Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up: Bobcat Volleyball, Men’s Basketball, Baseball & Cross Country

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:
Bobcat Volleyball, Men’s Basketball,
Baseball & Cross Country

Bobcats sweep to earn a trip to the Sun Belt Conference Championship match

SAN MARCOS, Texas – For the third consecutive year, Texas State (23-8) will be featured in the title match of the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Championship after trampling Troy (22-9) in straight sets 25-14, 25-14, 25-18 Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena in front of 2,782 fans (No. 4 all-time).

“Extremely pleased to say the least,” said head coach Karen Chisum. “I thought the big push for us today was our front row defense. We had a season-high in blocks and we transitioned very well into our offense. It was an all-around team effort and I cannot say enough about that crowd. I hope each one of them brings another friend tomorrow.”

The Bobcats dominated on both sides of the net as they hit .382 and logged a season-high 15 blocks that held the Trojans to a .011 attack percentage.  Junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott led the charge in that department, setting a Sun Belt Conference Championship record with 10 blocks in a three-set match. Overall, TXST won the battle in kills (40-27), assists (37-26), aces (4-2), and digs (29-23). The Maroon and Gold improved to 11-4 all-time in the Sun Belt Conference Championship and will make their fifth championship appearance since joining the league in 2013. In the head-to-head series, the Bobcats are now 12-0 against Troy.

Senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey landed a match-high 13 kills on 25 swings with just three errors (.400) and sophomore outside Janell Fitzgerald was behind her with 10 kills (.368). Sophomore setter Emily DeWalt flirted with a double-double and finished with 31 assists and a career-high nine blocks. DeWalt also added four kills and four digs. Freshman outside hitter Caitlan Buettner contributed six kills, including three in the final set, and in addition to her record-breaking performance in blocks, Scott registered five kills in the victory. Junior libero Brooke Johnson led the back row with nine digs.

Sophomore middle hitter Halston Hiller and freshman outside Ashley Guenveur led the Trojans with seven kills each. Guenveur had one ace as did their top hitter junior outside Cheyenne Hays who was kept in check with four kills on 20 swings and nine errors. Sophomore setter Amara Anderson finished with 23 assists, sophomore middle Caitlin Cooper led the team with three blocks and added three kills, and sophomore libero Lacey Jeffcoat had a match-high 10 digs.

Set 1
Texas State jumped on Troy early by scoring the first five points behind three blocks and built an 11-2 lead before the visiting team used their first timeout. The Bobcats continued to dominate at the net and extended their lead to 12 points (20-8) and won the set 25-14. TXST held Troy to a -.121 hitting percentage and recorded six blocks in the opening frame.

Set 2
Troy came out focused in the second set and led 3-1 before Texas State scored four unanswered points to take a 5-3 lead. Texas State would not relinquish the lead and used a 7-2 run to created separation at 13-8. The Bobcats went on to score 12 of the final 18 points to win the stanza 25-14. Texas State hit .545 in the second set alone with 13 kills on 22 swings and just one error.

Set 3
The Trojans looked to avoid being swept and held a 10-7 advantage before the Bobcats called their first timeout of the match. Troy’s largest lead of the match was at 14-9 but the Bobcats continued to battle their way back. Still down 16-13, the Bobcats finished the match with a 12-2 scoring run highlighted by an 8-0 burst at the end to win the set 25-18.

The Bobcats will face No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina in the championship match at 1 p.m. on Nov. 24 at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats are 0-2 all-time in the league tournament vs. Coastal Carolina. The last time these two met on this stage was in 2017 when the Chants won the title match 3-1.

Bobcats defy Vegas odds with victory at UNLV

LAS VEGAS – The underdogs come up big as Texas State (4-2) picked up its first road win of the season and snapped a four-game losing streak in road or neutral games dating back to last year when they topped UNLV (2-4) 64-57 Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. Senior guard Nijal Pearson turned in a big night that included moving to No. 3 on the program’s all-time scoring list.

“It was a great win for the players, our coaching staff and the program,” said head coach Danny Kaspar. “Our players gave great effort for 40 minutes and Nijal [Pearson] played a great game on the eve of his birthday.”

