Bearkats at Texas State Tuesday
2/16/2015 7:37:00 PM | Baseball
Sam Houston State will hit the road for its first midweek game of the season, against Texas State-San Marcos, Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Bobcat Ballpark. The Bearkats are 2-1 after their series victory over Wichita State, while the Bobcats are 0-2-1 after hosting UC Davis.
The Kats are looking to extend their current four-game winning streak over Texas State. The two teams last met in 2013 during the opening weekend of the season. SHSU swept the Bobcats in the final Southland meeting between the teams.
Sam Houston senior outfielder Colt Atwood has started the season strong. He went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Kats on opening day. Atwood had never had a four-hit game in his career. His RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth capped off a four-run eighth inning that sealed the win. After a hitless game Saturday, he rebounded with a 2-for-4 day with two more RBI.
After a great 2014 season as the Bearkats closer, Ryan Brinley has now taken over as the starting third baseman as well. The junior righty picked up the save in both of Sam Houston's wins over the weekend. He started at third base in all three games and hit a double and a home run. He struck out two in a one-inning save Friday night but was called upon in the eighth inning of Sunday's game and tossed a scoreless 1 2/3 innings.
Brinley upped his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 23 innings. He's yet to allow a run as a reliever for Sam Houston.
Despite failing to pick up its first win of the season, Texas State did show some life on offense with two Bobcats hitting home runs. Both Cedric Vallieres and Theodore Hoffman knocked their first career homers at Texas State. Both Vallieres and David Paiz led the team in hits with four each while Cory Geisler finished the weekend hitting .375. Freshman Jaylen Hubbard went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
This weekend the Bearkats will return to Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi for the first time since winning the 2009 Southland Conference Tournament. In addition to the Bearkats and host A&M-Corpus Christi, the field will have teams from the Southeastern Conference and the Big 10 Conference.
The Kats will open with Missouri Friday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. and will play a doubleheader with Purdue Saturday starting at 11 a.m. The Kats will finish against the Islanders Sunday at 3 p.m.
