Key series at SLU up next for Kats
4/27/2017 1:21:00 PM | Softball
Games 43-45
Sam Houston State (20-22, 11-10 SLC) at Southeastern La. (23-25, 9-12 SLC)
Hammond, La. • North Oak Park (400) • Live Stats • Video
HUNTSVILLE - The Sam Houston Bearkats travel to Hammond, La., with their eyes set on solidifying their place in the Southland Conference Tournament to take on the Southeastern Louisiana Lions in a three-game series beginning Friday at North Oak Park.
The teams will begin their weekend action with a double header Friday beginning at 4 P.M. followed by a single game Saturday at 12 P.M. Fans can follow along with the Bearkats via live stats or by following @BearkatsSB on Twitter.
The Kats are currently sitting in the fifthspot in the Southland Conference after two straight series wins, one coming last weekend against second place Abilene Christian. In terms of Southland Conference Tournament play, the Kats are ranked fourth as Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are still ineligible for postseason play while transitioning to Division I. Southeastern entered last weekend tied with the Bearkats in the standings, but now hold the ninth-place spot in the conference being swept at Central Arkansas last weekend.
Southeastern has the slight advantage in batting average coming into the weekend with a .267 average compared to the Bearkats .266 average, but both teams do their damage in different ways. Southeastern come into the series ranked second in the nation with 137 stolen bases while the Bearkats come into the series with only 26. The Bearkats however come into the weekend fourth in the conference in both slugging percentage and home runs with a .370 slugging percentage combined with 20 bombs compared to the eighth place Lions who boast a .345 slugging percentage and come in at ninth with 10 homers.
The Bearkats pitching staff has also flexed their muscles this season posting a .248 opponent's batting average, good enough for third in the Southland while the Lions come in at eighth with a .272 opponent's batting average. Sam Houston's pitching staff also has allowed the fourth most earned runs compared to the Lions who rank eighth.
Sam Houston's freshman class has really been the offensive story this year as the freshman class accounts for 16 of the 20 Bearkat bombs and 70 of the teams 138 RBI.
Freshman Tiffany Thompson hit two bombs to tie with fellow freshman Megan Crosby with a team-best 5 homeruns, while also driving in her team-best 21st RBI. Thompson also leads the Bearkat squad with a .487 slugging percentage. The Bearkats also boast three above-.300 hitters in their lineup in the likes of Tori Koerselmann, Thompson, and Kaitlynn Dawson. Koerselmann will carry a .344 batting average into the series, which is good enough for seventh place in the Southland.
Senior Tayler Atkinson continues to have her best year in a Bearkat uniform with a 2.56 ERA, which places her at seventh in the Southland. The other half of the dynamic pitching duo, Lindsey McLeod, has picked it up in conference play with the sixth lowest SLC ERA coming in at 1.64. Southland hitters have had fits with McLeod in the 2017 season as she posts a league-best .174 opponent's batting average.
During SLC play McLeod has also struck out the second most batters in the SLC with 67 strikeouts. The duo of Atkinson and McLeod has combined for all 11 Bearkat conference wins.
Southeastern's Jaquelyn Ramon currently leads the country with 49 stolen bases, 20 bases over teammate Maddie Edmonston who sits 23rd in the nation with 29 stolen bases of her own. Southeastern has two above-.300 hitters in Ramon and Mahalia Gibson. Gibson also has the Southland's sixth highest RBI total with 31.
In the circle, Lacey Hill carries the bulk of the load pitching 100 innings in 27 appearances with a 3.01 ERA. The next pitcher in the rotation is Rachel Hayes who leads the Lions in strikeouts with 70 and posts a 3.45 ERA in her 87.1 innings pitched.
SERIES vs SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
The Bearkats are 49-24 against Southeastern Louisiana, however the series has gotten more competitive since the Lions joined the SLC in 1998. Since then the Bearkats hold a 31-25 series advantage over the Lions and took two of three when the teams faced off last season at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
