Lions visit the Don for critical series
4/28/2011 5:08:00 PM | Baseball
And one of the top series in the league this weekend will take place at Don Sanders Stadium when a pair of squads in a dead-heat battle for position down the stretch.
Sam Houston plays host to Southeastern Louisiana in a three game set that begins Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday's start times are 2 and 1 p.m., respectively.
The Bearkats and the Lions enter the series deadlocked with UT-Arlington for third place all with 12-9 Southland records. And just to show how close these two teams are, both Sam Houston and Southeastern Louisiana stand 28-15 on the year.
The Kats have been up-and-down of late. After winning nine of 11 contests including series victories over Northwestern State, McNeese State and Lamar, the Bearkats dropped a non-conference road game at Texas Southern 8-6 and were shut out twice by Nicholls in Thibodaux.
Sam Houston bounced back with a 12-inning 8-5 victory over No. 6 Texas A&M Tuesday night in College Station.
The Lions come into the series victors in four of their last five games including mid-week non-conference wins Tuesday and Wednesday over Louisiana-Lafayette and New Orleans.
Sam Houston's offense continues to come from designated player Chris Andreas (.356), second baseman Ryan Mooney (.339), outfielders Greg Olson (.314) and Mark Hudson (.311) and shortstop Braeden Riley (.310).
Last weekend, Riley became Sam Houston's all-time leader in total hits. His career total now stands at 278, breaking Terry Pirtle's record of 271 set in 1984-87.
Mooney also reached a milestone, becoming the 10th Bearkat to hit more than 200 career hits. The senior now ranks 9th in total hits with 202.
Andreas owns the third best career batting average in Bearkat annals. His .368 two-year hitting mean stands behind Keith Stein (.379 in 2007-08) and Glenn Wilson (.372 in 1978-80).
Southeastern Louisiana is led at the plate by Justin Boudreaux (.367) and Jonathan Pace (.344).
BEARKAT AUTOGRAPH DAY SUNDAY
Following the final game of the Kats-Lions series Sunday afternoon, the Sam Houston baseball team will be on the field for a special autograph session.
All fans are invited and may bring their own items to be signed. Huntsville Boys Baseball Association (HBBA) players will receive an SHSU logo baseball when they enter the stadium on Sunday which they can get signed at the autograph session.
TICKET INFORMATION
Sam Houston has only seven home games remaining at Don Sanders Stadium this year. Following the Southeastern Louisiana series this weekend, the Bearkats will play host to Texas Southern Tuesday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. and then face A&M-Corpus Christi in the final Southland series of the year Thursday through Saturday, May 19-21.
The Mark Johnson Farewell Game with special pre-game ceremonies honoring Sam Houston's head coach will be on Friday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. and "Senior Day" will highlight the home finale on Saturday, May 21.
Tickets for all seven home games are available online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or by calling or stopping by the SHSU 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.
