Donica earns national player of week honors
5/30/2016 3:01:00 PM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – With the NCAA Tournament Selection Show at the forefront of minds on Monday, the Bearkats, who head to Lafayette as the three-seed, received some additional national mention following their Southland Conference Tournament championship.
Right-handed starting pitcher Heath Donica was named one of five Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week after throwing 186 pitches over two games during the Southland Conference tournament which stretched over 16 innings as he struck out 18 batters.
“When we got the back in the dugout [between games], coach Deggs looked at me and said, 'do you want the ball?' and I said 'yes sir,'” Donica said. “And he said, 'you got it. Go get 'em.' And that's just a really good feeling to know that he trusts me to come out there for our guys.”
In his first outing against Stephen F. Austin, he threw seven innings and struck out eight batters. Coming off two days' rest, Donica carried a no hitter into the 9th inning during an 8-2 win over Stephen F. Austin. He finished with a two-hitter and struck out a season-high 10 batters.
“Twenty years of doing this, I don't think I know that I've ever seen an effort that heroic as Heath Donica just put on,” second-year head baseball coach Matt Deggs said. “He put us on his back and got us to the championship game. I was literally praying for him to get that no-hitter there.”
The Corsicana product, who was named Southland Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, posted a 10-3 record with a 3.23 ERA, holding opponents to a .228 batting average. Donica enters the NCAA postseason 12th in the country in wins and 18th with four complete games.
“I am really happy for him,” Deggs said. “It's a great honor to be considered a national player of the week when you think of all the great programs and players. It speaks to what he did. He's so selfless. To throw 16 innings in a tournament is going above and beyond. He earned it and we're proud for him.”
Sam Houston opens Friday's Lafayette Regional against two-seed Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. from M.L. Moore “Tigue” Field. Donica, who moved into the role as the Friday night starter on May 15, is expected to receive the opening start.
“Heater (Donica) is a cool customer,” Deggs said. “He's very poised. He never tries to do too much. There's a lot of dependability when you have that. When you have a guy that's rock solid and you know what you're to get … he always gives us a chance to win.”
