SHSU Sports
Southland Notebook: Bearkats putting together impressive run
It’s easy to forget that a few weeks ago the Sam Houston State baseball squad was in a dogfight trying to stay in the race for the Southland Conference regular-season championship.
After getting pounded by Texas-San Antonio in a three-game conference series sweep and dropping two of three to Northwestern State in March, the Bearkats were in sixth place in the league standings at 6-6.
Sam Houston State was putting runs on the board, but the starting pitching was really struggling and more often than not, the Kats were battling out of early and deep holes.
But then something clicked. Following a miserable 17-10 loss in the series finale against the Demons in which the Kats gave up 12 runs in the fifth inning and a nonconference loss to Dallas Baptist, Sam Houston jump started an unbelievable run with a three-game sweep of McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., to get back in the hunt.
Sam Houston did drop its next two contests at Rice and at home against Lamar, but rebounded to take the final two games of the series over the Cardinals.
Those two wins against Lamar not only kept the Bearkats in second place in the SLC, but it was the beginning of a 10 game winning streak. Since the Northwestern State series and the loss to Dallas Baptist, Sam Houston has won 13 out of its last 16 games with nonconference wins over Houston, Texas Southern, 15th-ranked Baylor and Houston Baptist.
The Bearkats (28-13) have also swept two SLC series at McNeese State and Nicholls State during the streak to remain in second place at 14-7 in SLC play, a game and a half behind Texas State (15-5).
Sam Houston State has been scorching during the 10-game winning streak, which is the longest by the Kats since moving up to the Division I level in 1986.
The Bearkats have outscored their opponents 118-46 and have posted double-digit runs in six games. First baseman Nick Zaleski is having a monster season and is batting .439 with 52 RBIs and seven home runs.
Second baseman Braeden Riley has been just as hot as Sam Houston State. The sophomore from Woodville has an 11-game hitting streak and has raised his average to .411. He also is leading the nation in hits with 81.
Catcher Mark Wyatt has homered three times in his last two starts. He is first on the team in home runs with nine and is second in RBIs (37).
But perhaps the most impressive thing during the win streak, especially in conference, has been the turnaround of the starting pitching.
Before the McNeese State series, the Bearkats moved freshman Sean Weatherford from the bullpen into a starting role and he has responded with a 2-1 record, including a 6-0 complete-game victory at Nicholls State in the series opener.
Sam Houston State then got two more complete games in the series from Jacob Howard and Brent Powers. Howard (4-2) gave up only five hits and struck out six in a 12-0 seven-inning run-rule victory, while Powers (2-0) sealed the sweep by allowing only two runs in a 9-2 win.
If the Bearkats can get more solid outings like that out of the starting pitching this weekend against Southeastern Louisiana, Sam Houston State could catch Texas State, which hosts McNeese State.
The Kats and Lions open the series today with a 6:30 p.m. start at Don Sanders Stadium.
Bearkat women’s golf takes sixth — The Sam Houston State women’s golf team gained some ground in the final round of the Southland Conference tournament to finish in sixth place Wednesday afternoon at the Koasati Pines Golf Club in Lake Charles, La.
The Bearkats closed the tournament with a 300 to finish with a 54-hole total of 929. Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi won the championship with a 912, followed by Texas-San Antonio (913) and McNeese State (918).
Sam Houston’s Wendy Joyner fired an even-par 72 in the final round to place fourth in the individual medalist standings. She finished the tournament with a 225.
UTSA’s Allie Jordan won the individual title with a 222. Former Huntsville standout Lacy McKinley of McNeese State tied with Ashley Watkins of A&M-Corpus; Christi for second with a 224.
- SHSU Sports
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Time to crank it up
Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz knew coming into the season that he was going to have his hands full turning around the Bearkats’ football program.
The rest of the coaches in the Southland Conference apparently agree.
Coming off a 5-6 season, a fifth-place finish in league play and the loss of 15 starters, Sam Houston State has been tabbed to finish seventh in the SLC preseason coaches’ poll, which was announced Wednesday during the Southland Conference Football Media Day at the L’Auberge du Lac Resort. -
Pitching dominates Triple-A All-Star Game
Like the Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., pitchers dominated the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday in Allentown, Pa.
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Almost there
After years of toiling in the minor leagues, Dustin Martin can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Rising through the ranks of the minor league system all the way from Rookie League, the former Sam Houston outfielder is playing some of his best baseball these days and will play in Wednesday’s Triple-A All-Star Game in Allentown Pa., which will be televised at 6 p.m. on the MLB Network. -
Gallant shining again in Cape Cod League
Maybe, just maybe, on the mound closing games is where Dallas Gallant needs to be if he’s going to make a name for himself.
For the second summer in a row, the Sam Houston State pitcher has performed marvelously when he finishes games for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, a member of the distinguished Cape Cod Baseball League. -
Bearkats enjoy banner year in classroom
With the release of grade point averages for the more than 400 Bearkats participating in varsity sports, plus the announcement by the Southland Conference office of the annual Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, the 2009-10 season goes in the books as another banner academic year for Sam Houston State University.
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Belcher, Vilardi golf tournaments help rival football programs
Golfers in the Huntsville area can help the football programs at both Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin, two longtime rivals that soon will be adding new excitement to their annual “Battle of the Piney Woods” when they kick off this fall at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
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Kelly ready for NCAA golf regional
When Sam Houston’s Scott Kelly tees off Thursday in the NCAA South Central Regional men’s golf tournament, his goal will be simple. He wants to become the first Bearkat golfer to earn a spot in the national tournament.
“As an at-large entry, it’s difficult to advance but it’s not out of the question,” Kelly said. “I’m going into the tournament with high expectations and will give it my best shot.” -
Dreaming big
His mind has been working overtime. Huntsville senior Quenntin Tucker has spent the past two weeks preparing for the Class 4A Region III track meet.
Tucker practices the discus by day, then dreams about it at night. Physically and mentally, he’s ready for the big meet.
“I had a dream about this,” Tucker said last week during a short break from practice. “In the dream I finished second in our region, then I finished second at state.
“I woke up that morning smiling.” -
Same old story
The Bearkats must’ve felt as if they had a little bit of déjà vu.
For the second straight Saturday, the Bearkats used a monster inning to climb out of a huge hole only to see it slip away.
This time, it was Stephen F. Austin, which rallied for five runs in the final two innings and held off Sam Houston for a 14-13 win. -
UCA has Bearkat softball team on ropes
The Bearkats saw the light dim on their Southland Conference tournament aspirations Saturday afternoon.
Desperately in need of a series win to gain ground in the chase for the sixth and final seed, the Sam Houston State softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Central Arkansas. - More SHSU Sports Headlines
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