Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:

Baseball, Men’s Basketball, Track & Field,
Men’s & Women’s Golf and Women’s Tennis

Newman’s Extra-Inning Walk-Off
Blast Completes Sweep of Red Wolves

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Senior first baseman Ryan Newman sent a three-run blast over the right field fence to give the Texas State baseball team (27-13, 12-6 Sun Belt) a 7-6 walk-off victory in 10 innings Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark to complete the sweep of Arkansas State (22-19, 8-10 Sun Belt).

For Newman, it was his second career extra-inning walk-off home run. His first came on Mar. 17, 2017 against 20th-ranked Coastal Carolina in the 14th inning.

The Bobcats improve to 4-1 in extra-inning contests this season with three of them being walk-off wins in San Marcos.

Picking up the win was Brent Heber (3-1) after he recorded the final two outs of the top of the 10th. Kollin Stone (1-2) took the loss in which he threw an inning with a strikeout and gave up three runs.

Connor Reich had a strong performance in his seven innings of work. The senior right-hander struck out 10 while walking one and giving up four runs on seven hits. It was his third career double-digit strikeout performance and first since he struck out a career-high 12 at Appalachian State on Mar. 24, 2017.

Kyle Bradford and Zachary Leigh threw an inning of relief as two of Bradford’s outs were by strikeout.

Both Chase Evans and Newman finished with a team-high three hits. Along with Newman’s three-run homer, Travon Benton drove in two runs and Felipe Rodriguez plated one.

TXST got on the board first its first time at the plate. Dalton Shuffield started things off with a bunt single. Jaxon Williams followed with a single through the left side and Will Hollis was walked to load the bases. Two batters later, Benton hit a single to right field that plated two runs.

The lead was short lived as Tyler Duncan hit a two-run home run to right field to tie the game. A leadoff homer by Andrew Leggo in the fourth put ASU in front 3-2 after the top of the fourth.

In the next half inning, Evans hit a grounder into the hole that was fielded by the shortstop with not chance of getting the junior outfielder at first. Newman then laced a 1-0 pitch to right field for a single and he was able to advance to second as the outfielder misplayed the ball. A sacrifice fly by Rodriguez to left center easily allowed Evans to score to tie the contest.

Back-to-back walks to Jaylen Hubbard and Shuffield started off the bottom half of the seventh. Following a pitching change, Williams was hit by the very first pitch to load the bases. Hollis hit a hard shot that was fielded by the second baseman to begin a double play, but it allowed Hubbard to go the final 90 feet to put the Bobcats back in front 4-3.

The Red Wolves responded again in the following half inning. Justin Felix singled back up the middle to bring home a run to tie the game.

ASU appeared to take the lead for good in the top of the 10th when Duncan hit a two-RBI single to left center. The visitors nearly tacked on more runs but Valentine made a leaping catch into the center field wall to prevent an extra-base hit.

Texas State got some early help without swinging a bat as both Valentine and Benton were plunked to start off the bottom half of the 10th. Evans then laid down a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher to move both runners into scoring position. On the first pitch he saw, Newman hit his no-doubter walk-off homer to extend the Bobcats winning streak to six games.

Next up for TXST is a meeting with Texas on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bobcat Ballpark.

Box Score: https://txstatebobcats.com/boxscore.aspx?id=5769.

Bobcats add a pair to 2019 signing class

SAN MARCOS, Texas –Texas State men’s basketball program adds to its recruiting class with two signees in junior forward Isiah Small and freshman guard Micah Thomas.

The Bobcats 2019 class is up to four after signing guards Caleb Asberry (Ranger College transfer) and Drew Tennial (senior at Memorial High School in Edmond, Okla.) last fall during the early signing period.

Isiah Small – F – 6-8 – Jersey City, N.J. (Seward County CC)

Small played two seasons at Seward County Community College under 2019 KJCCC Coach of the Year, Jason Sautter. Last season, Smalls averaged 15 points behind a team-best 63.0 field goal percentage and led the Saints with 6.7 rebounds and two blocks per game (57 total).

Small also registered 1.3 steals per game and totaled 70 assists to just 43 turnovers. The New Jersey native was honored to the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference First-Team and named Defensive Player of the Year, selected to the 2019 NJCAA Region VI Division I First-Team, tabbed as the Co-MVP for the Region VI Tournament, and garnered NJCAA Division I All-American Honorable Mention status. Smalls also received conference honors his freshman year.

