KTSW Sports

One to Remember: Texas State Baseball 2011 Year in Review

2011-06-06T00:35:00.038-05:00

It’d be tough to out-do some of the teams in recent memory for the title of Best Baseball Team in Texas State History, but the 2011 squad made a strong case for doing just that.

Think about it. The Bobcat faithful followed a 30-game hit streak at one time. They witnessed a 13 strikeout game followed by a 14 strikeout game, both by the same All-American right hander in back-to-back starts. Then, an unknown junior transfer adjusted so quickly to Division I baseball, it was good enough to break the school’s single season home run record on his first go-around. And there were single-game performances out the whazoo, from the first three-homer performance by a Bobcat in 24 years, to 11-run come backs and walk-off homers in consecutive contests, to a head coach winning his four-hundredth career ball game with a team that cracked the Top 25 nationally, and ended the year with its third straight Southland Conference regular season title to go along with the university’s fourth Conference Tournament championship as well. (Will there even be room for this new hardware?)

So now that the offseason is upon us after a wild 4-3 loss to the University of Texas (45-16) in the NCAA Regional Tournament Sunday afternoon sent the Bobcats (41-23) home, we recap what was more than a great season.

The title of “Best Ever” in any arena can’t be given out whimsically. And at first glance, the idea deserves strict scrutiny as teams from recent memory come to mind, with names on championship teams like Paul Goldschmidt, Laurn Randell, David Wood and Thomas Field still ringing in one’s ears. And considering other record-setting seasons as well, such as a 1997 championship club that sent two players on to Major League stints (Scott Linebrink and Jeremy Fikac), and a powerhouse 2009 ball club that saw three players move to the minor leagues, it’s a tough act to follow. Yet the Bobcats have been under a microscope all season, and the output from a 2011 Texas State team that held on to first place in the Southland Conference standings for most of the year, all the way to an NCAA Regional appearance, makes an easy case for considering this squad as one of the best ever.

We could start with anyone, but let’s begin with Tyler Sibley. The junior second baseman gave fans a good feeling about the team from game one (even if they didn’t entirely realize it at the time) by building on a hit streak he started at the end of the previous season. “Sibs” as his teammates call him, totaled a program record 30 games with a hit, one of the nation’s longest streaks this year, topping the old mark by nine games before going 0-5 at the plate against No. 18 Arkansas (the streak ended six games shy of the conference record of 36). From that point on, Sibley hit safely in 27 of the final 36 games in which he played, including the postseason, picking up an SLC All-Tournament Team selection along the way.

That propelled the team to a hot start. With a 6-2 record out of the gate, including handing Baylor University its biggest home loss in two years, 12-3, the Bobcats began Southland Conference competition 7-0, and held on to first place for the majority of the season. The ‘Cats rattled off a season best seven-game win streak early on, and by season’s end, never lost games on consecutive days all year. Head coach Ty Harrington repeatedly praised the team for its resiliency and ability to bounce back with its tails up against a wall – however every hero eventually hits that wall at some point.

But still – that adds to the argument in favor of the strengths of this ball club – the Bobcats made losing efforts look good.

When No. 18 Rice came to town on Feb. 23, the Owls flew back to Houston as 11-10 winners, but not before Texas State made it interesting in the ninth. Thanks to a handful of bases loaded walks, all with two outs and down by six, Kyle Kubitza’s grand slam to center field gave fans at Bobcat Ballpark a reason to cheer, and folks were buzzing about the game later that week.

And that would be the story of games against ranked opponents all spring.

Harrington’s boys finished 2011 with a 1-8 record against ranked teams (1-10 including the postseason), and yet each of those games was very close: in all but one game, that being a 15-5 trouncing by Texas A&M, the Bobcats lost by merely two runs or fewer when battling ranked ball clubs. It goes to show what this squad can handle against a national spotlight, and if just one or two dying quails had found a hole, it might easily be a different story.

Amazing in itself is that when loosing games overall this year, the club didn’t give it up by much. In fact, aside from that ten-run loss to the Aggies, the ‘Cats’ second worst loss all season was by six runs, once to Central Arkansas and another time to Nicholls State. That is to say Texas State never fell very far behind, as 14 of its 23 losses were by two runs or fewer; only a handful of times did Texas State lose by three or four runs this season - they clearly didn't make winning a breeze on the other guys.

But woulda-shoulda-coulda’s were forgotten by the time the Houston Cougars came to town – and junior transfer Casey “Ory” Kalenkosky announced his presence with authority. Big-O capped an 11-run comeback over the Cougs Mar. 12 when he hit a three-run, no-doubter over the left center field wall to finish the massive walk-off win, his fifth homer of the season at that time. But Bobcat Nation didn’t know it was in for such a treat however, as he shocked his coaches and surprised his fans with a sooner-than-usual offensive adjustment in the transition from junior college to Division I baseball.

In the postseason, he sat tied for first on the single-season home runs list with 18 for a while before hitting a dramatic number 19 - the record breaker - which bolstered a momentum shift for the Bobcats in the Southland Conference Tournament, who used the spark to come back from a bleak situation and win the tournament crown. Kalenkosky stroked 21 long balls altogether in 2011, putting a stamp on the title of Single-Season Home Run King in his first year at Texas State. His offense was also the key that earned him Tournament MVP honors, as he won over quite a host of new fans along the way as well.

The individual moments that define this ball team as a whole only continue. Senior center fielder Bret Atwood ends his Bobcat career at the top of two important record book categories: he has the most hits in a Bobcat uniform with 259, and after two stolen bags in the NCAA Regional, his 49 career stolen bases is tops in program history. Between the jewelry and memories of his diving catch against Stephen F. Austin that made SportCenter’s Top Play, he’ll have to make room for an SLC All-Tournament Team plaque as well.

Junior righty Carson Smith managed to one-up himself, showing that his nod as Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American in 2010 wasn’t a fluke, walking away from 2011 as a Second Team All-American, taking his second straight Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year title with him. During the regular season in which he was named the Southland’s top Pitcher of the Week three times, Smith tossed some of the best games of his life, including a 13 strikeout game against McNeese State, which at the time set a new career high. Just a week later in his next start, he K’d 14 UTSA Roadrunners, tying the school record for strikeouts in a game. Louisville Slugger noticed again and named him its National Player of the Week. Oh, and it’s probably worth mentioning: he’s the new single-season strikeout man as well with 129 punch outs, set against Princeton on Saturday.

Kyle Kubitza set a career record for walks as a Bobcat, and ended his junior campaign in double digit homers with 10. In his first career start, Joseph Dvorsky shocked San Marcos, as normally a bullpen pitcher, he tossed a complete game, four-hit shut-out to win a the Tournament Championship game over SFA (talk about answering the call). And still on May 1, junior outfielder Jeff McVaney (who has foregone the gridiron as “The Next Tim Tebow” to play baseball exclusively) hit three long balls in one game for the first time since, well… he wasn’t even born yet. But at the helm of it all was Harrington, who led the team to it’s third straight regular season championship, and first SLC Tournament title since his first year in 2000. Moving on to the national scene, “T-Y” as some friends call him, got his squad its first win in an NCAA Regional since that same year, a 3-1 win over Princeton on Saturday. Garnering his four-hundredth career win April 23, his always-modest approach was apparent as he wondered in shock why he was receiving a Gatorade bath after just another ball game. But leaving this year with a second Coach of the Year award, Harrington now has 416 wins under his belt, and will spend the offseason ready to build on still more success, as a potential eight players will return as seniors in 2012.

So what are the criteria for Best Team in This-or-That? Is it wins? This year tied a career high for Harrington with 41 overall W’s. Is it record-setting? This team had five different pitchers move into the top 10 in various all-time categories, with four hitters doing the same offensively (McVaney being one to double dip into both categories, as an outfielder and bullpen guy). Or is it raw ability? Texas State has been, more or less, one of the top three teams in the conference in many offensive categories year in, year out, with some of the best quality starting pitching as well. But that still doesn’t out-do other Texas State teams…

But a two-fold, regular season and Conference Tournament championship season does, set up by the school's longest, nationally recognized hit streak and a record-setting home run campaign. A scrappy outfielder became a celebrity for a day and cemented a legacy as a singles machine – while becoming quite the kleptomaniac on the bases as well. An All-American right handed hurler, who was deemed to have an "obvious future in professional baseball" by his head coach, made obvious that his Big League arm would carry the starting rotation, in front of the 2011 Coach of the Year, who spurred this ball team to the rest of those various records, including a milestone career win for himself.

That's a mouthful. That's a record-book-full. So was this the best Bobcat baseball team ever? Was it simply one of the best seasons in Texas State history? If it's anything, it’s certainly up for a vote.

Either way, 2011 was a pleasure to watch – and certainly one to remember.

Mason Robinson, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Baseball Bounces Lions to Take Series, Stay in First

2011-04-20T01:07:00.005-05:00

The art of recovery is a trait most quality teams share, and on Sunday, Texas State baseball showed that they have the right stuff. Twice bouncing back after falling behind, the Bobcats (23-12; 13-5 SLC) were able to tame the Southeastern Louisiana Lions (24-13; 10-8 SLC) and come out on top with a 7-5 win.

After starting pitcher Colton Turner gave up a run in the top of the first, junior third baseman Kyle Kubitza quickly erased the deficit with a two run bomb in the bottom of the inning that clanked off the right field scoreboard to take the lead, 2-1. Turner settled down and only give up a total of two earned runs over his four total innings pitched, before senior right hander Fielding Pittman came on in relief.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Bobcats found themselves trailing once more, this time 5-4, after sloppy defense in the top half of the inning put them in a rut. Junior first baseman Casey Kalenkosky didn't mind though, as he sent a long fly ball over the left field wall, plating two more Bobcat runs, and a lead they would not relinquish.

Holding a two run lead in the seventh inning, head coach Ty Harrington called his multi-talented upper-classman, junior Jeff McVaney, in from his left field position and onto the bump. McVaney didn't disappoint as he pitched the final 2 2/3 innings while holding the Lions scoreless to preserve the Texas State victory.

With the win, the Bobcats stay tied atop the Southland Conference with the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. You can catch the game tomorrow against Texas Tech on 89.9 FM or ktsw.net.

Aaron Alaniz, KTSW Sports

Just in Time – Pitts Hurls First Career Complete Game

2011-04-20T01:03:00.003-05:00

Junior righthander Mitchell Pitts came through when his Bobcats needed him most, tossing a complete game, three-hit shutout against Southeastern Louisiana in a 4-0 Saturday afternoon win.

Pitts was nearly flawless as he struck out only four, but didn’t allow a hit after the fourth inning while the Bobcat bats picked him up following a sluggish series opener, an 8-5 loss the night before.

Junior first baseman Ory Kalenkosky paced the offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, including an RBI and two runs scored. Junior third baseman Kyle Kubitza was 2-for-4 and started the offense moving when he laced a one out triple to the wall in the bottom of the first, coming home on a sac fly. Kalenkosky stretched the lead to 2-0 after he tagged his league-leading thirteenth home run over the left field wall in the next inning, a solo shot that brought the crowd to its feet immediately.

The fifth inning started with a single from senior centerfielder Bret Atwood, and sophomore catcher Andrew Stumph drove in his second run with a ground ball up the middle. Junior shortstop Isaac Nuti ended the scoring on a sacrifice fly as well, capping the 4-0 win.

As a testament to Pitts' dominance, the only Lions to record hits were the powerful trio of Brock Hebert (1-for-3), Justin Boudreaux (1-for-4) and Jeff Harkensee (1-for-4), the top three hitters in the Lions’ lineup. Pinch hitter Joe Sparacino drew a walk late in the game to be the only other SLU base runner. Other than that, Pitts' three-hit shutout gem was enough to keep the Bobcats in a first place tie with Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Standings at 12-5.

Texas State plays again tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in the rubber game. Colton Turner will start for the Bobcats, and Josh Janway goes for the Lions, with live game coverage on 89.9 FM KTSW, and ktsw.net

Mason Robinson, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Baseball Continues Southland Slide, Suffers First Friday Loss

2011-04-20T00:52:00.005-05:00

After a mid-week, extra inning victory over Houston Baptist, the Texas State Bobcats remained at home to continue Southland Conference play for a pivotal series against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. Southeastern came into town two games behind the Bobcats in the Southland Conference standings, and three spots behind in the Mid-Major Polls.

Before the first pitch on Friday, Carson Smith had not lost a start since his first on Feb. 23 (against Rice) and the Bobcats were 8-0 on Friday games in 2011. That all changed Friday night as the Bobcats were simply outplayed and overpowered 8-5, and in the process dropped, to 21-11 (11-5 SLC).

Runners left on base and the inability to hit with two outs was the Achilles heel for the most part for Texas State, as Lions starter Brandon Efferson got the win, only giving up one earned run through 6 1/3 innings, despite issuing six walks.

Both starters began on cruise control, as no runs were scored for either team through the first three innings. That abruptly changed in the fourth and fifth innings as the Lions got on the board with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, sparked by an RBI double by clean up hitter Jonathon Pace, putting the Lions up 3-0. The Cats' finally got on the board in the sixth with an RBI single up the middle from sophomore catcher Andrew Stumph (with two outs), for a 3-1 game.

The game turned a bit sloppy in the top of the eighth, as the Lions first six batters reached on three singles, a throwing error, and two walks. They would put up a five spot, notching their lead to 8-1 and eventually putting the game out of reach. The Bobcats retaliated with a four-run frame of their own in the bottom of the inning, sparked by four straight singles, but Lion's closer Stefen Lopez came in with the bases loaded and retired two straight to end the threat for his eighth save of the season.

Carson Smith was credited with the loss, falling to (5-2) despite pitching well on Fridays this year. Smith went seven innings, with four strikeouts and three earned runs. Junior left fielder Jeff McVaney and Stumph each collected three hits and an RBI, but the Bobcats combined for eleven runners left on base, with more errors than the opposition for the fourth time in the last five games. The "E" column has been filling up lately, which is certainly uncharacteristic for Coach Harrington and his Bobcats.

Nonetheless, the Bobcats still find themselves atop the standings in the SLC (tied with SFA) and still a game up on SLU. Look for the Bobcats to come out with some extra incentive and a little fire in their eyes for the rest of the series, as Coach Harrington continues to climb toward his incredible milestone of 400 career wins. Game 2 is tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., as Mitchell Pitts and the Bobcats aim to give Lion starter Tyler Watkins (6-0) his first loss of the 2011 season.

Weston Warner, KTSW Sports

Baseball Wins in Extras Over Huskies

2011-04-13T23:38:00.004-05:00

It took 13 innings and five different pitchers to beat the Houston Baptist Huskies 3-2 on Tuesday. The Huskies came into Bobcat Field on a four game winning streak, and the Bobcats had dropped four of their last five.

