Road trip continues at UCA
3/20/2014 2:41:00 PM | Baseball
The No. 16 Bearkats will look to stay perfect in Southland play as they head to Central Arkansas for a three-game weekend series starting Friday at 6:00 p.m. Sam Houston State swept New Orleans in the league-opening series against the Privateers.
The Kats have swept back-to-back weekend series and have only lost twice all season on the weekend, one game to Dallas Baptist and one to ranked Texas.
Central Arkansas is 11-8 overall after a pair of midweek wins over Arkansas Pine Bluff. The Bears lost two-of-three games to A&M-Corpus Christi in the first weekend of conference play. UCA is led by Doug Votolato who is batting .342 with 24 runs scored this season. Chris Townsend is the leading run producer with 19 RBI and a .306 batting average.
WEEKEND PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: RHP TYLER EPPLER (4-1, 2.03 ERA) vs. Connor Gilmore (1-0, 2.21 ERA)
Saturday: RHP SAM ODOM (4-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. Chris Cuadle (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
Sunday: RHP DIRK MASTERS (1-0, 0.64) vs. TBA
• Sam Houston State has risen to No. 16 in the latest Baseball America Poll, up two spots from last week's highest ever ranking. The Bearkats also jumped into the Collegiate Baseball Poll for the first time this season, debuting at No. 25.
• With Collegiate Baseball and the Coaches Polls both adding the Kats, it marks the first time since 2012 that Sam Houston State is ranked in every poll.
• SHSU started the season 10-1 for just the second time in school history, before losing to ranked Rice and Texas. The 1964 team posted wins over Rice, Texas, SMU, and TCU to get to 10-1.
• The 16-5 record is the Kats best ever start to a season at the Division I level. The 1980 SHSU squad, that competed in the NAIA playoffs, got out to a record of 21-3, winning 14 straight games at one point.
• The Kats lead the Southland in both team batting average (.304) and staff earned run average (2.34). Six different Bearkat regulars are batting better than .300 while the three weekend starting pitchers have a 2.03 ERA or better. Closer Jason Simms has yet to allow an earned run.
• Run production has come from all over. Six Kats have driven in at least 10 runs while Colt Atwood has the team lead with 21. Anthony Azar (20), Ryan O'Hearn (18), Ryan Farney (12), Hayden Simerly (12) and Carter Burgess (10) are the others.
NOTES
KATS OPEN LEAGUE PLAY WITH SWEEP OF NEW ORLEANS
Sam Houston had to rally in all three games of the series against New Orleans, and in two of the games the Kats had to recover from a three-run first inning. The starting pitching was solid with each member of the rotation tossing a quality start. Catcher Anthony Azar was a difference maker at the plate. Azar slugged a game-winning homer in the fifth inning of game one and crushed a pair of homers and seven total RBI in the second game. Center fielder Colt Atwood also had a great weekend, batting .474 with seven RBI and five runs scored. Reliever Alan Scott pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings over two games and picked up a save.
HOUSTON COLLEGE CLASSIC PUTS SHSU IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Bearkats' performance at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park brought national attention to Sam Houston State. The underdog Kats defeated No. 12 TCU, 9-4, Friday and No. 26 Texas Tech, 10-6, Saturday. SHSU starting pitcher Tyler Eppler out dueled TCU's Brandon Finnegan, who is projected to be a first round MLB draft pick. Saturday the Kats exploded for three home runs against Tech. No. 15 Texas narrowly edged SHSU, 3-2, on Sunday after the Kats had scored two first-inning runs. With the performance, the baseball team made its earliest debut in the Division I national rankings in school history.
ATWOOD A MULTI-HIT MACHINE
Colt Atwood has started every game this season and not only does he have a hit in nearly all of them but he's managed to have multiple hits in 14 games. The junior center fielder has nine two-hit ballgames and five three-hit games. Atwood is batting .402 this season and leads the team with 37 hits. The Katy product has 21 RBI, 18 runs scored, five doubles and a triple. Atwood is a career .324 hitter in 141 starts for the Bearkats and has missed just two games in his entire career, both in his freshman season.