Coach Kaspar on Small: “Isiah can guard just about every position on the floor. He is 6-8 with long arms and although he is a thin and lanky 6-8, he is very good at driving to the basket as well as scoring from 15 and 17 feet out. I believe Isiah will give us a great presence both offensively and defensively I am really excited to have him as we are losing a good player in Alex Peacock.”

Micah Thomas – G – 6-0 – Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City North HS)

In his high school career, Thomas scored over 2,000 points and 500 assists and reached the state tournament all four years. He was crowned State Tournament MVP and State Champion in 2018 and led the Panthers 2019 team to a State Runner-Up highlighted by a career-high 44 points (13-of-19) in the semifinals round.

Thomas racked up many accolades including the state of Oklahoma’s highest honor as the Super 5 Player of the Year (POY). He was also tabbed as the Big 10 POY, Big All-City POY, and 6A All-State.

Coach Kaspar on Thomas: “Micah had a great year for Putnam City North High School. He is a consistent winner and an excellent offensive player who can play either the point or two-guard position. I am very excited to have him and believe he will help us out offensively.”

Texas State extends Kaspar’s contract through 2023

SAN MARCOS, Texas– Texas State University’s Director of Athletics Dr. Larry Teis has announced the extension of head men’s basketball coach Danny Kaspar through the 2022-2023 season, effective immediately.

“We are thrilled to extend coach Kaspar as our head men’s basketball coach,” Teis said. “He has put together a couple of historic seasons on the court while cultivating a successful academic culture off the court. We are extremely excited to move forward under his leadership.”

In the 2018-19 season, coach Kaspar moved to No. 3 all-time with 98 victories at the helm of the men’s basketball program. He has logged a pair of 20-plus win seasons over the last three years with the previous 20-win season dating back to the 1993-94 season.

The 2016-17 team (22-14) made an appearance in the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship game, while the 2018-19 team (24-10) reached the semifinals round. As a result, both teams received an invitation to participate in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Kaspar has had four All-Sun Belt Conference selections and three NABC honorees, including the program’s first first-team selection in junior guard Nijal Pearson. Last season, the program set a new single-season attendance record of 44,772 fans, highlighted by a crowd of 6,581 on Feb. 2 vs. UTA, the most ever in Strahan Arena.

Due to a program-best 12-5 mark since joining the league, Kaspar was named the HoopsHD.com Coach of the Year for the Sun Belt Conference and named a finalist for the 2019 Skip Prosser Man of the Year and the 2019 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year.

“I am very excited about receiving an extension from Texas State University,” coach Kaspar said. “Texas State is a fine place to work and I believe we have the potential to build something very special with our men’s basketball program. I am looking forward to working hard to bring a Sun Belt Conference title to the program.”

In addition to the success on the court, the men’s basketball program has a four-year average APR at 967. Fifty-five student-athletes have won the Bobcat Academic Excellence Award (3.0-3.9 GPA), while five have won the Star of Excellence Award (4.0 GPA).

Twenty have been selected to the Dean’s List, and 15 have been tabbed to the Sun Belt Conference Academic Team or Commissioner’s List. In 2016-17, the men’s basketball program held the league’s highest GPA at 3.04.

Baseball Wins Slugfest 16-14 Over Arkansas State

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Coming off a 21-hit game on Tuesday, the bats stayed hot for the Texas State baseball team (25-13, 10-6 Sun Belt) as it outslugged Arkansas State (22-17, 8-8 Sun Belt) 16-14 Thursday night at Bobcat Ballpark.

Both Jaylen Hubbard and Jaxon Williams recorded three hits apiece while Travon Benton and Dalton Shuffield had two each. As a team, the Bobcats drew 13 walks with two free passes being issued to Will Hollis, Skyler Valentine, Benton and Williams.

Earning the win on the mound was Dontate Woodard (2-0) as he recorded two outs while allowing one run. Anthony Pagano picked up his first save of the season and second in his career as he recorded the final two outs of the contest. Suffering the loss was Payton Lannon (1-1) after the right-hander allowed the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.

Hunter McMahon went 5.1 innings and matched his season-high of six strikeouts. Kyle Bradford was the most effect reliever for either team after getting all five batters he faced out.

With a strong wind blowing in at the start of the game, the Red Wolves were able to strike first in the second when Justin Felix hit a RBI triple off the center field wall. He would score two batters later when Tyler Duncan hit a sacrifice fly to put the visitors ahead 2-0.

The Bobcats got on the scoreboard in the third. With one out, they loaded the bases off a Hubbard double and back-to-back walks to Williams and Hollis. After a call to the bullpen, John Wuthirch was issued a free pass on five pitches to plate TXST’s first run of the game.

