Bearkats take on No. 2 Oregon Wednesday
2/17/2015 5:47:00 PM | Softball
Sam Houston State will challenge the No. 2 ranked softball team in the country, the Oregon Ducks, Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in College Station on Texas A&M's field.
The Ducks are playing a doubleheader, taking on the Aggies at 4:30 following their match with the Bearkats. Oregon is on a nine-day swing through Texas that will end with play beginning Thursday at the Baylor Invitational in Waco.
Sam Houston brings a 4-6 record into Wednesday's game after bouncing back from an 0-5 start the opening weekend of the season in San Marcos for a 4-1 performance at the UT-Arlington Maverick Invitational last Friday through Sunday.
The Bearkats' only loss in the tournament was a nine-inning, extra innings battle with undefeated Ohio State. The Buckeyes won 4-3. Sam Houston also pinned a loss on 8-2 host UT-Arlington.
Sam Houston is led by a group of five hitters all with season averages above .300. Payton Webb leads the team with a .516 mean that includes 16 hits, three doubles and three home runs.
Angelica Gonzales (.375), Sarah Allison (.371), Jennie Kieval (.346) and Tiffany Castillo (.300) also have hot bats for the Kats.
The Ducks went a perfect 6-0 in their opening weekend of the 2015 season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
Playing a schedule that included No. 25 Texas, plus North Carolina, Wisconsin and Northwestern teams all receiving votes in the preseason polls, the Ducks outscored their foes 55-15 over the six games. Oregon hit eight home runs at the tournament while not allowing a single long ball.
The Ducks hit .405 as a team while Oregon pitchers held opponents to a .204 combined average. Oregon won three games by run-rule and tossed shutouts in the first three games (Cal Poly, Texas, Northwestern).
