Kats open SLC tourney Wednesday
5/7/2019 5:14:00 PM | Softball
Game 5
No. 1 Sam Houston State vs. No. 5 Southeastern Louisiana
Wednesday, 9 a.m. • Southland Digital Network • Live Stats
NATCHITOCHES, La. – Now that the regular season is over, the Sam Houston State softball team will look to continue its stellar play Wednesday when the top-seeded Bearkats open the Southland Conference Tournament at Lady Demon Diamond on the campus of Northwestern State University.
Sam Houston State (31-21), which won the SLC regular-season championship with a 22-5 league mark, will face No. 5 Southeastern Louisiana (33-21, 17-10) on Wednesday at 9 a.m. The Lions eliminated No. 8 UCA 7-6 in eight innings in the opening round and sent No. 4 SFA to the losers' bracket in the double-elimination portion of the tournament Tuesday afternoon with a 2-0 victory in nine innings.
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
Picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll, the Bearkats got hot at the right time under first-year head coach Garrett Valis to claim Sam Houston State's first Southland Conference regular-season championship since 1993. The Bearkats got off to a rocky start in league play by dropping the opening series to Northwestern State two games to one, but the team rebounded from there. Sam Houston State won its remaining eight SLC series, including a 13-game league win streak to finish in first place at 22-5. The team also had a 13-game winning streak against both nonconference and SLC opponents, which is the program's best since moving up to Division I in 1988. That streak is tied for the third longest in school history with the 1982 squad, which also holds the record of 17 straight wins. The 1985 Bearkats won 14 in a row.
SAVING HER BEST FOR LAST
Senior ace Lindsey McLeod is putting a storybook ending on her decorated career at Sam Houston State. After dominating SLC play in the circle, she was voted as the league's Player and Pitcher of the Year and named first-team All-SLC in 2019. She broke SHSU's career strikeouts record earlier this season and now has 687. The three-time All-SLC honoree from Austin is second in career no-hitters with three behind leader Brandi Crnkovic (four from 2007-08) and is second in saves with 11 behind Morgan Mikulin (13 from 2007-2010). McLeod, who has been named the SLC Pitcher of the Year twice this year and five times in her career, also has set several season school records as well. Her three no-hitters in 2019 are tied for first all-time with Crnkovic (2008). She broke the old mark with 41 consecutive scoreless innings pitched during the Bearkats' 13-game conference winning streak this season, and she broke her school record for most strikeouts in a season (222 in 2018) with 231 heading into the SLC tournament. She also holds the school career and season records for one-hitters pitched at 10 and six (2019), respectively.
What a first year
In his first season at the helm of the Bearkat program, Garrett Valis guided Sam Houston State to its first SLC regular-season championship since 1993. SHSU's 31 wins is the most since 2013 and the 22-5 SLC record is the program's best since 1993 (24-4). The Bearkats also set a program record for consecutive wins at 13 since moving up to the Division I level in 1988. The University of Texas graduate served the previous four seasons as an assistant coach under former SHSU head coach Bob Brock, who retired following the 2018 season.
All-conference Bearkats
The Bearkats also landed two more players on the All-Southland Conference first team. Juniors Tiffany Thompson and Megan McDonald join Lindsey McLeod among the premier players in the league. Thompson had an outstanding season at shortstop, earning SLC Hitter of the Week honors in consecutive weeks to lead the Bearkats to a 13-game winning streak. She hit .330 in SLC play and hit three home runs. She was fourth in league play in triples (two), sixth in sacrifice bunts (6), seventh in hits (29), eighth in runs scored (18), ninth in slugging (.568) and 10th in stolen bases (10). McDonald had a huge role in SHSU's run to the SLC regular-season championship as the table setter at the top of the lineup. She was fifth in SLC play in batting average (.389), tied for first in triples (3), second in hits (35) and fifth in runs scored (19). She had 34 putouts, four assists and a fielding percentage of .974 in center field. Junior Taylar Fuselier was named as the second-team designated player. She hit .348 in SLC play with one home run and seven RBIs in 20 appearances. She had 16 hits, two doubles and scored seven runs. Sophomore Brooke Malia enjoyed a solid season at second base to land on the All-SLC third team. She hit .325 in conference play and was tied for first in home runs with seven (her 10 total home runs were fourth best in the SLC). Malia was second in slugging percentage (.687) and fourth in RBIs (22) and doubles (nine with a season total of 15, which is second best in the league). Kyndal Kutac had a great freshman season at third base as an honorable-mention All-SLC honoree by hitting nine home runs on the season, fifth best in the league. Outfielder Sheridan Fisher hit .292 with 21 hits and 11 runs scored in SLC play to also earn honorable-mention recognition.
Going out with a bang
The Bearkats only have two seniors, but they have been a big part of the team's success this season. Lindsey McLeod has gone 18-8 in the circle this year and has tossed three no-hitters against UT Martin, Northwestern State and Incarnate Word, which tied a school record for hitless games in a season. She also set the school record with 41 consecutive innings pitched and broke her own school record for strikeouts in a single season with 231. Ashley Goetz has bounced back nicely from an ACL tear last season. Some of her season highlights include the game-winning home run in a 4-3 victory over SFA in the season finale to clinch the outright Southland Conference title, a three-run home run March 30 in a 4-3 win at Nicholls, which sparked Sam Houston State's 13-game conference winning streak, and a walk-off home run against UT Arlington on April 9.
Bearkats in the Southland Conference Tournament
Sam Houston State has won the Southland Conference Tournament twice in 1988 and 2007. The 1988 team swept through the tourney in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with wins over North Texas (5-2), Northwestern State (4-1) and two against Stephen F. Austin (4-3, 3-0). In 2007, the Bearkats beat McNeese 3-0, UTSA 3-2 and UT Arlington 1-0 before falling to Texas State 8-0. Sam Houston bounced back to beat the Bobcats 1-0 in the championship game to earn a berth to the school's first-ever appearance in a NCAA Regional. The Bearkats have finished second in the SLC tournament three times (2005, 2012 and 2013).