Benton reached on a fielder’s choice as he beat out a throw to first on a potential inning-ending double play to bring home another run. A wild pitch allowed Hollis to score to put Texas State in front 3-2.

The lead held until the top of the fifth. ASU scored two runs on consecutive singles to take the lead again. Kyle MacDonald expanded on the advantage with a two-RBI double down the left field line. The Bobcats were able to throw out the senior first baseman at third as he tried to take advantage of a toss to the plate.

Hubbard led off the bottom of the frame by doubling down the left field line. After a walk to Hollis, Wuthrich smashed a 1-2 offering over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the season that have all come in the past six games and tie the game.

TXST retook the lead with a four-run sixth inning. The first run was scored on a throwing error by the Red Wolves’ shortstop to first base. Two runs were plated on a doubled from Benton and one came in off a Shuffield double.

In the seventh, pinch runner Jacob Almendarez scored from second when the third baseman throw to first was wide of the bag on a Hubbard infield single. Three batters later with the bases juiced, Benton singled through the right side to plate two runs and increase the advantage to 13-6.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth as the Red Wolves scored seven runs to tie the contest. ASU recorded only two hits in the frame was Bobcat pitchers walked six and hit one batter. The biggest of the two hits was a Felix three-run homer to right field.

The bottom of the frame started with Cole Coffey and Valentine being walked. Both were moved into scoring position when Felipe Rodriguez laid down his second sacrifice bunt of the game. The Red Wolves decided to intentionally walk Hubbard to load the bases for a chance at an inning-ending double play.

The move backfired as Williams smacked the first pitch he saw to right center for a single to bring home two runs. Hollis then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give TXST a 16-13 advantage.

Bobcat pitchers continued to struggle finding the strike zone as ASU’s first two batters in the ninth were walked. A single by Tyler Duncan plated a run but Valentine gunned out a runner at third for the innings first out. Following the third free pass of the frame, Pagano was called to the mound.

The senior left-handed induced an infield fly to Shuffield on the first pitch he threw. Pagano was then able to get strikeout Drew Tipton to end the wild affair.

Box Score: https://txstatebobcats.com/boxscore.aspx?id=5767

Bobcats heading to the Bayou

SAN MARCOS, Texas – With just a couple of weeks remaining in the regular season, the Texas State track and field teams will head east to participate in the LSU Alumni Gold meet on April 20 at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

A total of 55 teams will participate at the meet, including seven teams that rank in the top 20 of the USTFCCCA National Poll (No. 3 Arkansas (women), No. 3 Florida (men), No. 4 LSU (men and women), No. 7 Florida (women), No. 10 Mississippi State (men), No. 18 North Carolina A&T (men).

The LSU Alumni Gold meet will begin with the women’s discus throw in the field and the 3,000-meter steeplechase on the track at 9 a.m. The afternoon section of the running events is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. with the 4×100-meter relays. A full schedule of events can be found at Txstsatebobcats.com as well as live scoring, which will be done by Delta Timing, and heat sheets.

Bobcats Pacing the Way
The Bobcats enter the weekend with 48 top 10 Sun Belt Conference marks, including six that sit atop the league’s performance list. Senior T’Mond Johnson headlines the group of league-leaders with a 19.43m (63-9) throw in the men’s shot put, and a 53.77m (176-5) hurl in the discus throw.

Both results were recorded at the Roadrunner Invitational (March 21). Senior Kyle Denomme leads in the 800-meter run with 1:52.31 time (Roadrunner Invitational, March 21) and junior Ben Collerton scored 7,218 points in the decathlon (Texas Relays, March27) to round out the men’s top performers.

On the women’s side, sophomore Tina Sierra clocked a 17:17.24 in the women’s 5000-meter run to pace the conference, and true freshman Live Hilton has a 6.20-meter (20-4.25) mark in the women’s long jump, both done at the Bobcat Invitational on March 28.

Late Rally Pushes Bobcats Past Red Wolves 5-3

SAN MARCOS, Texas – All of the Texas State baseball team’s runs came in the final three innings in a 5-3 win over Arkansas State Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark. The victory gives the Bobcats (26-13, 11-6 Sun Belt) their first-ever series victory over the Red Wolves (22-18, 8-9 Sun Belt).

Nicholas Fraze (6-3) threw a career-high 7.2 innings to earn the victory. The junior right-hander struck out three while giving up three runs on only three hits. Picking up his second save in as many nights was Anthony Pagano after recording the final four outs of the game, including striking out the side in the ninth. Suffering the loss was Zach Jackson (5-3) as he tossed seven innings with five strikeouts but surrendered four runs on six hits.

