Haley Baros 'Miss Sunday' in Circle for Kats
5/9/2013 6:51:00 AM | Softball
Much has been made of the 2013 Bearkat softball team's power hitting ability with their league-leading 55 home runs this spring.
But, if Sam Houston is to find success at the Southland Conference post-season tournament in Natchitoches, La., this weekend, a key factor will be their performance in the pitching circle.
That's where sophomores Haley Baros and Meme Quinn and junior Shelby Lancaster have stepped up to help the Bearkats total 32 victories this year and earn a No. 3 seed at the tournament.
This week, Baros joined the long line of outstanding Sam Houston softball pitchers who have earned All-Southland Conference honors, garnering a third team all-league selection.
“All of our pitchers have continued to improve throughout the season,” SHSU head coach Bob Brock said. “To see their efforts recognized with Haley earning all-Southland honors as a sophomore is rewarding.”
Early in the season, the sophomore from Bay City encountered some hard luck with several top notch performances that still ended up as losses.
Baros went 1-7 in the opening non-conference portion of the schedule, but that record included losses to power house teams like Texas A&M, Baylor, Southern Mississippi and Texas Tech.
A win in relief in a 13-12 victory over the Western Athletic Conference's TexasState (last year's Southland champion) helped Baros turn the corner.
The right-hander who pitched in only eight games as a freshman in 2012 became Sam Houston's “Miss Sunday."
Compiling a 7-1 record in Southland Conference action, Baros allowed only 12 runs in 38 innings as she pitched the Kats to Sunday league wins over Southeastern Louisiana, Central Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin, Houston Baptist, A&M-Corpus Christi and NichollsState.
In her 63 innings of Southland regular season action this spring, Baros compiled a 2.78 earned run average while striking out 42 batters and walking only 12.
Quinn and Lancaster have proven dependable performers this year as well. In Southland action, Quinn has accounted for seven league wins and Lancaster has added three. Quinn has struck out 51 batters and Lancaster has added 29 “Ks”.
“All three of our starting pitchers have stepped up for us this spring,” Brock added. “They'll be a big factor for us at the Southland tournament.”
