Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:

Men & Women’s Basketball, Baseball & Volleyball

Bobcats Takedown Cowboys 5-3 in 11 Innings

LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Texas State baseball team (5-2) concluded its time at the Lake Area Classic with a 5-3 win over McNeese (3-4) in 11 innings at Jim Miller Ballpark. The Bobcats pounded out seven doubles to tie the program record set in 1997 and matched in 2012.

Brent Hebert (1-0) earned the win after throwing 2.2 shutout innings while allowing just three hits. Taking the loss was Aidan Anderson (1-1) after giving up two runs on five hits and four walks.

Finishing with two hits apiece for TXST was Cole Coffey, Will Hollis, Jaxon Williams and John Wuthirch. All the hits for Coffey and Wuthrich were doubles. Jaylen Hubbard and Wuthrich both scored twice while Wuthirch and Skyler Valentine finished with two RBIs apiece.

On the mound, Connor Reich went seven innings with six strikeouts and did not walk anyone for the second straight game. He did surrender two runs on nine hits. Kyle Bradford went 1.1 innings of relief and Anthony Pagano pitched to one batter.

Wuthrich led off the second inning with a double to left field as the outfield missed the ball on a diving attempt. Two pitches later, Hollis sent an offering off the right field wall to plate a run to give TXST an early advantage.

McNeese answered back to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the frame when Carson Maxwell hit a home run that just cleared the right field fence.

In the third, Coffey laced a double to right field and Hubbard followed by drawing a walk. Wuthirch then sent a 1-0 offering to right for his second double of the game and bring home both runners to go ahead 3-1.

The Cowboys strung together three singles in the bottom of the third with Maxwell’s shot back up the middle bringing home a run to cut the lead to one. Reich escaped the frame without more damage when Clayton Rasbeary was thrown out trying to steal third and then inducing Julian Gonzales into a ground out to Jaxon Williams at shortstop.

A single by Williams with one out was followed by a Coffey double in the ninth. Jaylen Hubbard was then intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. However, the Cowboys were able to get the next two batter out without giving up a run.

In the bottom of half of the frame, McNeese got two walks with one out. Reid Bourque followed with a RBI single that landed just in fair territory down the left field line to tie the game.

The Cowboys were able to get a runner to second with no outs in the 10th. He broke early trying to steal third and was caught in a pickle that ended with Williams tagging him out between the two bases. Hebert was able to induce a pop up and ground ball to end the frame and send the game to another inning.

Hubbard laced a single on the first pitch he saw in the 11th with two outs. The senior advanced to second when a pickoff attempt got away from the first baseman. After Wuthrich was intentionally walked, Valentine bashed a double to left center to bring home both runners and put the Bobcats up 5-3.

Maxwell led off the bottom of the frame for McNeese with a double down the left field line. Hebert got the next three batter to pop up, however the third got lost in the sun and wasn’t able to be caught to put runners on the corners. A walk then loaded the bases for Nate Fisbeck, who hit a long fly ball down the right field line. Valentine made a diving catch in the short corner to end the game.

Next up for TXST is a meeting with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Bobcat Ballpark.

Bobcats Comeback to Beat Bluejays 12-9

LAKE CHARLES, La. – After falling behind by three runs, the Texas State baseball team came back to defeat Creighton 12-9 in the Lake Area Classic at Jim Miller Ballpark Saturday afternoon.

The win improves the Bobcats to 4-2 on the season while the Bluejays suffer their first loss of the year and are now 4-1.

Picking up the win on the mound was Hunter McMahon (1-1). The right-hander went six innings and struck out four while giving up six runs on six hits. Earning his second save of the season was Brandon Lewis that saw him toss the final three frames and record three strikeouts.

Jaxon Williams reached base all five times he came to the plate with three hits, a walk and was hit by a pitch. He also scored four times and drove in a run.

Recording multiple hits as well was Wesley Faison. The sophomore had two doubles in both of his times at bat and finished with two RBIs.

Driving in two runs apiece were Jaylen Hubbard, Ryan Newman and John Wuthrich. Finishing with two runs scored apiece were Chase Evans and Hubbard.

For the second straight game against the Bluejays, they took a 1-0 lead in the first when Parker Upton hit a solo home run.

With runners on the corners with one out, Wuthrich gave a 2-2 offering a ride to the right field warning track to bring home a run. Faison followed with a deep shot to left center for a RBI double and put TXST ahead 2-1.