Finishing with two hits apiece to pace TXST was Skyler Valentine and John Wuthrich. Travon Benton drove in two runs and Valentine had a RBI, as well.

All three of ASU’s runs and two of its hits came in the fourth inning. Sky-Lar Culver broke the scoreless tie with a two-run home run off the lower portion of the scoreboard in right center field. Two batters late, Alex Howard sent a 0-2 offering that just got over the left field wall and Benton’s glove for a solo homer.

In the sixth, Jaxon Williams reached on a fielder’s choice and Will Hollis followed with a single back up the middle. Two batters later, Benton doubled down the right field line to plate two runs and cut the deficit to 3-2.

Shuffield led off the seventh with a double off the left center field wall and scored when Valentine doubled down the left field line. A ground out to first base moved Valentine into scoring position and he would go on to score on a wild pitch to put the Bobcats in front 4-3.

John Wuthirch doubled to left center on the first pitch of the eighth. The sophomore outfielder was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Benton. With the infield in, Shuffield popped up an 0-1 pitch that the second baseman got under the ball but it bounced out of his glove to allow Wuthirch to score an insurance run.

Facing the heart of the Red Wolf order in the ninth, Pagano struck all three batters out to close out the win.

The Sun Belt Conference series concludes Saturday at 1 p.m.

Box Score: https://txstatebobcats.com/boxscore.aspx?id=5768

Bobcats Host Red Wolves in Easter Weekend Series

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team hosts Sun Belt Conference foe Arkansas State this weekend at Bobcat Ballpark with games taking place Thursday-Saturday.

Games on Thursday and Friday will both see first pitch at 6 p.m. Saturday’s series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time.

The Bobcats enter the series 24-13 overall and 9-6 in the Sun Belt while the Red Wolves are 22-16 on the season and 8-7 in conference play.

A video stream and live stats will be available for all three games through the TXST athletic website. Bill Culhane will have the radio call on KTSW 89.9 FM.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Thursday: TXST RHP Hunter McMahon (4-4, 4.31 ERA) vs. ASU RHP Zach Jackson (5-2, 3.12 ERA)
Friday: TXST RHP Nicholas Fraze (5-3, 5.13 ERA) vs. ASU RHP Nate Alberius (4-3, 3.96 ERA)
Saturday: TXST RHP Connor Reich (5-1, 2.67 ERA) vs. ASU TBA

Scouting Texas State
Texas State enters the game having won three straight and five of the last six games. The Bobcats are 11-6 at home this season with a 4-2 mark against Sun Belt opponents.

Taking over the team lead in batting is Jaxon Williams at .354 after going 5-for-5 against Houston Baptist. He also leads the team with 51 hits and 42 runs scored while he is third with four home runs.

Dalton Shuffield is hitting .340 and paces the squad with eight stolen bases. Jayen Hubbard enters the series with a .336 average, 50 hits, 38 runs scored and tied for the team lead with five homes runs with Skyler Valentine.

Pacing TXST with 30 walks, 29 RBIs and 12 doubles is Will Hollis. The junior outfielder is also batting .331 with 41 base knocks.

Also batting over .300 this season are Travon Benton (.301) and John Wuthrich(.313). Over his last three games, Wuthrich is 7-for-15 with eight RBIs, five runs scored and two home runs.

Scheduled to take the mound this weekend are Nicolas Fraze, Hunter McMahon, and Connor Reich. Fraze enters with a 5-3 record, 5.13 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 54.1 innings of work. McMahon sports a 4.31 ERA and has struck out 45 in 54.1 innings to compile a 4-4 record. Reich is 5-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 57.1 innings. He has struck out 58 while walking just 10 in a team-high 57.1 innings of work.

Scouting Arkansas State
Arkansas State is coming off an 8-4 win over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday. The Red Wolves have lost five straight Sun Belt games after being swept at home by UTA and dropping the final two games against Louisiana.

Sky-Lar Culver is the lone player batting over .300 at .345. He leads the team with 49 hits, 12 doubles, and 36 RBIs while hitting five home runs. Kyle MacDonald, the conference’s preseason player of the year, has put up a .294 average with three homers, 28 RBIs and 24 runs scored but hasn’t played in the last eight games.

Of ASU’s 40 stolen bases, 24 have been by Drew Tipton in 25 attempts. The junior outfielder is batting .293 with 43 hits and a team-high 35 runs scored.

