Kats return home to host DBU
3/22/2018 3:17:00 PM | Baseball
Games 22-24
March 23-25 • Huntsville • Don Sanders Stadium (1,164)
No. 22 Sam Houston State (16-5, 6-0 Southland) vs Dallas Baptist (11-8, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Game 1: 6:30 pm • ESPN3 • Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
Game 2: 1:00 pm • ESPN3 • Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
Game 3: 1:00 pm • Live Stats • KSHU 90.5 FM • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – After closing out a stretch of eight straight games on the road, the No. 22 Sam Houston State Bearkats will return to Don Sanders Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against Dallas Baptist, kicking off Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
The Kats saw their run of nine wins in a row come to a close with a 3-2 loss at Texas on Tuesday, but have another opportunity to turn heads this weekend with its series against the Patriots, a team who was a unanimous preseason pick to claim the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
Fans can watch each of the first two games of the weekend on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app with Randy McIlvoy set to call Game 1, followed by Matt Pedersen on the call for Game 2. Sunday's series finale can be heard over the airwaves on KSHU 90.5 FM. Live stats will be available for each of the three games, while fans can also get updates as they happen by following @BearkatsBSB on Twitter. Tickets for each game are available at GoBearkats.com.
Coach Matt Deggs' bunch has opened up 2018 with wins in 16 of its first 21 games, including a 6-0 start to Southland Conference play, surging into the top 25 of each of the major polls on Monday. It is the first time since 2014 the Bearkats have been a consensus top-25 choice during the regular season since 2014.
They have done it on the strength of a pitching staff that continues to be outstanding, posting Southland-best 2.63 ERA to this point, nearly a full run better than any other staff in the league. The Kats boast six arms with at least 18.0 innings of work, with five of those pitchers posting an ERA under 3.00. The starting rotation of Hayden Wesneski, Riley Gossett and Gabriel Sequeira has been exactly what the Kats have needed during the last two conference weekends as well, combining for a 0.52 ERA in 34.2 innings with 32 strikeouts and just seven walks between them.
Offensively, the Bearkats continue to showcase a balanced attack that features five regulars hitting above the .300 mark, led by Chase Cryer, whose five multi-hit games in his last eight outings have vaulted him to a team-best .371 average for the year. Hunter Hearn's 21 RBI is a team best and ranks in the top three among SLC players
For the Patriots, they will be looking to find some momentum just two weeks before opening up their own league slate on April 6 against Illinois State. DBU is coming off a midweek loss at home to Baylor on Tuesday after a strong week that saw them pull off a midweek win at Oklahoma State and take the first two of a weekend series against Brown before dropping the finale.
DBU is a program who has won at least 40 games and made a regional each of the past four seasons, and six of the last seven since 2011. The Kats picked up a 7-5 midweek win over the Patriots a year ago at The Don but will be welcoming DBU to Huntsville for a three-game set for the first time since 2014.
This season Coach Dan Heefner's squad boasts a powerful lineup once again, ranking 25th in the nation in slugging percentage (.466) and in the top 20 in both doubles (48) and home runs (23). Seven players have hit multiple home runs this season, including three with a team-best five. Devlin Granberg leads them with 26 RBI to go with five homers and a .370 batting average, while Jameson Hannah's .407 average and nine doubles are also team bests.
As a staff, the Patriots sport just a 4.58 ERA, but are 16th in the country with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. MD Johnson headlines the staff after having won four of his five starts, striking out 34 hitters in 26.2 innings with only seven walks issued; however, he has allowed five home runs, booming his ERA up to 5.06 entering the weekend.
