Games 53-55 | Don Sanders Stadium (Huntsville)
Sam Houston (12-40, 6-18 CUSA) vs FIU (27-25, 10-13 CUSA)
Projected Starters
Thursday, May 15 – 6:30 p.m.
SHSU: RHP Devin Bennett (1-4, 6.25 ERA, 40.1 IP, 25 K, 15 BB)
FIU: RHP Easton Marks (3-3, 3.27 ERA, 66.0 IP, 72 K, 34 BB)
Friday, May 10 – 6:30 p.m.
SHSU: RHP Cam Diaz (1-5, 8.12 ERA, 41.0 IP, 43 K, 22 BB)
FIU: RHP Jarek Woodward (3-0, 4.76 ERA, 34.0 IP, 34 K, 20 BB)
Saturday, May 11 – 12:00 p.m.
SHSU: RHP Ryan Peterson (2-8, 5.84 ERA, 69.1 IP, 72 K, 28 BB)
FIU: TBA
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats will make one more attempt to secure a postseason berth this weekend, when it closes out the regular season with three games vs FIU, beginning Thursday night at Don Sanders Stadium.
Each game of the weekend can heard on the Bearkat Sports Network. They can all also be followed via Statbroadcast or by following @BearkatsBSB on Instagram and X.
Sam Houston was in solid position to work its way into the Conference USA Tournament until being swept on the road last weekend at Middle Tennessee. Still, hope remains alive for the Kats to book a ticket to next week's tournament in Lynchburg, Va.
The Bearkats would need to take all three games from FIU to close the regular season, along with Liberty being swept at home by DBU and Middle Tennessee being swept at Kennesaw State. A single loss by the Kats, or a win by either the Flames or Blue Raiders would spell the end of the Kats' postseason hopes.
Sam Houston will tinker with its rotation slightly as Devin Bennett will get the ball in the opener, followed by Cam Diaz. The Kats will then hand the ball to Ryan Peterson on Saturday, keeping him on his regular weekly schedule.
The Panthers have already clinched a spot in the CUSA Tournament, despite having dropped five of their last six league games following losing two of three last weekend to Liberty in their home finale. They come in with a lineup ranked second in the league in home runs, which backs up a pitching staff which leads CUSA in strikeouts.
For the Kats, Blake Brown enters the weekend riding a 10-game hit streak, the longest by any Bearkat this season. Ryan Franden also has been on fire of late, going 7-for-11 in his last three games and raising his average to .302 for the season.
