Bobcat Baseball Season Preview

The Bobcats are not talking about rebuilding heading into the 2015 season despite losing 10 players from last year’s roster.

The departures include Hunter Lemke and Austen Williams, a duo that combined for 141.3 innings and 122 strikeouts last year.

On the offensive side, Texas State lost last year’s starting catcher, Tyler Pearson, and Garrett Mattlage, who led the team in batting average.

“It’s gonna be a challenge, and this club has met every challenge this staff has put in front of them,” said Jeremy Fikac, assistant coach. “We haven’t had to push and ask for energy and attitude. They’ve been unbelievable to work with. In my years, this has probably been one of the funnest bunches to be a part of.”

Texas State was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference behind Louisiana-Lafayette.

Coach Ty Harrington enters his 16th season at Texas State with a 507-378 all-time record. His confidence has not wavered this year, but he understands unknowns need to be sorted out.

“To tell you I know for a fact that we are going to finish in the top two or three—I don’t know that,” Harrington said. “I know that I am confident that every day these guys are going to give everything they have. As a coach that’s all I can ask for.”

Youth is a recurring theme for this team, particularly offensively. Fikac said Luke Sherley and Jaylen Hubbard, freshman infielders, will compete for starting positions.

Youth is not an excuse. Granger Studdard, sophomore outfielder, is expected to assume a larger leadership role to compensate.

“You are a rookie as long as you play like a rookie,” Fikac said. “When you put up numbers, people look at you that way.”

Pearson and Austin O’Neal are among the priorities for the Bobcats. The two replace Mattlage, who reached base on 40.6 percent of his plate appearances and drove in 44 RBI.

“I think our staff did a tremendous job recruiting a group of people who can come in here and assist the older players that have been involved with this program,” Harrington said. “The last couple of years we’ve evolved.”

Texas State placed ninth out of 10 conference teams in runs and on-base percentage last year. Fikac is confident in his team’s offensive ability with a new influx of players.

“We don’t have a weakness,” Fikac said. “We can put two lineups out there—one with all freshmen and one with juniors and seniors. Somebody will step up. These guys are unbelievable.”

Lucas Humpal, junior pitcher, will be at the forefront of the pitching staff. Humpal allowed 37 earned runs in 88.2 innings last year. He was named the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year prior to this season.

Cory Geisler, junior pitcher, is a multi-purpose player who influences pitching and hitting. Fikac said Geisler spends most of his time in center field when he is not pitching. Geisler joined Humpal on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team as a utility player.

Experience is not a problem for the pitching staff, which Fikac said will neutralize the opposition and allow the team to compete in Tuesday night games on short rest.

Texas State has reached the 29-win threshold each year under Harrington. Fikac, however, holds his team to an elevated standard.

“The consistency wasn’t there for us last year,” Fikac said. “That’s something we have to build on.”

FOUR MATCHUPS TO WATCH

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
Last year’s record: 58-10
Last NCAA Appearance: 2014
Key players: Blake Trahan, Dylan Butler

Louisiana-Lafayette set a school record with 58 wins last year, and junior shortstop Blake Trahan, the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year, is returning to the team. Trahan tallied a .455 on-base percentage along with 12 doubles, four home runs, two triples, 49 runs batted in and 58 runs last year.

Arkansas State Red Wolves

Last year’s record: 32-27
Last NCAA Appearance: N/A
Key players: David Owen, Matt Burgess

Arkansas State, third behind Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas State in the preseason poll, had two players on the Sun Belt Conference’s All-Preseason Team. David Owen, junior pitcher, was sixth in conference strikeouts, and Matt Burgess tallied 58 runs batted in, putting him 15th in the nation.

Texas Longhorns
Last year’s record: 46-21
Last NCAA Appearance: 2014
Key players: Brooks Marlow, Parker French

Texas, ranked sixth in the USA Today Coaches Poll, was one of three Big 12 teams to finish in the top five in earned run average and shutouts last year. Junior pitcher Parker French, who led the team in innings, assumes a lead role for a Longhorn team that gave up 2.25 runs per nine innings last year.

Houston Cougars
Last year’s record: 48-18
Last NCAA Appearance: 2014
Key players: Aaron Garza, Kyle Survance

Regardless of the ranking system one prefers, Houston is among the premier baseball programs in Division I. The Cougars are 11th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and third in Baseball America. Houston does not give an inch to opposing batters with 119 walks in 589.0 innings last year, the second-lowest rate in Division I.

Quixem Ramirez is a sports editor for the University Star where this story originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the University Star and Corridor News.