Sam Houston earns NCAA playoff berth with four straight victories at 2007 Southland Conference tournament
5/23/2007 1:00:00 AM | Baseball
From The Huntsville Item
By Tom Waddill, Sports Editor
Sam Houston 3, Texas State-San Marcos 1
NATCHITOCHES, La. ? It's official. Bearkat baseball is back. Back, and possibly better than ever.
On Saturday afternoon at Brown-Stroud Field, Sam Houston State completed a perfect run through the Southland Conference Tournament, beating the rival Bobcats of Texas State 3-1 in the championship game.
Making their first postseason appearance in seven years, the Bearkats (38-22) advanced to the NCAA regionals for the first time since 1996.
Senior Tim Gray pitched five strong innings, sophomore Jacob Howard came out of the bullpen to throw 3 2/3 scoreless frames and senior Luke Prihoda came in and retired the potential tying run on a fly ball to center fielder Keith Stein to cap the Kats' 4-0 run through the tournament.
“We just came out and believed in ourselves all week,” said Prihoda, the Southland's Pitcher of the Year in 2007 who was unanimously voted the tournament Most Valuable Player after saving two games and winning another.
“We're moving on to the regionals. This is just huge ? it's unbelievable,” added the hard-throwing hurler, who pitched six scoreless innings in three games, allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out five.
The Bearkats used the same formula Saturday that helped them roll undefeated to the championship game: pitching that was tough as nails, jaw-dropping defense and timely hitting.
In SHSU's four tournament games, the Bearkat pitching staff limited opponents to eight runs and a 2.00 earned run average over 36 innings. Included was a 2-0 shutout of Texas State on day one as the fourth-seeded Bearkats upset the No. 3 seed Bobcats to get things going. SHSU then beat No. 2 Lamar 7-3 and top-seeded Texas-San Antonio 5-4 to advance to Saturday's championship round.
Gray (6-3), who pitched in relief of senior Jesse Marshall in a victory over Lamar on Thursday, gave up one run and five hits in five-plus innings Saturday. He walked only one and struck out five before Howard came on in the bottom of the sixth.
Howard held the Bobcats (37-23) to one hit. He walked none and struck out two before handing the ball to Prihoda with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Prihoda battled and finally got pinch hitter Elliott Babcock to fly out for the game's final out. As soon as Stein squeezed the ball in his glove, the Bearkats began a wild celebration in the center of the infield, piling up around Prihoda, then collecting their championship trophy.
“This is just a dream come true,” said Gray, who has had his share of ups and downs during his four-year college career. “A bunch of us seniors have been here for four years together. We've been through a lot. This year we really started playing as a team, plus we believed this could happen.”
Like they did Friday night against UTSA, the Bearkats rallied from an early deficit to defeat Texas State for the second time in the tournament.
The Bobcats scratched a run in the bottom of the fourth when senior Aaron Garza and freshman Paul Goldschmidt slapped back-to-back doubles off Gray. Texas State nearly got another run, but left fielder Bobby Verbick made a diving catch on Jared Bunn's dying quail for the third out of the inning.
After Texas State hung the game's first run on the board, the Bearkats responded and put up a pair in the top of the fifth. SHSU used a hit batter, an infield hit by catcher Heath Pugh, a walk and a high hopper over the mound to get their first run across.
Aaron Cook, who was hit by a B.J. Boening pitch with one out, scored when Clint Mann chopped a ball up the middle that Texas State could not turn into a double play. The Kats took the lead a batter later when Bobcats third baseman Adam Witek made a throwing error on Stein's grounder.
With one infield hit, a couple of free passes and a throwing error, the Bearkats grabbed a 2-1 lead they never would relinquish.
Texas State threatened in the bottom of the fifth, but like Boening in the frame before, Gray got a huge boost from the guys playing behind him. With the bases loaded and only one out, Gray got dangerous David Wood to pound the ball into the turf at second.
Quickly, Mann picked the ball off the carpet, spun and fired to Holzbach. SHSU's slick-fielding senior shortstop slid across the bag and gunned to first just in time to get Wood for an inning-ending double play.
The Kats added an important insurance run in the sixth when Pugh sliced a single to left to score Nick Zaleski from second.
Pugh went 2-for-2 Saturday, while Karl Krailo, Mann, Stein, Zaleski and Holzbach added one hit apiece off four Texas State pitchers. Garza led the Bobcats with a pair of doubles.