Creighton responded in the next half inning with its second solo homer of the game. This one was off the bat of Jake Holton that went over the center field fence. A second run in the frame would score when David Vilches’ long fly ball hit the wall just below the foul for a double.

The Bluejays’ Will Robertson added a two-run home run in the third to extend their lead to 5-2.

In the bottom of the frame, Hubbard was hit by a pitch and Wuthrich singled to put two runners on base. Faison fouled off three straight pitches while facing a 3-2 count before doubling to left field to bring home a run and cut the deficit to two.

Creighton would go back up by three after getting a sacrifice fly in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Will Hollis hit a hard shot to first that the Bluejay misfielded and allowed Williams to score to make it a 6-4 advantage for the team from Nebraska.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Riley King was on third. Williams sent a 0-1 offering through the right side to plate the junior. A single by Evans and a walk drawn by Hubbard loaded the bases. Wuthrich was walked to bring home a run and tie the game.

After a pitching change, the Bluejays’ Mitchell Boyer was called for a balk to add a run to the Bobcats’ total. He would walk Connor Anderson to reload the bases and was then called for his second balk of the frame to increase the TXST advantage to 6-8.

The damage wasn’t done in the sixth as Ryan Newman laced a 2-RBI single to center field to conclude the six-run inning for the Bobcats.

With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Hubbard ripped a triple down the right field line on a 3-2 offering to increase the lead to 12-6.

Creighton would score twice in the eight and once in the ninth for the final runs of the contest.

The Bobcats conclude their time in Lake Charles, Louisiana and the Lake Area Classic on Sunday at 1 p.m. against McNeese.

TXST downs LA 71-65, Leavitt scores 28

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Texas State women’s basketball team (13-14, 8-7 Sun Belt) defeated the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (7-18, 5-9 Sun Belt) by a score of 71-65 on Saturday afternoon at the Cajundome.

“I did not like the defensive effort or intensity in the first half,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said. “That was definitely a discussion point in the locker room. I thought we did a much better job in the second half. I also thought we really boxed out well down the stretch. The one-and-done trips in the fourth quarter are what won us this game.”

Senior guard Toshua Leavitt found her groove from behind the 3-point line. She led the Bobcats with 28 points and went 6-of-11 from behind the arc. The game marked the ninth 20-point outing of her senior campaign. Leavitt has made five-plus 3-pointers in 27 games during her four-year run in the Maroon and Gold. The Bobcats are 21-6 in those games.

Junior forward Jazza Johns registered another strong game in her second-consecutive start. She tallied 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Last time out, Johns scored a career-best 14 points against ULM. She added six rebounds to her line.

Freshman guard Brandi Williams carried the offensive burden for the Ragin’ Cajuns. She tallied a team-best 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor. Sophomore center Ty’Reona Doucet recorded 13 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.

The Cajuns sliced up the Bobcat zone in the first half. Texas State struggled with the cutting action Louisiana ran and yielded several shots right at the rim. LA carried the offensive rhythm and a 34-29 lead into the halftime break.

Johns set the tone to open the third quarter. She snagged an offensive rebound and converted the second-chance opportunity to give the Bobcats the momentum early. Leavitt drilled three 3-pointers in a span of 2:37 of game time as TXST spurted ahead, 48-42, with 3:17 remaining in the third.

The lead quickly evaporated as Louisiana closed the quarter on an 8-0 scoring run. The Cajuns led 50-48 with 10 minutes left to play.

Freshman forward Da’Nasia Hood scored the first five points of the fourth on a putback and pick-and-pop triple from the top of the key. The game was tight for the remaining 8:43, although Louisiana was never able to recover.

The Cajuns pulled within a bucket at 64-62 with 41 ticks left on a spinning post move from Doucet. Leavitt and junior guard Brooke Holle iced the game away with each hitting a pair of free throws in the final 38 seconds of run. Holle finished the game with 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Up next, Texas State will conclude the season with a three-game homestand. The Bobcats will host Troy (Feb. 28), South Alabama (March 2) and UT Arlington (March 9) in the final three games of the 2018-19 regular season.

Bobcats Maul Cowboys 18-10

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team jumped on McNeese pitchers in route to an 18-10 win in the Lake Area Classic at Joe Miller Ballpark Friday night.

With the victory, the Bobcats improve to 3-2 on the season while the Cowboys fall to 3-2.

Brayden Theriot (1-0) earned the victory after throwing 2.2 inning of relief, striking out one and allowing four hits and two runs, both unearned. Suffering the loss was McNeese’s Rhett Deaton (1-1) after he gave up seven runs on six hits and three walks.

