Kats host Houston in Sanders Cup finale
5/1/2017 10:41:00 PM | Baseball
Game 45
Tuesday, May 2 • 6:30 p.m. • Huntsville, Texas • Don Sanders Stadium
Sam Houston State (29-15) vs. Houston (28-15) • Purchase Tickets
ESPN3 • Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – Things have gone Sam Houston State's way through the first two games of the Don Sanders Cup series. With trophy in hand, they will seek the series sweep on Tuesday.
The Bearkats host No. 20 Houston on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., one week after pounding the Cougars, 12-2, to capture the inaugural Sanders Cup while securing the 100th victory for head coach Matt Deggs.
The game will be 50-cent hot dog night and mark the second-to-final midweek for a Sam Houston team that will spend seven of its final 12 games on the road. For tickets, contact the Bearkat ticket office at (936) 294-1729 or visit GoBearkats.com.
LAST TIME OUT: KATS SECURE KEY SERIES VS. MCNEESE
Sam Houston took two-of-three over the weekend against McNeese, trimming the Cowboys' Southland Conference lead to 2 ½ games after taking the rubber match, 8-6 on Sunday afternoon.
The Kats began the series with one of the season's more memorable wins, overcoming a one-run deficit in the ninth as Clayton Harp shot a walk-off single through the right side, plating Mac Odom, following up a game-tying base knock from Hunter Hearn after the first two hitters reached.
The squad overcame a middle-game, 10-2 setback, by building a four-run lead in the finale before using some clutch pitching from a trio of freshman to defeat the Cowboys, 8-6. The Kats hit a whopping .377 on the series including 6-for-11 performances from Bryce Johnson and Clayton Harp.
INSIDE THE SERIES VS. HOUSTON
Tuesday's meeting will be the 163rd overall between Sam Houston and Houston. The overall series is the longest played in the Bearkats' program history.
The series is deadlocked at 81-81, although Sam Houston has won three straight including the first two this season. Sam Houston hit .338 in the previous two games including Johnson, who has hit .455 (5 for 11) with a pair of RBIs, as many runs and a team-high seven total bases.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Sam Houston ranks third nationally in triples (24) and triples per game (0.55) while checking in at 21st in batting average (.309). The squad is 10th in sacrifice bunts (42) and 16th in stolen bases (73). Individual, Johnson ranks 14th in stolen bases (20) while Blake Chisolm is 16th in on base percentage (.490). Taylor Beene is 12th in sacrifice bunts (10) while Riley McKnight is 26th with nine.
CHECKING IN ON THE RPI
Sam Houston climbed 12 spots in the RPI over the last week to No. 82 after knocking off current No. 27 McNeese and No. 24 Houston. The Bearkats are 3-1 against top-25 RPI teams this season and 2-3 against teams 26-50. Among top-40 RPI teams, Sam Houston has one game left vs. No. 24 Houston, one at No. 35 Texas A&M and three at No. 40 Southeastern Louisiana.