SHSU, which committed only one error in four tournament games, turned in two gems late in Saturday's game. First, Mann dove to rob Bunn of a potential RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Two innings later, Stein made one of his patented plays in center field to steal a shot off Garza's bat that was headed toward the gap.
“We really rose to the occasion and did a phenomenal job defensively,” said Mann, who together with Pugh, Verbick, Stein and Prihoda were voted to the all-tourney team. “All of the hard work we put in this year is all paying off.”
It took a great deal of work, according to SHSU's first-year head coach Mark Johnson, for the Bearkats to rise up after 10 years of mediocrity and accomplish what they did this season.
“This was a great weekend for the Bearkats,” Johnson said after his players dumped a cooler full of cold water on his head. “We played well defensively, we pitched well and we hit the ball well.
“Today, the balls just kind of fell into place for us. We had a 4-6-3 double play that is almost impossible to turn, and we also made four diving plays. An inch different on those balls and this could have turned into a mess.
“It was fun to watch our kids play,” the upbeat coach added.
The Bearkats, who struggled through a 23-31 campaign a year ago, won't know until Monday where and when they play next. Regional sites will be announced today and pairings will be made public Monday.
“I don't care where we go next, A&M or Texas, we're just happy to go,” Mann said. “We're going to take care of business as well. We'll be going to the regionals to win.”
Sam Houston State made NCAA appearances in 1987, 1989, and 1996. In 1987, the Bearkats upset Oklahoma and Indiana State in the regional in Austin before falling to Houston. In their last NCAA appearance in 1996, the Kats upset No. 2 ranked Miami, also in Austin. The Bearkats will learn where and who they will play in the NCAA tournament Monday.
The Bearkats had not had a winning season since 1998 and had not been in the SLC post-season tournament since 2000 before this year's turnaround.
Prihoda, who was the winning pitcher in one of the team's four tournament victories and was credited with saves in two others, was named as tournament "Most Valuable Player. " Prihoda struck out 10 batters in 10 innings, not giving up a single run in his three appearances.
Catcher Heath Pugh, who hit .429 for the tournament with 3 RBIs, second baseman Clint Mann, and outfielders Bobby Verbick and Keith Stein also were named to the All-Tournament team.
2007 Southland Conference All-Tournament Team
C-Heath Pugh, SHSU
1B-Dan Hernandez, Lamar
2B-Clint Mann, SHSU
3B-Ryan Saltzgaber, UTSA
SS-Thomas Field, Texas St-San Marcos
OF-Aaron Garza, Texas St-San Marcos
OF-Bobby Verbick, SHSU
OF-Keith Stein, SHSU
DH-David Jeans, SFA
P-Mike Hart, Texas State-San Marcos
P-Luke Prihoda, SHSU (Tournament MVP)
Sam Houston 5, Texas-San Antonio 4
NATCHITOCHES, LA -- A bases loaded ground out by Austin Boggs scored Clint Mann for the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Sam Houston State advanced to the championship round of the 2007 Southland Conference baseball tournament with a 5-4 victory over SLC regular season champion Texas-San Antonio Friday night.
The loss eliminated UTSA from the tournament. Sam Houston State, the No. 4 seed, will play No. 3 seed Texas State-San Marcos at 1 p.m. Saturday. If the Bearkats win, they earn the league's NCAA playoff berth. The Bobcats must win twice over SHSU to earn the tournament title.
Tied 4-4 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Roadrunners walked the bases full, giving up base on balls to Mann, Bobby Verbick, and Karl Krailo. The run completed a come-from-behind effort that saw the Bearkats come from three runs down after going scoreless the first four innings.
Texas-San Antonio jumped out to an early 3-0 lead when left fielder Phillip Allen hit a three-run double in the top of the second inning.
With two out in the fifth inning, the Bearkats picked up their first run as Keith Stein, Bobby Verbick, and Karl Krailo hit consecutive singles with Krailo's smash to right field scoring Stein.
UTSA responded with a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by shortstop Marshall Davis.
The Bearkats knotted the game at 4-4 with three runs on five hits and two Roadrunner errors in the bottom of the sixth.
Nick Zaleski started the inning with a single and scored on Aaron Cook's double down the left field line. Heath Pugh singled, then reached second on an error in right field that scored Cook. Jeremy Holzbach singled and scored on an error by the second baseman after a single by Stein for the tying run.
“These guys just find a way to persevere,” SHSU head coach Mark Johnson said. “They were up against it but refused to lose. I told the guys this morning that the heart of a champion is what pulls you through. They played hard and played together and deserve to be in this position.”
