Team-first attitude reflected in SLC honors
5/23/2016 9:05:00 AM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – Over the weekend, the Sam Houston State baseball program clinched a fourth Southland Conference regular-season championship in five seasons.
On Monday, the Bearkats were honored with two second-team all-league honorees and a third-team accolade, the league office announced. Head coach Matt Deggs was recognized as Southland Coach of the Year, as well.
“Any time you're recognized for your hard work that's a positive thing,” Deggs said. “If you asked anyone of our players before the season and said you could be player of the year or do you want to be a champion, I can promise they'd all say they'd take the ring over the piece of paper.”
Sam Houston's Bryce Johnson, who finished second in conference games in hits (48), third batting average (.403), fourth in on base percentage (.474) and fifth in runs scored (28) as well as stolen bases (11) without committing an error, took home second-team accolades.
A pair of weekend starters were also named to the squads. Junior Heath Donica joined Johnson as a second-team honoree, ranked second in conference wins (6), fifth in innings pitched (70) and fifth in strikeouts (59).
Freshman Riley Gossett was named a third-team honoree, posted a 4-0 record and 3.03 ERA in league play, limiting opponents to a .247 average while fanning 38 and walking just 15.
With three honorees, Sam Houston ranked tied for seventh in the conference, trailing Southeastern Louisiana's conference-leading 10. For Deggs, the accolades reflect the squad's team-first attitudes, saying that no individual goals were discussed prior to the season.
“I think having only three on the team speaks to what we live by around here and that's we can do great things if we don't care who gets the credit,” Deggs said. “It speaks to who we are as a team and our chemistry. Individual awards are nice but they are very temporary. Team championships, that stuff is permanent.”
Meanwhile, Deggs becomes the third coach in Sam Houston history to be named the Clay Gould Coach of the Year. The second-year head man joins John Skeeters (1989) and two-time honoree David Pierce (2012, 2013) since the award began in 1973.
“The way you win coach of the year is have really good players that play together and you have great assistant coaches,” Deggs said. “I'm the same coach I was last year and I'm the same coach I was the year before that, the year before that and the year before that. We have hooked up guys that play hard, play together and love to play for each other. This award is theirs more than it is mine.”
For Johnson, the award comes following a historic campaign that saw the sophomore extend his hit streak to 21 games, ranking tied for sixth-longest in the country this season, and reached-base streak to 46, ranking fifth nationally.
“Bryce doesn't need a second-team all-conference certificate to validate who he is,” Deggs said. “Bryce is a player of the year and All-American-type player. I'll bet you a paycheck right now that Bryce will play longer than anyone in this league. Let's look back in 10 years and see where Bryce Johnson is.”
For Donica, the award comes after a surging first year with the program. The Saturday, turned Friday starter, went 6-2 with a 3.34 ERA in league games, striking out 59 while allowing just 16 walks.
“Heath Donica is a grinder and self-made player,” Deggs said. “He gives us everything he's got. He's an inspiration to his teammates. It's a great honor for him to be recognized because he earned every single bit of it. We know what we're getting every time out with Heath. Couldn't be more proud for him.”
According to Deggs, third-team honoree Gossett was key to the program's 37 wins and 24-6 league mark. The freshman earned his way into the rotation, holding opponents to two runs or fewer in nine starts including blanking Wichita State and Houston.
“Riley Gossett has pitched way ahead of his age,” Deggs said. “He pitches like a sophomore, even a junior at times. He has freshman All-American numbers. We don't need validation for others to let us know how good we are. We're in this to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Only having three on the all-conference speaks to how good we are as a team. As individuals, we can be very ordinary at times but as a team we can be very extraordinary.”
The most notable exemption from the team was senior closer Greg Belton. The reliable right-hander recorded 12 saves, ranking second in team history for saves in a season, with all coming since March 24. Belton posted a 2.96 ERA alongside a 5-1 record.
“Greg Belton doesn't need an award to validate who he is,” Deggs said. “He's got 24 other guys and all these coaches that will tell us he's our MVP. He's not in it for awards or accolades, he's in it for his brothers. I think it's a shame with 12 saves and two times being pitcher of the week, but we didn't start this venture with any personal goals. We set out to win a championship and Greg Belton was as big a part of that for anyone.”
Sam Houston enters Wednesday's Southland Conference Tournament opener as the one seed, facing eighth-seeded Stephen F. Austin at 4 p.m. from Sugar Land's Constellation Field. Single-day passes are available for $18 and all-tournament passes are on sale for $60 by calling (281) 240-4487. The entire tournament will broadcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
“I believe we're prepared and are in incredible physical and mental condition,” Deggs said. “To win the league, it boosts our confidence but this is a brand new season. You can throw records, championships and all-conference out the window. You have eight teams fighting for survival. When that happens, teams play dangerous. Whether it do or die for us, I don't know but that's the way I approach things.”
While the end-of-season individual accolades failed to recognize key individuals in Sam Houston's championship-winning campaign, Deggs believes the squad has looked past any shortcomings.
“Where we might have gotten looked over in some personal awards, no one in the clubhouse cares about that,” Deggs said. “We're first-place all-conference and that's the only thing that matters.”