Justin Felix has hit a team-high eight home runs while driving in 31 runs and scoring 28 times. Alex Howard has smacked five homers, plated 29 runs and scored 28 runs.

Slated to start this weekend are Nate Alberius (4-3, 3.96 ERA, 41 K) and Zach Jackson (5-2, 3.12 ERA, 44 K). The third starter this weekend is TBA.

Kollin Stone has recorded six of the team’s eight saves. The junior right-hander sports a 2.05 ERA, 23 strikeouts and a 1-1 record spanning 22 innings over 17 games. The Red Wolves’ other two saves belong to Jack Jumper, who is also 2-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 27.1 innings in 18 appearances.

Pitching in 17 games apiece has been Zech Jarrard (2-2, 3.62 ERA, 37 K) and Payton Lannon (1-0, 5-03 ERA, 23 K).

All-Time Series
Arkansas State leads the all-time series 13-6 and has a 12-4 mark over Texas State since the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt. The Red Wolves have won of the three games in each regular-season meeting the past three years. Only once has the Bobcats won at home over ASU. That came on Mar. 31, 2017 by the score of 16-7 in the second game of a doubleheader.

TXST slips to second, trails USA by one stroke

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Texas State women’s golf team struggled to close out the second round and fell one stroke behind the South Alabama Jaguars in the second round of the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship. The Bobcats remain firmly in the hunt and in the second spot in the standings after two days of competition at the LPGA International with a score of 586 (290-296, +10).

South Alabama leads the field at 585 (+9). Troy (588, +12), Georgia Southern (589, +13), and Arkansas State (593, +17) round out the top five schools in the tournament.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
LPGA International | Daytona Beach, Fla.
Par 72 | 6,050 Yards

THOUGHTS FROM COACH STROM
“We did not finish as well as we had hoped today,” head coach Lisa Strom said. “We are in a great frame of mind and excited for the final round tomorrow. I am excited to see what we can do tomorrow.”

“Anne-Charlotte played great again for us today,” Strom said. “It is imperative that we stick to the game plan tomorrow.”

ROUND ONE QUICK HITS
• Senior Anne-Charlotte Mora continued to show her prowess on the course. She entered the week with the lowest per-round scoring average in the field (73.26) and shared a piece of the lead after the first round. Her round included five birdies in the first ten holes of the day and a final tally of 70 (2-under).
• Junior Sasikarn Somboonsup closed out the day with a birdie on No. 18; she was one of three players to birdie the final hole. She matched the low-round score with a 70 (2-under). She carded three birdies and a team-high 14 pars.
• Sophomore Geraldine Wong and junior Sean Yi Yip each fired scores of 75 (3-over) in the opening round of the tournament. Wong converted a trio of birdie attempts, to include opportunities on No. 6, No. 14, and No. 17. Yip was one of four Cats to card a birdie on No. 6.
• Senior Sarah White rounded out the Bobcat lineup with a score of 78 (6-over). She sank one birdie on No. 8.

ROUND TWO QUICK HITS
• Mora paced the Bobcats on day two of the Championship with a score of 72 (E). She dominated the four par-5 holes on the course as she finished 3-under collectively on No. 2, No. 5, No. 14, and No. 16. Her birdie on No. 14 was one of six recorded during the second round.
• Wong fired a 73 (1-over) in the second round. She made consecutive birdies on No. 11 and No. 12 in the back half of her round.
• Yip converted her second-straight round of 75 (3-over). She tallied 13-consecutive pars from No. 4-17 before running into trouble on the final hole.
• Somboonsup tallied a round of 76 (4-over) in the second round. She carded a birdie on the opening hole of the day for her lone birdie of the round.
• White finished the second round with a mark of 77 (5-over). She saved her round with a nice birdie putt on the green at 18.

TXST IN THE STANDINGS
t-1. Anne-Charlotte Mora (70+72=142, -2)
t-8. Sasikarn Somboonsup (70+76=146, +2)
t-13. Geraldine Wong (75+73=148, +4)
t-21. Sean Yi Yip (75+75=150, +6)
t-37. Sarah White (78+77=155, +11)

UP NEXT
The Bobcats will look to capture team gold on day three of the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship. TXST will tee off at 8:45 a.m. on April 17 and will be paired with South Alabama and Troy on the first hole at the LPGA International.

Men’s Golf Team Finishes in Third
Place at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic

PEARLAND, Texas – The Texas State men’s golf team recorded its third straight top-five finish when the Bobcats ended in a tie for third place at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic on Tuesday after carding a 3-under par 285 in the final round. Texas State finished the 54-hole event with an 870 total on the par-72, 7,254-yard course at the Golfcrest Country Club.

