Kats, McNeese square off at The Don
4/27/2017 10:59:00 AM | Baseball
Games 42-44
Tuesday, April 28-30 • Huntsville, Texas • Don Sanders Stadium
Sam Houston State (27-14, 13-5 SLC) vs. McNeese (28-11, 18-3 SLC) • Game Notes
ESPN3 (Friday/Saturday) • Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – After spending a season-long nine games away from the friendly confines of Don Sanders Stadium, Sam Houston State makes its return for a pivotal three-game set.
The Bearkats host Southland Conference-leader McNeese, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. Sam Houston, which has played three fewer league games than the Cowboys, sits 3 ½ games off the pace.
KATS COMING OFF MILESTONE NIGHT
Tuesday was a landmark night for Sam Houston as head coach Matt Deggs recorded his 100th career victory and the Bearkats captured the inaugural Don Sanders Cup, defeating No. 12 Houston, 12-2. Sam Houston held the Cougars to three hits, while the Bearkats notched 12 hits including three triples.
It was also the third-straight win in midweek action and marked the most runs the Kats (27-14) have scored against the Cougars (27-13) since plating 18 on March 10, 2009.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP VS. MCNEESE
Friday's meeting will be the 144th between Sam Houston State and McNeese. The Bearkats own the all-time advantage 91-52 and 56-25 in Huntsville. Sam Houston has captured nine of the last 10 meetings, although four have been decided by three runs or fewer.
This weekend marks the first time since April 5-7, 2013, that the two squads have met in a regular-season league series. Since that time, the squads have played three non-conference regular season games and a pair of meetings at the Southland Conference Tournament. The teams last met in 2015, with the teams splitting a pair of games including a 5-2, McNeese win in Huntsville.
PUTTING THE 'K' IN BEARKATS
On Tuesday, Sam Houston pitching fanned 10 Houston hitters. Through 41 games, Sam Houston has struck out 316 hitters for an average of 7.70 strikeouts per game. The Bearkats are on pace to crack the top-three in program history for strikeouts in a season for the second consecutive year.
In 2016, Sam Houston registered 439 strikeouts in 64 games, the second-most in team lore. That year, the squad averaged 6.85 strikeouts per game. The program record for strikeouts in a season is 470 (7.83 per game) across 60 games in 2009.
SAM HOUSTON STATE HAS...
... faced members of nine different conferences this season -- the American Athletic, Big 12, Conference USA, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Southland, Sun Belt and West Coast.
... accumulated 18 home wins, tied for the most in the Southland and is hitting .317 with a 3.33 ERA at home
... done major damage in the middle frames. The Bearkats highest scoring innings are the fifth (55) and sixth (50). The team has scored 37 percent of its 284 runs during the two frames.
... come up big with two outs this season. Over the last 30 games, Sam Houston has hit .312 with two down, producing 80 two-out RBIs for an average of 2.66 per game.
... nine first-year relievers including six freshman who have thrown out of the bullpen this season.