The game started with Sophomore Travis Ballew getting his first career start at home, and was able to chew up three innings, allowing only two hits and one earned run. That run came in the third inning when second basemen David Pfuntner was hit by a pitch and then moved to second on a sac bunt. Designated hitter Robbie Buller then singled to move Pfunter to third, and came home on a fielder’s choice ground out.

Junior third baseman Kyle Kubitza helped Texas State respond with a line drive home run to right field, and the Bobcats then took the lead in the bottom of the fifth thanks to an RBI single by freshman shortstop Christian Gallegos.

The Huskies came back in the eighth with what could very well be the longest home run in the history of the young Bobcat Field when Buller smashed a solo homer over the left field wall. For perspective, the ball sailed over the softball field score board and landed past the softball field's centerfield wall.

The game fell silent until the thirteenth inning when Bret Atwood singled to lead it off. Atwood stole third and was able to come home on a wild throw to that third basemen Tanner Kalina couldn't glove.

As a team, the Bobcats recorded 18 strikeouts by five different pitchers in a three hour and twenty minute marathon. The Bobcats now improve to 14–0 all time against Houston Baptist, and move on to play this weekend in a three game set against Southeastern Louisiana. Catch all of those games on 89.9 FM KTSW or ktsw.net.

Sam Howell, KTSW Sports

Bobcat Bats Stay Hot Against Central Arkansas; Sweep Double Header

2011-04-11T10:38:00.009-05:00

The move by Texas State softball head coach Ricci Woddard to make sophomore Anne-Marie Taylor the new ace of the pitching staff instead of two-time Southland Conference pitcher of the year Chandler Hall was a bit controversial at the time, but has paid off tremendously. The Bobcats swept a Saturday double header against the University of Central Arkansas with an 11-0 win and a 4-2 victory.

Since taking over the new role as the starting pitcher in Game One of Saturday's double header, and getting the start on Sunday, Taylor seems to have really taken to the new role. She pitched all five innings Saturday's run-rule-shortened contest, allowing no earned runs, two hits, and two strike outs.

On offense, sophomore second baseman Anna Hernandez was a star with three hits in three plate appearances with two RBI, and senior third baseman Jenna Emery led the team with three RBI.

Central Arkansas came into San Marcos with a lot of talent on offense and in the circle. Sophomore hurler Kelsie Armstrong started Game One for UCA and didn’t last more than an inning after allowing five earned runs in the first inning.

Armstrong leads the Southland Conference in strikeouts and was able to notch two strikeouts in the first two at bats, but with two outs, she walked Haley Lemons, hit McKenzie Baack with a pitch, and from there things started to unravel. Five runs had scored and the Bobcats batted around before another out was recorded. Armstrong got junior Chandler Hall to fly out in her second at bat of the inning to end the threat.

Junior Kelley Martino replaced Armstrong in the second inning and only got one out while giving up four more runs to bring the Bobcat lead to 9-0.

Junior Katie McGregor relieved Martino and stopped the bleeding for the Sugar Bears, allowing only two more runs over the remaining innings.

* * * *
Game Two was a much closer affair as the Bobcats won 4-2. Hall was the starter and was nearly as flawless as Taylor from Game One. She allowed only one earned run over six innings, striking out five.

Senior designated player McKenzine Baack led Texas State on offense, continuing her hot streak at the plate by hitting her third home run of the season, a two run shot that ties her for seventh place all-time at Texas State.

The story of the game, and of the weekend for Texas State, was silencing Central Arkansas’ dangerous catcher Melanie Bryant at the plate. Bryant led the SLC in batting average, hits, and RBI coming into the game, but in the two games, Bryant went hitless in her five plate appearances.

The two wins moved Texas State’s overall record above .500 to 20-18 overall and 13-7 in conference play. The 'Cats are firmly in third place in the Southland Conference with nine conference games remaining.

Fletcher Rutland, KTSW Sports

Sweep Comes Up Short But Bobcats Are First In SLC

2011-04-07T11:02:00.001-05:00

After an impressive 12-11, come-from-behind victory on Saturday, Coach Harrington and the Bobcats found themselves in first place atop the Southland Conference baseball standings by two games over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, despite a 7-6 loss on Sunday. The 'Cats were gearing up for a potential sweep going into Sunday's game with an undefeated Colton Turner taking the mound at 5-0. That being said, the 'Jax came out swinging Sunday afternoon, and with the help of a few costly errors and the premature ejection of junior third baseman Kyle Kubitza, the SFA Lumberjacks edged the Bobcats 7-6 to avoid the series sweep.

Stephen F. Austin star Bryson Myles continued to swing a hot bat for the 'Jax as he lead off Sunday's game with a solo blast over the net in left field on an 0-1 fastball offering from Colton Turner. SFA also collected three more hits in the top of the first, and added a run to notch an early 2-0 lead. Turner would immediately settle down after the initial first inning blues by coming hard inside on righties with his 2-seam fastball, as he sat down nine of the next eleven batters for the Lumberjacks.

After three flawless innings from SFA starter Zach Taylor, Andrew Stumph finally got the Bobcats on the board and cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two out single up the middle, allowing Ory Kalenkosky to score. An inning later, Kubitza came up with two runners on and two outs to line one off of the right-centerfield wall; as the runners Tyler Sibley and Bret Atwood came around to score, tying the game at three, Kubitza slid head first into third with a triple only to see the ball scoot away from the 'Jax third baseman Bryce Cummings. Kubitza then headed home and greeted SFA catcher Jarid Scarafiottii with a hook slide, but to no avail as home plate umpire David Wellman not only called Kubitza out on the play, but in turn immediately tossed the junior out of the game without any hesitation and the game remained a 3-3 tie.

After the Lumberjacks scored two more of their own in the top of the sixth, Stumph continued to swing a hot stick and tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run homerun to left field that in turn chased SFA starter Zach Taylor out of the ballgame. With that, a few costly Bobcat errors and a relentless offense from the Lumberjacks the next inning put the 'Jax up 7-5, and that was all of the room that Jason West and the Purple and Black needed. West tossed the final three innings of the ballgame, and in doing so notched his fifth save. Bobcat senior right hander Fielding Pittman was credited with the loss, and Colton Turner got the no-decision to remain undefeated.

The loss still ensures the top spot in the Southland Conference with a record of 10-2 (19-8 overall) and with the series win, the Bobcats still have not lost a weekend series all year. The Bobats have dropped down in the RPI ratings from last week (No. 11) but are still in the Top 20 (No. 20).

The next four games for the 'Cats will be on the road in the state of Arkansas, as they take on University of Arkansas Wednesday night, and then head to Conway to take on Central Arkansas for a three game series. Also, stay tuned to the rest of the baseball season as Coach Ty Harrington is creeping up to career win number 400, needing only 6 more wins to reach the milestone.

Weston Warner, KTSW Sports

Softball Breaks out Brooms to End Losing Skid

2011-04-07T10:01:00.003-05:00

The Texas State Bobcats softball team completed a three game sweep over the Southeastern Louisiana Sunday in convincing fashion by run-ruling the Lady Lions 12-1. Only four and a half innings were played as the Bobcats put on a hitting clinic, starting with a quick three run bottom of the first, highlighted by a two RBI triple by designated player, senior McKenzie Baack, who later scored.

The Bobcats would go scoreless in the second, but with the top of the order returning in the third, Texas State got things going again. After scoring one and having two on, SLU brought in a new pitcher who only made matters worse with a passed ball and a wild pitch, and after it was all said and done, six Bobcats runs were across the plate.

Early this year, Purdue run-ruled the Bobcats 9-0 earlier, but in this case it was too early for the game to be called. So the Bobcats took advantage by allowing only two hits in the top of the fourth, letting no runs score and then in the bottom of the frame, they added three more runs to take a 12-0 lead entering the fifth inning.

Freshman pitcher Crystal Alaniz came in to "close" the game, and one final chance for the Lady Lions to make a comeback faded quickly, as Alaniz only gave up one run in the form of a home run to SLU designated player Jessie Brown. One run wouldn't be enough to keep the game going for Southeastern Louisiana and the Bobcats took their 18th win of the season.

Sophomore pitcher Anne-Marie Taylor had a no hitter through three innings and ended up pitching four complete while giving up no runs and only two hits while striking out four.

With this win the Bobcats continue their up and down season by improving their record to .500 (18-18) and maintaining an above .500 record in SLC play with an 11-7 record.

Karl Schoening, KTSW Sports

Bobcats Stay in First as Sibley Extends Hit Streak

2011-04-06T16:12:00.001-05:00

With another Saturday afternoon win under their belts, Texas State baseball remains the Southland team to beat after a 12-11 victory over Stephen F. Austin. Hit after hit, the Bobcats came out on top for the second day in a row, scoring in all but three innings to stay in first place.

Lee Colon got the weekend start against the Lumberjacks, a new role for the senior, one that he traded his weekday starting duties over to junior right hander Mitchell Pitts, which proved to be a smart decision so far.

In the top of the first, Lumberjack all-star Bryson Myles came out swinging with a groundball single to left centerfield. Myles is easily one of the best players in the Southland Conference, and is also the NCAA leader in stolen bases, showing his wheels by advancing to second and third in the mere blink of an eye. He would come home to score on a base hit, but the hot Texas State bats made this lead short-lived.

The Bobcats drove in three runs in the bottom of the first with a Kyle Kubitza RBI double and RBI singles from Ory Kalenkoskey and Jeff McVaney to give Texas State a 3-1 lead.

Junior infielder Tyler Sibley extended his impressive hitting streak to 29 games with an RBI single back up the middle to tie the game in the fourth inning, and in the fifth, sophomore outfielder Corey Falvey blasted a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence for his first home run on the season to give Texas State a 10-8 lead.

An unearned run in a wild seventh inning got SFA closer, but Texas State was able to maintain a 10-9 edge after an exciting run down got the ‘Cats out of a potentially game-blowing situation. With two runners on, senior reliever Joseph Dvorsky snared a come-backer and fired home to start the rundown, eventually getting one out between third and home. Senior centerfielder Bret Atwood came in from his position to apply the tag on the second runner at second base to end the inning.

A pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth gave the Bobcats some insurance, but the Lumberjacks brought it closer with two runs in the top of the ninth. Junior Dylan Adamek came in for Dvorsky to shut the ‘Jax down in the end, securing his first save of the season and the 12-11 win.

Another strong batter for the Bobcats was Catcher Andrew Stumph, who bumped his meek .212 batting average to .280 with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, also driving in two runs.

The win gives Texas State a 10-1 Southland Conference record and an overall mark of 19-9. Catch the series finale tomorrow on TxStateBobcats.com with the first pitch set for 1:00 PM.

Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports

Bobcat Softball Back on Track After Double Header Sweep

2011-04-06T16:09:00.004-05:00

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sweeping a double header against a Southland Conference rival.
Well, maybe the feeling is just a bit sweeter when it comes after five consecutive losses. Either way, Saturday was definitely a day on which the Texas State Softball Team could breathe a sigh of relief after the squad handed the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions a pair of losses that brought their own three game win streak to a halt with a 5-3 Game One victory and a 6-4 win in Game Two.

Sophomore Anne Marie Taylor started the first game in the circle for the Bobcats and pitched superbly, recording seven strikeouts and allowing only one earned run over four and two-thirds innings. Freshman Crystal Alaniz went the rest of the way for Texas State getting her fourth save including two strikeouts.

The Bobcats were led on offense by the duo of sophomores Anna Hernandez and Haley Lemons, each with two hits. But the spark for Texas State came from an unlikely source in the second inning when junior catcher Megan Parten crushed her first career home run over the left field wall. Parten’s dinger came with Hernandez on base to give the Bobcats an early 2-0 lead.
From then on the ‘Cats played to a 3-3 tie with the Lions, with each team scoring the rest of their runs in the ballgame in the fifth and sixth innings, with Texas State tacking on some insurance in the sixth to seal the win.

The Bobcats started lightning-fast in Game Two with three runs in the top of the first. Lion’s starter Jessie Browne was yanked before she could even record one out. Just as it was in Game One, Hernandez came up big, driving in two of the three first inning runs with a ferociously hit single to right field. Not to be outdone by her teammate, Lemons was a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored in the first, adding an RBI in the fourth.

Chandler Hall didn’t have her typical day in the circle but still picked up the win in four and two-thirds inning. She allowed four runs before making way for fabulous freshman Crystal Alaniz, who again went two and a third innings to pick up the save.
The two wins keep the Bobcats (17-18, 10-7 SLC) in sole possession of third place in the standings. After the series finale tomorrow, the Bobcats will host the Bears of Central Arkansas next weekend who are currently toiling in the bottom half of the Southland Standings. Each game of the series will be broadcast on 89.9 FM and on ktsw.net.

Aaron Alaniz, KTSW Sports

Bobcats Open SFA Series with 10-3 "W"

2011-04-05T14:33:00.001-05:00

Texas State baseball triumphed 10-3 Firday night in the first game of the weekend series against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks after an upsetting loss against Missouri duing the week.

Junior pitcher Carson Smith started for the Bobcats but struggled in the first couple of innings. The Lumberjacks gained an unearned run at the top of the first inning by designated cleanup hitter Jarid Scarafiotti who. But as the game went on, Smith finally jumped into his grove and kept SFA from advancing any more runs. Smith went seven innings and allowed no earned runs and improved to 4-1 on the season with his fourth straight win.

The Lumberjacks wouldn’t score again until the seventh inning off of Texas State senior right hander Fielding .

Offense for the Bobcats took advantage of the SFA pitching staff and had senior left handed starter Tyler Herriage taken out early after giving up six runs, four of them earned, over 4 1/3 innings. Stephen F. Austin made six pitching changes throughout the game, thanks to offense such as that from Casey Kalenkosky, whose homer to left field in the third inning forced a call to the bullpen. The home run also broke the 155-inning streak for SFA not allowing a home run.

The offense continued to roll thanks to junior Isaac Nuti, who had a multi-hit day, helping the Bobcats lead the game and take advantage of their 6-1 score after five innings.

Strategy was key for Texas State and leading off the series with the first win was crucial in order to hold on to first place in the Southland Conference. Both SFA and Texas State had been tied for first with eight wins and one loss prior to Friday’s game, which could explain the high attendance of 1,077 fans at Bobcat Field.

KTSW will air Saturday’s game via Stretch Internet on TxStateBobcats.com, with the pregame beginning at 1:45 PM and via 89.9 FM KTSW Sunday at 12:45 noon.

Jessica Salinas, KTSW Sports

Bobcat Softball Trampled by No. 8/9 Longhorns

2011-04-01T18:31:00.005-05:00

It’s tough to win when you lose. Or something like that.

Stengelese aside, it’s also tough to make light of a struggling Texas State softball team (15-18; 8-7 SLC) that has followed a five game win streak with a current five game losing streak, the most recent being a 6-2 loss against the Texas Longhorns (29-3) in San Marcos Wednesday night. The ‘Horns put on a fireworks show with four homeruns to stretch their win streak to 13 games, their best since 2007.

