Sam Houston returns home, hosts Nicholls
4/6/2017 6:28:00 PM | Baseball
Games 30-32
Friday, April 7 – Sunday, April 9 • Huntsville, Texas • Don Sanders Stadium
Sam Houston State (20-9, 9-0 SLC) vs. Nicholls (18-13, 5-4 SLC) • Game Notes
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HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State returns home this weekend, welcoming Nicholls for the fourth Southland Conference series of the year, seeking to build on its first-place lead. Friday's opener is set for 6:30 p.m. while Saturday's middle game will take place at 3 p.m. and Sunday's finale is slated for 1 p.m.
On Friday, Sam Houston hosts Faculty/Staff Appreciation Game, presented by FastSigns Conroe. All faculty and staff members receive up to four complimentary general admission tickets. Tickets must be picked up at the West Box Office of Bowers Stadium by 12 p.m. on Friday.
Saturday, the Kats join partners across campus to host 'Steal for Teal,' raising awareness for sexual assault. The office of Equality & Inclusion will be giving away free teal shirts to the first 50 fans and will also be passing out teal armbands and ribbons.
The Bearkats, who saw their Division I program-best eight-game road winning streak snapped on Tuesday, have been particularly dominant at home. Sam Houston has won 12-straight three-game league series at home and as many consecutive conference home games.
WEEKEND ROTATION
RHP Heath Donica, SHSU (5-1, 1.47 ERA) vs. RHP Cole Stapler, NICH (3-3, 3.94 ERA)
LHP Seth Ballew, SHSU (3-1, 4.36 ERA) vs. RHP Cayden Hatcher, NICH (3-2, 3.82 ERA)
TBD, SHSU (Not Available) vs. LHP Mike Hancher, NICH (2-2, 2.82 ERA)
BEST SOUTHLAND START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Sam Houston's 9-0 start in Southland Conference play is the best in program history. The Kats joined the Southland for the 1988 season, and in 1989, began the conference slate 8-1. The program has started 7-2 four times (2013, 2012, 2011 and 2000).
The Bearkats swept Lamar, A&M-Corpus Christi and Abilene Christian to begin the season and are hitting .365 through nine league games including a .468 on base percentage. On the mound, the Bearkats have posted a 3.44 ERA, limiting the Cardinals, Islanders and Wildcats to a .249 batting average. The program record for Southland Conference wins in a season is 24, coming in 2012 and again a season ago.
INSIDE THE SERIES VS. NICHOLLS
Friday marks the 87th overall meeting between Sam Houston and Nicholls with the Bearkats owning a 57-29 overall lead in the series including a 27-17 mark in Huntsville and a 6-3 mark at Don Sanders Stadium.
Sam Houston has won 10 of the last 11 games in the series and has posted victories in four-straight series. The Bearkats swept the Colonels in Thibodaux, La., a season ago (March 24-26), hitting .302 as a team while posting a 2.67 ERA. The wins moved Sam Houston to 7-3 in Southland Conference play.
During the 2016 series at Nicholls, Sam Houston showed its ability to win in a multitude of ways. In the middle game, the Kats scored 12 runs on as many hits in a 12-8 victory. In the finale, the team was shutout in the first six frames before scoring three in the seventh for a 3-1 comeback victory.
THE IRON MAN 2.0
Sam Houston junior Bryce Johnson enters the Nicholls series having made 98 consecutive starts in the outfield. The Cypress native has made 93 consecutive starts in center field, dating to the first game of the 2016 season, and has not made an error during that stretch.
Since arriving on campus for the 2015 season, Johnson has started 139 and played in 146 of Sam Houston's 152 games during that time span. Johnson is off to a tear in 2017, already posted a season-best in triples (3) while needing just eight more RBIs to match his 30 from a season ago. Johnson is also just two stolen bases shy of matching his previous season-best of 20, set in 2016.
KATS BOAST STRONG PRESENCE IN PRO BALL
With Thursday marking Opening Day in Minor League Baseball, 12 Sam Houston alums are active in the ranks of professional baseball this season.
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Tepera represents the Kats in the major leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ryan O'Hearn and Corey Toups begin their seasons at Triple-A Omaha (Kansas City Royals), ranked as the organization's No. 8 and No. 25 prospects. Tyler Eppler is touted as the Pittsburgh Pirates' No. 27 prospect and starts at Triple-A Indianapolis.