BOBCAT NUMBERS

• Texas State shot 41.5 percent (22-of-53) from the floor and 77.3 percent (17-of-22) at the free-throw line in the victory. They did shoot 3-of-13 from 3-point range.
• Defensively, the Bobcats held the Runnin’ Rebels under a .400 shooting percentage both from the field (.347) and from downtown (.368).
• Pearson logged his first double-double of the 2019-20 season with a game-high 23 points and added 10 rebounds. Pearson also registered two assists, two steals, and one block. Pearson’s 3-point field goal pushed him past former Bobcat Donte Mathis on the all-time scoring list. The senior now has 1,635 career points and needs 207 points to pass Travis Cornett (1970-74, 1,841) for No. 2 all-time.
• Pearson tallied his 20th career game with 20 or more points (third this season), his 10th career game with 10 or more rebounds (first this season) and his sixth career double-double (first this season).
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell finished with 10 points and led the team with a career-high three steals.
• Although he went scoreless in the game, junior forward Isiah Small still contributed with a season-high four blocks. Senior forward Eric Terry was behind him, matching his career-high three blocks for the fourth time with the Bobcats and the second time this year. Terry had four points.
• Junior guard Marlin Davis matched a career-high seven assists for the third time with the Maroon and Gold. He also had four points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Despite seven team fouls by the 10:25 mark, Texas State found themselves tied with UNLV at 14 with 8:44 on the clock in the first half. The Runnin’ Rebels used an 8-0 run, however, to take a 22-14 lead just under six minutes remaining in the half.
• The run expanded to 12-2 giving UNLV the largest lead of the night at 26-16, but the Bobcats responded with a 12-1 run of their own to take a 28-27 lead, their first since making the opening basket. Both teams went into the half with 28 points.
• Pearson led all players with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. As a team, the Bobcats shot 45.8 percent from the floor (11-of-24) and 85.7 percent from the stripe (6-of-7), however, they were 0-of-5 from behind-the-arc.
• Both teams exchanged buckets at the start of the second half and the Bobcats took a 38-36 advantage with 15:55 on the clock. UNLV took a 44-43 lead moments later, but another 12-2 run for the Bobcats gave the visiting team their largest lead at 55-46 with 4:45 remaining in the game.
• The Maroon and Gold would not relinquish the lead again and converted on 6-of-8 free-throws in the final minute to secure the 64-57 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Texas State turned UNLV over 16 times and dominated defensively as they eight steals and a season-high eight blocks.
• As good defense leads to easy offense, the Bobcats turned those 16 turnovers into 16 points and outran the Runnin’ Rebels in fastbreak points 11-2. TXST also dominated in bench scoring 22-8.
• Pearson shot 50.0 percent from the floor and went 8-of-9 at the charity stripe. Pearson now has 307 career made free-throws (No. 8 all-time) and needs five more free-throws to pass Cameron Johnson (2007-11, 311) for No. 7 all-time.
• UNLV’s junior guard Amauri Hardy had 18 points in the loss and made four of his five field goals by way of the longball. Junior forward Donnie Tillman also finished the game scoring in double figures with 13 points including a 6-of-6 outing at the stripe. Junior forward Cheikh Mbacke Diong led all players with 11 rebounds and added eight points.

UP NEXT

Texas State will finish the Southwestern Showdown in San Marcos where they will have consecutive home games for the first time this season. The Bobcats will play Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. Nov. 25 and Hartford at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Strahan Arena.

Bobcats receive four All-Sun Belt postseason honors and two specialty awards

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced the league’s postseason awards Tuesday morning and the Texas State volleyball team turned in a total of four All-Sun Belt selections and two specialty awards.

Senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey and sophomore setter Emily DeWalt was selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team for the second consecutive season while junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott and sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald was tabbed All-Sun Belt Second Team.

Also, for the second straight season, DeWalt was named the 2019 Setter of the Year and head coach Karen Chisum was honored as the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Both accomplish a back-to-back feat that has not been done in the league since 2015-16 when Arkansas State’s Mallory Warrington and head coach David Rehr won  back-to-back setter and Coach of the Year honors.

DeWalt becomes the first Bobcat setter to win multiple specialty awards and Chisum wins her seventh coach of the year accolade and the first time that she received the laurel in consecutive seasons.

Chisum led Texas State to a 22-8 overall record and a 14-2 mark in Sun Belt play to be crowned the Sun Belt Conference regular-season Champions for the second consecutive year. The Bobcats also lead the league with a No. 39 RPI ranking. As the top seed in the Sun Belt Conference Championships, the Bobcats are thrust into the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 23. The tournament will take place Nov. 21-24 at Strahan Arena.

