Baseball hosts UCA in important series beginning Friday
5/13/2010 9:01:00 AM | Baseball
For three-time tournament defending champion Sam Houston State to have the opportunity to become the first to accomplish that feat, the Bearkats must turn around their season this weekend.
Eight of the league's 11 teams qualify for the post-season event which will be held in Corpus Christi again in 2010. Coming into this weekend's home series with Central Arkansas, the Bearkats stand 10th in the league standings. .
Five teams - Texas State (20-7 in SLC play), Stephen F. Austin (18-8), Southeastern Louisiana (18-9), UT-Arlington (17-10) and Northwestern State (16-10) - already have clinched berths in the 2010 post-season classic to be held in Corpus Christi May 26-29.
Nicholls (11-16) is the bubble team right now, standing in eighth place, one-and-a-half games ahead of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9-17-1) and two in front of Sam Houston (9-18).
This weekend the Kats take on last place Central Arkansas (6-20-1) in a three-game series at Don Sanders Stadium. The three games wrap up the 2010 home season for Sam Houston. The series starts with a 6:30 p.m. game Friday and continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Nicholls, meanwhile, battles league leader Texas State. Since took two of its three games in its series at SHSU last month, Sam Houston needs to pick up three games on the Colonels to earn that last spot in the playoffs. The Bearkats complete the regular season with a road series at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi next weekend.
Sam Houston will be looking to end a seven-game losing streak. The Bearkats' last victory was a 5-3 win over Houston in a non-conference encounter April 27. The Kats have lost eight Southland games in a row since winning the first contest in the Nicholls series 11-5 on April 23.
Several Bearkats have had hot bats lately. Designated hitter Chris Andreas, who ranks fourth in the Southland Conference in hitting with a .375 average, brings a 20-game hitting streak into Friday's game.
Second baseman Braeden Riley continues to lead the Southland Conference in total hits with 77 this year. Riley is hitting .344 this year.
Top hitter for the UCA Bears is Clay Washington who brings a .352 hitting mean into the series.
FRIDAY FAMILY PLAN TICKETS
"Family Plan" tickets for Friday's SHSU-Central Arkansas game are available. "Family Plan" tickets offer the opportunity to purchase four hot dogs, four pop corns, four drinks and four tickets all for just $8 each. There is a minimum purchase of four tickets per customer but any amount over four tickets may be purchased at one time.
For more information on exciting offers like the "Friday Family Pack Tickets", go to the ticket link below or contact the Sam Houston State ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
