Kats, Panthers tangle on Tuesday at The Don
3/21/2016 3:36:00 PM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – After consecutive weekends of Southland Conference play, the Sam Houston State baseball team turns its attention to non-conference midweek action, welcoming Prairie View A&M to Don Sanders Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Tickets for the game are on sale by calling the Sam Houston ticket office at (936) 294-1729 or by visiting GoBearkats.com. Through 10 home games, the Kats have eclipsed the 1,000-plus attendance mark eight times and are averaging 1,100 patrons per game.
The Bearkats (8-12) are coming off two straight wins against Northwestern State, claiming the series against the Demons behind staunch starting pitching. The trio of Sam Odom, Heath Donica and Riley Gossett combined for a 0.78 ERA during 23 innings.
On Tuesday, the Kats will turn to right-handed pitcher Greg Belton. The senior is 0-1 with a 9.28 ERA and last saw action in the series finale at Wichita State on March 6. It will be Belton's third start of the season and first since March 1 against Baylor.
Belton will be opposed by Prairie View A&M's Edward Robledo (2-2, 5.61 ERA). The Panthers (6-12) dropped three straight at Arkansas-Pine Bluff over the weekend and were outscored 44-2, including 21-1 on Sunday. The squad is 1-3 against Southland foes this season including a 13-3 loss at Lamar, 12-2 loss at UIW and 5-1 victory at UIW.
Offensively, Sam Houston has been led by center fielder Bryce Johnson and left fielder Zach Smith. The duo are each hitting .373 at the plate with Johnson leading the squad in runs scored (15) and Smith taking the top spot in doubles (7). Junior Matt Broadbent is the team leader with 15 RBIs.
The Bearkats lead the all-time series against Prairie View A&M, 50-2, including a 10-3 win against the Panthers a season ago at The Don. In the game, current first baseman Spence Rahm finished 3-for-5 with three doubles and four RBIs. Reliever Hayden Nixon tossed the ninth inning, allowing just a walk.
While pitching came at a premium against the Demons, much of the production came from the freshmen class. Jaxxon Grisham boasted a team-leading .500 average (3-for-6) while Riley McKnight finished 4-for-9 (.444) with an RBI and Andrew Fregia tallied a squad-best two RBIs.
Following Tuesday, Sam Houston will hit the road for a three-game set at Southland foe Nicholls. The series begins Thursday at 6 p.m. from Ray E. Didier Field. Friday's middle game is also slated for a 6 o'clock start and Saturday's finale begins at 1 p.m.
