DePaul, Seattle opened the season with five straight wins, all coming at DePaul's indoor tournament, where the Redhawks scored 33 runs.

Seattle went 2-3 at its next three tournaments, all in California.

The Redhawks have advanced to the last two NCAA tournaments, in 2019 and '21, with the 2020 edition canceled.

Seattle won a program-record 40 games in 2019 and won a game at the Seattle Regional over Fordham. Advancing again last spring after winning the WAC tournament, Seattle picked up another NCAA tournament win, this one over Big Sky champion Portland State 6-5.

The Redhawks were picked to win the West Division of the Western Athletic Conference, ahead of Grand Canyon, which defeated Montana twice in Phoenix last weekend by scores of 5-4 and 9-1.

Where they stand: Seattle is No. 84 in this week's NCAA RPI, DePaul is No. 98, Montana is No. 191, fifth in the Big Sky behind Weber State (41), Portland State (66), Sacramento State (134) and Idaho State (153).

Series histories:

* Montana will be playing DePaul for the first time on Friday. The Grizzlies' only other game against an opponent from the Big East was a 3-0 loss to Providence at Fresno State in 2015.

* Montana and Seattle have played 10 times and have split their games 5-5. Six of their matchups have come in Missoula, where Montana has gone 4-2 against Seattle.

* The Redhawks traveled to Missoula last season for a three-game series and went 2-1. Seattle swept a doubleheader by scores of 3-2 and 5-2 before Montana came back the next day and won 7-6 on a walk-off RBI single by Brooklyn Weisgram in the bottom of the seventh.

Summary:

At 9-11, Montana is off to its second-best 20-game start in program history, trailing only the 10-10 start of the 2020 team.

It's a record that will likely never dazzle, for both geographic and climate reasons and because the Grizzlies will always start the first month on the road.

So .500, or close to it, is a win in this case.

"This team is a bunch of road warriors," said coach Melanie Meuchel. "We've been trekking, but we still show up to compete.

"I don't think we've caught our stride yet, but I think we're well on our way to really meshing together."

A record of 9-11 feels about right for this Montana team. The Grizzlies have won some close ones and dropped some close ones, won some comfortably and lost some by multiple runs.

"There are games we've let slip and could have had a different outcome but through that process and through that grind, there are other games we could have given away as well and found ways to show who we are and what we're capable of," said Meuchel.

"It's a team that will never die, will never give up. We know we always have a chance if we have one out sitting out there. I'm really proud of what they put forward."

What's been notable through 20 games is that 14 of them have been decided by three or fewer runs, a dozen of them by one or two runs. The Grizzlies are making a habit of playing edge-of-your-seat games.

Last Friday, Montana was in a tie game against both San Jose State and Grand Canyon going into the seventh inning. The Grizzlies ended up with a split.

On Saturday, Montana and San Jose State went to the eighth inning tied 1-1, a game the Grizzlies won. On Sunday, Montana trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth. The Grizzlies scored three runs to win 3-1.

"We haven't hit our stride in everything we're doing, so it's encouraging to be able to play close, play tight and be in position to win those games," said Meuchel.

"I think that will pay dividends the rest of the season. Once we hit a little more of our stride, I think that will play a factor in stringing a lot of wins together."

That Montana is 9-11 while averaging fewer than three runs per game (58 through 20) is a testament to the one-two punch of starting pitchers Allie Brock and Dana Butterfield.

Brock already has five wins, which is one more than she had last season as a freshman. Butterfield has four.

Butterfield has thrown seven complete games. In five of those she has needed fewer than 90 pitches. Brock has thrown more than 100 pitches just twice this season.

For comparison, Tristin Achenbach, last year's ace, threw more than 100 pitches 24 times her senior season.

"That's one of our goals, to be as efficient as possible and have command of what you're doing," said Meuchel. "I think they do a great job with it.

"They've been consistent and kind of the start of the heartbeat of our team, just knowing we're going to get great outings every time they come out."

More than half of Montana's games this season have been wrapped up in an hour and 50 minutes or less. And that's a benefit to the players.

"When we head out on defense, we know we'll be back fairly quick. That gives us confidence defensively and confidence knowing we have a chance at the plate as well," said Meuchel.

"They've kept us close in every single game and given us opportunities."

Montana batted .254 in five games in Phoenix last week, which inched its season average up to .250. That ranks sixth out of seven teams in the Big Sky, 178th nationally.

