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Back to the Bayou City
After successful run in conference tourney, Bearkats confident about chances in regional
Sitting in front of the TV on Selection Monday waiting to see their name called and where they’ll play in the NCAA regionals is starting to become commonplace for the Bearkats.
Instead of being antsy, the Kats were patient until they found out that they were headed back to Reckling Park in Houston for the second straight year.
“It’s always an exciting time of the year. To get to the tournament is a big accomplishment,” senior Heath Pugh said.
Joining the Bearkats in the regional will be Xavier, Kansas State and Rice, which is hosting the regional.
Xavier (38-19) and Kansas State (41-16-1) will both be making their NCAA tournament debuts, while Rice (39-15) is making its 15th consecutive appearance and looks to advance to the College World Series for the fourth year in a row.
“They’re all quality teams,” senior outfielder Nick Zaleski said. “They wouldn’t have made it in the tournament otherwise. Kansas State, from what we understand, did a great job in the tough Big 12. (Kansas State pitcher) A.J. Morris has been absolutely lights out all year. We don’t know much about Xavier. They’re a little far off, but they obviously did a great job to get here. Rice is one of the top teams in the country every year. We certainly have our hands full, but it’s something we can take care of.”
The Bearkats advanced to regionals after sweeping through the Southland Conference tournament, defeating Texas State, which is the No. 2 seed in the Austin Regional, in the championship game 7-1 last Saturday.
“We were playing at a high level in the tournament,” Pugh said. “We got some key hits and really threw well on the mound. Everything went our way and hopefully we can keep the train going.”
Just like last season, the all-important first challenge for the Bearkats will be Rice, and the two will play Friday’s nightcap at 6 p.m. Xavier and Kansas State play in the first game at 2 p.m. Last season, SHSU nearly upset Rice, which was a No. 6 national seed.
“The thing about the regional is that the intensity will be even higher because the level of competition will be better,” said sophomore second baseman Braeden Riley, who currently leads the nation in hits. “I like our chances against Rice. I don’t know much about Xavier, but I like our chances against everybody in that regional. I think we can handle ourselves.”
The Bearkats and Owls certainly aren’t strangers to one another. Besides meeting in the regionals last season, SHSU and Rice met twice this season and split the contests. The Bearkats won the first meeting 8-6 in Huntsville in March and the Owls took the second 9-3 in Houston a few weeks later.
“I don’t think Rice is going to overlook the Bearkats,” SHSU head coach Mark Johnson said. “We played them twice this year and split with them. I do think there is comfort in familiarity and that’s a plus.
“I don’t think we’re going to be intimidated. We’re going to take our stuff out there. We’re playing pretty good and we’re looking to take it into Houston.”
The Bearkats expect to see either Ryan Berry (7-0, 1.89 ERA) or Taylor Wall (6-5, 3.81 ERA), who has been Rice’s Friday night starter for the past few weeks and pitched the Owls to a Conference USA tournament championship Sunday.
“The thing about Rice is that we just seem to match up with them,” Riley said. “With them, they’re a great team, but I honestly think we match up well with them. It’s kind of a funny thing.
“In baseball, you don’t know why teams match up well with other teams. It just happens. We’re obviously familiar with most of their pitching staff. They’ve got some young guys that we kind of met this year.
“We know them and they know us. We know how to play them as they know us. It can work as an advantage or as a disdvantage. It’s nice to play someone you know.”
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Opportunity missed
Sam Houston State was right there.
The Bearkats were dead even with 19th-ranked Baylor with less than four minutes to go in the game. Senior Ashton Mitchell had just tied the contest at 55 on a layup worthy of SportsCenter’s Plays of the Week.
Mitchell’s tricky reverse layup was the kind of play that usually leads to something special. But just as fast as it came, the momentum quickly shifted in the Bears’ favor.
Third-seeded Baylor got eight points from junior guard LaceDarius Dunn and went on an 11-4 run in the final two and a half minutes to avoid a huge upset, notching a 68-59 victory over Sam Houston State in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday afternoon at New Orleans Arena. -
Fantastic finish
When every young recruit walks through the door at Johnson Coliseum, their goal is help Sam Houston State get to the NCAA tournament.
The Bearkats have had some really talented players over the past seven seasons since Sam Houston last went dancing and none of them were able to accomplish what this year’s group has. -
Playing among trees
Monday afternoon at Johnson Coliseum, the Bearkats began preparing for their first-round NCAA tournament matchup with 19th-ranked Baylor.
Sam Houston State (25-7) literally has a steep hill to climb if it wants to upset the third-seeded Bears (25-7) on Thursday in New Orleans. Baylor has a 7-foot center (Josh Lomers) and a pair of 6-10 forwards (Ekpe Udoh and Anthony Jones) who have played in all 32 games this season. -
Goin’ to the Big Dance
The Bearkats were on a mission and Stephen F. Austin got caught in the fury.
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Courtney falls just short of medaling at NCAA Indoors
Sam Houston State senior Michael Courtney was the first Bearkat to compete in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and he left his mark.
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Still kicking
The Bearkats were staggering and about to go down. But the regular-season champions showed what they were made of in the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament Thursday night.
Junior guard Lance Pevehouse knocked down a clutch 3-pointer with 1:11 left in the game to help Sam Houston State overcome a five-point deficit. The Bearkats then caught some breaks down the stretch and pulled out a thrilling 88-85 win over Southeastern Louisiana at the Merrell Center. -
SAM SURVIVES
At this stage in the game, a win is a win.
Sam Houston State survived a stellar performance from a one-man wrecking crew Wednesday to advance to the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament. The top-seeded Bearkats held on and beat upset-minded Nicholls 62-57 at the Merrell Center. -
Bearkats blow out Northwestern State 103-75
When Sam Houston State senior Corey Allmond drained his first 3-point attempt Wednesday, the Demons from Northwestern State had to know it was going to be a long night.
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Opportunity missed
