Sam Houston (17-9, 3-3 CUSA) at Liberty (10-14, 2-1 CUSA)
Worthington Field (Lynchburg, Va.)
Thursday, March 28 | 3:00 PM CT | ESPN+
Projected Starters
SHSU: RHP Coltin Atkinson (3-2, 2.21 ERA, 36.2 IP, 33 K, 11 BB)
LIBERTY: RHP Ryan Butler (0-1, 4.22 ERA, 10.2 IP, 7 K, 4 BB)
Friday, March 29 | 3:00 PM CT | ESPN+
Projected Starters
SHSU: LHP Gavi Coldiron (2-1, 3.34 ERA, 29.2 IP, 20 K, 5 BB)
LIBERTY: RHP Cole Hertzler (2-3, 4.08 ERA, 28.2 IP, 32 K, 7 BB)
Saturday, March 30 | 11:00 AM CT | ESPN+
Projected Starters
SHSU: TBA
LIBERTY: LHP Nick Moran (1-2, 5.40 ERA, 23.1 IP, 23 K, 6 BB)
LYNCHBURG, Va. – With two weekends of Conference USA play under their belt, the Sam Houston Bearkats will move further into the league slate this weekend with a three-game series at Liberty, beginning Thursday at Worthington Field.
All three games of the Kats' first-ever trip to Lynchburg will be aired on ESPN+ with Alan York (pxp) and Shane Quarterley (analysis) in the booth and Annie Corley reporting from the field level.
The Kats have won nine of their last 13 games overall and have consecutive wins to their credit entering Thursday after closing out last weekend with a win in the finale vs No. 15 Dallas Baptist and picking up a win on Tuesday over Rice.
SERIES NOTES vs LIBERTY
- The weekend will serve as the first ever meeting between the Bearkats and Flames on the diamond
- The trip to Virginia will mark the first time the Bearkats have played a game east of the MIssissippi River since opening the 2018 season with games in DeLand, Fla., (Stetson) vs Manhattan, Stetson and Virginia Tech
- Sam Houston has not had consecutive losing weekends since Jay Sirianni's first season as head coach: the 2020 COVID-altered campaign. That year they dropped 2 of 3 games on consecutive weekends to Louisiana and Houston Baptist (now HCU)
- Despite being in 3 different leagues during Jay Sirianni's tenure as head coach, the Bearkats have yet to drop consecutive series in conference play in his tenure, last doing it late in the 2017 season in the Southland Conference when they fell on consecutive weekends to Southeastern Louisiana and Central Arkansas. The Kats went on that year to win both the Southland Conference Tournament and the NCAA Lubbock Regional, advancing to the Tallahassee Super Regional
BEARKAT NOTES FOR THE WEEKEND
- Walker Janek had his 24-game hit streak come to an end with an 0-for-2 game on Saturday; still he had reached base in all 25 games of 2024 and 32 straight games dating back to the end of the 2023 season before going 0-for-4 on Tuesday vs Rice
- Janek is arguably the top defensive backstop in the nation and has thrown out 8 of 15 attempted swipers on the year. Bearkat opponents do not have a steal with Janek behind the plate since March 5 at Houston, a span of 13 games
- As good as Janek has been against opposing runners, the Kats have been outstanding on the bases in their own right. In fact, the Kats have been successful in their last 14 stolen base attempts and have 21 consecutive successful steals against opposing catchers
- The Kats' pitching staff is issuing just 3.05 walks per nine innings, a mark ranking fifth in the nation.
- Sam Houston's 3.99 ERA ranks 24th in the nation and second in CUSA. But take away the Kats' lopsided 19-2 loss to Oklahoma State on Opening Weekend and that number drops nearly by a run per game, down to an ERA of 3.38 in the other 25 games of the year
- That 19-run outburst on Day 3 of the season by OSU is the most allowed by the Kats in 2024. Entering the weekend they have not allowed more than 8 runs in any other game and have allowed 7+ runs only 6 total times
- The 3.99 ERA by the Kats' pitching staff is its lowest team ERA thru 26 games since 2018 when a veteran staff sported a 3.37 ERA, helping Sam Houston to a 19-7 start that year
- Reliever Wyatt Tucker has been an incredible find for the Kats in 2024, joining the team after 3 years at Texas A&M. The righty has a 3.10 ERA and struck out 22 and walked just 6 in 20.1 innings with a team best 3 saves. He has a win and 2 saves in his last 4 appearances, striking out 10 hitters in 5.2 innings in that span.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE FLAMES
- Liberty was picked among as one of favorites to take the CUSA title prior to the season, but has had a roller coaster ride throughout the first half of 2024 and enters the weekend at 10-14 overall and 2-1 in CUSA play.
- The Flames took two of three games from Middle Tennessee last weekend in their league opener; however, after an 11-6 win in Game 1 Liberty had significantly different games on Saturday and Sunday. The Flames were no-hit by the Blue Raiders in the second game of the series before finishing the weekend with a resounding 25-9 victory to take the series.
- They took a swing at the preseason No. 1 team in the country, Wake Forest, on Tuesday before falling 7-6 to the Demon Deacons.
