Gossett named Freshman All-American
7/6/2016 7:02:00 PM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State starting pitcher Riley Gossett made an immediate impact in his first season with the program. On Wednesday, that impression reflected nationally.
Gossett was named Second-Team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball.com, becoming the program's second ever player to receive the honor. The Cypress native went 7-0 with a 2.64 ERA in 19 appearances including 15 starts.
“It is very deserving,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “He should have been a freshman all-American in every publication. Any time you can win big as a team and get individual recognition it means a lot.”
Gossett limited Southland Conference opponents to a .247 batting average while posting a 3.03 ERA in league action in route to being named third-team all-conference. The Cy-Ranch High School product was also named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week on May 9 after wins against Houston and A&M-Corpus Christi.
“It added a lot of stability,” Deggs said of the dominance of Gossett. “He's just scratching the surface. He'll continue to improve his velocity and add a third pitch. I feel like he has another jump in him and be able to throw a good breaking ball. He's getting this recognition because he pitched beyond his years.”
The accolade was bestowed on just eight freshman starting pitchers nationally while Gossett was also just one of two in baseball-rich Texas, joining Davis Martin (10-1, 2.52 ERA) of Texas Tech.
“It makes me and my family proud to know all the hard work pays off,” Gossett said. “To get that recognition is pretty special. It was one of the most fun seasons I have had playing baseball. There was a sense of pride knowing the coaches and team were relying on me.”
He also earned a save in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game, holding Southeastern Louisiana hitless in two innings. The victory solidified the first time Sam Houston had won both the league's regular season and tournament championship in the same season.
On a squad that included 19 freshmen and 26 newcomers, the Bearkats racked up 42 wins, making an appearance in the NCAA Lafayette Regional before falling to eventual College World Series runner-up Arizona. The team returns 23 players for the 2017 season.
“I think next year we will be more prepared,” Gossett said. “We didn't know how the season would go with the travel or playing five games a week with so many of us being younger. I think we will be more mature and we will show everyone what we are all about. I think they just got a taste this year.”