Bobcat senior outfielder Allyce Rother laid down a bunt single in the second inning, bringing freshman shortstop Jordan Massek home from third to put the Bobcats on the board first. Rother also doubled to left field in the sixth on a ball that fell just inches fair to bring sophomore second baseman Anna Hernandez home for the only Texas State offense of the night.

Conversely, the long ball got it done for Texas.

The ‘Horns responded in the top of the third with a two run homer by senior catcher Amy Hooks, and in the fourth, the show continued with two solo shots and a two run blast by junior first baseman Lexy Bennett, who leads the Big 12 in batting average.

Junior pitcher Chandler Hall gave up all six of these runs on 10 hits in her 3 2/3 innings of work, and was also hitless at the plate. Sophomore Anne Marie Taylor came on in relief and was solid in shutting the ‘Horns down for the final 3 1/3 innings, striking out four and only allowing two hits.

The ‘Cats made a handful of comeback attempts but each time fell short, including the bottom of the seventh, leaving two runners on to end the game.

Texas State has only been outscored by ten runs during the losing streak, but also has left 34 runners stranded on the bags in that span. With that in mind, the pressure might be more fairly placed on the offense’s proverbial shoulders if the Bobcats want to make a run at an SLC four-peat in 2011.

Coach Ricci Woodard and the girls host the sixth-place Southeastern Louisiana Lions (14-15; 4-5 SLC) this weekend in San Marcos with game one of a double header tomorrow at 1:00 PM. Game two is at 3:00 PM with the final at noon on Sunday. Catch the live broadcast on 89.9 FM or ktsw.net.

Mason Robinson, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Frogs Hop 'Cats in 3-1 Road Loss

2011-03-27T14:33:00.003-05:00

Texas State represented the first game of a 13-game home stand for No. 11 Texas Christian University as the Horned Frogs came away with a 3-1 win over the Bobcats Tuesday at Lupton Stadium.

Coming into these games, the Bobcats understand that these Tuesday games, especially those against nationally ranked teams, are important for at-large bids come NCAA postseason selection time. Starting pitcher, senior Lee Colon, had a solid outing, giving up no runs as the Bobcats struck first with a run in the top of the second.

A combination of Bobcat defense and strong winds coming in from right field kept Texas State in the lead at 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh, when third baseman Kyle Kubitza made a two out, bases loaded error. Blame the bad hop. It hit Kubitza’s wrist and ended up in left field, resulting in three runs for the Frogs.

Those turned out to be the deciding runs in the ball game. While the Bobcats made some phenomenal comebacks during the Houston series, thanks to clutch home run hitting, there was little hope in this one to repeat that success as the wind prevented anything from leaving the park.

These two teams won't meet again during the 2011 regular season. However the Bobcats will surely love to see these Horned Frogs again down the road, when the stakes are much, much higher.

Karl Schoening, KTSW Sports

Bobcats Keep Conference Win Streak Rolling, Now at 4-0

2011-03-27T14:18:00.003-05:00

Texas State baseball continues to show its fans and others why they are a force to be reckoned with in a 6-3 win over Sam Houston State on Friday.

The Bobcats entered Friday's game with a Top-40-ranking and a conference start of 3-0 after sweeping A&M Corpus Christi a few weeks ago. Tyler Sibley has been leading the way this season with an enormous presence at the plate, boasting a .431 batting average and getting on base every other plate appearance. However, the Sam Houston Bearkat bats and pitching staff remain a strong threat in the Southland and came to San Marcos hungry for some conference wins.

Taking the mound for Texas State was Pre-Season All-American junior Carson Smith. Smith came into Friday’s game with the teams second-lowest ERA and the most strikeouts. He has shown Head Coach Ty Harrington that the Friday games are his and his alone.

Sam Houston also sent their top dog to the mound on Friday. Matt Shelton pitched a solid game and held Bobcat batters at bay. Smith got off to a rough start, giving up two runs immediately in the top of the first inning. Greg Olson recorded his second triple, then scored as Ryan Mooney was safe off of an infield error. Kevin Miller was able to add to the lead with a single that scored Mooney to give Sam Houston a 2-0 lead.

Andrew Stumph put the first run on the board for the Bobcats with a solo homerun to left field in the bottom of the second inning, his second homer on the season, as he went 1-4 on the night. After three innings, the score was tied at two.

Then followed a pitchers’ dual.

Things didn’t pick up until the bottom of the seventh when outfielder Jeff McVaney popped a double down the left-field line to give the Bobcats a 3-2 lead. Shelton was pulled and several Sam Houston pitchers got to see playing time. Sam Houston tacked a run on in the top of the eighth, ending Smith’s night. He finished his fourth start of the season with six strikeouts while giving up 12 hits in seven innings of work.

Fielding Pittman came in to relieve and earned his first win of the season. Pittman faced only two Bearkat batters before Texas State’s star reliever Joseph Dvorsky came into to pick up his fourth save.

Late in the game, Texas State needed to respond, and in the bottom of the eighth, shortstop Isaac Nuti smashed a two run double down the right field line. With score now at 5-3 in the Bobcats' favor, outfielder Bret Atwood brought home another run with a single that skipped though the left side. With that said, Dvorsky was poised for the save.

Sam Houston pitcher Michael Oros earned his first loss of the season with the late game rally by Texas State.

With the win, Texas State improves to 4-0 in Southland Conference games and 13-4 overall. The second game of the three game series will happen Saturday at 2:00 PM with the third and final game on Sunday at 1:00 PM. Catch both games at txstatebobcats.com.

Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports

Say Farewell: Bobcats Fall to Cowboys in Conference Semis

2011-03-27T14:08:00.006-05:00

The Texas State Bobcats won their first round game on Wednesday in this year's SLC Men's Basketball Tournament, then fell to McNeese State in the Semifinals on Thursday, 91-83. McNeese State and Texas State had been battling each other down the stretch of the regular season for the Conference’s top spot, but the Bobcats fell off of the wagon in their last two games. Thus, the crown went to the Cowboys.

As for Thursday night’s matchup, with McNeese as the top seeded team and Texas State as the No. 4 seed, the Cowboys looked every bit like a number one seed as one would expect. The game was a bit of a seesaw affair early on, yet it was everything but unstable throughout the remainder of the contest. The game plan for Texas State at first seemed to be that of dumping the ball down low and letting senior forwards Tony Bishop and Cameron Johnson go to work. In fact, Bishop and Johnson combined for 21 of their team’s first 26 points. Johnson’s eleven was a product of shooting 2-for-9 from the field, but he was 7-of-9 from the line.

At intermission, the Bobcats went into the locker room down 37-29. It was knotted at 28 just a couple of minutes before the half, but the Cowboys went on a run.

Coming out of the break, Texas State knew that they just simply had to make the easy shots they didn’t make in the first half if they were going to win. Well, this simple game plan was not executed. The ‘Cats continually missed point-blank shots and open three pointers,and that caught up with them in a hurry.

With that said, the second half never really belonged to the Bobcats. The Cowboys kept getting out in transition and they kept making good decisions. Just to put it in perspective, McNeese State ran up-and-down the court time-and-time again, and only had six turnovers at the final buzzer. Six turnovers that were overshadowed by a whopping 19 assists.

The Cowboys’ lead would eventually grow to as much as 20 points because of the Bobcats’ inability to execute on the offensive end, and trouble stopping lay-ups on defense. Speaking of non-execution, Bishop did not touch the basketball for eight minutes at that time. Instead, the Bobcats went to a perimeter-oriented offense and stopped giving Bishop and Johnson the touches that had them competing in the game early. This new offensive mindset put the ‘Cats on a fast track back to San Marcos with a loss.

So the five seniors, Bishop, Johnson, White, J.B. Conley and Uriel Segura end their 2011 Campaign with an even 16-16 record and a discouraging final memory for losing as convincingly as they did. However, these guys did a complete 180 when conference play came around, and they righted the ship that even gave them a chance to win the regular season title. These guys have nothing to be ashamed of, especially White and Johnson who came into the program as freshmen when the team had only won nine games in the previous season. They have steered this program in the right direction and they will be greatly missed.

So the long offseason begins. The endless recruiting and workouts begin now to turn this team into a legitimate contender in the Western Athletic Conference come 2012. New leaders will emerge and the cycle will run its course until this time next year when they journey for that illusive college basketball championship.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Different Déjà Vu: Bobcats Advance in Katy

2011-03-10T18:07:00.003-06:00

In the exact same match-up as last year’s first round, the No. 4 seed Texas State Bobcats and No. 5 seed Southeastern Louisiana Lions were at it again in 2011. However, history would not repeat itself on Wednesday, as this dogfight would go to the Bobcats in a 72-68 win.

The Lions knocked off the Bobcats last year in overtime after overcoming a 17-point deficit, and the ‘Cats did not forget about that heartbreaker whatsoever. In fact, Senior Cameron Johnson said after the game that last year’s loss was vividly in the back of his and his teammates’ minds. Southeastern, on the other hand, probably still had a sour taste in its mouth from a couple weeks ago when they went into San Marcos and gave up a double-digit lead and lost to Texas State.

So both teams had fuel added to their fire.

Frankly though, none of it mattered when that first whistle was blown at the Merrell Center on Wednesday. Both teams knew coming in that a win would not come easy, and every little mistake would be magnified because there is no room for error. You lose, you pack it up and head back home.

Coming out of a 33-28 halftime lead, I am sure the Lions did not expect Senior Texas State Point Guard Ryan White to asbolutely take over the game. Ready or not, there he came. White scored nine of his team’s first 14 points to open up the half and the game was tied by the 15:00 mark. The teams went back and forth all the way up to the final 60 seconds of the game.

In winning time, SELA had the basketball with 30 seconds left of the clock, down by two points. Brandon Fortenberry dribbled the ball into the paint and tried to make a pass down to his seemingly open big man David Ndoumba. White got a hand on the pass and a SELA player bobbled the ball out of bounds. Tony Bishop was fouled on the ensuing inbound, and he stepped up to the line and iced the game. Texas State shot a terrific 21-24 from the free throw line, a stat that was all but impossible in the beginning of the season. My, how their free throw shooting has come around.

Seniors Bishop, Johnson and White carried their Bobcat team, combining for 58 of their team’s 72 total points (White had 26 and Bishop had 18). Talk about senior leadership. The ‘Cats will advance to the semi-finals for the first time since 2002. They will face No. 1 seeded McNeese State tomorrow at 8:30 PM after the conclusion of the UTSA/Sam Houston contest. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 8:15 on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports

Three Seniors, Fox Say Fairwell in Season Ending Defeat

2011-03-05T19:40:00.003-06:00

It was a bittersweet atmosphere in Strahan Coliseum on Saturday evening.

Three senior Bobcat players women's basketball staples, Anna Brzozski, Mallory Williams and Chika Ofeogbu, as well as head coach Suzanne Fox, participated in their last game as Texas State Bobcats against Sam Houston State, losing 93-79.

Fox also announced that 2011 would be her last season as Texas State's head coach.

After a closely contested first half, sloppy play in the final eight minutes of the game allowed the Lady Bearkats to come away with the victory. For the second game in a row, the Bobcats put together a great first half against one of the best teams in the Southland Conference, as the game was tied at the break 39 all. One large reason for the tightness for the first half was a poor shooting performance by the Lady Bearkats from behind the arch, going 0-8 for the first 20 minutes.

The second half featured several Bearkats breaking out of their shooting slump, including their leading scorer and rebounder, Britni Martin. Altogether, Sam Houston had a very balanced attack, with five players scoring in double figures.

One bright spot for the Bobcats was the play of junior guard Kelsey Krupa. Krupa, who will undoubtedly be one of the most important players returning for next season, finished with a career high 21 points.

With the win, the Lady Bearkats clinched at least a share of the Southland Conference West Division Championship. With the loss the Bobcats finish the 2010-2011 season 9-20 overall and no post-season play.

Yesterday afternoon, Fox announced that this would be her last season on the bench for Texas State. She will remain at Texas State with an administrative role with the school. Over 14 seasons at Texas State, she leaves as the school's all-time leader in career victories, with other accomplishments including two SLC regular season championships, 14 All-Conference players, two Conference Players of the Year, and the schools only WNIT victory.

Luke McBroom, KTSW Sports Director

One to Remember: Seniors Shine in Final I-35 Shootout

2011-03-04T16:59:00.004-06:00

What a way to go out.

Seniors Ryan White, Cameron Johnson and Tony Bishop made the most of their last game at Strahan Coliseum Saturday evening as they beat the UT-San Antonio Roadrunners in a thriller, 82-80. Not only was Saturday Senior Night for six Bobcat seniors, it was the second game in the I-35 rivalry series between the two schools, and a chance to get some revenge in front of a regional audience on the Southland Conference TV Network.

More than 3,500 fans showed up to support the Bobcats and propel them to their ninth straight home victory, and tried to keep the squad atop the Southland Conference standings. However, just like all of the previous matchups between the ‘Runners and the ‘Cats, this game started out fast and ended even faster.

UTSA came out firing three’s while Texas State pounded the ball inside. In the first half, the Roadrunners connected on half of their 12 three-point tries while the Bobcats were 3-of-9 from deep.

Neither team got to the line very often in the first half as the each combined for nine free-throws. Texas State was 4-for-5 and UTSA was 2-for-4, but oh, how that would change in the second half.

In the second period alone, Texas State went 15-for-18 from the charity stripe while UTSA was 9-of-19, and those free throws would be crucial in “winning time.” Much like the game earlier this season up in San Antonio, the teams kept it close throughout the half, and lit up the scoreboard in the meantime. They both shot an identical 14/30 from the field in the final period, but the game took a turn for the worse in the final couple minutes.

With under a minute left to play, a questionable foul was called on UTSA’s senior star point guard Devin Gibson that fouled him out and put White on the line. White knocked down both of his shots to put his team up by one with 30 seconds left to play. So of course the ‘Runners decided to hold for the last shot. However, Melvin Johnson III wanted to play hero, and shot a fade-away three pointer that didn’t even graze the rim and went out of bounds with six seconds left.

Bobcat basketball. Ball game, right?

Wrong.

To the dismay of the 3,000 hysterical fans in attendance, a technical foul was then called on Bishop for “taunting,” which fouled him out of the game and put Johnson III at the line for two shots. The crowd was in awe. It did not last for long though because Johnson clanked his first shot that meant all he could do was tie the game on his second attempt, which he did. The score was 80 a piece and Texas State head coach Doug Davalos drew up a play where his team had to go the length of the floor and get a shot up in six seconds. Well, he did just that in a very simplistic sort of way, giving Ryan the ball and letting him make it happen. The senior point guard dribbled the orange the length of the court and got to the rim where he was fouled on a layup attempt with 0.3 seconds left on the clock.

