Kats welcome UCA for weekend set
4/19/2018 4:24:00 PM | Baseball
Game 39
April 20 • 6:30 pm • Huntsville • Don Sanders Stadium
Sam Houston State (26-12, 13-2 Southland) vs Central Arkansas (22-14, 10-5 Southland)
ESPN+ • Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
Game 40
April 21 • 3:00 pm • Huntsville • Don Sanders Stadium
Sam Houston State (26-12, 13-2 Southland) vs Central Arkansas (22-14, 10-5 Southland)
ESPN+ • Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
Game 41
April 22 • 1:00 pm • Huntsville • Don Sanders Stadium
Sam Houston State (26-12, 13-2 Southland) vs Central Arkansas (22-14, 10-5 Southland)
Live Stats • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State Bearkats get into the meat of their Southland Conference schedule this weekend when they host Central Arkansas for three games at Don Sanders, beginning with the series opener on Friday night.
Fans can follow along each game via live stats and by following @BearkatsBSB on Twitter. Each of the first two games of the series will be aired on ESPN+ with Matt Pedersen on the call.
The Kats have won each of their last 20 three-game series at home in Southland Conference play since 2014 and enter the weekend atop the SLC standings this season with a 13-2 mark after taking two of three last weekend against Stephen F. Austin. Most recently they split a pair of midweek games against Houston, including an 8-3 win at The Don on Wednesday night behind three RBI from Chase Cryer and a sparkling relief performance by Brad Demco.
Meanwhile, the Bears had won three league series in a row before dropping two of three on their home field to HBU two weeks ago. They stepped out of conference last weekend to sweep UT Martin last weekend before falling on Tuesday at No. 24 Wichita State.
It will be the first of four straight weekends for the Bearkats against teams currently ranked in the upper half of the Southland Conference standings, and a rematch of last season's SLC Tournament championship game which saw the Kats punch their berth to the NCAA Tournament with a 9-4 win in Sugar Land. That win avenged a UCA sweep of the Bearkats in Conway during the regular season.
UCA has done their damage this season on the strength of a pitching staff that ranks tied with the Kats for second in the SLC in ERA with a 3.55 mark. The Bears' ace, Tyler Gray, has been one of the top arms in the league in 2018 with a 4-0 record and 2.15 ERA. He has struck out 81 batters and walked just 27 in 62.2 innings while holding his opponents to a paltry .202 batting average.
Add in Cody Daven port and Tanner Wiley and the Bears sport three likely starters who own an ERA under 3.60 with each having tossed at least 50.0 innings this season. Mark Moyer and Will Brand have done the bulk of the bullpen work, combining for five of UCA's six saves this year.
The Bears have hit just 20 homers this season, but rank second in the league with 67 doubles and are third with a .392 on-base percentage as a team. Rigo Aguilar and Hunter Strong lead the way with Aguilar's .349 average topping the list of UCA regulars. He has smacked 10 doubles with 25 RBI, while Strong sports a .333 average and a team-best 33 runs scored. Transfer Josh Somdecerff has provided some pop in the middle of the lineup, hitting six homers and driving in a team-best 28 runs.
They will be challenged by a Sam Houston pitching staff that has been outstanding in conference play. In 15 SLC games Bearkat starters have put together just a 1.99 ERA while the staff carries a 2.15 ERA and .213 opponent's batting average, both marks which are at the top of the league by a wide margin.
Hunter Hearn comes into the weekend riding a 15-game streak of reaching base after doing so in all five of his at-bats on Wednesday against Houston. He leads the Kats with 29 and is one of four Kats with at least 26 RBI this season. So far 10 Bearkats have connected on home runs with the 33 long balls as a team already surpassing last season's total of 31.
