Baseball opens season Friday at TCU
2/16/2010 1:07:00 PM | Baseball
Coming off the most successful season in school history, TCU has been picked to win its fifth consecutive Mountain West Conference championship.
The Horned Frogs received all 10 first-place votes in the conference's preseason poll of head coaches.
TCU returns five starters from a 2009 squad that captured the NCAA Fort Worth Regional championship and advanced to the program's first NCAA Super Regional. All-Conference catcher Bryan Holaday and pitcher Trent Appleby anchor the Frogs' roster.
TCU posted a 15-5 record in Conference play before finishing the season with a 40-18 overall record and No. 14 ranking in the final 2009 Baseball America poll.
Sam Houston returns 10 lettermen from last year's squad that led Bearkats to the NCAA Regional for the third year in a row.
"It's great for our program to have the opportunity to play a nationally ranked team like TCU," Sam Houston head coach Mark Johnson said. "Playing ranked teams helps you RPI and can play a big role in your chances for the NCAA tournament down the line. It's also a great chance for our players to see how they stack up against the best."
Second baseman Braeden Riley, who led NCAA Division I baseball and set Southland Conference and Sam Houston school records with 111 total hits in 2009, heads the list of Sam Houston's returning players. Riley is a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation preseason All-America selection in 2010. He started 60 games for the Kats at second base. His .387 batting average including a 16-game hitting streak.
Ryan Mooney, who started 27 games at third base and 24 at shortstop last year, also returns. Mooney hit .305 as a sophomore including 17 multiple-hit performances. Infielders Daniel Nottebart and Peter Goudeau, designated hitter Jordan Bunch and catcher Brandon Yates also return.
Four veteran pitchers with multi-season experience return. Right hander Matt Shelton was Southland tournament "Most Valuable Player" in 2009. Shelton rolled up a 7-0 record and appearing in 22 games in relief. He was the winning pitcher in tournament victories over No. 3 UTSA in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Texas State in the finals.Right hander Dallas Gallant was an honorable mention all-league selection and candidate for "Freshman All-America" in 2008. He has compiled a 13-8 record in two years.
Right hander Justin Jackson is 5-0 and left hander Brent Powers is 5-6 in their two years.
"With the bad weather lately, we're a little behind in working out our pitching rotation, but we have a solid base of experience on which to build," Johnson said.
Again, the Bearkats have strengthened their lineup with several top off-season signings and a group of NCAA Division I transfers. Catcher John Hale (Rice), outfielder Jared Wondra (Louisville), pitcher/outfielder Michael Heard (Texas A&M) and first baseman/designated hitter Taylor Davis (LSU) joined the Kats after red-shirting in 2009.
The Bearkats are 1-2 on opening day under head coach Mark Johnson, defeating Creighton 8-6 last year and falling to BYU 17-8 in 2007 and 6-4 to Illinois in 2008. Sam Houston is 13-10 in season openers since the Bearkats moved up to the NCAA Division I level in 1987.
The Bearkats will open their home schedule at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday, February 23 against Prairie View A&M.
Single game baseball tickets for games at Don Sanders are $8 for reserved seats and $6 for general admission. Purchase baseball single game tickets online now.
For more information about tickets to Bearkat baseball, softball and other SHSU athletic events go online to www.gobearkats.com or contact the Sam Houston Athletic Ticket Office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