The crowd erupted when his first free throw zapped through the net. White also connected on his second try that put his team up by two and gave him a career high 25 points. A quick inbound and full-court heave by UTSA was unsuccessful, and the ‘Cats escaped with the 82-80 victory.

Bishop tallied his ninth double-double of the season, with 4 points and ten rebounds, while fellow senior Cameron Johnson moved up to tenth all-time in points scored in the school’s history after he netted 12. These seniors battled like there was no tomorrow, even though there will be since they’re still No. 1 in the SLC West, with bright hopes going into the postseason.

The team will finish out their last two games of the season on the road, Wednesday at Lamar and Saturday at Sam Houston. Both contests are scheduled to tip off at 7:00 and KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on 89.9 and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

‘Cats Come Back to Beat Lions and Stay Tied for First

2011-02-25T18:18:00.002-06:00

With the logjam that is the Southland Conference basketball standings, Texas State, like every other team, controls its own fate - they do not need help from anyone else. If they continue to win games, they will at least grab the No. 2 seed going into the Southland Conference Tournament. They are currently tied with McNeese State, which also won on Wednesday, for the number one team overall in league play.

As far as Wednesday’s contest, there was a pretty significant stretch where the Bobcats did not even look like a top-five Southland team, but still beat Southeastern Louisiana, 82-69. They jumped out early 14-6 at Strahan Coliseum, but did not take advantage of it and eventually allowed Southeastern Louisiana to get back into the game. The lead changed nine times and was tied six times in the first half as the score at intermission was rather close, 36-31 in favor of the Lions.

The two teams went into the locker room at the half playing extremely sloppy basketball with a total of 23 turnovers between them. However, Southeastern Louisiana was shooting 53-percent from the field (4/8) from deep while the Bobcats only connected on 39-percent of their first half attempts from 3-point land.

Then came the second period, and much like the end of the first, Southeastern was hot. They widened the margin in the first few minutes to eleven points, and the ‘Cats just looked dead. They did not seem to have much energy on either side of the ball and it showed up on the scoreboard. The crowd was starting to get restless mainly because of the 13-point deficit their team was facing at around the 15:00 mark, so Head Coach Doug Davalos had to make some changes. He put his Texas State squad into a 3-4 full court press and an extended 2-3 zone in the half court. These key changes on defense, and a new game plan to continually dump the ball inside to either Cameron Johnson or Tony “Slim” Bishop, propelled a 24-4 run by the ‘Cats that gave them the lead. Southeastern called timeout after timeout to try make Texas State cool off during the run, but it was unsuccessful. After that 20-point swing, the Bobcats eventually held a comfortable double-digit lead that they would able to maintain throughout the remainder of the game.

The underlying statistic that exemplified the “awe” of that impressive run was that the ‘Cats shot a whopping 78-percent from the field in the second half alone. Yes, it’s unbelievable, but it just goes to show how productive the Bobcats can be when they actually get the ball inside, something that must become a habit in these last few games of the season, and even more importantly in the post-season, if they want to be successful in the tournament.

The Bobcats had five players notch double digit scoring marks in the game, while the Lions only had two. For the ‘Cats, Bishop had another double-double with 22 points and ten rebounds and Eddie Rios netted 12. Ryan White and John Bowman both finished with eleven while Cameron Johnson had a career night with 16 points, which moved him up to eleventh place on Texas State’s all-time scoring list, and is only one point away from tenth place.

By the way, guess who holds that spot? Rudy Davalos, father of current Texas State Head Coach Doug Davalos.

With the win, Texas State is now 9-4 in league play. The Bobcats will be back on the court at the Coliseum this Saturday at 2:00 PM for the I-35 shootout with their long time rival, UT-San Antonio. It will also be senior night, or Senior Day I should say. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 1:45 on 89.9 and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports

Bobcats Push SLC Home Win Streak to Eight

2011-02-14T15:29:00.002-06:00

It’s never over until it’s over, as it were. The Texas State men's basketball team did a complete 180-degree turn around in the second half o Saturday against UT-Arlington to get back into the game, and eventually win 79-71 over the Mavericks at Strahan Coliseum.

Exactly two weeks from the day the Bobcats were in the exact same position up in Arlington. The Mavericks jumped out to an early lead in that one as well, but the Bobcats could not battle back dropped that contest by 17 points. In this contest Saturday, the first half was almost identical to the one in their previous loss as UTA forced Texas State to hoist up bad threes and not get anything in the paint on offense. The Mavericks, on the other hand, were getting any and everything they wanted on their offensive end. And talk about being the aggressor: UTA was pounding Texas State in a number of categories.

At the half, the Mavs were outrebounding the Bobcats 23-9, and also led in points in the paint, 13-2. They were muscling the ‘Cats inside with 18 points in the paint compared to Texas State’s two. So with all things considered, I’d say the Bobcats were lucky to be down 39-25 at the half. Texas State junior transfer Eddie Rios was the only player in double figures scoring at intermission with 13. If it were not for his 5-9 shooting (three three-pointers), his team would have been down by a lot more than 14.

So going into the final half of play, it seemed as if the ‘Cats would have to do everything differently than what they did in their previous 20 minutes of play if they wanted to get back into the game - and that's what they did. Led by a multitude of different players, the Bobcats played an extremely inspired half of hoops and made this a game rightful of Southland Conference Television play.

Texas State came out of the locker room extremely motivated on both sides of the floor. The Mavericks did not get their first point of the half until the 15:50 mark. In fact, to put things into context, the ‘Cats outscored the Mavs 32-10 in the first eleven minutes of the second half to take the lead. The Bobcats just got their acts together and became the aggressors out on their home floor, getting the job done through hard work and grit on the defensive end.

Texas State notched 22 of their 27 points off of turnovers in the second half and closed the rebounding gap, which made things a lot easier for the comeback. Like I said, the ‘Cats got it done by committee. They had four guys who ended up with double figure scoring. Rios led all scorers with 20 and Cameron Johnson had 16 points, eight rebounds while Travis Jones netted 15. Tony “Slim” Bishop finished with eleven points.

The win gave the Bobcats a little more breathing room atop the West division standings in the conference. Northwestern State also fell to Southeastern Louisiana Saturday, so with those two results, the Bobcats are now in first place overall in the Southland Conference standings at 7-3 (12-12 overall). This is Texas State's best start in league play in over a decade.

The Bobcats will be back in action this Tuesday to take on the islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7:00 PM. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on 89.9 and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports

Men's Basketball Withstands Tough Blow to Beat SFA at Home

2011-02-04T18:16:00.003-06:00

No Cameron Johnson, no problem. In Texas State’s previous contest at UT-Arlington, Johnson was called for a flagrant foul, which meant that he would have to sit out Wednesday's and Saturday’s home games. Then to add insult to injury, Wednesday’s contest would be against one of the best team’s in the Southland, Stephen F. Austin University, and then against the top scorer in the conference, Anatoly Bose, on Saturday.

So basically the theme of the next two games would be for everyone to do their part and step up if the team were to win, and that is exactly what the Bobcats did Wednesday night. The Lumberjacks came into San Marcos without their star point guard Denzel Barnes - and man are his shoes hard to fill. The 'Jacks had a hard time taking care of the ball, and their 18 turnovers propelled them to a 66-61 loss.

Throughout the first half, there were really only three guys who got it done on the offensive end for both teams. Senior center Jereal Scott for SFA, and guards John Bowman and Ryan White for Texas State. By the end of the first half, Scott had torched the Bobcat “D” for 17 of his team's 32 points on seven-of-eight shooting from the field. He was definitely taking advantage of Johnson’s absence. Now as for the Maroon and Gold, Bowman had nine and White had eight at intermission to make the score 32-31 in favor of SFA.

The second half had a bit of a different tune. Texas State opened the final period on an 8-2 run and never really looked back. The ‘Cats strung consecutive defensive possessions together in spurts throughout the half and held Scott to just two second half points. Not only did they play good defense, they also rebounded the basketball as a team very well. Out of the 26 total rebounds in the game, five players had four boards apiece, and no one had more than that.

And when it was crunch-time, the Bobcats executed on the offensive end as well. They ran the shot clock all the way down to about ten seconds, and got either a layup or foul at the end of seemingly every possession. They also shot free throws exceptionally well. Texas State went 23-29 from there (14-18 in the second half) and also held onto the ball. The team only committed ten turnovers, which was probably the most underrated stat in the ball game.

So the 11-game losing streak against the ‘Jacks finally ended in impressive fashion, seeing as it came about without their leading scorer and preseason all-conference pick. The win put Texas State in a three-way tie for first place in the SLC western division with UTA and UTSA at 4-3, while SFA’s loss dropped them to fourth in the conference at 3-4. Texas State will be back in action at Strahan Coliseum this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. to take on the Nicholls State Colonels. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 3:45 p.m. on 89.9 FM KTSW and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Bobcats Beat Islanders in OT

2011-01-31T16:24:00.002-06:00

The Texas State women’s basketball team won in thrilling overtime fashion on Wednesday night in Corpus Christi, Texas, against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, 78-76. The victory marks the first for the Bobcats in Southland Conference play this year.

The Bobcats took the lead at the 18:00 minute mark and never looked back in the first half, with a stellar performance from Diamond Ford, heading into the half up 32-27. Ford was just as rock solid in the second half as she was in the first, and continued to put points on the board as she scored four of her team’s first five points. The game got extremely tight when the Islanders made a run and eventually tied the score at 54 with a little over eight minutes left in regulation. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi even managed to take a four point advantage at the 6:30 mark. With the game tied at 67 and four seconds left in regulation, Diamond Ford pushed the ball up the floor and was able to get a good look at a three ball that just didn’t fall and forced overtime.

Overtime was just as exciting as regulation when the Bobcats took the lead 76-71 with 2:32 left on the clock, but the pesky Islanders would not go away without a fight, managing to tie the game up at 77 with under a minute left. After many missed free throw opportunities by the Islanders, Texas State put the ball back in Ford’s hands as she drove the entire length of the floor and was able to draw a foul call with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock. Calm as can be, Ford nailed both free throws that saw her cap a perfect night from the line (13-13). This was the third time in her career where she has hit thirteen or more free throws in a game. The Islanders didn’t make much of their last opportunity when they threw the inbounds pass the full length of the court and it went out of bounds giving the Bobcats their first Southland Conference victory.

Texas State got excellent play inside from Chika Ofoegbu and great guard play from Mallory Williams. Diamond Ford finished the night with 27 points. The Bobcats return to action on Saturday against UT-Arlington at 4:00 p.m. at Strahan Coliseum.

Rion Hamilton, KTSW Sports

Bishop Helps Bobcats Grind Out Tough Home Win

2011-01-29T19:36:00.003-06:00

In their most physical conference game thus far, the Bobcat men's basketball team revealed its resiliency and held on to a 73-62 win over A&M- Corpus Christi at home on Wednesday. The Islanders are arguably the best half court defensive team in the Southland (along with Northwestern State), and possibly the most physical. They are not a jump shooting team by any means. Instead, they pride themselves on defense and pound the ball inside on offense.

A&M-Corpus also has a lot of big bodies, particularly in their front court, so coming into Wednesday’s game, it seemed that this would be another big test for Texas State’s thin front line. I can honestly say that all of the doubt about the Bobcats' front court should be erased by now: Cameron Johnson, Tony Bishop, J.B. Conley and Matt Staff have played extremely well against the more sizeable front courts in the Southland this season.

However, they can’t get all of the credit. This group of guys has been getting it done as what they are: a team. In Wednesday's matchup, the 'Cats jumped out early and were up by as much as nine in the first half. However, a seven minute drought of no points at all had the score 25-all at halftime. Texas State only had four players who recorded a single basket, and Bishop was the only player in the game with double figures as he had ten points.

But oh boy, was he just getting started. The second half belonged not only to Bishop, but also Johnson and Ryan White late in the game.

On a side note, the 'Cats had an easier time in the second half. As Head Coach Doug oach Davalos said, “This was probably our best second half of defensive basketball all season.” Texas State forced the Islanders to commit 18 turnovers compared to just nine assists, and to put a cherry on it, they converted 25 points off of turnovers.

Now as for the offensive showcase by Bishop. He made things look beyond easy as he scored many different ways, knocking down the mid-range 15 footer, driving by the Islander big men for easy finishes (one he tried to dunk but was fouled at the rim), and converting on his freebies. Bishop was 6-6 from the free throw line and 7-9 from the field, which gave him 20 points on the night to go along with eleven rebounds, and oh yeah, two blocks that got the crowd out of their seats.

As for Johnson and White, neither player had a single point in the first half. Yes, one of Texas State’s better scoring options, Johnson - the team’s leading scorer - was scoreless at the half. However, Johnson managed to go 5-9 from the field in the second half and grab four boards that put him at 13 points (5-15 shooting) and nine rebounds. White on the other hand kept attacking the basket and A&M-Corpus did not have an answer for him. White went 11-12 from the charity stripe and 4-7 from the field in the second period that gave him 20 points and five assists when the final buzzer rang.

Islander star forward Demond Watt had another solid night against the 'Cats with his 20 points and 12 rebounds, but the Bobcats came together as a whole and they were just too much Wednesday night.

The win puts Texas State atop the Western division standings along with SFA, UTSA and UTA (the Bobcats' next opponent) all of which are 3-2 in conference. Texas State will travel to Arlington to face the Mavericks on Saturday, with tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on 89.9 and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Part One of I-35 Shootout Goes to UTSA, 88-84

2011-01-24T01:17:00.003-06:00

It was just another chapter in the ongoing saga that is the I-35 shootout, and Texas State men's basketball would go on an impressive run only for the game to be decided just before the final buzzer, as UTSA won 88-84.

The Roadrunners started off on a 13-0 run, which kept the near 3,000 fans heavily involved. With their “BEAT TEXAS STATE” shirts on, I'm sure many of them knew that the Bobcats have been dominating the Roadrunners recently. Texas State had won four of the last five meetings between the teams, and UTSA was on a three game losing streak at home going into Friday night.

After Texas State finally settled down and stop jacking up three pointers, they got themselves back into the game before halftime. The first 20 minutes, however, was the Melvin Johnson show. Johnson, a sophomore guard and last year’s freshman standout, had his way with the ‘Cats, showing off his full arsenal of offensive skills. He had 16 points and seven rebounds at the half, and led his team to a 46-36 halftime lead. UTSA was up by as many as 17 points during the half.

As it were, the game is never over until that final buzzer, especially between these two future WAC opponents. That said, the ‘Cats battled back in the second half, thanks to forwards Cameron Johnson and Tony Bishop dominating the paint on the offense.

Texas State began combating UTSA’s 2-3 zone by going inside out. Bishop and Johnson on the inside, Travis Jones and Eddie Rios on the outside. The Bobcats also slowed down Melvin Johnson and senior point guard Devin Gibson in the final period.