Jaylen Hubbard finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a RBI. Will Hollis scored four times and drove in four runs while going 3-for-4 at the plate. Recording two hits apiece were Chase Evans, Colton Moore, Jaxon Williams and John Wuthrich. Scoring three times thanks to drawing three walks was Ryan Newman.

TXST’s hot bats continued from the previous game against Creighton with a three-run first inning. The frame started with Cole Coffey lacing a double down the right field line. Hubbard brought him home with a single back up the middle. Wuthrich followed with a triple to right center and he would go on to score on a Newman sacrifice fly.

McNeese responded with two runs in its half of the frame to cut the advantage to 3-2.

After scoreless second inning for both teams, the Bobcats would go on to load the bases in the third. Evans singled to right center to plate the first run of the frame. Following a pitching change, Williams ripped a single to right field that scored two runs. Moore would then ground out that added the fourth and final run of the inning to the scoreboard for TXST.

Colton Rasbeary led off the Cowboys’ half of the inning with a home run to right center to make it a 7-3 contest.

With two runners in scoring position, Hollis roped a doubled off the left field wall for his first hit in a Texas State uniform and plate two runs. Williams drew a walk and then advance to second on a wild pitch. This set Moore up for a two-RBI double to left field to increase the lead to 11-3.

Hollis singled and Evans doubled to plate a run apiece with two outs in the fifth. A wild pitch allowed Hollis to score to make it a 14-3 advantage for the Bobcats.

McNeese answered back with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Capping off their scoring was Nate Fisbeck with a two-RBI double. Theriot came on and got the final out of the inning, a ground out to second, on the first pitch he threw.

Neither team scored again until Hollis homered to right center to start the seventh. Riley King increased the lead to 16-8 when he stole third and advance the final 90 feet as the throw sailed over the third baseman’s glove.

The Cowboys plated two on back-to-back singles from Carson Maxwell and Jake Dickerson in the bottom of the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, King recorded his first RBI of the season when he reached on an error that allowed Travon Benton to score. After a wild pitch moved King into scoring position, Moore doubled to left center to plate the final run of the game.

The Bobcats continue the Lake Area Classic on Saturday with a scheduled 2 p.m. game against Creighton.

Box Score: https://txstatebobcats.com/boxscore.aspx?id=5745

Comeback Falls Short against Creighton

SAN MARCOS, Texas – In the opening game of the Lake Area Classic, the Texas State baseball team fell behind by five before making a furious comeback over the final four innings. However, the Bluejays came away with a 6-5 victory Friday afternoon at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The Bobcats fall to 2-2 on the season while Creighton is now 4-0.

Nicholas Fraze tied his career-high with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The junior right-hander did allow six runs on nine hits to take the loss and drop to 1-1 on the year. Picking up the win on the mound was Mitch Ragan (2-0) after going seven innings with six strikeouts and giving up four runs on six hits. Bobby Kametas earned his second save of the season after working a scoreless ninth inning.

Creighton struck first their first time at bat when Parker Upton hit a solo home run to left center field. The next inning saw Jordan Hovey hit another solo shot, this time to right field. The Bluejays hit their third consecutive solo homer in as many innings in the third when Garrett Gilbert led off the frame with a blast to dead center field to extend the lead to 3-0.

Jake Holton tripled to right center field to start off the bottom of the fourth. After Fraze struck out the next two batters, Jared Wegner singled back up the middle that plated a run. Gilbert followed with another RBI single up the middle to increase Creighton’s advantage to 5-0.

On the first pitch of the sixth, Jaxon Williams doubled off the left field wall and would advance to third when Cole Coffey flew out to right center field. Jaylen Hubbard sent a deep shot to center that was caught but allowed Williams to trot home and cut the deficit to four.

John Wuthrich followed with a double to center field. Ryan Newman laced a double over the leaping second baseman’s glove to left center to bring home Wuthrich to make it a 5-2 Bluejay advantage.

Creighton would respond with one run in the bottom half of the inning off a single by Gilbert.

Skyler Valentine responded as he led off the seventh with a blast over the left field fence for his first home run in a Texas State uniform.

Coffey battled and was able to rip a single to center field that just missed hitting the pitcher. After Hubbard followed with a walk, Wuthrich singled through the left side as the ball got under the diving shortstop’s glove to bring home a run.