MASTERS PICKS UP FIRST WIN
Sam Houston starting pitcher Dirk Masters sports an astounding 0.64 ERA in 28 1/3 innings pitched but just picked up his first win in his fifth start this season. The sophomore righty has allowed just two earned runs and opposing batters are hitting just .204 off of him. Other than a little tough luck, Masters' 16 walks to 15 strikeouts have made it tough for him to pick up a win. The Angleton product tossed five innings in each of his first three career starts allowing just one run, to Dallas Baptist. Masters kept the Texas Longhorns off the board for five innings but also issued five walks, ending his day early. In his winning performance against New Orleans he didn't issue a single free pass.
WEEKEND ROTATION SHAPING UP NICELY
The weekend pitching rotation of right-handers Tyler Eppler, Sam Odom and Dirk Masters has turned in some very solid performances recently. In the Southland-opening series against New Orleans each starter tossed a quality start of at least six innings pitched and allowing three or less earned runs. Eppler has picked up a win in each of his last three starts, including a complete game shutout against Cal State Northridge. Odom, a freshman, joined the rotation against CSUN and has wins in his last two starts. He pitched five innings of relief against Texas Tech in the Houston College Classic, earning the win and his spot in the rotation. Masters has gotten better in each start. He tossed five innings in each of his first three starts before going 6 1/3 innings in his fourth, earning a no decision in each. His last outing was his best, pitching seven innings and getting the win.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION FROM AZAR NETS SOUTHLAND HITTER OF THE WEEK
Azar blasted three home runs and drove in nine runs to help Sam Houston State sweep New Orleans to open conference play. The senior provided the game-winning run for the Bearkats in the series opener with a solo home run in the fifth inning to lead Sam Houston to a 6-3 win. In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Azar hit a three-run shot in the third inning to tie the game before hitting an eighth-inning grand slam in the Bearkats' 14-4 win. Azar had at least one RBI in all four games this week. He closed out the week with a .389 (7-for-18) batting average with three home runs, 10 RBI and three runs scored.
EPPLER'S FIRST COMPLETE GAME EARNS SOUTHLAND PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Friday night starter Tyler Eppler was name the Southland Pitcher of the Week after he tossed his first career complete-game. The junior righthander gave up just three hits in the shutout. Eppler struck out one and walked just one in his nine-inning performance. The righthander induced 15 fly outs and nine ground outs while keeping his pitch count under 100. Friday's complete game came just a week after shutting down the nationally ranked TCU Horned Frogs for six scoreless innings. Eppler improved to 3-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.48. Eppler was the Kats midweek starter as a sophomore in 2013 and picked up wins over Houston, Rice and Texas.
O'HEARN'S TWO-HOMER GAME GARNERS LEAGUE HITTER OF THE WEEK
First baseman Ryan O'Hearn is the first Sam Houston player to hit two homers in a game since the 2011 season. O'Hearn blasted the first pitch he saw for a homer against No. 26 Texas Tech in the Houston College Classic and his second long ball provided the winning runs in the sixth inning. He also narrowly missed hitting a grand slam, but did drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. O'Hearn was named the Southland Conference's Hitter of the Week for his performances. Former Kat DH Chris Andreas hit two in an 8-5 win over No. 6 Texas A&M in College Station, April 26, 2011. Andreas hit a first inning homer and a 12th inning game-winning blast. He also hit two homers against Nebraska earlier that year.
BRINLEY SHUTS DOWN RICE AND EARNS PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Pitcher Ryan Brinley picked up his first career win after starting and tossing seven innings against No. 10 Rice at Reckling Park. He allowed just one run on two hits while striking out two Owls. The sophomore returned to the mound that weekend in relief against No. 15 Texas. He came into the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth and got out of the jam before pitching a scoreless ninth to give the Kats a chance to get back in the game.
KATS ACTIVE ON THE BASE PATHS
The Kats have been active on the base paths with 26 stolen bases in 28 attempts, already more than halfway to last season's total of 43. Ryan Farney leads the team with a perfect nine-of-nine on stolen bases. Luke Plucheck (5-5), Corey Toups (4-4) and Carter Burgess (3-3) are also perfect on the base paths this season. The team is on pace to have the most stolent bases of a team under coach David Pierce's direction, after the 2012 squad had 52. Conversely, the Bearkats have held opposing runners to just 19 stolen bases on 31 attempts.
SIMERLY SOLID AT THE PLATE AND IN THE FIELD
Primarily a designated hitter in 2013, Hayden Simerly has made his home in right field this season and has started every game. The junior has been a mainstay in the top half of the batting order as well, hitting .350 and ripping six extra-base hits. Simerly has only hit one home run this season, against Texas Tech in the Houston College Classic, but that number could grow as the year progresses considering he shared the team lead with nine homers last season in just 41 starts.
HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL
Senior left fielder Luke Plucheck has always been known among Bearkat fans for his defense. As a sophomore Plucheck made his ESPN SportsCenter Top-10 debut with a great diving catch. 17 games into this season, the Tomball product has been featured a stunning three times on ESPN's top plays. While at the Houston College Classic, Plucheck made cameo appearances as the number two and number three plays on consecutive days of ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10. His most recent highlight reel catch was against Cal State Northridge at Don Sanders Stadium.
SIMMS LOCKS DOWN THE LATE INNINGS
Reliever Jason Simms has been a shutdown arm in the back end of the bullpen for the Bearkats. A preseason Stopper of the Year nominee, Simms has picked up four saves this season while maintaining a 0.00 ERA in 12 innings pitched. The senior righty has struck out 11 batters, walked just four and opponents are hitting just .239 off of him. Simms has been put into some tough spots with runners on but he has only allowed two out of 10 inherited runners to score.
ALAN SCOTT'S 4.42 ERA MAY BE DECEIVING
Senior reliever Alan Scott had the best ERA among the Kats' regular pitchers in 2013 but it's going to take some work to get his ERA down this season. The big lefthander is on his way to doing that with four straight scoreless appearances after he allowed nine runs over his first five outings of the season. Scott has since tossed 7 1/3 scoreless frames with seven strikeouts. He recorded his second save of the season with 2 1/3 innings pitched in a 6-3 win over New Orleans. He has 16 strikeouts to just three walks this season.
AZAR WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES FOR TEAM
The preseason Southland Conference Player of the Year, catcher Anthony Azar has had a slow start at the plate in 2014. But that doesn't mean he hasn't found ways to contribute. The senior dropped down the first sacrifice bunt of his career in the seventh inning of the series-clinching win over Dallas Baptist. With the Kats leading just 2-1 with runners on first and second and nobody out Azar got the bunt down to advance the runners. After an intentional walk to load the bases, shortstop Carter Burgess delivered a single to left to score both runners and extend the lead to 4-1.
PITCHING KEYS SWEEP OF CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
The Sam Houston State pitching staff didn't allow an earned run in a three-game sweep of Cal State Northridge at Don Sanders Stadium. Starter Tyler Eppler set the tone for the weekend with his complete-game shutout Friday. Anthony Azar's two-run homer in the first inning of Saturday's ballgame provided the winning runs. Sam Odom started and allowed one unearned run in five innings. Alan Scott and Jason Simms worked the final four scoreless innings. The Kats needed 13 innings to get the win Sunday after a pair of unearned runs tied the game, 2-2. Ryan Farney's walk-off sacrifice fly sealed the win. Dirk Masters had his best outing of the season, tossing 6 1/3 innings and scattering five hits.
KATS SPLIT REGULAR-SEASON SERIES WITH RANKED RICE
It took just three runs to take down the Owls behind Ryan Brinley's seven-inning gem at Reckling Park, Feb. 25. Sam Houston won 3-1, for their fourth straight win over Rice and the sixth in the last eight games between the two schools. Brinley allowed just two hits while striking out two Rice Owl batters. The return game, March 5, at Don Sanders Stadium didn't go as well. SHSU committed five errors and lost 8-5. Four unearned runs crossed the plate in the game and Logan Boyd was credited with the loss. The loss snapped the Kats four-game winning streak against the Owls.
SHSU RALLIES FOR SERIES WIN OVER DBU
The Bearkats rallied from a Friday night loss to Dallas Baptist to take the three-game series against the Patriots with a 12-2 thumping Saturday and a 4-1 win Sunday. Shortstop Corey Toups had two hits in each game of the series, scoring four runs and driving in one. Relief pitching was key in the two victories. Saturday freshman Sam Odom tossed four shutout innings to register his first career save. Simms pitched the final two innings of Sunday's game to get his second save of the season.
AZAR ON BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Senior catcher Anthony Azar has been named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List, the award given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher. Azar is a two-time member of the All-Southland Conference first team and was selected to the preseason all-league team. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced the official watch list for the 2014 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com. Seventy-two catchers were nominated for the award. The Southland is represented on the list by Azar, Houston Baptist's Samm Wiggins and SFA's Joseph Olson.