As anticipated, the ‘Cats battled back and ended up tying the ball game and even taking a one point lead with under two minutes remaining in the contest. The lead would change again after a rare miss at the free throw line by Gibson, and Texas State took the ball on offense with a shade over 20 seconds left, down by two points. Head Coach Doug Davalos decided to forgo using his final timeout and instead let his team play out the possession on their own.

That plan fell through and Rios put up an ill-advised shot from five feet behind the three-point line with about 15 seconds left on the clock. Needless to say, that shot was well short of its mark, but luckily fell into the hands of Bobcat point guard Ryan White directly under the goal. Now it was more than likely the pressure and the fact that the game was in his hands, or maybe it was just that he was surprised that the play had developed the way it did, but whatever the reason, White short armed the layup attempt and missed. The ball was tapped around a bit and ended up with UTSA, and after a couple free throws and a missed three point shot at the buzzer, UTSA sealed the win.

A heartbreaking loss for Bobcat Nation, but Texas State will have a chance at redemption on Feb. 26 for part two of the I-35 shootout, with the next game being in San Marcos.

Rios led all Bobcat scorers with 20 points, and Bishop had 17 with six rebounds; Johnson scored 16 and Jones netted 15 on 5/6 shooting from deep. UTSA’s Melvin Johnson finished with 21 points and ten rebounds while Gibson ended his night with 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Texas State is 2-2 in Southland Conference play while UTSA is up to 3-2. The Bobcats will be back in action on Wednesday in San Marcos as they take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, with tip off set for 7:00 p.m. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Bobcats Scratch and Claw Past Bearkats, 95-91

2011-01-20T11:24:00.002-06:00

In the first of two match-ups between the Texas State Bobcats and Sam Houston men's basketball teams, this one looked bad early on for the Bobcats. But the gymnasium looked great as a full crowd propelled the Bobcats through the stretch as the Bobcats took an exciting four point win over their Conference rivals.

Sam Houston opened up the game just having their way with the Texas State defense, particularly Gilberto Clavell. The bearkats went up by as many as eleven points, but a 16-4 Bobcat run cut that deficit to 26-23 midway through the first half, and both teams kept dropping buckets as the halftime score read 49-45 in Sam Houston's favor.

At intermission, last year’s newcomer of the year Gilberto Clavell already had 18 points and six rebounds on 8-10 shooting from the field. No one else was even in double figures on either team; the Bobcats were shooting 92-percent from the free throw line though -- yes, the Southland Conference’s worst free throw shooting team was 11-12 from the charity stripe.

The track meet continued in the second half as both teams continued to fill it up. Then the Bearkats were dealt a couple of huge blows as their most athletic forward, Marcus James, fouled out at the 9:00 mark, and Clavell backdoored him and picked up his fourth foul.

So tit-for-tat both teams went, now between Senior Bobcat point guard Ryan White and
senior Bearkat forward Josten Crow. Crow picked up the scoring load for his team while White did a little of everything for his, en route to a career high 22 points.

Now on to the drama…

Both preseason All-Conference players, Clavell and Bobcat senior Cameron Johnson, entered the game at exactly 6:08 and both with four fouls. Clavell got the entry pass into the post with Johnson defending, made his move and clearly threw his elbow around, decking Johnson to the floor. The whistle blew and all 2,100 fans awaited the signal for a charge.

They would continue to wait, however, because the referee signaled for a block and
Johnson’s night was officially over -- And boy, did that referee hear it from the Bobcat faithful: he got more boo’s than an cheesy Halloween story.

That call still opened the door for fellow senior forward J.B. Conley to step in, and down the stretch, he and White would provide the bulk of the Bobcat offense. On one possession around the 2:30 mark, White rose amongst the trees down low and grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds. On the second one, Clavell grabbed him and fouled out of the game. White stepped up the line and knocked down two of his 12 free throws on the night, as both teams continued to battle without their leading scorers.

Strong free throw shooting and even stronger defense by Texas State put them up over the Bearkats for the win, good for a 2-1 Southland Conference record.

White tied his career high in assists with 11. Conley finished with 19 points, and sharpshooter Travis Jones had 15 (5/10 from 3-point range). Johnson had 14 and Uriel Segura played extremely well also as he netted 12 points.

The bobcats are back in action Saturday night at the Birdcage against UTSA for the I-35 shootout. Tip off is at 7:00 p.m. and KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Turnovers doom Bobcats against Lady Demons

2011-01-13T11:28:00.005-06:00

It's tough to win when you turn the ball over 20-plus times in a game, and that is something that the Bobcat women's basketball team has done all too often this season. While in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the team struggled with a tricky full court pressure defense from Northwestern State and turned the ball over again and again, leading to easy baskets for the Lady Demons.

For the first ten minutes, it was a very tightly contested ball game. Junior Kelsey Krupa outscored the Lady Demons 8-2 by herself in the early going, but Northwestern State turned up the defensive pressure and was able to open up a 37-25 halftime lead.

The second half was more of the same, as tough full court pressure defense caused multiple unforced Bobcat errors. When the final buzzer sounded the score was 82-66.

There were a few bright spots in what was otherwise an ugly loss. Over the final three-and-a-half minutes, the Bobcat put together a 17-5 run to finish the game playing hard. And also, for the fifth time in her last seven games, freshman post Ashley Ezeh scored in double figures off the bench.

Texas State returns to action this Saturday in the friendly confines of Strahan Coliseum against McNeese State. Tip off is at 4:00 p.m., with live action on 89.9 FM KTSW.

Luke McBroom, KTSW Sports Director

Travis Jones On Fire in Conference Opener; Demons Not so Much

2011-01-13T11:17:00.003-06:00

Northwestern State men's basketball opened up their Southland Conference slate on the road in San Marcos to face the Texas State Bobcats Saturday afternoon, but its 3/22 mark from three-point range led the the Bobcats to a 84-71 win.

As they threw up bricks from downtown, the Bobcats could not miss, especially Travis Jones and Uriel Segura. The game started off as anticipated, with both teams running up and down the court and turning the ball over because of their fast-paced offenses. Then the bench came along, and they were more than ready to take over. Segura came out and drained two three’s, one from the parking lot... but he wasn’t the only one. Jones backdoored Segura and knocked a few threes himself in the first half.

At intermission, Jones was 3/3 from deep and Segura was 2/2, as the rest of the team was 1-of-4. Northwestern State on the other hand was a whopping 0/12 from three-point land. However, their nine offensive rebounds and Texas State’s 12 first-half turnovers kept the deficit pretty respectable at 42-30 in the Bobcats’ favor. Demon center William Mosley, who had eleven blocks in the team’s last game, owned the paint once again with his five first period blocks.

Second-half action started off much like the first. Both teams were a little too anxious, but the 'Cats' strong defense forced the Demons to shy away from the paint and continue to throw up bricks from deep. Northwestern State went 0/13 before Devon Baker eventually knocked one down at the 16:00 mark. The Demons would eventually get the lead down to as low as five points, but strong shooting by Jones and equal post-play by Senior Forward Cameron Johnson was too much to handle. The Bobcats stretched their lead to as much as 22 with just over two minutes left in the game, so head coach Doug Davalos called off the dogs, and a few jump shots late made it an 84-71 final score.

Jones finished 5/5 from distance for 17 points, and Johnson concluded with 19 and seven rebounds. Eddie Rios also knocked down a couple threes of his own to give him 12 points and five assists, as Segura and J.B. Conley both ended up with ten a piece.

The 'Cats take a week off before they travel to Lake Charles, Louisiana, next Saturday to play the McNeese State Cowboys. Tip off is set for 3:00 p.m. and KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 2:45 on 89.9 and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports

Bobcat's Close Out Non-Conference With a Bang

2011-01-06T15:42:00.002-06:00

Texas State women’s basketball dominated the Huston-Tillotson Lady Rams in every aspect of the game on Monday night at Strahan Coliseum with a 105-65 victory. Five players scored in double figures and the point total scored by the Bobcats is the highest amount posted by any Southland Conference team this season.

Leading the way in scoring was Senior Chika Ofoegbu with 17 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Diamond Ford was close behind her with 16 points and has scored 15 points or more in six of the last eight games. Ashley Shoemaker added 13 points along with Ashley Ezeh’s 12, while Kelsey Krupa also chipped in with eleven points and a solid defensive performance.

Texas State got off to a strong start in the contest by taking advantage of their size and really pounding the ball down low in the post early on. The Bobcats went on a lengthy run that was capped off by an Ashley Shoemaker three-point basket at the buzzer which gave them a lot of momentum going into halftime.

The start of the second half went back and forth as both teams traded baskets until Texas State went full-throttle on a 10-to-nothing run that expanded the lead to 74-45 with a little less than ten minutes left in the game. The Bobcats shot a season best 58 percent from the field and also out-rebounded the Lady Rams 50-21.

Texas State moves to 5-8 on the year, and this game marks the last non-conference opponent that the Bobcats will face before opening Southland Conference play against Northwestern State University on Jan. 8 in Natchitoches, La.

Rion Hamilton, KTSW Sports

Texas State Overcomes Broncos' Second Half Run to End Non-Conference Slate

2011-01-06T15:38:00.003-06:00

Texas State men's basketball was up by as many as 19 points late in the first half against UT-Pan American, and a lot of it was credited to the Bobcats being very unselfish on offense, senior Cameron Johnson had his way with the Broncos’ front court in an 82-70 Bobcat win. The game was a seesaw affair early, with four lead changes, but UTPA’s inability to take care of the orange got the better of them early.

The lead at intermission was 17, and the ‘Cats were sitting at a 15-20 mark from the free throw line.

No that was not a typo…

Texas State shot 75 percent from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes, which if the Bobcats can continue this level of shooting from the line, will without a doubt help their cause tremendously. And we can’t forget to mention that Johnson already had 17 points at halftime, and it seemed as if he was on his way to a career day. The senior led his team into the locker room with a convincing lead, and this looked like one that could get very ugly for the Broncos in the second period.

And it got ugly, all right - but not on the scoreboard. By the 15 minute mark in the second half, a couple of very drastic things had happened. The Bobcats' 17-point lead dwindled down to five; the Broncs caught fire from deep, and the Bobcats already had ten team fouls! Now maybe more than a few of those calls could be credited to quick whistles by the referees, but these two teams are no strangers to personal fouls. In the previous meetings between these teams, there was a total of 51 fouls called; this one would be worse, as there was a total of 61 foul calls made.

So with the sloppy play, UTPA ended up tying the ball game at 66 with 6:00 left, but senior leadership by Ryan White and Tony Bishop pushed the team through the tough stretch and got them the win.

Junior transfer from New Mexico Matt Staff got a critical and-one layup that gave the ‘Cats a comfortable eight point lead with three minutes left to play. The lead eventually grew due to strong free throw shooting, and the final score read 82-70.

Johnson finished with 19 points and six boards, while White scored 13. Staff collected eleven points and seven rebounds, as both Uriel Segura and Travis Jones netted ten a piece. Texas State finished up the night connecting on 26 of their 36 free throws for a whopping 72 percent, their best mark of the season.

Conference play is officially upon us, and Texas State has their first match-up against Northwestern State at Strahan Coliseum this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 3:45 p.m. on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Bobcats Overcome 21 Turnovers to Blow Out UT-Tyler

2011-01-03T16:10:00.004-06:00

Say goodbye to 2010! In their first game in three weeks, the Patriots of UT-Tyler showed just how rusty they were by shooting an abysmal 9/30 from three point range at Strahan Coliseum on Friday afternoon en route to their 21-point loss to Texas State men's basketball.

The new look Bobcats, now without Kentucky transfer A.J. Stewart, looked like a team that was willing to share the basketball and get each other involved - maybe a little too much at times, as evident by their 21 time outs. But still, you'd rather be too sharing than selfish. Now with only one more game left until conference play, they could not pick a better time to get it together.

However, the story of the game was not so perfect. The contest started off with sloppy play by both teams, a total of six turnovers (three for each team) in the first five minutes, and a barrage of three point jumpers by both squads. It was a very back-and-forth basketball game to start off, but the ‘Cats eventually took the reigns due to strong play by Cameron Johnson and Eddie Rios as they combined for 19 first half points. Texas State led 36 to 24 at the midway mark and they did not show any signs of slowing down.

That was until the Patriots opened up the second half shooting 5-6 from the field and got the lead down to as low as five. Now unlike the Texas State team we have become accustomed to this year, they did not give in and let the Patriots get the best of them. Instead, they called a timeout, kept the same lineup and pulled it together. Earlier in the season, this team would have caved in and let UT-Tyler take over, but not on this day. The ‘Cats kept moving the ball around and played solid defense that kept them on top and they never allowed the Patriots to take the lead Friday afternoon.

The bobcats went out of 2010 with a bang, and with Friday’s win, Texas State improved their record to 4-9 and dropped UT-Tyler to 4-7. Cameron Johnson finished with 18 points and seven rebounds and Eddie Rios netted 16 points. Tony “slim” Bishop’s day ended with eleven points and nine rebounds.

Senior center Jonathan Sloan came down awkwardly with just under 15 seconds left in the game. His status is unknown, but it would make things just that much tougher on this Texas State squad if he cannot rejoin the team. The guys will be back in action Tuesday, Jan. 4 for a re-match with UT-Pan American, a team they already took care of earlier in the season. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. and KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Rice B-Ball Crushes Texas State

2010-12-31T12:25:00.003-06:00

The Rice women's basketball team came in to the friendly confines of Strahan Coliseum and ran the Bobcats out of the gym Thursday night, cruising to a 97-50 win.

From the early going, Texas State struggled to get any mojo on offense or defense. The Bobcats shot just 19 percent from the field in the first half, and just over 20 percent for the entire game. Rice outscored Texas State 40-10 in the paint.

Leading the way for Rice offensively and defensively was star freshman Jessica Kuster, who had a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds. She has been named Conference USA Freshman of the Week three of the last four weeks, and looks to be well on her way to that honor once again.

Just about the only bright spot for the Bobcats was the second half play from freshman post Ashley Ezeh. She scored all of her team high eleven points in the second period.

With the loss, the Bobcats drop to 4-8 on the season, and eagerly await the start of conference play. Texas State takes on Houston-Tillotson on Jan. 3. You can hear the call on KTSW 89.9 FM, with tip-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Luke McBroom, KTSW Sports Director

Longhorns Trample Bobcats for Seventh Consecutive Season

2010-12-15T13:37:00.001-06:00

This was the year in which the Texas State men’s basketball team was "supposed to" give the nationally ranked University of Texas a run for its money, but when it was all said and done on Saturday evening, that was not the case at all as the 'Cats lost 101-65.

