Southland Softball Tournament
5/9/2012 9:32:00 AM | Softball
Sam Houston will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed, only the fourth time in the Bearkats' 10 trips to the event that SHSU has been a top two seed.
The Bearkats won the post-season tournament in 1988 as the No. 1 seed and in 2007 as the host and No. 2 seed. Sam Houston's victory in 2007 marked only the third time in the 24-year history of the event that the No. 2 seed was the victor.
The reward for winning the 25th Southland Conference softball tournament is a berth in the 2012 NCAA Division I regionals.
Sam Houston's march into the 2012 tournament had some unusual twists and turns.
Playing a rugged pre-conference schedule that included games against nationally-ranked Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Houston, the Kats started the year 1-13.
"We don't always know who we're going to play when we commit to those early season tournaments," SHSU head coach Bob Brock said. "So when it turned out to be a really tough schedule, we made the decision that we will just play everybody on the team and see what they could do. At times we looked really good. We certainly got some good experience."
The turning point in the season came after a tough three-game series against the Longhorns in Austin. First the Kats played a March midweek doubleheader at Houston Baptist, then Sam Houston came home to play Liberty and Buffalo before the conference season started. The Bearkats won all of those games - five straight victories to gain momentum for league action, after getting torched by nonconference opponents.
"Right before the end of that 1-13 stretch, we lost one game to a team we shouldn't lose to," Brock said. "I was really pleased with the way the girls responded. They got mad. And they started playing ball like we knew we could."
Sam Houston won 25 of their next 29 games, putting together winning streaks of seven and eight victories and ending the regular season playing Texas State with an opportunity to earn a share of the Southland title.
The Bobcats took the doubleheader to earn the title and the No. 1 seed. But as No. 2 seed, Sam Houston will face either A&M-Corpus Christi or McNeese State at 6:30 p.m. in the second round of the tournament.
The second-seeded Bearkats trail only McNeese in conference batting average and hits. Sam Houston and McNeese split a two-game weekend series during the season, while the Bearkats swept the Islanders in a doubleheader just two weeks ago.
"They're both very good teams," Brock said of McNeese and A&M-Corpus Christi. "I feel like they'll be out to play as hard as they can. It doesn't really matter who we play because we're going to have to play. They're both pretty good teams. I know earlier in the year McNeese was ranked up there pretty high. And Corpus is formidable."
Sam Houston goes into the tournament with eight All-Southland players, which includes Hitter of the Year Kim Damian, the first Bearkat to win the honor since 1993. Damian was in the top 10 in eight offensive categories, leading the Southland in slugging percentage (.701), home runs (10) and total bases (94), third in RBI (32), fourth in batting average (.373), fifth in triples (two), seventh in doubles (10) and ninth in on-base percentage (.418).
Along with Damian, Shelbi Tucker and Tori Benavidez were named first-team all-conference at third base and outfield, respectively, which gives the Kats three first-team selections - another first since 1993.
"We've had the tale of two teams and I like this second one a lot better," Brock said. "It's something to really brag about as far as the team is concerned. They really did turn it around and we're really looking forward to the tournament because we haven't been there the last couple years. We've been in there most of the time and so we're just glad to get back."
2012 Southland Conference Softball Tournament
Thursday through Saturday
Roadrunner Field, San Antonio
Thursday's schedule
Game 1: No. 4 seed UTSA vs. No. 5 seed Central Arkansas, 11 a.m.
Game 2: No. 3 seed McNeese State vs. No. 6 seed A&M-Corpus Christi, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 1 seed Texas State, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 2 seed Sam Houston, 6:30 p.m.
Friday's schedule
Game 5: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3, 11 a.m.
Game 6: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 4, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday's schedule
Game 9: Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 10:30 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 2 p.m.
Game 11: If necessary game, 30 minutes after completion of Game 10