Sam Houston State claimed the team title with an 862 total, followed by second-place UTSA’s 868 score. Texas State and UT Arlington finished in a third-place tie two shots back, and one shot ahead of Arkansas State’s total of 871.

Evan White led the Bobcats in the final round with a two-under-par 70.  He hit a hole in one for an eagle on the 185-yard, par-3 fifth hole, and made three more birdies in the round.

Logan Davis also finished the tournament shooting 1-under par in the final round while Dalton Hankamer and Logan Lockwood both shot even par in the third round. Calvin Ross ended the tournament with a 1-over par 73 in the final round.

Hankamer and Lockwood were Texas State’s top individual finishers at the tournament. Hankamer tied for seventh place in the individual standings with a 54-hole total of 214. Lockwood tied for 14th place after he finished the tournament with a score of 217.

White’s 3-under par score in the final round moved him into a tie for 22nd place with a total of 4-over par 220. Ross ended the tournament with a 222 total and Logan Davis had a score of 223.

Collin Clark of UTSA was the individual champion after he fired a 5-under par. Jake Benson of Rice, Zan Luka Stim of Arkansas State and Zac Owens of Wichita State tied for second place at 4-under par. Levi Valadez of Sam Houston State and Harrison Hineline of Rice finished in fifth place with a score of 213.

Hankamer tied Luis Carrera of Sam Houston State, Logan Lowe of George Washington and William Holcomb of Sam Houston State for seventh place at 2-under.

Texas State’s third-place finish marks the third straight top-five finish for the Bobcats, who won the Big Texan and finished in fifth place at the Huntsville Toyota Bearkat Invitational in their previous two tournaments. It also marks the seventh straight Top-10 finish for the Bobcats in seven tournaments this spring.

The Bayou City Collegiate Classic was the final tune-up before the Bobcats play at the Sun Belt Conference Championships April 21-24 in Destin, Fla.

Offensive Explosion Propels Bobcats Past Huskies 17-8

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team (24-13) set single-game highs of hits, home runs and runs in a 17-8 victory over Houston Baptist Tuesday evening at Bobcat Ballpark. The Bobcats finished the game with 21 hits, most since Mar. 5, 2016 against Incarnate Word, and four home runs, the most since also hitting four against UTSA on Apr. 5, 2016.

Picking up the win was Garrett Herrmann (4-1) after we struck out four in the first four innings. Taylor Franzman (0-3) suffered the loss as he surrendered five runs on four hits and three walks in 2.0 innings.

Throwing a scoreless inning of relief apiece for TXST was Matthew Charles, Alex Klitsas, Anthony Pagano and Dontae Woodard. Charles struck out the side to close out the game, Klitsas recorded two strikeouts and both Pagano and Wood had a strikeout apiece.

Also seeing action out of the bullpen was Brayden Theriot and Kyle Bradford. Theriot recorded two outs and Bradford induced a fly out against the lone batter he faced.

Every starter recorded a base hit for the Bobcats led by Jaxon Williams’ 5-for-5 day at the plate, in which he scored four runs. John Wuthrich record four hits and Will Hollis had three base knocks. Both players finished with 4 RBIs and fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

Driving in two runs apiece was Jaylen Hubbard, who scored three times, Dalton Shuffield and Skyler Valentine.

The Huskies opened the game by scoring four runs on three singles and a hit by pitch.

In the bottom half of the inning, it started with Hubbard walking and Williams singling to left field to start off the frame. Hollis then hit a ground to the first baseman, who went to second to try and start a double play. However, the throw sailed wide of the bag and allowed Hubbard to score.

Wuthirch followed by smacking a 2-1 pitch to left center that hit off the top of the wall and over for a three-run homer to tie the game at 4-4.

The bottom of the second saw the first three Texas State batters reach to load the bases. On the first pitch he saw, Shuffield singled back up the middle to plate two runs. A 2-1 offering to Valentine bounced off the left-center wall to bring home two more runs and put the Bobcats up 8-4 as they would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.

TXST tacked on three more runs in the third on a Williams sacrifice fly, a Hollis double and Wuthirch single.

HBU got back on the scoreboard in the fifth. Johnny Gonzales led off the inning by send the first pitch down the right-field line for a home run. The Huskies scored three more times in the inning after a Theriot induced a ground back to himself but his throw to second on a potential inning-ending double play was screened by the umpire to force a bad toss.