Emily DeWalt
So., S, Helotes, Texas
Sun Belt Setter of the Year / All-Sun Belt First Team

Sophomore setter Emily DeWalt ranks No. 3 in the Sun Belt Conference with 10.25 assists in the regular season. DeWalt has 1,086 total assists which sit No. 4 in the conference and No. 28 in all of Division I volleyball. DeWalt also ranks in the top 10 of the Sun Belt with 0.33 aces per set (No. 8) to go along with 2.38 digs per set, 68 kills and 39 blocks this season. She has been tabbed player of the week in three of the last five weeks and has amassed 11 double-doubles this season and 32 in her career with the Bobcats. DeWalt is now a two-time Setter of the Year award winner and two-time All-Sun Belt First Team selection.

Cheyenne Huskey
Sr., OH, Columbus, Texas
All-Sun Belt First Team

Senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey leads the Bobcats by averaging 3.64 kills per set (386 total) and 0.47 aces per set (50 total). In the NCAA rankings, Huskey ranks No. 16 with 50 total aces (No. 3 in the Sun Belt), No. 19 in aces per set (No. 3 in the Sun Belt), and No. 42 with 467.5 total points. Huskey also has 2.29 digs per set and 59 total blocks. The Florida transfer landed a season-high 21 kills twice this season (both vs. Louisiana) and has logged 11 total double-doubles in 2019 and 18 total double-doubles in her two-year career with the Bobcats. Huskey is now a two-time All-Sun Belt First Team selection.

Tyeranee Scott
Jr., MB, Houston, Texas
All-Sun Belt Second Team

Junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott ranks No. 4 and No. 5 in the Sun Belt Conference with 1.03 blocks per set (98 total) and a .332 hitting percentage, respectively. Scott has season-highs .900 hitting percentage (Nov. 15), 15 kills (Sept. 21), and seven blocks (three times) this season. Scott won her first conference weekly award Sept. 23 when she was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week. This is her first All-Sun Belt selection.

Janell Fitzgerald
So., OH, Mansfield, Texas
All-Sun Belt Second Team

Overall in 2019, sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald averages 2.86 kills per set on a .284 hitting percentage and has 56 total blocks despite missing a handful of matches at the beginning of the season due to injury. In conference matches only, Fitzgerald’s .332 hitting percentage is seventh in the league, and her 3.11 kills per set is No. 9 in the Sun Belt. Fitzgerald has a season-high of 18 kills and has recorded 10 or more kills in five of her last eight matches. Fitzgerald was a 2018 All-Sun Belt Conference First Team selection and this year’s selection makes her a two-time All-Sun Belt honoree.

• 2019 SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON HONORS •

All-Sun Belt First Team

• Emma Longley, Appalachian State (Sr., OH, Raleigh, N.C.)
• Emma Reilly, Appalachian State (Jr., DS/L, Evergreen Park, Ill.)
• Kyla Manning, Coastal Carolina (Jr., OH, Atlanta, Ga.)
• Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina (So., OH, Pecel, Hungary)
• Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina (Fr., S, Eger, Hungary)
• Hali Wisnoskie, Louisiana (Jr., OH, Columbus, Texas)
• Kelley Hartman, South Alabama (Sr., MB, Woodstock, Ga.)
• Madison Hill, UTA (Sr., MB, Rockwall, Texas)
• Emily DeWalt, Texas State (So., S, Helotes, Texas)
• Cheyenne Huskey, Texas State (Sr., OH, Columbus, Texas)
• Amara Anderson, Troy (So., S, Alpharetta, Ga.)
• Cheyenne Hayes, Troy (Jr., OH, Newnan, Ga.)

