New era begins with similar expectations
2/13/2015 9:42:00 AM | Baseball
Sam Houston State will be ushering in a new era of baseball when it opens the season against Wichita State Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium. The Bearkats' new head coach Matt Deggs inherits a squad that has won three consecutive Southland Conference titles and earned three straight at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament.
Deggs, the former Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas A&M and Arkansas hitting coach, expects to build on the foundation laid by Mark Johnson and David Pierce. The Kats have been one of the most consistent division I baseball programs in the last decade, playing in six NCAA Regionals in the last eight seasons.
“We've got big shoes to fill with high levels of expectation and I wouldn't want it any other way,” said Deggs. “I've been on the flip side of it several times where you have nowhere to go but up. That's always a big undertaking. Having the opportunity to come into a program that's on the upswing is exciting and the expectations are high. That's the way I like it.”
The new coaching staff will have a squad of 20 returning players and 15 newcomers. Last season saw the departures of nine talented veterans – four seniors to graduation and five juniors to professional baseball.
This season's roster is filled with experienced upper classmen, with 10 seniors and 14 juniors. Several of those returners have played a part in one or more of the three-straight titles and hope to replicate that success with the new staff.
“These guys are all in. There is tremendous leadership here and they understand where the bar is set at. They've done a great job of coming over to our side and on the flip side we've come over to them. It's a two-way street. There's a lot of give and take and I think we've merged really well,” Deggs said.
“We're not looking to come in here and reinvent the wheel. These players know what it takes to win, we know what it takes to win and this is a joint effort. Our mission is to methodically climb, stay consistent and take this thing to the next step. Everybody is on board with that.”
Three of the returning players were named to the preseason All-Southland teams. Senior outfielders Colt Atwood and Hayden Simerly were named to the first-team while sophomore pitcher Sam Odom earned second-team honors.
Atwood is the leading offensive returner for the Bearkats with a career .308 batting average in 181 starts. A 2014 MLB draft selection, he has 233 career hits, 117 runs scored and 85 RBI. Simerly has more than 100 career starts as an outfielder/designated hitter. He has 104 hits, 15 home runs, 70 RBI and 60 runs scored.
Odom became the Bearkats' first freshman pitcher to log 10 wins and just the first SHSU pitcher to win 10 or more games at the Division I level. The Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American went 10-2 with a 2.61 earned run average in 16 appearances.
Several other upperclassmen with loads of experience will help lead the Bearkats in 2015. Infielder Ryan Farney has 85 career starts on the infield with a career .287 batting average. Pitcher Andrew Godail has logged 140 career innings with a 3.09 ERA. Outfielder Travis Lee took over the starting spot in right field late last season and the Bearkats posted a 19-2 record in his 21 starts going into the postseason. Closer Ryan Brinley recorded eight saves last season and enters the season with a streak of 20 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
“These guys are a lot of fun to be around. They're an excitable group which makes them fun to coach. They do a great job of responding to everything we do and they love to play. Anytime you've got a bunch of guys that love to play there's going to be a high level of excitement and anticipation. We're all ready to go,” Deggs said.
Part of the recipe for the Bearkats' recent success is playing tough non-conference opponents, and winning. For the fourth consecutive season, Sam Houston will play home-and-home series with Baylor, Houston and Rice. Over the last three years the Kats are 3-3 against Baylor, 3-3 against Houston and 5-2 against Rice. Texas A&M will return to Don Sanders Stadium for the first time since 2013, when the Bearkats won 9-8 in 11 innings.
The opening series is one that cannot be overlooked. Wichita State has a rich baseball history, playing in the NCAA Tournament 28 times and winning the National Championship in 1989. They have played in the College World Series seven times.
“Our schedule is a big-time schedule. We'll take on anybody and everybody and it shows with us starting against Wichita State. They have a storied program with tremendous history and pride. They have a great coaching staff and they're going to get after it so we have to be ready to go,” said Deggs.
Fans can still purchase reserved chairback season tickets for all 25 games at Don Sanders Stadium for $200 for reserved chairbacks or $125 for general admission seating. Aside from the best seats in the house, a season ticket purchase also assures fans of priority for postseason playoff tickets.
Single-game baseball tickets can be purchased for $8 for reserved seats and $6 for general admission. Every Friday is a Friday Family Night special where for $8 fans receive a reserved seat, hot dog, drink, and popcorn.