Hubbard would then steal third and a wild throw by the catcher allowed him to score to cut the Creighton lead to 6-5.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Coffey laced a single to right field and Travon Benton came on to pinch run for him. Hubbard followed with a rip to left center for another single to put two runners on. After a mound meeting, Wuthrich swung at the first offering from Kametas and sent it down the third base line, but Hovey made a diving catch to end the game.

Both Coffey and Wuthrich led TXST with two hits apiece. Hubbard stole his first base of the season and 27th in his career.

Friday’s action continues for the Bobcats after 5 p.m. when they face McNeese in the second game of the day of the Lake Area Classic.

Winning streak hits 3 after 62-51 triumph over ULM

MONROE, La. – The Texas State women’s basketball team (12-14, 7-7 Sun Belt) overcame a slow start to ground the ULM Warhawks (8-16, 2-11 Sun Belt) by a score of 62-51 on Thursday evening at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

The victory gives the Bobcats a three-game winning streak for the second time in league play this season.

“I am really proud of the effort from this team tonight,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said. “We had to overcome another slow start. I thought Jazza really worked hard and I was proud of her effort. Bailey was a calming presence for us tonight when we needed it. This was another great team win.”

Senior guard Toshua Leavitt led the Bobcats on the offensive end of the floor. She tallied a game-high 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting from behind the 3-point line. Leavitt added a game-best seven assists, marking her highest assists total since handing out 10 helpers in the win over Texas A&M International on New Year’s Eve.

Junior forward Jazza Johns made her second start of the season and did not disappoint. She recorded a career-high 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor. She ripped down six rebounds to match a season-high in 30 minutes of play.

For the second-straight contest, junior guard Bailey Holle provided a spark off the Bobcat bench. She matched a career-high effort with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor. She has scored double figures off the bench in consecutive games after converting 13 points in the upset win over Little Rock on Feb. 16. Holle’s effort helped the Bobcats outscore ULM 20-4 in points off the bench.

The Warhawks were led by a pair of double-digit scorers in junior guard Lauren Fitch and freshman forward Jamie Means. Fitch notched a team-high 14 points, while Means added 11 points and five rebounds.

Texas State allowed two early 3-pointers out of the zone defense to give ULM a 6-0 lead less than 90 seconds into the game. The Bobcats recovered to carry a 29-25 lead into the halftime break. Johns scored eight of her 14 points in the opening half of the game.

Much like the first quarter, Texas State struggled coming out of the locker room in the third. ULM scored 10 of the first 11 points in the second half to take a 35-30 lead with 6:46 to play in the third.

Junior guard Brooke Holle disrupted the run after she knifed through the lane and knocked in a contested right-handed layup. The bucket ignited the Bobcats. TXST went on an 11-0 run which culminated in a 3-pointer from the top of the key from Leavitt.

Texas State outscored ULM 21-4 over the last 6:19 of the quarter and led 51-39 after 30 minutes of action.

ULM ramped up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter in attempt to mount a comeback. The once 14-point advantage was trimmed to six at 55-49 with 2:21 to play on an and-one from preseason all-league sophomore guard Arsula Clark.

Ba. Holle answered immediately with a layup on a defensive breakdown and a nice pass from Leavitt. Holle would put the final dagger in the comeback effort after a loose ball found a way into her shooting pocket. She drained an angle-right 3-pointer with 32 ticks remaining to bring the score to the game’s final of 62-51.

Up next, Texas State will matchup with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 from the Cajundome. The game will mark the last road games of the regular season for the Bobcats.

Four from TXST Volleyball recognized at NGWSD Event

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State volleyball head coach Karen Chisum, and three of her student-athletes were recognized at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) reception hosted by Texas State University Campus Recreation on Feb. 6 in the Warren Room of the Football Endzone Complex.

Senior Halee Brewer was given the Leadership Award, junior Konner Wood received the Most Spirited Award, senior Amy Pflughaupt was honored with the Perseverance Award, and coach Chisum was tabbed as Coach of the Year.

“We are proud to be a part of the NGWSD celebration,” Chisum said. “It is such a great event to commemorate the opportunities that girls and women have to day and to remember the ones before us who helped create these opportunities.”

Feb. 6, 2019 marked the 33rd annual NGWSD, which is a national observance that celebrates the many achievements of women and girls in sports. In 2019, the NGWSD recognized student-athletes, champion athlete, coaches, administrators and lawmakers who are committed to providing equitable access to sports for all girls and women.