All-Sun Belt Second Team

• Kara Spicer, Appalachian State (Jr., MB, Peoria, Ariz.)
• Carol Barbosa, Little Rock (Sr., MH, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Timber Terrell, Arkansas State (So., MB, Wheeling, Ill.)
• Meisheia Griffin, Georgia State (Jr., MH, Columbus, Ga.)
• Avery Breaux, Louisiana (Jr., S, Scott, La.)
• Iva Durdanovic, South Alabama (Sr., OH, Belgrade, Serbia)
• Meaghan Jones, South Alabama (Jr., OH, Sachse, Texas)
• Kylie Jedlicka, UTA (Sr., OH, League City, Texas)
• Madelyn St. Germain, UTA (RJr., L, League City, Texas)
• Brooke Townsend, UTA (So., OH, Bastrop, Texas)
• Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State (So., OH, Mansfield, Texas)
• Tyeranee Scott, Texas State (Jr., MB, Houston, Texas)

Player of the Year
Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina (So., OH, Pecel, Hungary)

Offensive Player of the Year
Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina (So., OH, Pecel, Hungary)

Defensive Player of the Year
Madelyn St. Germain, UTA (RJr., L, League City, Texas)

Setter of the Year
Emily DeWalt, Texas State (So., S, Helotes, Texas)

Freshman of the Year
Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina (Fr., S, Eger, Hungary)

Newcomer of the Year
Hannah Ramirez, Louisiana (Jr., DS/L, Waxahachie, Texas)

Coach of the Year
Karen Chisum, Texas State

Baseball Inks 11 for 2020 Class

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The first recruiting class under new baseball head coach Steven Trout saw 11 sign with Texas State. The class consists of eight high school seniors and three junior college transfers.

Joining the Bobcats for the 2021 season will be Peyton Benesh, Triston Dixon, Jose Gonzalez, Logan Hamm, Josh Hernandez, Carson Keithley, Cade Manning, Jonathan Martinez, Rhett McCaffety, Cade Medlin and Zeke Wood.

“I am really excited about this signing class and the future of Texas State baseball. These guys have a chance to come in right away and have an impact on our success,” said Trout. “I’m very thankful of all the hard work Josh Blakley and Chad Massengale put in to sign such a talented class. This will always be a special class to me as it will be my first one as the head coach at Texas State. It’s an exciting day to be a Bobcat!”

Peyton Benesh | SS | R/R | 6-1 | 172
Austin, Texas | James Bowie HS

Benesh is a three-year starter at shortstop for James Bowie High School. This past season saw him finish with a top 15 batting average in the district. As a sophomore, he was named the District 14-6A Newcomer of the Year.

The future Bobcat also received offers from Houston and UT Rio Grande Valley.

Blakley on Benesh: “Peyton is another player who we have liked for a long time. He has plus defensive actions and is a true shortstop that has the range and arm strength to make every play. Peyton has good feel for his barrel and should develop into a solid all-around player on the left side of the infield.”

Triston Dixon | RHP | R/R | 6-0 | 175
Conroe, Texas | Angelina College | Brookhaven College | Corrigan-Camden HS

Dixon will have two years of eligibility remaining after arriving in San Marcos from Angelina College. This past spring, he played at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Texas and helped the Bears reach the NJCAA Division III World Series.

He made 21 appearances on the rubber and posted a 9-4 mark with one save. Dixon recorded a 3.63 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 74.1 innings to earn All-Region V First Team honors and was twice named the conference’s Pitcher of the Week.

Dixon graduated from Corrigan-Camden High School. As a senior, he received the District 22-3A Pitcher of the Year award and was selected to the Texas vs. Louisiana All-Star Game. Dixon as an All-District 22-3A First Team selection in 2017 and a second team honoree in 2016.

He picked the Bobcats over interest from Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, ULM and UT Arlington.

Blakley on Dixon: “Triston is one of my favorite guys I have ever recruited. He has an arsenal of four pitches that he will throw in any count and has unreal command of a good fastball. Another proven winner, Triston won nine games last year and led Brookhaven to the NJCAA World Series. His pitchability is unmatched and I look for him to throw high leverage innings for us in 2021.”

Jose Gonzalez | 1B/OF | L/L | 6-0 | 220
Spring, Texas | Navarro College | Klein HS

Gonzalez is coming off a freshman campaign in which he hit .329 with 12 home runs, 51 RBI and scored 52 runs. He also recorded 12 doubles and drew 32 walks.

The future Bobcat helped lead Navarro College to a 41-18 record and the semifinals of the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series. During the tournament, he hit five homers and drove in 16 runs with a .500 batting average. Gonzalez also became the 12th player in JUCO World Series history, and the first in 10 years, to hit three home runs in a single game, doing so in a 10-6 win over two-time defending champion Chipola. He would go on to be named to the all-tournament team and receive The Homa Thomas Sportsmanship Award.

