Kats own history of baseball regional success
5/29/2013 9:12:00 AM | Baseball
NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Tournament Central
Link to complete information about regional action
When Sam Houston makes its eighth NCAA Division I baseball regional appearance Friday in Baton Rouge, the Bearkats bring a tradition of success into the event.
In past appearances, the Kats have posted upset wins over higher seeds six times including victories over No. 1 regional seeds in 1996 and last year.
Perhaps the Kats' most famous NCAA victory was a 5-4 victory over Miami in Austin in 1996. Not only were the Hurricanes the No. 1 seed in the regional, they also stood No. 2 in the final regular season national rankings.
First baseman Ron Thames went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and catcher Brent Bubela and designated hitter Jason Hurta each accounted for two hits and an RBI to lead Sam Houston at the plate.
Sean Riley was the winning pitcher in relief, stepping on to the mound in the seventh. Kevin Hermes picked up his sixth save of the season blanking the Hurricanes in the final two innings. SHSU took two early leads but trailed 4-2 before scoring three runs in the top of the eighth inning.
The Bearkats highlighted their 2012 appearance in their first at-large appearance in the tournament by knocking host and No. 1 seed Rice out of the tournament in a Sunday elimination game in Houston.
Michael Oros spread eight hits over eight innings for his second win of the season over Rice and former Owl catcher John Hale made several huge defensive plays as the Bearkats won 4-1 in an elimination game.
Hale, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, made seven put outs behind the plate including a crucial out in the fifth inning to limit the Owls to one run on a double to the left field wall.
The victory earned Sam Houston its second NCAA Regional finals appearance where the Kats lost to eventual College World Series participant Arkansas 5-1.
Sam Houston earned its first finals appearance in 2007 with a pair of thrilling upset wins in Oxford, Miss.
After a 14-5 loss to No. 1 seed and host Ole Miss, the Kats rallied from a 3-0 deficit to knock off No. 3 seed Troy 5-4. All-America pitcher and NCAA “Closer of the Year” Luke Prihoda picked up his 18th save of the year ending a Troy threat in the top of the ninth.
In the Sunday afternoon elimination game, No. 2 seed Southern Mississippi and Sam Houston battled for 12 innings in a three hour and 41 minute marathon.
Trailing 7-1 through six and a half innings, the Bearkats rallied for four runs in the seventh and a pair of tallies in both the eighth and ninth innings to tie the score 8-8.
Both teams scored a run in the 10th and Troy took the lead again with another run in the top of the 11th.
The Bearkats put the cap of the victory as Bobby Verbick drilled a fly ball to the center field wall to score Clint Mann for the winning run in the bottom of the final inning.
In Sam Houston's first NCAA Regional appearance in Austin in 1987, the Bearkats knocked off No. 2 seed Oklahoma 5-1 in their opening game and, later in elimination play, defeated Indiana State 10-8.
Sam Houston's NCAA appearances have been highlighted by outstanding individual achievements as well.
Jessie Plumlee set a school record for most base hits in an NCAA regional last year in Houston, going 7-for-13 for a .538 in the Kats' games versus Arkansas, Rice and Prairie View A&M.
Steve Sparks and Dallas Gallant own Sam Houston's only complete games in NCAA play. Sparks went all nine innings in the victory over Oklahoma in Austin in 1987. Dallas Gallant threw in all eight innings in a 3-2 loss to host team Rice in 2008.
Regional tickets will go on sale to the general public at 8 a.m. Thursday. A limited number of bleacher seats and standing-room only booklets will also go on sale Thursday. There will be a limit of four tickets per account.
Individual-session tickets, if available, will go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday.
The Alex Box Stadium Ticket Office is open this week from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.LSUtix.net or call 225.578.2184.
NCAA BATON ROUGE REGIONAL SCHEDULE (All times Central)
Friday, May 31
Game 1: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Jackson State – 2 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 3 Sam Houston State – 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 1
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser – 2 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner – 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 2
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser – 2 p.m.
Game 6: Regional Championship Game: Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 winner – 7 p.m.
Monday, June 3 (if necessary)
Game 7: Second Regional Championship Game: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser – 7 p.m.
