Sam Houston (8-5) at Texas State (7-5)
Bobcat Ballpark (San Marcos)
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Friday, March 8 | 6:00 PM
Projected Starters
SHSU: RHP Coltin Atkinson (2-1, 2.70 ERA, 16.2 IP, 18 K, 4 BB)
TXST: RHP Austin Eaton (1-1, 5.56 ERA, 11.1 IP, 11 K, 6 BB)
Saturday, March 9 | 2:30 PM
Projected Starters
SHSU: RHP Miles Hellums (2-1, 7.98 ERA, 14.2 IP, 9 K, 3 BB)
TXST: RHP Sam Hall (0-1, 7.71 ERA, 7.0 IP, 8 K, 2 BB)
Sunday, March 10 | 1:00 PM
Projected Starters
SHSU: LHP Gavi Coldiron (1-1, 2.57 ERA, 14.0 IP, 9 K, 2 BB)
TXST: RHP Drayton Brown (0-0, 2.25 ERA, 8.0 IP, 12 K, 4 BB)
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HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats will hit the road for a series for the first time in 2024 this weekend when it takes on former league rival Texas State, beginning Friday at Bobcat Ballpark.
Friday's game will not be broadcasted, but Saturday and Sunday's game can be viewed on ESPN+ with Brant Freeman and former Texas State head coach Ty Harrington on the call.
The series is the first between the teams since 2012, Texas State's final season in the Southland Conference. The teams have played seven times in single midweek games in the years since.
The Kats will be looking for their first road wins of the season, having dropped midweek contests to both Rice and Houston.
SERIES NOTES vs TEXAS STATE
- This will be the first 3-game weekend series between the Bearkats and Bobcats since 2012 when the Kats swept TXST in Huntsville. That season was the last for the Bobcats in the Southland Conference.
- The last time the Kats went to San Marcos for a weekend series was in 2011 when the Cats swept Sam Houston.
- Sam Houston is 5-2 vs Texas State since the Bobcats departed the Southland Conference after the 2012 season.
QUICK HITTERS
- Walker Janek is riding 13-game hitting streak to open 2024 and has hit in 17 straight games dating back to the end of the 2023 campaign. It is the longest hit streak by a Kat to open a season since Todd Sebek hit safely in the first 18 games of the 2008 season.
- Within Janek's .412 average are 6 doubles, which is second among CUSA hitters early in the year, trailing only LA Tech's Ethan Bates.
- The Kats have gotten a solid boost of offense from junior Hunter Autrey through 13 games. The left-handed hitter from Corsicana had just one career home run entering 2024, but has already slugged four in the early going of this season.
- Coltin Atkinson will toe the rubber on Friday night carrying 191 strikeouts in his career. His career high is eight, which he tied Friday vs St. John's; however, should he set a new career high vs the Bobcats, Atkinson would reach the 200-strikeout milestone for his career.
- The 191 strikeouts has him tied for 10th all-time in career strikeouts at SHSU. When he reaches 200 he will be the ninth Kat to ever do so, and the first to reach the mark since Hayden Wesneski in 2019.
- As a staff, Bearkat pitching has struck out double-digit hitters in three of its last four games entering Friday's series opener at Texas State.