Gonzalez graduated from Klein High School in Klein, Texas. Twice he was an All-District 15-6A First Team selection and was named the district’s Newcomer of the Year in 2016 as a sophomore.

He signed with TXST over offers from Dallas Baptist, Houston, McNeese, South Alabama and UT Arlington.

Blakley on Gonzalez: “Jose is one of the premier left-handed hitters in the state of Texas. He is another former district MVP and an all-conference performer at Navarro College who helped his team to the NJCAA World Series. Jose is an instant impact hitter, who should hit in the middle of an older, talented lineup next season. He gives us some options as he split time between left field and first base last year. Look for him to hit some baseballs out of Bobcat Ballpark.”

Logan Hamm | C/OF | L/R | 6-0 | 210
Bridge City, Texas | Bridge City HS

Hamm is coming off a 2019 season in which he was named an honorable mention TSWA 4A All-State honoree at both third base and as a relief pitcher. He also earned the All-District 22-4A Offensive MVP accolade this past year after batting .385 with five home runs, 34 RBI, 33 runs and 37 walks. On the mound, he went 3-1 with four saves, a 0.80 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 43 innings.

His sophomore campaign at the plate saw Hamm hit .381 with three homers, 18 RBI, 27 runs and draw 35 walks, while the hill he was 3-0 with three saves, a 1.15 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 20 innings. He wrapped up the year receiving THSBCA 4A All-State second team honors at third base while being a TSWA 4A All-State honorable mention selection at both third and as a reliever. Other awards the Bridge City, Texas native picked up as a sophomore were District 22-4A Offensive MVP and All-District 22-4A First Team.

As a freshman, Hamm compiled a .327 batting average with four home runs, 23 RBI and 33 runs scored at the dish. He posted a 5-2 record with three saves, 1.83 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 31 innings on the mound. The future Bobcat would go on to be named to the District 22-4A First Team.

Hamm choose the Bobcats over offers from Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma, Rice, Texas A&M and Louisiana.

Blakley on Hamm: “Logan is another guy we have watched and liked for a couple of years. He is ‘tooled up’ and has the strength to hit a baseball a long way from the left side of the plate. An elite runner with a big arm, Logan has the ability to play multiple positions and impact the game in many ways. He is a true middle of the order hitter and I look forward to seeing how we can get him on the field early in his career.”

Josh Hernandez | RHP | R/R | 6-2 | 185
Frisco, Texas | Reedy HS

Hernandez is coming off a 2019 campaign in which he earned All-District 7-5A Second Team honors at Reedy High School. He also played wide receiver for the Lions football team.

The future Bobcat played club ball for the Dallas Patriots 2020 and led them to a 20-7-5 record this past summer. He would be named to the 2019 Perfect Game 17U South Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Hernandez choose Texas State over offers from New Mexico, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UTSA.

Blakley on Hernandez: “Josh is one of those overly gifted kids who is blessed with a great arm. He is already reaching back and consistently throwing in the lows 90s, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see big velocity numbers from him in the future. With some development, he projects as a true frontline arm who could become a major prospect.”

Carson Keithley | LHP/OF | L/L | 5-11 | 170
Alvin, Texas | Alvin HS

Keithley comes in ranked as the third best left-handed pitcher in the state of Texas for the 2020 high school graduating class by Texas Prep Baseball Report. He was named to the All-District 24-6A First Team earlier this year and was a second team pick as a sophomore.

This summer Keithley was selected to play in the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game.

He comes from a baseball family as his dad, Scott, played collegiately at Houston from 1995-97 and was a 72nd round pick of the San Diego Padres of the 1993 draft.

Keithley chose Texas State over interest from Houston, Liberty, Pepperdine, Tulane and UTSA.

Blakley on Keithley: “Carson is a left-handed pitcher who is one of the most competitive kids I have ever seen. Every time I watch him pitch, he wins. He commands the zone with a three-pitch mix and strikes a lot of hitters out. Carson is also a great athlete who can dunk a basketball at 5’11” and has the ability to really swing the bat form the left side. It will be fun to watch him compete as a Bobcat.”

Cade Manning | INF | L/R | 6-0 | 185
Southlake, Texas | Southlake Carroll HS

Manning will arrive to San Marcos from Southlake Carroll High School. In 2019, he was named to the UIL 6A All-State Tournament First Team and was a TSWA 6A All-State Honorable Mention selection at third base. He helped lead the Dragons to a 33-11 record and win the UIL 6A State Championship. The team also finished the year ranked 12th in the nation by MaxPreps and 21st in the Xcellent Top 25.

