Softball opens league play with SFA at home Tuesday
3/1/2010 2:25:00 PM | Softball
Sam Houston State opens 2010 Southland Conference action Tuesday and Wednesday with a three-game series against Stephen F. Austin State at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
The series was originally scheduled to be played in Nacogdoches, but has been moved to Huntsville due to wet grounds at SFA's playing site. The pair will meet in a 1 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday and a 2 p.m. single game Wednesday
The Bearkats bring a 4-8 season record into the contest while Stephen F. Austin has produced a 4-6 mark during the first three weeks of non-conference play.
Sam Houston won three of its four softball games against the Lumberjacks last year including a 2-1 victory in the second round of the Southland Conference tournament in May in Lake Charles, LA, that knocked SFA out of the tournament.
The Kats also won 2-0 and 5-4 in games in Huntsville during the regular season.
Sam Houston has five players batting above .350. Shortstop Hailey Wiginton leads the team with a .455 average. Also hot with the bat now are Mandy Gegen (.444), Erin Burford (.429), Tori Benavidez (.400) and Amy Brown (.355).
Morgan Mikulin and Tomi Garrison will handle pitching duties for the Kats in the circle. Garrison owns a 2-1 record and a 2.38 earned run average while Mikulin stands 2-4 with a 3.64 ERA.
Following the series with the Lumberjacks, Sam Houston will head to San Marcos for a three-game series with Texas State on Saturday and Sunday.
"Starting off the conference schedule with two of the top teams in the league is going to be a test for our young squad," Sam Houston head coach Bob Brock said. "But it also is an opportunity to jump on two of the leaders early and get off to a good start. We always have competitive, exciting games with SFA and Texas State and we're looking forward to it."
Next home action for the Bearkats will be a non-conference doubleheader with Monmouth on Wednesday, March 10.
Tickets for Sam Houston softball are on sale now on-line at www.gobearkats.com or at 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 number is (936) 294-1729.
