Baseball begins 4-game Utah series Friday
2/25/2010 12:21:00 PM | Baseball
Sam Houston opens its 2010 home schedule this weekend with a four-game series with the University of Utah.
The Bearkats and the Utes will play a single game at 6:30 p.m. Friday, a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and end the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. single encounter.
The series marks the second week in a row for the Kats to face an opponent from the Mountain West Conference. Last week, four-time defending Mountain West champion TCU swept three games from Sam Houston. Utah opened its schedule taking one out of three games from UC-Davis.
Utah was selected to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference this season in the preseason coaches and media poll. In addition, senior third baseman Nick Kuroczko was selected to the preseason all-conference team.
Sam Houston has represented the Southland Conference as the league's post-season tournament champion in the last three NCAA regionals. But this year's lineup is dotted with lots of new faces.
Five of the Bearkats' top seven hitters in last week's TCU series are newcomers. Infielder Taylor Davis, a transfer from LSU, leads Sam Houston with a .417 batting average including two doubles and a home run. Outfielder Mark Hudson, a transfer from Alvin Junior College, is hitting .400.
Unlike the everyday position players, the pitching staff remains mostly intact.
"I think coach (Chris) Berry has done really well in preparing us for the season as he's done every year," said reliever Matt Shelton, who was named the conference tournament MVP last May after pitching 9 1/3 scoreless innings, including 5 2/3 innings of work in the championship game. He will take over duties as the Kats' primary closer.
"I think our arms are healthy. We've got good guys that can start games. We've got guys who can pitch in the middle of games and ones, like myself, to help finish games. It's our time to shine."
Johnson expects to see big things out of starting pitcher Dallas Gallant.
Gallant had a bit of a sophomore slump, posting a 4-4 record in nine starts with an earned run average of 6.52 last year. Those numbers pale in comparison to his freshman season where he was 9-4 in 11 starts with a 4.98 ERA.
Gallant, though, had a productive summer playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He earned a spot in the Cape Cod All-Star Game and pitched an inning in historic Fenway Park.
"It's time for (Gallant) to step up," Johnson said. "Dallas will be one of our key guys and we'll try to keep Matt Shelton in that closer role. That's all incumbent upon the starters to get us to that spot. If Matt's not going to be a factor, then he's going to have to be a starter. He's our best relief pitcher and that's where we want to keep him."
The Bearkats also have a number of other pitchers they will rely on to be effective this spring.
"We'll see Jordan Westra, who is coming off surgery last year and didn't get to throw a lot," Johnson said. "Justin Jackson is coming on and (Brent) Powers will be there. We've just got to keep him healthy.
"We've also got Jacob McMurtry, a redshirt freshman, and Will Murray, another freshman."
Sam Houston has announced the Bearkat "family plan" includes four reserved seats, four pop corns, four drinks, four hot dogs all for $32 for Friday night games at Don Sanders Stadium.
For complete information on the many money-saving ways to see exciting Bearkat baseball action, see the Bearkat Baseball Tickets Page on the internet 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.