The 2019 season saw Manning bat .432 with 28 RBI, 31 runs, 11 doubles, seven stolen bases and a .496 on-base percentage. His performance earned him All-District 5-6A Offensive MVP honors and be named to the all-area team.

Manning selected Texas State over offers from Rice, TCU and UT Arlington.

Blakley on Manning: “Anytime you get a chance to sign a District MVP and a state champion, it’s a good sign. Cade hits from the left side and hit well over .400 in one of the better districts in the state of Texas. He is an elite infielder and has a chance to make an instant impact on our lineup.”

Jonathan Martinez | RHP | R/R | 6-0 | 215
Mission, Texas | Palmview HS

Martinez is coming off a 9-1 season on the mound with a 0.62 ERA. He struck out 93 in 78.2 innings with four complete games and shutouts. His performance on the hill earned him THSBCA 5A All-State First Team, The Monitor All-Area First Team and the District 31-5A Pitcher of the Year accolades.

At the plate, Martinez batted .340 with 25 RBI, 21 runs scored and seven doubles. He helped the Lobos reach the regional quarterfinals.

Martinez choose the Bobcats over interest from Houston, Incarnate Word and UT Rio Grande Valley.

Blakley on Martinez: “Jonathan was first team all-state last spring and is another district Pitcher of the Year from South Texas. The first time we saw him, he threw a perfect game with 14 strikeouts. He throws a heavy fastball with a nasty slider and finished his junior year ranked fourth in the state in strikeouts. Jonathan has always commanded the zone and should compete for innings from the day he walks on campus.”

Rhett McCaffety | LHP/OF | L/L | 5-11 | 195
Houston, Texas | Cy-Fair HS

McCaffety will graduate from Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas. The lefty is coming off being named the District 17-6A Pitcher of the Year. He also picked up academic all-district and the team’s Defensive Player of the Year honors.

During his prep career, McCaffety has pitched two no-hitters and one perfect game. The future Bobcat also struck out 16 in a contest and recorded four wins in the UIL Playoffs.

McCaffety plays club ball for the Hunter Pence Baseball Academy. This past summer, he helped the team go 44-8-2 while picking up all-tournament honors five times.

The Houston native choose Texas State over offers from Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UT Rio Grande Valley.

Blakley on McCaffety: “Rhett has been one of my favorite players in Texas for a couple of years. He is a true two-way player as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder. Rhett is a great athlete and was the Pitcher of the Year in a tough Cypress district. His velocity made a jump in the later parts of the summer and he continues to impress with his power from the left side of the plate. We are excited to see how he will impact our program.”

Cade Medlin | RHP | R/R | 6-2 | 195
Diana, Texas | New Diana HS

Medlin had a breakout year on the mound this past spring. He recorded a 4-3 record with a 1.49 ERA in 20 relief appearance. In those games, he struck out 85 and held opponents to a .146 batting average.

The Longview News-Journal named him honorable mention All-East Texas and he earned the District 15-3A Pitcher of the Year.

Medlin played summer ball for Performance Baseball and helped the team compile a 23-7-2 record. He helped the program reach No. 12 in the Perfect Game rankings while earning multiple all-tournament team accolades.

He picked the Bobcats over interest from Air Force, Dallas Baptist and Stephen F. Austin.

Blakley on Medlin: “Cade is a physical right-handed pitcher with some high-level stuff. His fastball gets into the low 90s, but his signature pitch is the breaking ball. Cade commands the zone and his slider will give him a chance to get high leverage innings for us right away.”

Zeke Wood | RHP | R/R | 6-6 | 240
Paris, Texas | North Central Texas College | North Lamar HS

Wood made 13 appearances on the mound for North Central Texas College in 2019. He posted a 7-3 record with a 3.18 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 70.2 innings. In his final start of the season, Wood struck out a season-high nine batters over seven innings of a 6-1 win over Midland College.

The right-hander hurler graduated from North Lamar High School in Paris, Texas. His junior year saw him be named the District 14-4A Newcomer of the Year. He was also a Texas Scholar and member of the Beta Club.

Wood signed with TXST over offers from Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, Lamar, McNeese, New Orleans, New Mexico, Northern Colorado, Sam Houston State, Texas Tech and UT Arlington.

