Fall baseball competition winding down
10/23/2014 9:44:00 AM | Baseball
The Omaha Cup, Sam Houston's ten week fall baseball competition, will come to an end during the final week of October. The two teams, made up of the 23 returning players and 17 newcomers, are neck-and-neck going into the final week with the cup up for grabs.
“For about the last ten years we've been doing the Omaha Cup. It's a 10-12 week competition in everything we do,” head coach Matt Deggs said. “Everything is taken into consideration; classroom performance, attendance, weight room, study hall, practice and games. It's an intense competition and the guys like to get out there and compete. Generally the most coveted trophy in the trophy case is the Omaha Cup.”
The competition started with three teams, the Cherokees, the Generals and the Texians. After the first seven weeks the team in last place, the Texians, were dissolved and the players dispersed amongst the other two teams.
Sam Houston State will have a veteran squad in 2015, with 10 seniors and 14 juniors making up the core of the roster.
“It's been a really good transition and the players have made that possible. They've bought in since day one and jumped in with both feet. They have done nothing but play hard, compete and really embrace everything that we've done,” Deggs said.
The Cherokees are in first place going into the final week. Their roster includes: C Colin Yellich, C Mitch Andrews, 1B/RHP Spence Rahm, 2B Shea Pierce, 3B Greg Belton, 3B Chance Fick, SS Lance Miles, SS Miles Manning, OF Hayden Simerly, OF Bryce Johnson, OF Wyatt Powell, IF Dalton Perry, RHP Sam Odom, LHP Logan Boyd, RHP Juan Cortina, LHP Austin Ray, RHP Jordan Church, RHP Mason Howat, RHP Austin Woyt, LHP Reid Garrett.
The Generals are made up of: C Hunter Courson, C Trevor Winne, 1B Dylan Ebbs, 1B/RHP Zach Brosch, 2B Ryan Farney, 3B Zach Smith, SS Nate Van Dyke, OF Romeo Cortina, OF Colt Atwood, OF Travis Lee, IF Jake MacWilliam, LHP Andrew Godail, RHP Dylan Ebbs, RHP Seth Holbert, LHP Hayden Nixon, RHP Alex Bisacca, RHP Braxton Smith, RHP Lane Fritz, LHP Kylen Harrell, RHP Derrick Hadley, RHP Ryan Brinley
“It's going to be a fight to the finish and it's going to come down to the final out of the final game, I'm willing to bet. There's only a couple of a hundred points separating the two teams. The winners get the steak dinner and the Omaha Cup trophy. There's a lot of competition out there. Those guys want that trophy,” said Deggs.
Colt Atwood returns for his senior season after being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2014. The Katy product has played 182 games in his career, which is 42 shy of the school record. Atwood will have a chance to finish his career in the top-5 in hits, runs, at bats and games played at Sam Houston.
“It's been a great fall so far. It's different, it's fun and high energy. The new guys have come in and hit the ground running,” Atwood said. “They came in and worked and that's all you ask out of new guys and freshman. Being a senior, they look up to you and I like that. I'm always going to work hard and if it helps drive them that's great.”
The final series of games gets started Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium. The Kats will be back on the field Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. and again Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Games will be played Thursday and Friday if necessary.
