Alumni Game & Home Run Derby Saturday
2/1/2013 8:57:00 AM | Baseball, Softball
Before the regular season kicks off for the Sam Houston softball and baseball teams in the next two weeks, respectively, both squads are planning on some fun on Saturday.
As part of a way to kick off the 2013 season, the Bearkats baseball team will host a pair of alumni games before getting the Baseball Banquet and Auction under way later that evening.
Meanwhile, the softball team is offering fans the opportunity to test their hitting skills against the Bearkat pitching staff in the Sam Houston Softball "Home Run Derby."
"The alumni baseball game is going to be fun," said former Bearkat Phillip Gougler. "I haven't seen a lot of those guys since I graduated around 10 years ago. I'm looking forward to it."
Having an alumni game is something that Kats coach David Pierce had in mind when he was first hired in the summer of 2011, while also scrambling to complete all of his offseason goals.
"We had the intent of doing an alumni game - I like the idea of doing it every other year. The first year, we just had so much going on, we just weren't prepared to do it with the intent that we were going to do it going into the second year.
"We just tried to collect as much information and email information on players and tried to get as many guys as possible here. We're not sure if we're going to have 25 guys or 125 guys."
There will be a pair of alumni games. The first one will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. at Don Sanders Stadium and will feature the older players against each other.
Then starting at 1 p.m., the younger alumni players will take on the 2013 Bearkats.
"The first game will be about four innings. It'll be a slow pace," Pierce said. "The younger alumni will play the current 2013 team."
Among the former players, who currently play professionally, expected to return for the alumni game are pitchers Dallas Gallant, Justin Jackson and Brent Powers. None are expected to pitch, however, because of their training regimen for their respective organizations.
"This whole thing is very exciting," said former Bearkat Dustin Martin, who has played within the New York Mets minor league system in recent years. "This kind of event is huge. To have a bunch of alumni there will just add to the excitement to what the baseball and football programs are doing."
Aside from giving his players an opportunity to relax and have fun before the season kicks off, Pierce hopes that this event will also help to bridge the gap for Bearkats young and old, no matter who was their coach.
"The one thing I noticed when I was at Rice, the group of players who were there before 1992 - before coach (Wayne) Graham got there - tended to alienate themselves from the program," Pierce said.
"We're trying to break that barrier to make sure those players understand that this is their program and they're welcome if they played for coach (John) Skeeters, coach (Chris) Rupp or coach (Mark) Johnson. We'd like to have them all up here. It's their team, it's their university.
"That's how we're promoting it. The more guys we get here, the better opportunities for our fan base and to spread the word about the university and the program. Some of those guys are at the age now that they're in comfortable positions now so that they'll be able to donate back. It's a win-win for everybody."
Admission to watch the alumni games are free.
Sam Houston softball home run derby
Think it's easy to blast a homer using a softball? Well now's the time to find out at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
On Saturday, the Bearkats softball team welcomes any takers to test their hitting skill against Sam Houston's pitchers.
The derby will consist of teams and individuals competing to see who blasts the most home runs.
It costs $25 per person and $100 for a team of four. Proceeds will benefit the Sam Houston softball team.
Grand prize for the top team is four premium box tickets to the Houston Astros and a $100 gift card to Humphrey's. The individual grand prize for men is a new Louisville Slugger bat. The individual female grand prize is a new Louisville Slugger glove.
Registration will begin at 11 a.m. with the contest getting started around noon.