Blakley on Wood: “Zeke is a big dude with a bigger arm as he routinely touches low to mid 90s with plus command of a couple of off-speed pitches. We are bringing him in here to pitch at the top end of our staff and win games for us right away. He has a winning track record as a two-time district MVP and he recently won eight games in junior college in the highly competitive Region 5 North Conference. Look for Zeke to make an instant impact.”

A strong first half push the Bobcats past Jackson State

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Junior forward Isiah Small turned in a career-high 20 points to lead Texas State (3-2) past Jackson State (0-5) 73-58 Monday night at Strahan Arena. The win improves the Bobcats’ record to 3-0 when playing in front of the Bobcat faithful this season.

“I thought we played pretty good defense,” said head coach Danny Kaspar. “Jackson State shot 36.0 percent which was good for us, but we made far too many turnovers and some of them were very careless. Even in the Baylor game, we played good defense and we shot the ball better than Baylor, but we cannot continue to turn the ball over. Our defense is very encouraging, but our offense needs work and we have to take care of the ball better as we go into the tougher parts of our schedule leading up to conference play.”

BOBCAT NUMBERS

• Texas State shot just under .500 with a .490 clip (24-of-49) from the floor. The Bobcats was 7-of-16 from 3-point range and was 18-of-23 (.783) at the free throw line.
• Small led the Bobcats in scoring for the first time this season and added a team-high eight rebounds and three steals to his stat line.
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson finished with 13 points and added three rebounds and two assists. Pearson has 1,610 career points after Monday’s game and needs 13 more points to pass Donte Mathis (1995-99, 1,622 points) to become the third-highest scoring player in the program’s history.
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell also logged 13 points marking the third time this season he had finished with 10 or more points. Harrell led all players with six assists and pulled down five rebounds. Both statistics match his career-high.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TXST used a pair of runs to breakaway in the first half. After a 12-2 run to put the Bobcats ahead 34-25, the home team pieced together a 9-1 run for a 40-26 advantage. Texas State ultimately went into the locker room with a 41-29 lead over Jackson State at the half.
• Junior forward Isiah small dominated the half with 18 points and seven rebounds to lead all players. Small was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the floor.
• Texas State outscored Jackson State 32-29 with the reserves taking the majority of the minutes in the second half.
• The Bobcats opened the second stanza with a 9-0 run to extend their lead to as many as 21 points at 50-29. Jackson State kept pace with the home team in the frame by forcing 11 turnovers but was only able to trim the deficit to 14 points.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Texas State led for 36:37 minutes in the game and shot 50.0 percent or better from the field and behind-the-arc in the first half. They were also 11-of-13 at the charity stripe in the first 20 minutes.
• The Bobcat bench outscore Jackson State 18-12.
• The Bobcats committed a season-high 18 turnovers that the Tigers turned into 11 points. TXST forced 11 turnovers but was able to get 12 points out of them.
• Although winning the overall rebounding battle 41-26, Jackson State outscored Texas State 13-7 in second-chance points behind 10 offensive rebounds.
• Four Tigers scored in double figures including sophomore Jayveous McKinnis who had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Tristan Jarrett led the team with 18 points, graduate Cainan McClelland had 12 points and junior Jonas James rounded out the top scorers with 10 points.
• Texas State is 2-0 this season vs. the SWAC (75-48 win vs. Prairie View A&M Nov. 12).

UP NEXT

Texas State will continue play in the Southwestern Showdown with a late-night game at 9 p.m. CT Nov. 20 at UNLV in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

XC place four athletes in the top 75 at NCAA Regional Championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Texas State cross country team 2019 season ends after strong showings at the 2019 NCAA South Central Regional at Agri Park Friday, Nov. 15. All four of the Bobcat student-athletes finished in the top 75 in a field of 311 total participants.

Junior Justin Botello placed 38th in the men’s 10k race, running a 31:25.8 and classmate Cade Michael placed 54th with a 31:52.8 time. The women saw the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Freshman and Newcomer of the Year Riley McGrath run a 22:39.5 time in the 6k for 56th place and junior Sydney Cole finished 65th after clocking a 22:51.7 time.

All four Bobcat student-athletes that competed at regionals were tabbed to the 2019 All-Sun Belt team. At the Sun Belt Conference Championships, the women finished fourth (112 points) and the men placed fifth (92 points).