With a lot of the same bats in the order, the Grizzlies finished at .313 last season.

If Montana's pitching and defense remain steadfast, livelier bats will mean the team's best performances are coming as the weather warms, which would be in keeping with the Grizzly tradition.

"I have a lot of confidence in our offense," said Meuchel. "I don't think we've fully hit our stride in that part of our game.

"I feel like we're just a step away and really close to being able to string some things together and be a little more consistent on that side of the ball."

Presley Jantzi (.356), Julie Phelps (.345) and Cami Sellers (.333) have been the teams' most consistent hitters.

That's allowed other players to shake off slow starts and get dialed in.

Maygen McGrath, all-region last spring after batting .410, was 1 for 16 in California to open the season. She's had five multiple-hit games in the last 10 and is up to .258 on the year.

"Each week we're seeing individuals break through. We've had some very consistent individuals that have produced for us and allowed for some growth within other hitters," said Meuchel.

Montana is just 3-3 in its home opener over the years, but the team is 71-37 overall at Grizzly Softball Field.

"Being on the road takes a mental toll. The refreshing part of being at home is we get to sleep in our own beds, we get to go to class, we get to be present with the people in our lives," said Meuchel.

"And we know we get to play at Grizzly Softball Field, which our players take so much pride in."

Montana will open its home schedule against DePaul on Friday, a program with a long history of success at the national level and one expected to challenge for a Big East title this spring.

Seattle is becoming a NCAA tournament regular out of the WAC.

"They will be very competitive teams. That's what we want to bring to Missoula, good Division I softball programs that allow our fans to see what is out there," said Meuchel.

"We're excited to have DePaul and know they are very competitive and will bring a great ballclub. And we know Seattle is very gritty and competitive. We're excited to compete with very quality programs on our field."

Game notes:

* DePaul senior pitcher Erin Hocker was the 2018 Montana Gatorade Softball Player of the Year at Great Falls High. She is 1-4 this season but has a team-best 3.39 ERA in seven appearances.

* Montana will play its next nine games at home: four this weekend, a doubleheader against Providence next weekend, then a Big Sky series against Portland State the final weekend of March.

* Kendall Curtis went 5 for 10 in Phoenix last weekend. Four of her hits came in Montana's 2-1, eight-inning win over San Jose State, including the walk-off winner. It was Montana's first four-hit game since Maygen McGrath had four hits on the same field against Grand Canyon in March 2020.

* One of Curtis's hits was a triple in the fourth, the team's first of the season. Montana did not have a triple last season until April 25.

* McGrath had home runs in back-to-back games on Friday, both in the seventh inning. It was her fifth time as a Grizzly hitting a home run in back-to-back games.

* Presley Jantzi led Montana with six hits in Phoenix, three of which were doubles. She leads the Big Sky in doubles with eight. Eight of her 16 hits this season have been doubles.

* Allie Brock went 1-1 in Phoenix in three starts with a 1.11 ERA. Butterfield picked up both of her wins against San Jose State, one as a starter, one in relief. Butterfield pitched the final inning of Sunday's 3-1 win over Binghamton for her first collegiate save.

* Brock and Butterfield had just four walks in 32 2/3 innings in Phoenix.

* Montana has scored only 20 runs the last nine games but still won four times and was an out away from making it five against Grand Canyon on Friday night.

* Maygen McGrath, Julie Phelps and Cami Sellers lead Montana with six multiple-hit games. Presley Jantzi has the team's longest active hitting streak of three.

* Four runs allowed has been the tipping point for Montana this season. When Montana holds its opponent to three or fewer runs, the Grizzlies have gone 9-3. When it's been four or more, the Grizzlies are 0-8.

* Hannah Jablonski made her first start as a Grizzly at second base on Sunday and had a base hit in her first collegiate at-bat.

* Brock and Butterfield have allowed no earned runs or one earned run in five of the last seven games. … Through 20 games, Montana has issued 32 walks and allowed seven home runs. Through 20 games last season, those numbers were 79 and 29.

Upcoming: Montana will host Providence of Great Falls in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 19, starting at 1 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Tristin Achenbach

Allie Brock

Dana Butterfield

Kendall Curtis

Hannah Jablonski

Presley Jantzi

Maygen McGrath

Julie Phelps

Cami Sellers

Brooklyn Weisgram

University of Montana Athletics