League action heats up, Kats play host to UCA
3/31/2016 3:35:00 PM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – With its seven-game win streak snapped on Tuesday night, the Sam Houston State baseball program looks to begin another this weekend at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Bearkats welcome Central Arkansas for their fourth Southland Conference series of the year, with Friday's first pitch at 6:30 p.m. Sam Houston (13-13 overall, 6-3 SLC) has won five-straight league games and is right in the mix, tied for third in the standings.
Sam Houston has been powered by a pitching staff boasting a 3.01 ERA through nine league games. Newly appointed closer Greg Belton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) has logged two saves in three appearances while Hayden Nixon (1-0, 1.93 ERA) has bolstered the bullpen, striking out six in 4 2-3 innings.
The Bearkats weekend starters have been equally as impressive, led by Friday night ace Sam Odom (1-0, 1.54), who ranks eighth in league play for innings pitched (23.1) and 11th in opponent batting average (.183). Saturday starter Heath Donica is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA and Sunday pitcher Riley Gossett (2-0, 1.80 ERA) is 14th in the conference in earned run average.
Despite being plagued with four errors in Tuesday night's 5-3 loss at Rice, the Bearkats are third in fielding percentage (.974) in conference play, a vast improvement from a unit that finished near the bottom of the conference a season ago.
Offensively, three players rank in the top 30 in batting average including freshman Riley McKnight (.429) who is sixth while sophomore Bryce Johnson (.364) follows suit in 13th and freshman Jaxxon Grisham checks in at 27th (.333). Fellow freshman Andrew Fregia is tied for 11th in RBIs (8) and senior Zach Smith follows closely behind in 17th with seven.
The Bearkats are coming off a series sweep at Nicholls in a three-game set that saw the squad hit as many home runs (2) as had been hit at the venue all season. Freshman Hunter Hearn, who last Tuesday matched a school record with two triples, belted a three-run homer while Fregia connected with a grand slam.
Central Arkansas enters the weekend closely behind the Bearkats in the conference standings at 12-11 overall and 5-4 in conference. The Bears took two of three a weekend ago against Houston Baptist and have won three of their last four overall games since being swept at Lamar.
The squad has surged at home (11-4), but has been troubled on the road, posting a 1-7 record away from the friendly confines of Bear Stadium. Against league foes, Bears' center fielder Tyler Langley is second in the conference in runs scored (11), third in slugging percentage (.706) and ninth in batting average (.412).
Right-handed pitcher Connor Gilmore (2-3, 3.47 ERA), who is seventh with 18 strikeouts in conference action, will get the Friday night start. The Bears turn to right-hander Cody Davenport (2-0, 3.05 ERA) for Saturday's 3 p.m. tilt and right-hander Riley Echols (1-0, 4.12 ERA) in Sunday's 1 p.m. finale.
A season ago, the Bearkats dropped two of three in Conway, Ark., while the overall series is knotted 13-13 since the two began playing in 2007. This weekend marks the first visit for the Bears to Don Sanders Stadium since the Kats swept a three-game set May 16-18, 2013.
Tickets are currently on sale for the series by calling (936) 294-1729 or visiting GoBearkats.com. Through 12 home games this season, the Bearkats are averaging 1,125 fans per game including defeating Texas State, 8-6 in front of 1,520 spectators on Monday.
