Drew Christina headlines 8 from MSUB on academic team with top GPA in the GNAC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Christina headlines 8 from MSUB on academic team with top GPA in the GNAC

MSUB senior Drew Christina holds the top grade point average in the GNAC with a 4.0 while completing a degree in chemistry, and is one of eight players from the Yellowjackets to earn academic all-conference honors.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Holding a 4.0 grade point average while completing a degree in chemistry, Montana State University Billings baseball senior Drew Christina highlighted a group of eight Yellowjackets who earned academic all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors announced by the conference office Wednesday.

Christina holds the top GPA in the entire conference, while twin brother Brett Christina is close behind with a 3.97 GPA in history. Lee Busto, Cody Cooper, Adam Cox, Kyle Durbin, Dylan Goldsack, and Casey Merritt joined the twins to represent MSUB on the academic squad.

“I am really happy for our guys and am proud of how they have gone about their business in the classroom,” commented MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “The guys in our program really value the education that they are receiving at MSUB. The fact that our guys can consistently achieve in the classroom is a testament to the faculty that we have at MSUB, and the kind of people we are attracting to our program.”

Drew Christina is a left-handed pitcher who has made seven starts and has 21 strikeouts in 27 innings with a 5.67 ERA. His brother Brett has a .222 batting average in eight games and has primarily been used in pinch-hitting situations.

Busto was one of three players in the conference honored for a third time in his career, as he holds a 3.69 GPA while studying management. The right-handed relief pitcher leads the GNAC with 21 appearances out of the bullpen this season, holding a 6.46 earned run average with 17 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings pitched.

Merritt was MSUB’s other repeat selection, with a 3.42 GPA in health and human performance. MSUB’s starting left fielder and leadoff hitter, Merritt was limited to 15 games before a season-ending injury, while he hit .271 with 11 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Cox, who recently won his second GNAC Player of the Week honor of the season, has the fourth-best GPA on the team with a 3.63 in criminal justice.

A star offensively and defensively, Cox is batting .336 with six home runs and 35 RBIs, and holds a 3.51 ERA with five saves and 34 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings as the team’s closer on the mound.

Cooper, who broke MSUB’s single-season strikeouts record last week, has a 3.25 GPA and is also studying health and human performance. The junior right-hander leads the GNAC in strikeouts (89) and innings pitched (82 2/3), and is No. 2 in MSUB history with 147 career strikeouts.

Senior Lee Busto earned academic all-conference honors for the third straight year.

Durbin holds the fourth-highest batting average in the GNAC at .365, and has a 3.51 GPA as a history major. The senior third baseman is also second in the GNAC in on-base percentage at .463, and recently picked up the 100th hit of his career in his second season with MSUB. Goldsack is a business management major who carries a 3.46 GPA and is a left-handed pitcher for MSUB. He has made three appearances on the year and has one strikeout in one full inning pitched.

Students must be in their second year competing at a school, and carry a minimum GPA of 3.20 to be eligible to earn academic all-conference honors. Only Concordia University had more athletes than MSUB on the squad, as the Cavaliers had nine honorees.

MSUB’s regular season concludes this weekend with a crucial four-game conference series against Saint Martin’s University at Dehler Park on Thursday and Friday. Doubleheaders are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. both days, with a trip to the conference tournament and a regular-season championship still on the line.

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