The ‘Cats played a tremendously efficient first 13 minutes of basketball, and they started off shooting 5/7 from the field in the opening five minutes, which kept them competitive early on. Then they traded baskets with the 'Horns for a while after junior forward Travis Jones came into the game at the 10 minute mark and connected on back-to-back threes. It looked as if Texas State’s 2-3 zone and aggressive offensive would keep them in the game as the lead changed nine times in the first 13 minutes, until UT Head coach Rick Barnes called a timeout and put his team in check.

The Longhorns then went on a 16-4 run to close out the half for a 39-24 UT lead. For yet another game this season, the Bobcats ran into that “5-minute demise," which is what I have noticed in every ball game so far: it's a five minute spell that they consistently run into: stagnation on offense is a key variable, and the team tries its best to pull itself out of the funk, one player after another. Well, Texas State hit that slump to close out the half, and that 15-point deficit seems even steeper when facing a Top-25 team.

The ‘Cats opened up the second half much like the first, taking the ball to the hoop and playing solid defense... for about three minutes. They got the lead down to as low eleven points, and then Texas State gambled a few times too many on defense and Texas made them pay. Against good teams, you cannot make dumb mistakes on defense or take bad shots because the opponent will take advantage of those miscues, and that is what the Longhorns did.

The game really just got out of hand around this time, and it just became all UT, all the time, and the two-standout freshmen for Texas did not disappoint at all. Guard Cory Joseph finished with 19 points on 7-11 shooting (5/8 from three) as he pretty much had his way with the Bobcats. The other half of the tandem, Tristan Thompson, had a very quiet first half as A.J. Stewart played him extremely well. However, he asserted himself in the second period finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds. Those two guys are every bit as good as advertised. And oh yeah, Jordan Hamilton had another big night, 16 points, ten rebounds and five assists.

The high scorers for the Bobcats were Cameron Johnson and Tony Bishop who had 12 points a piece, and Bishop added eight rebounds. The team had another bad night at the free throw line, shooting 8-18 as a team.

So all in all, this year’s match up with Texas ended much like all the others: a blowout on the scoreboard, which quite frankly is all that matters, but there were stints in the contest where the ‘Cats played exceptionally well. Now this is worth mentioning because there have been times, more often than not for sure, where Texas State wasn’t even in the picture, and that was definitely not the case this year against the 'Horns.

This game just proves a different point: consistency needs to be a point of emphasis before they reach their conference slate. That and a few other things if they are going to reach their full potential this season.

The Bobcats will take the court again on Thursday at 7:00 PM in Fort Worth to take on Texas Southern University. KTSW will have pregame coverage on 89.9 FM and www.ktsw.net starting at 6:45.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Who's Next in Line for the Bobcats?

2010-12-09T15:09:00.011-06:00

Here is a list of names that have been thrown out for the head football coaching job at Texas State that have an actual chance of coming, along with brief descriptions of why they are being considered.

Dennis Franchione: 13-9 record as the head coach at what was then SWT from 1990-91. Head coach at TCU, 1998-2001; really got things rolling at what was a then-WAC team; recruited/coached the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and had two defenses that ranked number one in the country in back-to-back years; went on to have overall unsuccessful stints at Alabama and Texas A&M. Currently works for ESPN Radio (but is ready to get back into coaching).

Bobby Jack Wright: Currently a defensive coach at Oklahoma (officially, the job is listed as "co-defensive coordinator"). Texas native, (Mission, Texas, same as Tom Landry) coaching stints at UNT and UT under John Machovic. Former player at SWT.

Tim Brewster: All-Conference player at Illinois; short playing stiny in the NFL; coaching career of 13 years, spent under Mack Brown at UNC and at UT (was a recruiting coordinator, helped recruit Vince Young, among other great Longhorn classes); moved to the NFL where he coached Tight Ends such as Antonio Gates, Tony Scheffler and Stephen Alexander; after coaching Tight Ends in the NFL, got the head coaching job at the University of Minnesota (1-11 season that included losses to North Dakota State and Florida Atlantic).

Greg Davis: Long-time offensive coordinator under Mack Brown at UT. Ran the spread offense for several years, with great success. Bad year this year, lack of production, got fired recently... You know the story.

Pros & Cons
*Coach Fran
Pros: Not only Texas ties but Texas State ties. Athletic Director Dr. Larry Teis has already shown he likes to hire form within (such as former head coach Brad Wright) and Fran is the closest to that status. Had tremendous success at TCU; got that program rolling into the national powerhouse it is today. His son, Brad Franchione, is the head coach at the highly successful powerhouse Blinn Junior College, and Papa Franchione would most likely bring him in as his defensive coordinator. Cons: Unsuccessful at A&M and Alabama. Also will be 61 years old by the time he gets on campus; by no means is this too old, but he's definitely not a spring chicken anymore.

*Bobby Jack Wright
Pros: Originally hired by by current head coach Bob Stoops to recruit the state of Texas; did a pretty good job of that. Also, you have to think that over the years, some of Stoops' wisdom sunk in through osmosis or something... Former Bobcat player. Cons: My main concern - how much control of the defense at OU did he ACTUALLY have while he was "co-defensive coordinator"? Everybody knows that if Bob Stoops wants a certain defense run at a certain time, then it will happen. If not, then Brent Venables called everything else, and I highly doubt that when game day rolled, around Wright had anything at all to do with the OU defense.

*Tim Brewster
Pros: Younger (50) coach who has already been a successful position coach in the NFL. Also coached under Mack Brown for several years (again, you have to think that even through osmosis, maybe some of Mack's Magic rubbed off on him, too). Originally signed a five-year, $400,000 (along with various bonuses that could have earned him up to about $600,000) contract with Minnesota - so he's in Texas State's price range. Bounced back form the initial 1-11 season to go 7-6 and make a bowl game. Cons: Went 1-11 first season with Minnesota, with losses to South Dakota and Florida Atlantic, teams that Texas State should beat. Recruiting ability, especially in a place like San Marcos, Texas may be in question.

*Greg Davis
Pros: A proven winner with a couple Big 12 titles and 2005 National Title to his name. Multiple NFL first-rounders on offense while at Texas; has great name recognition (something that many Bobcat fans are looking for while searching for a new head coach). Cons: Is there even a realistic chance of him coming here? Maybe. Chip Brown of oranglebloods.com (who is almost never wrong) reported yesterday that Davis is interested in coming to Texas State. Chances are he could possibly make more money being an offensive coordinator somewhere else, and I doubt he would want to stay so close to Austin (he's been mentioned at Clemson as well)... Oh yeah, and the Longhorns' offense last season was TERRIBLE. Let's not forget that.

Final Thoughts
Franchione: Love the Texas State ties and never thought he was a good fit for A&M or 'Bama. Those two places take a special kind of coach, but I think he could fit right in here in laid-back San Marcos.

Wright: Believed to be a great recruiter, which would be huge considering Dr. Teis has said that he doesn't plan on even beginning interviews until early January; extremely tough on this year's recruiting class. Don't think highly of the work he's done while at OU, considering, in reality, he was at least third in line for actually calling the defensive plays.

Brewster: I like the NFL experience. I like that he's younger than other coaches. I like the head coaching experience. I don't like his Northern roots, and I don't like the fact that he just got done being fired in the middle of a 1-6 start to this season.

Davis: I like the numbers he put up offensively every season (this season being the exception). Obvious, State of Texas recruiting ties, especially to the crucial Central Texas area. But I don't think he's a realistic candidate, and I don't think he's the right man for the job.

All things considered (drum roll please!) My personal choice for the next head coach for the Texas State University football team is... Tim Brewster.

Luke McBroom, KTSW Sports Director

‘Cats Can’t Claw Past Huskies, Lose Third Straight

2010-12-05T17:00:00.002-06:00

Texas State traveled up I-10 to face a winless Houston Baptist squad, and the Huskies gave the Bobcats all they could and more as HBU overcome an early deficit to win 88-81 Saturday night.

Much like the thriller in San Marcos last Saturday against North Texas, the Bobcats jumped out to an early lead and it seemed, once again, as if they would just run away with this one. Texas State held a 10-point lead throughout the better portion of the first half, but they allowed the home team to go on a run and gain some confidence. The ‘Cats were dominating in three major categories in the first half that were drastically flipped in the second, but one thing they did not take advantage of (yet again) was opportunities at the free throw line.

At intermission, Texas State had a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint, a 16-6 advantage in points off of turnovers, and they only had seven turnovers compared to the Huskies’ eleven. However, the Bobcats shot 10/22 at the free throw line while HBU shot 5/9. So just like the numbers showed, the ’Cats were attacking the interior and getting to the line, but they could not capitalize. A guy who was on the Bobcats’ scouting report was 6’6” senior forward Andrew Gonzalez, who came into Saturday’s game averaging 20 points per game. At halftime he already had 18 points and five rebounds after shooting 7-12 from the field and 4/6 from the free throw line. These factors lead to a 42-41 Texas State lead after the first 20 minutes.

Now I said this was a lot like last Saturday’s game, because you might recall the matchup against UNT in which the ‘Cats held a 14-point advantage throughout the majority of the game only to give it up in the final five minutes and lose. Well in this one, Texas State did a complete 180 and everything they did well in the first period, they did poorly in the second. That 32-16 points in the paint advantage evaporated and turned into a 46-all unnoticed statistic. Remember the 16-6 points off turnovers mark? Well that was long gone as well and became a 23-20 mark. Then the infamous turnover statistic... well that seven turnover staple they had at the half (HBU had eleven) became a 17-15 deficit for the Bobcats, and it showed up on the final scoreboard.

Texas State switched to a 2-3 zone in the last few minutes of the first half that gave the Huskies some problems, but the ‘Cats might have stayed in it a little too long in the second as HBU picked them apart in the last ten minutes of the ball game. The Bobcats did not go back to man-to-man defense until the 2:35 minute mark in the second period, and that, along with HBU shooting 56 percent from the field, also contributed to Texas State’s woes on defense.

Senior forward Jonathan Sloan had a strong outing as he finished with a team high 14 points and nine rebounds. Cameron Johnson netted 12 points (4/9 from the line), and John Bowman and Travis Jones both finished with eleven. A.J. Stewart was no slouch on D as he protected the paint with five blocks. Yet the ‘Cats as a whole shot 4-17 from three point range and 17-30 from the free throw line, and that did not help their cause at all.

However, we can talk about all of the reasons that the ‘Cats might have lost until we are blue in the face. Bottom line is that this team needs to figure out a way to hold on to leads and play the entire 40 minutes of basketball rather than 20 or 35 because this preseason slate is coming to an end, and the games that they cannot afford to lose are fast approaching. Their overall record now stands at 2-4.

Texas State will be back on the court next Saturday at the Erwin Center in Austin, TX to face a nationally ranked Texas Longhorn team. Tip off is set for 3:00 P.M. and KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 2:45 on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Texas State Women's Hoops Drops Second Straight

2010-11-29T13:43:00.003-06:00

Texas State women's basketball played a defensively sound game against a tall and lanky Jackson State squad on Saturday but lost 62-41. In front of a a good crowd at Strahan Coliseum, the Bobcats held strong in the first half, only trailing at the break 21-17.

The first half of play featured many turnovers by both teams, a mix of good defense and rebounding and sloppy traveling calls on offense. The second half was a different story for the Bobcats as they struggled to get anything going offensively.

Texas State forced 25 turnovers, but only managed to get 16 points off of those Tiger giveaways. Another big disappointment was the offensive production from their two leading returning scorers from last year, as Diamond Ford and Kelsey Krupa combined to score only two total points. Leading the way for the Bobcats was Verinus Kalu with ten points, the only Bobcat to score in double figures.

For the Tigers, they were lead by Biatrice Banks and her five three-point baskets. Rachel Jones kicked in 13 points to go along with seven rebounds for Jackson State. Texas State returns to action Wednesday as they travel to Boulder, Colorado, to take on a Big 12 opponent in the Colorado Buffaloes.

Luke McBroom, KTSW Sports

Same Song, Different Tune: Bobcats fall to Mean Green

2010-11-28T10:54:00.002-06:00

The North Texas Mean Green came to Strahan Coliseum to take on the Texas State Bobcats and made it an exciting Saturday of basketball. Texas State led just about the entire game, and was up as much as 14 points late in the second half, but much like Wednesday's comeback attempt against Our Lady of the Lake, the 'Cats allowed the other team to get back in the game and lost 77-81 because of it.

In the first half, the Bobcats picked up where they left off on the defensive end as they executed their game plan to the "T." In my eyes, this was Texas State's best defensive effort by far this season, and the 'Cats showed great intensity on both sides of the ball. State kept feeding Cameron Johnson and A.J. Stewart down low and that is what caused the team to be so successful early in the game. The 'Cats got production from every one of the nine players that played in Saturday's game, on both ends of the court. No one had double-digits in scoring at half time but at least five players had five or more points. Another "eyebrow-raising" statistic for the Bobcats was that they had only six turnovers -- that's right, six turnovers in the entire first half. Senior point guard Ryan White was back to primary ball-handling responsibilities and he responded well, dishing out five dimes and no turnovers at the half.

Oh, but how things would change for the Bobcats after that...

After holding a 38-28 lead at the half, Texas State continued their success in the second period by continuing to pound it inside. However, as it has been all year, the Bobcats could not capitalize on their opportunities at the free throw line. They finished the game 12-for-22 shooting from the line compared to North Texas' 20-for-26 -- and the 'Cats lost this game by by four points, so you do the math. Nonetheless, even their obvious struggles at the line would not prove to be the daggers of this matchup.

The 'Cats held a ten point lead until Senior guard Josh White nailed back-to-back three-pointers in a ten second span. On the ensuing Bobcat possession, Texas State did not execute its offense like it had been in the previous 35 minutes, and repeatedly gave the ball back to the Mean Green. After a solid defensive Bobcat possession, Texas State knocked down two free throws, but gave up another three on the other end.

Winning this game would have not only lifted the morale of this struggling Bobcat squad, and also would have erased a little of those tough losses the 'Cats have suffered in this early season. We are talking about a North Texas team that has made it to the NCAA Tournament two out of the last four years, including last year, and is picked to win the Sunbelt Conference. So for the Bobcats to have held a convincing lead for over 35 minutes in the ball game, only to give it away in the end is... How can I put this... very disappointing.

On a lighter note however, Texas State plays North Texas twice this season, so they will get to see the Mean Green again in a couple weeks. Payback anyone?

The Bobcats fall to 2-3 on the season, and North Texas is up to 4-1. Texas State will be back in action next Saturday in Houston at 7:30 as they take on Houston Baptist. KTSW will have pre game coverage starting at 7:15 on 89.9 and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Despite Loss, ‘Cats Make History with 126 Points

2010-11-26T21:47:00.004-06:00

Our Lady of the Lake had a lot to be thankful for when they left San Marcos on Thanksgiving eve after they gave up a whopping 73 points in the second half against Texas State men's basketball. In a story of two halves (and some extra time), the Bobcats fought from a big deficit, but it was too much as they lost a nail-biter, 127-126.

