Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up: Bobcat Football, Softball And Women’s Basketball

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:

Bobcat Football, Softball & Women’s Basketball

 Ty Harrington Announces His Retirement As Texas State’s Head Baseball Coach

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Director of Athletics Dr. Larry Teis announced Thursday that after 20 seasons, Ty Harrington is retiring as Texas State’s head baseball coach after he led the Bobcats to their first Sun Belt Conference championship in 2019.
 
“I chaired the search committee when Ty was hired 20 years ago,” Texas State Athletics director Larry Teis said. “Ty mentioned to me six weeks ago that he has been a head coach all his life and wanted to try something new. I tried to talk him out of retirement then and did so up until the end.
 
“He has been a great ambassador for Texas State and not just the Athletics Department, but the University as well. It will be very different in the dugout at Bobcat Ball Park. We wish him, Leila, and the girls the best as they enter life without baseball in their future.”
 
Harrington has served as head coach at Texas State since 2000 and leaves as the program’s all-time winningest coach with a career record of 657-516-2. He ranks 46th among active NCAA Division I coaches. He ends his career with 16 winning seasons and a career record of 355-231 (.606 winning percentage) against conference opponents while the Bobcats played in three different conferences in his tenure (Southland, WAC and Sun Belt).
 
“This has been an incredible 20-year journey filled with inspiring players and people, great teams, memorable wins, a University that is a rising star, loyal fans and an incredible community,” Harrington said. “Most of all, I have lasting personal relationships that I will cherish forever. Each player and team has had a significant impact, made an impression and enriched my life. I hope in some form or fashion that I have had some positive impact on their lives.”
 
This season, Harrington was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to a 36-20 overall record and their first Sun Belt championship with a 20-10 mark. Texas State had a 3-3 record against Top 25 teams and finished the season with a 4-4 mark against teams in the RPI top 50.
 
It was the third time that Harrington has been named Coach of the Year and fourth conference championship that the Bobcats have won under his direction. He was named the Southland Coach of the Year in both 2009 and 2011 after leading Texas State to a school record 41 victories each season.
 
The Bobcats also won Southland titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He led Texas State to three appearances in NCAA Division I Regionals.
 
He has produced three conference players of the year, four conference hitters of the year and five conference pitchers of the year, including this season’s Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Connor Reich.
 
He also coached 88 all-conference selections, 16 all-region honorees, 10 All-Americans and four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. This season, Reich and Jaxon Williams earned All-Sun Belt First Team, while Nicholas Fraze and Jaylen Hubbard earned Second-Team honors.
 
Harrington also coached 53 players who were drafted by Major League Baseball teams, including five selections in 2011, 2012 and 2016. They include current major league players Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals and Austen Williams of the Washington Nationals.
 
“Coaching 20 years at one university is a great career in modern collegiate athletics,” Harrington said. “I am proud of the success, progress and current direction of the program. I look forward to watching its continued growth in the future.”

Bobcats add Tech transfer Brooke Blackwell

SAN MARCOS, Texas –Texas State head coach Ricci Woodard announced the addition of Texas Tech University transfer Brooke Blackwell. She has committed to the Bobcats to continue both her educational and softball careers. She will be eligible to play in the 2020 season.

Brooke Blackwell
Grandview, Texas | Grandview High School
Right-handed Pitcher | 5’10

“We are very excited to add a pitcher with the ability of Brooke,” Coach Woodard said. “She will come in right away and help contribute to a staff that now has great depth. We are all very excited to see the way that her game grows over the next three or four seasons at Bobcat Softball Stadium.”

Blackwell was a four-year high school standout at Grandview High School. As a senior, she led the Lady Zebras capture a District 17-3A Championship after producing a perfect 14-0 record in district play. Grandview also claimed bi-district, area, and Region 3 titles with Blackwell in the circle. She garnered Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools All-State and Johnson County Pitcher of the Year laurels after a 40-2 record as a Senior. Blackwell collected District 17-3A Pitcher of the Year as a junior after guiding the Lady Zebras to a regional finals appearance.

As an underclassman, Blackwell picked up All-Johnson County Pitcher of the Year accolades as a sophomore and was named the 2015 All-Johnson County Freshman of the Year and All-Johnson County Pitcher of the Year. She performed well in the classroom as well and was a member of the Academic All-District Team in each of her four high school seasons. Blackwell was a member of the National Honor Society.

Osterman, Team USA open summer training slate

CHICAGO – The USA Women’s National Team compiled a record of 3-2 against a couple of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) teams over a five-exhibition game weekend at Parkway Bank Sports Complex as part of training camp for Team USA.

“It was nice to be back in the circle,” Texas State associate head coach Cat Osterman said. “I forget how fun it is to get out there and compete. Each outing I left a little bit better, which is encouraging.”

Osterman made three appearances during the five-game weekend with all three resulting in victories for Team USA. For the weekend, she pitched 8.2 innings, allowed four hits, walked four batters, and struck out 12 opposing hitters. One unearned run plated with Osterman in the circle. She was credited with two of the three weekend wins for Team USA.

Osterman made her 2019 summer debut in relief in the opening game of the weekend in a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Bandits on Friday afternoon. She tossed the final 3.0 innings for Team USA and issued three walks and one hit. She struck out five and allowed one unearned run to plate.

The former four-time All-American earned the starting spot in the circle for Team USA in a revenge game against the USSSA Pride. The Red, White, and Blue defeated the Pride by a final tally of 9-2 on Saturday afternoon. She hurled the first 3.2 innings of the game and allowed two hits and a walk in a winning effort. She recorded a team-high four strikeouts before being lifted with two outs in the top of the fourth inning.

Osterman entered in the sixth inning as a relief pitcher against the Bandits in the final game of the weekend. She faced nine batters in 2.0 innings and struck out three. Osterman hit a pair of batters and allowed one hit to reach. She earned the 2-0 victory out of the bullpen for Team USA.

The USA Women’s National Team will be back in action with a three-game series in the 2019 Japan All-Star Series. Game one of the series is scheduled for 11 p.m. on June 21 from Shellcom Sendai. Game two will also begin at 11 p.m. on June 22 at Shellcom Sendai. The final game of the set is scheduled for a first pitch at 5 a.m. on June 25 from the Tokyo Dome.