Since the tournament is double elimination, the Bobcats, who lost to SHSU 2-0 Wednesday, will have to beat the Bearkats twice today to win the championship. The second game will be 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first if necessary.
“The guys are very excited because they have never been in this situation before,” Johnson said. “They are jumping up and down in the dugout and really getting into out there. It's been fun to watch. But we still have another day. I think we are ready to play. We are hitting the ball well, and our pitchers have given us some solid work. Guys are stepping up and so far have endured everything that has come their way.”
Matt Fry pitched five and a third innings as the Bearkats' starter, giving up seven hits and striking out three. Stephen Price completed the sixth inning, striking out both batters he faced, then Luke Prihoda took the mound in the seventh. Prihoda struck out three batters and allowed only one hit as he faced 10 Roadrunners to earn the victory.
Sam Houston 7, Lamar 3
Sam Houston State exploded for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull away from Lamar for a 7-3 victory to remain as the only unbeaten team Thursday after day two of the Southland Conference Tournament in Natchitoches, La.
After taking a 4-0 lead into the top of the sixth, SHSU starter Jessie Marshall (8-3) got into a little trouble by giving up three earned runs on three hits. With the bases loaded and one out, reliever Tim Gray came in and coaxed a double play to get out of the jam. Gray tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings, retiring the last eight batters he faced to pick up the save.
“Tim Gray really stepped up for us tonight,” SHSU head coach Mark Johnson said. “He did a good job with his downhill stuff. Jessie Marshall pushed the baseball gods. He walked the lead-off hitter four times but they didn't hit him. Jessie always gives us a chance to win.
“Another great thing about Timmy's performance is that we didn't have to use (Luke) Prihoda which was huge.”
The Bearkats added some breathing room in the seventh to close the door on the Cardinals. Clint Mann got the rally started with a one-out double down the first-base line. Then with two outs, Bobby Verbick was hit by a pitch and Karl Krailo followed with a walk to load the bases.
That set the stage for senior third baseman Austin Boggs. The Texas A&M transfer came through with a two-run single up the middle to push the lead to 6-3. Nick Zaleski followed with another RBI single to right for the finishing touches.
The Bearkats struck first with a run in the bottom of the second when Heath Pugh launched a double to left-center field to bring home Boggs who also reached on a two bagger.
Krailo tacked on another run by scoring on a wild pitch in the fourth and hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth. Mann added an RBI single in the fifth to put SHSU up 4-0.
Pugh, Boggs and Mann led the Kats at the plate with two hits each. Keith Stein, Verbick, Zaleski and Cook also hit safely for SHSU.
“Heath Pugh had two big doubles for us, and Boggs had a great defensive game,” Johnson said. “We had two big double plays in the game, especially the one to close out the sixth.”
With the victory, the Bearkats are guaranteed to play on championship Saturday. SHSU will play the winner of today's 11 a.m. elimination game between Lamar and Texas-San Antonio tonight at 7.
If the Kats win they face the winner of today's 3 p.m. contest featuring Texas State and Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the championship. A loss tonight means SHSU will have to win two games Saturday to earn the Southland's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Sam Houston 2, Texas State-San Marcos 0
NATCHITOCHES, La. - Reliever Luke Prihoda needed only one pitch to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh inning as he went on to snare outright possession of the national lead with his 16th save in a 2-0 Sam Houston State win over Texas State late Wednesday night.
Bobby Verbick's two-out line drive home run in the fifth inning provided the game's only scoring. He plated Jeremy Holzbach, the Bearkats' No. 9 hitter, who led off the inning with a double.
Jacob Howard (11-5) struck out eight in 6.1 innings for Sam Houston State before Prihoda inherited a bases-loaded situation and got Texas State-San Marcos's No. 3 hitter, David Wood, to ground to first base to start an inning-ending double play. Prihoda allowed only one hit in the next two innings to extend his conference-record saves total and to snap a tie for the national lead.
Justin Fiske (9-3) was a hard-luck loser, going the distance and notching eight strikeouts while scattering seven hits.
The Bobcats (35-22) play top-seeded Texas-San Antonio at 3 Thursday afternoon and need to win to avoid elimination. Sam Houston's Bearkats (35-22) face second-seeded Lamar in a 7 o'clock winner's bracket second-round game Thursday evening.
McNeese, the fifth seed, will face sixth-seeded Stephen F. Austin in an elimination-round game Thursday morning at 11.
The tournament continues through Saturday afternoon at Northwestern State's Brown-Stroud Field.