It seemed as though there were two completely different teams on the court Wednesday afternoon. In the first half, the defense-less team we saw against Long Island University reared its ugly head yet again: The ‘Cats got up 8-0 to start the game and seemed as if they would run away with this one. That was until the NAIA Our Lady of the Lake squad realized that they could play with the Bobcats.

The Saints went on a run that would give them the lead for more than 35 minutes. Texas State just wasn’t getting it done on either end, giving up open three pointers on defense and trying to play one-on-one basketball on offensive. The ‘Cats consistently broke the Saints’ press-break but refused to make the extra-pass at the basket, so the referees were constantly calling charges. This sloppy play put Texas State on a fast track to a 55-35 half time deficit.

About five minutes into the second half is when things got out of hand. Junior transfer Eddie Rios was called for a technical foul, and about 20 seconds after that, forward J.B. Conley was also called for a technical. Frustration was setting in with the Bobcats and was being showcased in a very classless manner. Then to make matters worse, immediately after Conley’s foul, coach Doug Davalos showed his displeasure by receiving a technical as well -- but his got him ejected from the game.

So Texas State had to play the remainder of the second half without their head coach and a vast hill to climb. The Bobcats got down by as much as 31 points in the half at the 9:46 mark. Things could not look any worse for Bobcat Nation.

But not so fast… That’s when things got a little interesting.

In the last nine-and-a-half minutes of the half, the ‘Cats outscored the Saints by 31 points. Junior transfer Travis Jones came into the game along with Ryan White and jolted the Bobcat crew. White, a senior guard and one of the captains on the team, took over primary ball-handling responsibilities like he did much of last year, and he did it well. White rammed the ball down the Saint’s throat quickly and efficiently to get his team back in the game. In the midst of their run, Jones hit back-to-back-to-back threes and gave Texas State some life. Forwards A.J. Stewart, Cameron Johnson and Tony Bishop also asserted themselves on offense in the second half, but most importantly on the defensive end. With a multitude of defensive stops and flawless execution on the offensive end, the Bobcats saw themselves back in the game with less than a minute to go in the game.

Texas State was down by one point with about nine seconds left on the clock. Our Lady of the Lake guard Robert Martinez made his first free throw but missed the second one, and Texas State grabbed the rebound with no timeouts left. White pushed the ball down the court and found Stewart streaking down the lane for a layup the knotted the score at 108. So the immaculate comeback was complete, and the game was going into overtime.

Both teams were going tit-for-tat in the extra period but tough defense by the Bobcats provided them with a narrow lead in the final minute. So the free throw contest began. The Bobcats have not shot the ball very well from the charity stripe all year long and this game was no different.

White was the sole free-throw shooter in the final minute of the game and he did a fairly good job at it. With three seconds left, White was back at the line with his team up 125-124. He missed his first free throw and the disappointment in his demeanor was obvious. However, to his credit, White stepped up and knocked down his second attempt. Then former Bobcat assistant coach and now head coach of the Saints, Russell Vanlandingham, called his final timeout. The Saints had to inbound from the far side of the court and had 3 seconds to nail their eleventh three-pointer of the contest. And due to poor ball pressure on defense, that is exactly what Martinez did. He caught the ball in the backcourt, took two dribbles, and hoisted up a relatively uncontested three pointer right in front of the half court line that banked in at the buzzer. Ball game. 127-126, and a new Texas State record for most points in a game was set.

It was a heart breaking loss for the ‘Cats considering how they battled back from 30 points in nine minutes, without their head coach, only to lose by a half court buzzer beater.

Credit must be given to assistant coach Rob Flaska who stepped in for Davalos and did an amazing job with the help of his other two assistant coaches, Terrence Rencher and Eric Brand. Maybe the outcome would have been different if Texas State didn’t shoot 33-55 from the free throw line and give up 39 points off of turnovers, but we will never know.

No rest for the weary though, as Texas State will be back in action this Saturday for the second half of a double header against North Texas. Tip off is set for 4:00 p.m. after the women’s game at 2:00 p.m. KTSW will have all the action on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Lights-Out Shooting Puts Bobcats in a Slumber

2010-11-17T12:39:00.003-06:00

It's easy to win a game on the road when your team shoots fifty-eight percent from the three point arc, and that's exactly what the Long Island Blackbirds did on Tuesday night against the Texas State Bobcats. In front of 3,327 fans at Strahan Coliseum, along with WAC Commissioner Karl Benson, LIU came in to San Marcos, TX, and downed the Bobcats 91-67.

Early in the game, it looked as if fans would see a good contest, but with the Bobcats' lack of defensive competition, the game got out of hand in a hurry. It seemed as if Texas State was taking nothing but tough shots on their end while Long Island continually knocked down open threes and uncontested layups. Senior sharpshooter Kyle Johnson ended the first half with 13 points off of 5/7 shooting from the field and 3/4 beyond the arc. The blackbirds as a team finished the half shooting a whopping 6-11 (fifty-four percent) from three-point range. They were also out-rebounding the 'Cats 27 to 23, and it showed on the scoreboard as the home team was down 46 to 26. So clearly for me, the first half was more than a disappointment. Texas State shot twenty-seven percent from the field - yes, I know it's terrible - and eighteen percent from three-point land.

With most of the crowd sticking around for the final 20 minutes, there was a bit of optimism from the fans and myself about the 'Cats making a second-half comeback. However, that went out the door when the second half picked up right where the first one left off: with Texas State not playing defense and not knocking down shots. So by the 10:00 mark, when the Bobcats hadn't made any progress, all hope seemed to be lost. At one point, the lead had been pushed to almost 30 points in favor of the Blackbirds. It seemed as if nothing could could go right and the half could not move any slower for Bobcat Nation. When the clock hit zero, the remaining fans wearing maroon and gold, including myself, had a very somber look on their faces.

Looking back on this game, Texas State was never in it - at all. Like Coach Davalos said in his post-game interview, "there is nothing good that came from this one." This Bobcat Basketball team is way too talented to lose games like this. Games in which they don't compete on either end of the court, and lack defensively in a game in which they finish shooting thirty-one percent from the field (and twenty-five percent from three), just makes matters worse. There was a point in the game when Texas State's shooting percentage was as low as twenty-five percent. There also came a time in the game when Texas State's assist-to-turnover ratio was 8:16. State also got out-worked in the paint 38-24 and they only put up two fast break points.

Getting beat like the Bobcats did on Tuesday night is bad enough, but when they do it in front of 3,000+ fans at home, that loss is magnified a little more. However, unlike Coach Davalos, I do see some good coming from this loss: it put the team in check. So seeing as this is just the second game of a LONG season, and this is arguably one of the most talented teams in Texas State's history, I am confident that they will bounce back. They have the talent and senior leadership needed to reach their full potential, so this is just a minor speed bump in Texas State's road to winning the Southland Conference.

Texas State will be on the road for the first time this season this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. as they travel to Edinburg, TX, to take on UT-Pan American.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

One Up, One Down: Men's Basketball Makes "Fandemonium" a Success

2010-11-16T16:06:00.002-06:00

The Texas State men's basketball team continued Friday night's success with a win against Sul Ross State 89-62 right after their fellow women's team won by 30. The new and improved Bobcat basketball team looked every bit as impressive in their season opener. Now, it's understood that this was Sul Ross, and not a Top-25 team, but the 'Cats had chemistry and athleticism that was definitely showcase quality.

From the opening tip-off, it was quite obvious that Texas State was ready to take it to a different team with new faces for a change, instead of beating up one another. After working so hard in the off-season, getting Eddie Rios, A.J. Stewart and the new recruits acclimated with the returners, their time had come, and once 7:00 on Friday rolled around, the Bobcats took it to the Sul Ross Lobos. Sul Ross' offense featured a lot of one-on-one dribble drives with back door cuts that were pretty effective, but only for about the first ten minutes. The Bobcats' tight man-to-man defense was the bulk of their 42 first-half points. Defense led to easy transition offense as the 'Cats tallied up nine steals in the first half to go along with a plus-eleven gap on the glass. The four big post players for Texas State (Stewart, Bishop, Johnson and Conley) asserted themselves in the paint early as they combined for 20 of the team's 27 rebounds.

Granted, a lot of these numbers have to do with the fact the Sul Ross simply did not have the size nor the talent to match up with Texas State, as most Division-III schools don't, so a lot of these stats just came easy. However, one new gem I saw in the Bobcats' offense (that you will hear me reiterate often) is the high-low between Cameron Johnson and A.J. Stewart. Due to the fact that both forwards can handle the ball and shoot pretty well from mid-range, their style of play is virtually impossible to guard. It will definitely be something to watch come Southland Conference play.

Another impressive note that came out of Friday's match was the aggressive and very productive play of Tony Bishop and Jonathan Sloan. Now I know what you're saying, "Yeah, how many times have I heard this in preseason play?", but according to the players, these two guys have been on a mission this off-season to assert themselves in their senior seasons. Hopefully for the Bobcats, this keeps up, because if it does there will not be a team in the Southland Conference that can match Texas State's depth in the front court. Bishop finished the game with 14 points and ten boards while Sloan netted ten points to accompany nine rebounds.

Preseason All-Conference forward Cameron Johnson added eleven points and nine rebounds, and most impressively, J.B. Conley went home Friday night having put up 19 points and eight rebounds. Nonetheless, the team as a whole looked great outside of their 20 turnovers and thirteen percent shooting from deep (2-15), but that's just me being picky.

The Bobcats will be back in action Tuesday night at 7:00 against Long Island University in San Marcos. WAC Commissioner Karl Benson will be in attendance, so come out to Strahan Coliseum and be a part of the fun. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 6:30 on 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Rattler Football Ends Winless in 2010

2010-11-07T22:33:00.001-06:00

San Marcos High School football ended its season on Friday night with a loss to the District 25-5A champions Cibolo Steele 49-7 at Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Stadium. This is the first time since 1995 that the Rattlers have gone without winning a single game in a season.

It was a very dominant performance by the Knights from the beginning of the game until the final whistle. The flood gates of scoring opened up on the second possession of the game when Knights quarterback Tommy Armstrong connected with his wide receiver, Matthew Mayle, for a 20-yard pass and score. Star running back and University of Texas signee, Malcolm Brown, saw very limited time and only touched the ball four times with one score, as he was not needed much.

The first quarter was an absolute disaster for the Rattlers when they turned the ball over twice and could not connect on a fake punt on fourth down. Steele capitalized on every San Marcos mistake and really made the Rattlers pay for the mental errors and penalties they committed. And to add injury to insult, UTSA-bound senior running back Terrence Wilburn did not play in his final game due to a shoulder injury that he suffered in last week’s game.

Four and outs seemed to be the theme of the night for San Marcos in the first half and they trailed 43-0 at intermission. The Rattlers started the second half with a lot more fire and passion than they exhibited in the first half, and put seven points on the board when freshman quarterback Zack Sterling capped off a long drive with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Dorian Perez. Unfortunately, those were the only points that San Marcos would score for the rest of the game and Steele went on to score once more before the final whistle.

Credit must be given to the Rattler football team as they held their heads high and remained as positive and enthusiastic as they possibly could despite not winning a game this season. They finish the season with an 0-10 record while Cibolo Steele finishes with an overall record of 8-2 and 5-0 in district play. Many things can be learned by the underclassmen on this year’s team as San Marcos will return many players for next season, including Sterling, who gained valuable experience this year leading the Rattlers on offense.

Rattler fans: 2011 can only move uphill from here.

Rion Hamilton, KTSW Sports

Texas State Football Loses Big to UCA at Home

2010-11-06T21:13:00.003-05:00

I don't know which was more sad to watch: this afternoon's Bobcat football game, or "The Notebook." Either way, there were crying girls, even crying guys in the stands on Saturday as the Bobcat faithful bid farewell to the 14 Seniors after a 49-17 loss to the University of Central Arkansas.

Those seniors, playing in their last home game, would fall a little short of a win - okay a lot short of a win - but the effort was there for the entire game, and the fight and the drive were, as well. The game, however, was out of hand almost immediately.

The Central Arkansas Bears scored on their first 6 drives. Yes, 6. All Touchdowns. The Bobcats only amassed a field goal in the first half, so what might have become an even bigger comeback than the KU over Colorado travesty earlier in the day, was not to be.

The 'Cats did score twice in the second half on two fine passes by quarterback Tim Hawkins, one to junior wide receiver Daren Dillard and one to senior wide receiver Da'Marcus Griggs, but it was too little, too late. Central Arkansas came out with authority and never let up. It almost seemed at times that the Bobcats had no chance; every play the Bears ran, worked. Head coach Brad Wright looked befuddled and almost lost after the game, and said he thought the team had a good game plan and a good week of practices, but he couldn't answer the question of "How in the...?" A few times during the game, Texas State players became emotion, almost angry. When getting yelled at by coaches, some players chirped back, a couple of cramps on the sidelines had one linebacker yelling, and even coach Wright after the game going after a fan who apparently had something unpleasant to say. That particular student came onto the field and proceeded to get a-yellin' at like they played safety for the Bobcats today.

Either way, the Bobcats took this one on the chin. Two more games to go and both are on the road. Might be tough-sledding for the 'Cats from here on out.

Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports

'Cats Stun 'Jacks on the Road

2010-11-04T16:32:00.001-05:00

The odds to take a victory on the road against a top rated Stephen F. Austin team were certainly against the Texas State Bobcats on Saturday, but the ‘Cats pulled out a miraculous 27-24 win to upset the Lumberjacks in Nacogdoches. SFA has a very good offense, a number one ranked FCS defense, the best record in the Southland Conference, and until Saturday, a six game winning streak, plus a nine game home winning streak dating back to last season. On top of everything, Saturday was SFA’s homecoming game, and its star senior quarterback, Jeremy Moses, had not beaten Texas State in his previous three career attempts – so Stephen F. Austin had plenty of motivation to beat the Bobcats. Throw in the fact that Texas State was 0-3 in conference play heading into the game – with its starting quarterback out for the season with a torn ACL – and it seemed like everything was pointing in the direction of a blowout in the Lumberjacks’ favor.

Things didn’t get much better for Texas State when the Lumberjacks scored on their first drive to put the Bobcats in a quick 7-0 deficit. Not many people will remember that the Texas State offense was turned away quickly and the Bobcats defense didn’t get much rest before they were back on the field. However, that defense forced a stop and suddenly the big-bad-SFA-offense seemed stoppable.

