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.”
SHSU Sports
Back to the Bayou City
After successful run in conference tourney, Bearkats confident about chances in regional
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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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