Tests continue, Kats visit Lamar
5/12/2016 3:08:00 PM | Baseball
BEAUMONT – With six games remaining on its Southland Conference schedule and trailing league-leader Southeastern Louisiana by two games, the Sam Houston State baseball program enters the weekend with much on the line against a challenging foe.
Sam Houston visits Lamar for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. from the Cardinals' Vincent-Beck Stadium. The squads return Saturday for a 2 p.m. start and Sunday for the 1 o'clock finale.
After finishing 21-31 overall with a league record of 13-21 a season ago, Lamar (31-15, 16-8) has been re-energized in the final season of Jim Gilligan, who has been a staple with the program for 40 years. The Cardinals lead the Southland in home runs (45) while the pitching staff is third for earned run average (3.70).
The Bearkats (31-18, 19-5) continue their seven-game road trip looking for an eighth-straight league series win. Sam Houston used steady pitching and timely hitting to take two of three a weekend ago in Corpus Christi and have won 18 of the last 20 conference games.
In league games, the Kats rank within the top three in nine categories including first in sacrifice hits (31) while boasting the lowest stolen base percentage against (.333). Sam Houston is also second in batting average (.308), hits (252), fielding percentage (.973) and batting average against (.227).
Individually, freshman Andrew Fregia is 10th nationally with six triples while right-hander Heath Donica, who will make the Friday night start, is 21st in the country with eight wins and 27th with three complete games. The junior is 8-3 with a 3.00 ERA.
Freshman Riley Gossett (6-0, 2.76 ERA) will throw Saturday. The reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week posted wins against Houston and A&M-Corpus Christi, combining to allow just one earned run in 12 1-3 innings pitched.
Lamar sends right-hander Will Hibbs (9-2, 2.46 ERA) to the mound Friday and Billy Love (5-3, 2.97 ERA) on Saturday. Like the Bearkats, Sunday's starter has yet to be announced. The Cardinals had won five straight before dropping a midweek to Rice and three consecutive against Southeastern Louisiana.
A season ago, the teams split two games in a rain-shortened series in Huntsville. The Cardinals lead the series 63-60-61 and own a slight 6-4 edge in the last 10 meetings. First baseman Zach Smith went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Bryce Johnson was 2 for 2 in the set a year ago.