The next half inning saw Hollis drive in his second run of the game on a single through the right side to put TXST ahead 12-8.

Texas State concluded the scoring for either team in the sixth. Cole Coffey led off the frame by sending a 1-1 pitch the opposite way over the left field wall for his first career home run. After a Peyton Lewis double that one-hopped the right-center wall, Hubbard smacked a 2-1 pitch down the right field line for a two-run home run.

Williams reached on an infield single when his hot shot bounced off the third baseman’s glove. The very next pitch was crushed by Hollis over the right-field fence as it bounced close to trucks in the parking lot to increase the advantage to 17-8.

The Bobcats home stand continues this weekend with a Sun Belt Conference series against Arkansas State. Game one is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m.

Texas State’s Ana Perez Earns All-Sun Belt Conference Honors

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Sun Belt Conference announced Wednesday that Texas State women’s tennis player Ana Perez was named an All-Sun Belt Conference Second-team selection in a poll of league coaches.

One of the most improved players in the Sun Belt this season, Perez is the first Bobcat women’s tennis player to earn All-Sun Belt honors since 2014.

She finished the season with a 10-6 record in dual matches with nine of her victories coming in straight sets this spring. Perez was one of four Sun Belt No. 1 singles players to record 10 wins in dual matches this season.

Earlier this spring, the league named her the Women’s Tennis Player of the Week on Feb. 20, and she went on to win three singles matches against Sun Belt opponents.

In addition to her 10 singles victories, Perez also has six wins in No. 1 doubles matches this spring, combining with Julia Navajo-Melendez for a 5-7 record and Joy Chia Ming Ming for a 1-1 mark.

The leagues’ coaches named South Alabama sophomore Yu Fujioka Player of the Year, Coastal Carolina sophomore Somer Dalla-Bona Player to Watch, Georgia State freshman Eva Chivu Freshman of the Year, Coastal Carolina graduate student Jennifer Brown Newcomer of the Year and Appalachian State head coach Blake Mosley Coach of the Year. The All-Sun Belt Teams are listed below.

2018-19 SUN BELT WOMEN’S TENNIS POSTSEASON AWARDS

All-Sun Belt First Team – Singles
Somer Dalla-Bona, Coastal Carolina (So., Bokarina, Australia)
Eva Chivu, Georgia State (Fr., Constanta, Romania)
Daniela Ramirez, Georgia State (Sr., Merida, Venezuela)
Maria Emilia Alfaro, ULM (Fr., Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Yu Fujioka, South Alabama (So., Tokyo Funabashi, Japan)
Alexandria Stiteler, South Alabama (Sr., Bradenton, Fla.)

All-Sun Belt First Team – Doubles
Sandra Anglesjö (So., Norrköping, Östergötland, Sweden) and Teodora Sevo (So., Futog, Serbia), Appalachian State
Jennifer Brown (Gr., Peterborough, England) and Jessie Mount (So., Melbourne, Australia), Coastal Carolina
Pei Ju Hsieh (So., Changhua, Taiwan) and Chunxi Guo (Fr., Chengdu, China), Troy

All-Sun Belt Second Team – Singles
Ana Perez, Texas State (Sr., Quito, Ecuador)
Teodora Sevo, Appalachian State (So., Futog, Serbia)
Pornpawee Pramethong, Arkansas State (So., Bangkok, Thailand)
Jennifer Brown, Coastal Carolina (Gr., Peterborough, England)
Viktorija Demcenkova, Coastal Carolina (Sr., Riga, Latvia)
Damira Muminovic, Georgia State (Jr., Tuzla, Bosnia) Doubles
Arianne de Winter (Jr., Nieuwerkerk aan den Ijssel, South Holland, Netherlands) and Emilia Bujan (Sr., Santo Tome, Corrientes, Argentina), Georgia Southern
Momoka Horiguchi (So., Osaka, Japan) and Carla Pons (So., Valencia, Spain), UTA
Matea Mahaljevic (So., Osijek, Croatia) and Tingting Pei (Fr., Kunming, China), Troy

Sun Belt Player of the Year
Yu Fujioka, South Alabama (So., Tokyo Funabashi, Japan)

Sun Belt Player to Watch
Somer Dalla-Bona, Coastal Carolina (So., Bokarina, Australia)

Sun Belt Freshman of the Year
Eva Chivu, Georgia State (Fr., Constanta, Romania)

Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year
Jennifer Brown, Coastal Carolina (Gr., Peterborough, England)

Sun Belt Coach of the Year
Blake Mosley, Appalachian State

Bobcats earn runner-up finish at Sun Belt Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Texas State women’s golf team closed out the 2018-19 season with a runner-up finish in the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship.

