Kats to take on No. 18 Baylor
4/15/2019 7:35:00 PM | Baseball
Game 34
April 16 • 6:30 pm • Waco • Baylor Ballpark
Sam Houston State (22-11, 14-4 Southland) at No. 18 Baylor (24-10, 8-3 Big 12)
Live Stats • FSSW+ • 90.5 FM • @BearkatsBSB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State Bearkats will go after a premier road win on Tuesday when they head to Baylor Ballpark to take on No. 18 Baylor in the second meeting this season between the teams.
Each game can be followed via live stats or by following @BearkatsBSB on Twitter. The game will be streamed online via Fox Sports Southwest+, while fans can also listen along with Jason Barffield on the call on KSHU 90.5 FM.
Bearkat Athletics will also host a watch party for fans in Huntsville and the surrounding area at Margarita's in Huntsville.
Sam Houston scored late to take an 8-7 win over the Bears on March 19 in Huntsville and now will go in search of its first season sweep of Baylor since the 2014 season. They have won each of their last six games at Baylor Ballpark, last falling in Waco in 2012.
The Kats are coming off a series win over the weekend in Nacogdoches over Stephen F. Austin, their sixth consecutive series win in Southland play; however, they will be looking to snap a three-game losing skid in midweek contests that spans back to their earlier win over the Bears.
Seth Ballew will look to rebound from a tough start on Sunday and is scheduled to get the ball to open the game. He had carried a 2.57 ERA in three previous starts leading into Saturday, but suffered his second loss of the season against the Lumberjacks.
This year's Bearkats have been on a tear offensively, hitting .305 as a team and scoring at least five runs in 10 of their last 11 games. Jack Rogers homered twice last week and currently leads the Southland Conference with 14 doubles, while Colton Cowser has reached base in 20 consecutive games and is coming off a weekend that saw him homer in all three games at SFA.
Meanwhile, Baylor has been nearly unstoppable on its home field this year, posting a 20-5 mark. They posted a series win over the weekend at home over Oklahoma and have vaulted as high as No. 18 in the country in the D1Baseball.com poll with an 8-3 mark in the Big 12, a record that currently leads the league.
They are scheduled to start right-hander Jacob Ashkinos on the mound, who the Kats saw earlier this year in relief when he struck out four in 3.0 scoreless innings on March 19.
The Bears also sport a strong, veteran lineup, led by Davis Wendzel's .379 average and 15 doubles. Six Bear regulars carry averages above .300, while catcher Shea Langeliers anchors the defense and is rated as the top collegiate catching prospect for this year's MLB Draft by multiple publications.