The Bobcats concluded the three-day tournament with a score of 880 (290-296-294, +16) at the LPGA International.

South Alabama took home the team trophy with a score of 877 (295-290-292, +13). Georgia Southern finished in the bronze slot with a tally of 882 (291-298-293, +18), while Troy claimed the fourth spot in the standings at 886 (291-297-298, +22).

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
LPGA International | Daytona Beach, Fla.
Par 72 | 6,050 Yards

THOUGHTS FROM COACH STROM
“Unfortunately, we did not get off to the start we needed,” head coach Lisa Strom said. “We made too many bogeys with short clubs in our hands. We had a chance coming down the stretch, but we did not capitalize on a couple birdie opportunities. “

“For it to end like this is disappointing, especially with how much this group of five have improved from the fall to the spring,” Strom said. “We had a lot going our way, but every shot matters. One shot per day for the team score equals 0.2 strokes per person. That is not much, but it made all the difference in the end.”

ROUND ONE QUICK HITS
• Senior Anne-Charlotte Mora continued to show her prowess on the course. She entered the week with the lowest per-round scoring average in the field (73.26) and shared a piece of the lead after the first round. Her round included five birdies in the first ten holes of the day and a final tally of 70 (2-under).
• Junior Sasikarn Somboonsup closed out the day with a birdie on No. 18; she was one of three players to birdie the final hole. She matched the low-round score with a 70 (2-under). She carded three birdies and a team-high 14 pars.
• Sophomore Geraldine Wong and junior Sean Yi Yip each fired scores of 75 (3-over) in the opening round of the tournament. Wong converted a trio of birdie attempts, to include opportunities on No. 6, No. 14, and No. 17. Yip was one of four Cats to card a birdie on No. 6.
• Senior Sarah White rounded out the Bobcat lineup with a score of 78 (6-over). She sank one birdie on No. 8.

ROUND TWO QUICK HITS
• Mora paced the Bobcats on day two of the Championship with a score of 72 (E). She dominated the four par-5 holes on the course as she finished 3-under collectively on No. 2, No. 5, No. 14, and No. 16. Her birdie on No. 14 was one of six recorded during the second round.
• Wong fired a 73 (1-over) in the second round. She made consecutive birdies on No. 11 and No. 12 in the back half of her round.
• Yip converted her second-straight round of 75 (3-over). She tallied 13-consecutive pars from No. 4-17 before running into trouble on the final hole.
• Somboonsup tallied a round of 76 (4-over) in the second round. She carded a birdie on the opening hole of the day for her lone birdie of the round.
• White finished the second round with a mark of 77 (5-over). She saved her round with a nice birdie putt on the green at 18.

ROUND THREE QUICK HITS
• Yip turned in her best performance of the week with a 72 (E) in the final round of competition. She holed birdies on No. 13 and No. 15. She finished the week t-12th.
• Mora, White, and Wong all played 74 (2-over) during the final 18 holes of play. Mora carded an up-and-down day that resulted in five birdies. White birdied the final three holes of the day to round out her best round of the tournament. Wong knocked in a trio of birdies on the front nine.
• Mora was the top Bobcat finisher in the overall standings in the third slot. Wong finished t-12th, while White ended t-30th.
• Somboonsup closed the tournament t-7th after a final round score of 75 (3-over). She converted back-to-back birdies on No. 2 and No. 3.

TXST IN THE STANDINGS
3. Anne-Charlotte Mora (70+72+74=216, E)
t-7. Sasikarn Somboonsup (70+76+75=221, +5)
t-12. Geraldine Wong (75+73+74=222, +6)
t-12. Sean Yi Yip (75+75+72=222, +6)
t-30. Sarah White (78+77+74=229, +13)

“I am proud of Anne-Charlotte for hanging in there today,” Strom said. “She lipped out from five feet on No. 17 for birdie. I told her we still had a chance. No. 18 played as the toughest hole on the course, and she drove it right where she needed to, hit a pitching wedge to 15 feet, and made a great putt.”

Mora was named to the 2019 All-Tournament team for her third-place performance. She joined Sarah Harrison (Troy), Carolina Berge (South Alabama), Siti Shaari (South Alabama), Ella Offstedall (Georgia Southern), Jenjira Jinangkul (Coastal Carolina), and Maria Jose Atristain Vega (Arkansas State) on the list.