The remainder of the first quarter all the way into the beginning of the fourth quarter seemed to suggest that SFA would easily win their homecoming game. The Bobcats were stopped at the goal line, had trouble with field goals, and found themselves down 24-0 entering the fourth quarter. Looking on the bright side of things, the Bobcat defense was on track to hold the SFA offense to less than their 36 points-per-game average. Then, with around nine minutes remaining in the fourth, the Bobcats were reunited with an old friend – the end zone. Missing the two-point conversion, Texas State found themselves down 24-6. I found myself searching for positives yet again, and realized at the very least, the Bobcats wouldn’t be shut out. On the next kickoff, the ‘Cats forced a fumble, and only a couple plays later turned it into eight more points.

Chants of “TEXAS!! STATE!!” from the handful of Bobcat fans in attendance were heard in the SFA student section and very quickly, the Bobcats were not only back in the game, but they had momentum. Continuing their stellar play, the defense forced SFA into a 3-and-out in their own territory. Then the Lumberjacks made the costly mistake of letting senior receiver Da’Marcus Griggs field the punt. In SFA’s defense, they had no idea that Griggs channeled his inner Reggie Bush, but they found out quickly as Griggs made a series of amazing moves to return the punt for a 73-yard touchdown. Now Texas State was only down 24-21 after the successful PAT. Around this time, the remaining SFA fans were biting their nails, while Bobcat players and fans alike were jumping for joy, high-fiving each other and cheering louder for their team than the home crowd had for theirs all game.

With around five minutes left to play, Stephen F. Austin had the ball and was repidly making a drive down the field, trying to kill Texas State’s momentum. When it seemed like an SFA score was imminent, the Bobcats defense forced a fumble and recovered. Wasting little time, the offense took the field and Tim Hawkins made the perfect drive. Hawkins converted on a third-and-long, converted a fourth down, and made his first touchdown pass of the season to give the Bobcats a 27-24 lead with less than a minute and a half to go. The Bobcats missed the extra point attempt, and had to hope they could hold the SFA offense one last time. With only 3 seconds remaining, the Lumberjacks lined up in field goal formation for a 47-yard attempt. The kick was wide left and the Bobcats had completed the unthinkable comeback win. The final score: 27-24.

If this was a movie, people would have walked out, not believing such a comeback was possible. A team that hardly had anything going for it offensively the entire game, with a rusty quarterback, had scored four touchdowns in less than 10 minutes. They also stopped a team that had a dominant offense, and had come back with 27 unanswered points to win. Such a victory is something of fiction, surely. Well I’ll tell you right now, I saw it with my own eyes – and don’t call me Shirley.

Karl Schoening, KTSW Sports

Rattlers Lose Again, Record at 0-9

2010-11-04T14:53:00.003-05:00

Senior day for the San Marcos Rattlers was spoiled this past Friday thanks to the visiting Judson Rockets. The Rockets (6-3, 3-1) crushed the winless Snakes 54-7 after losing to Cibolo Steele 25-24 in a double overtime thriller just one week prior.

The Rattlers’ (0-9, 0-4) offense deflated early, as freshman quarterback Zach Sterling was picked off on the opening possession. The Rockets took the interception to the house and led 7-0 without their offense even touching the field. Judson scored twice more before the first quarter ended. By halftime, the Rattlers found themselves on the short end of a 47-0 score.

The Rockets’ second and third stringers played the majority of the second half and were able to alleviate any sign of a Rattler comeback. San Marcos was able to put together a solid drive late in the third quarter, however, as Anthony Ramirez capped off the productive drive with a 1-yd touchdown run, providing the only points for the Rattlers.

Ramirez led the way on the ground for San Marcos, picking up 74 total rushing yards. Terrance Wilburn, one of the 22 seniors honored during a pregame ceremony, tacked on 39 rushing yards of his own. Ramirez also led the Rattlers on defense, totaling nine tackles.

For the Rockets, there was plenty of offensive wealth to go around. Two of Judson’s touchdowns came from the defense as they forced four total interceptions. Quaylon Jones led the way on the ground, slashing and dashing the Rattlers defense for the entire first half as he scored on multiple occasions. The second string offense found the end zone only once in the second half, but was able to drain the clock for a speedy final two quarters.

The 0-9 Rattlers will finish the season on the road against the Cibolo Steele Knights (7-2, 4-0), the top dog in District. San Marcos will have one final shot to erase the goose egg in the win column, but will have to do so against a Knights team that’s won six in-a-row and is led by future Texas Longhorn Malcolm Brown.

Kick-off is at 7:30 and can be heard live on 89.9 KTSW.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports

Demons Spoil Bobcat Homecoming Party

2010-10-29T21:33:00.001-05:00

Homecoming 2010 will not be a game the Texas State Football team will have in their scrapbooks as they fell to Northwestern State 16-3 Saturday evening. In a game that had winds which gusted up to 27 mph, it was pretty hard for the Bobcats to get their offense, especially the passing game, in much of a rhythm.

However, early in the game it looked like Texas State would give all 14,000 fans a fun game as the first play from scrimmage was end-around to wide receiver DaMarcus Griggs, who then threw a first down to fellow WR Darren Dillard. The offense marched all the way down the field on that first drive only to have Karrington Bush fumble on the 28-yd line at the 11-minute mark, which was recovered by the Demons. The Northwestern State offense then rammed the ball right back down Texas State's throat and scored their only touchdown of the day on the next drive. Northwestern State’s other score came from a blocked punt, but we'll get into that a little later.

The second quarter opened with the only successful drive the 'Cats would have as they tacked on three points with a field goal. The remainder of the first half featured a couple fake punts by Ben Follis, which he converted each time, but the offense never got in the endzone. The overall unproductive first half ended with the scoreboard reading 7-3. At halftime, the Bobcats only had 28 rushing yards on 18 attempts.

The wind really played a factor on the opening second half kickoff when the ball bounced back towards the kicking team and Texas State recovered it at the Demons' 31-yard line. Three failed pass attempts and one short run by tailback Dexter Imade later, the 'Cats turned the ball over on downs. With less than a minute left on the clock in the third, standout nose guard Preston Brown forced a fumble, which injected some life into the pumped up fans at Bobcat Stadium.

That momentum would go to waste because the Bobcats would punt the ball away without even netting a first down. Later in the fourth, after the Demons went all the way down the field again, they missed a 30-yard field goal off the left upright to give the 'Cats some new hope. But on a must-score drive for Texas State, QB Tyler Arndt was sacked for a loss of eleven yards on the play and the Bobcats had to punt it away. So much for that, as Ben Follis' punt was blocked and scooped-and-scored by the Demons. This upped the score to 16-3 after the extra point was blocked as well.

Worth mentioning...

The Bobcats had another opportunity with a little over six minutes remaining when they recovered a fumble at the 15-yard line. However, after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the 'Cats were pushed back to the 30 yard line where they would be unsuccessful in getting in the end zone.

After one more possession for each team, the final score read Northwestern State 16 - Texas State 3, as the de-generated homecoming crowd exited Bobcat Stadium. Yet another disappointing conference loss that puts the team at 0-3 now, 3-4 overall. Texas State finished with an "eyebrow-raising" total of 57 rushing yards on 34 attempts as they allowed freshman quarterback Tyler Arndt to be sacked four times – the most he's been sacked all year.

The Bobcats will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Nacogdoches, Texas, to face Southland Conference favorite Stephen F. Austin at 2 P.M.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Rattlers Fall Short Once Again in District Play

2010-10-28T15:32:00.002-05:00

San Marcos High School (0-8) had high hopes before heading into Friday’s match-up against the Seguin High School Matadors (2-6), but lost 35-7 in Seguin. San Marcos’ only win last season was agianst Seguin, and the Rattlers may have missed out on their final chance to take home a victory this season, as the first and second place teams in District 25-5A are their final two opponents this fall.

The game started with a promising bang with a Rattler’s touchdownon on the opening kickoff, which was their first game-lead of the season. Unfortunately, they were the only points San Marcos would put on the board, as their offense was silenced for the remainder of the game. With their quarterback standing 6’4’’, an offensive lineman towering at 6’ 7’’ and the rest of the o-line sitting pretty at over 6’2’’, Seguin’s offense was a tyrant, and the Rattler defense was unable to apply any pressure.

Seguin was also winless in District going into the game on Friday, but quarterback Brig Gerlich countered the Rattler’s early 7-0 lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ty Miles on their first possession. On their next carry, San Marcos gave up the ball and set up the Matadors’ second touchdown, and after converting a two-point conversion, the score was 15-7 going
into the second quarter. This was one of four turnovers the Rattlers would give up during the game. The rest of the first half was much of the same story as Seguin put up two more touchdowns before heading into the half-time break with a 28-7 lead.

The second half was a bit more positive for the Rattler defense as they only gave up one more touchdown in the second half, but the offense was never able to recover, and their first touchdown ended up being their only one. Seguin definitely took advantage of Rattler mistakes and the Rattlers learned mistakes like those can and will lead to points against them.

The Rattlers tallied a total of 245 offensive yards and went deep into Seguin territory numerous times, but fell short on each occasion. The Rattlers punted twice and gave up the ball four times on turnovers. Freshman quarterback Zach Sterling started under center but Junior Adrian Narvaiz also took a few snaps during the game. San Marcos plays again against Converse-Judson on Friday, Oct. 29 at Bobcat Stadium. Kick off is at 7:30 P.M.

Amanda Escobedo, KTSW Sports

Battle for the Paddle goes to Nicholls

2010-10-19T17:48:00.003-05:00

Nicholls State and Texas State faced off in the fourteenth annual Battle for the Paddle game Saturday night, and the Colonels took home the hardware with a 47-45 quadruple overtime win.

Five of the 13 previous match-ups had been decided by one touchdown or less, so head coach Brad Wright knew the game would probably be pretty close, no matter how bad Nicholls had been playing as of late. The twenty-second ranked Texas State Bobcats were trying to bounce back from the drumming they took last weekend against Southeastern Louisiana, however the Colonels were also coming off of a loss, so both teams were desperately trying to avoid an 0-2 conference start.

In the first quarter, the Bobcat's first turnover came with a little over eleven minutes on the clock, as DeMarcus Griggs muffed the first punt of the game and allowed Nicholls to take over with an extremely short field with which to work. After the colonels scored, the ensuing kickoff would have gone out of bounds, but Phillip Benning made a tightrope grab on the sideline and started the offense inside the 10-yard line. The first quarter ended with the 'Cats only converting two first downs on five possessions and -1 rushing yards on nine carries.

The second quarter started with a 66-yard bomb to Griggs, but stopped there. The Bobcats settled for a field goal, but Justin Garelick missed it, and after an interception by the defense, Griggs got another big play -- a 42-yard touchdown grab. By now I'd say he has made up for the muffed punt, but he wasn't done at all on this career night. Later that quarter, the Colonels barely missed a 53-yard field goal wide right, but so did the Bobcats at end the half. Penalties were the halftime story and Texas State had been penalized four times for 111 yards compared to Nicholls' 30 yards on three penalties. The bobcats weren't executing, and that puts it lightly.

The second half started off with quarterback Tyler Arndt getting his offense in rhythm and marching them down the field only to have the special teams make another mistake. The field goal attempt was blocked by Nicholls, then picked up by Bobby Felder and taken to the house. After another good drive by the offense, they were looking at a fourth and two in the red zone. Coach Wright wisely called a play action, which went to Gentry, and set up a fade route to Darren Dillard the very next play that went for six yards.

Going into the fourth quarter, the 'Cats tallied up a total of three missed field goals, a blocked field goal and a muffed punt. Early in the fourth, the Colonels had a tough time getting anything going as they were pinned back close to the end zone. So they punted it away to Griggs which he returned 36 yards back to the red zone. On the very next play, Arndt hit Griggs on a 17-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone, which put Texas State up 21-14. After a couple of unsuccessful drives by both teams, Nicholls marched down the field late in the fourth and set up a fourth & goal at the 4-yard line with 18 seconds left in the game. They converted on a pass to Kenyard Blair, which we would see again in the overtime that now stood ahead.

To make a long story short, both teams went tit-for-tat in the overtime periods. Nicholls scored first, then Darren Dillard caught a TD pass (both teams converted the extra points). The next overtime featured two field goal kicks, one for each squad. Then the Third overtime saw a touchdown, with the mandatory two-point conversion rule in effect for Nicholls first, then a TD run for Dexter Imade and a two point conversion strike to Darren Dillard. In the fourth OT, Dexter Imade ran in a 1-yd touchdown but Tyler Arndt's two-point pass attempt to Griggs was broken up. After a touchdown by Nicholls, QB LaQuint Caston ran the exact same bootleg pass that tied the game at the end of regulation, this time to (the appropriately named) Chucky Nichols and the game was over, 47-45. A heart-breaking loss for Bobcat Nation only to see Nicholls storm the field and run to the Bobcat sideline to grab the two-sided paddle.

DeMarcus Griggs and Tyler Arndt both finished with career highs in their respective stat lines: Griggs had 205 receiving yards on eleven receptions and two touchdowns, and Arndt had 348 yards on 25/38 passing and four touchdowns. In the end, it wasn't enough, so the bobcats will have to get back to basics for homecoming next week against Northwestern State at 3:00 p.m. KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 1:00 p.m. on 89.9 FM and www.ktsw.net.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports

Rattlers Trampled by Unicorns

2010-10-11T14:32:00.005-05:00

The 0-5 San Marcos Rattlers football team took on New Braunfels High School (2-3) Friday night, losing to the Unicorns 56-14. The NB crowd was in full force for their homecoming game, as the Unicorns were coming off a heartbreaking loss to Austin powerhouse Westlake while San Marcos was looking for its first win of the season.

Before the game started, it didn’t look good for the Rattlers. The San Marcos starting quarterback was sidelined because of academic troubles, which left freshman Zach Sterling as the starter. Sterling made his first career start last Friday when the Rattlers lost to Austin-Anderson in a one-sided defeat.

The Rattlers had a very rough start, fumbling the ball on the first play of each of their first three positions. The turnovers lead to a 28-0 start for the Unicorns, and they didn’t let up. New Braunfels was able to shut out the Rattlers in the first half, leading 42-0 by the end of the second quarter.

Once you thought it couldn’t get any worse… it did. Arguably San Marcos' best player, running back Terrance Wilburn, was ejected from the game at the end of the second quarter after he was flagged for a personal after getting stuffed on a run down the sidelines. San Marcos only amassed 90 yards rushing, with a total of 165 yards on offense.

A very scary moment happened in the third quarter when Rattlers linebacker/running back Robert Spears was tackled after a screen pass to the left. Spears was carted off by an ambulance in a stretcher.

Light didn’t shine on the Rattlers until the fourth quarter when they were able punch in a late touchdown run to make the score 56-7. By the end of the game, the Unicorns had most of their backups on the field, which opened the door for Sterling to get one last score with a 31-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Gutierrez with 52 seconds remaining.

The Unicorns racked up 365 yards in total offense to win their first district game.

San Marcos (0-6) is back in action at home this Friday when they take on San Antonio Wagner.

Michael Fallis, KTSW Sports

Trojans Slay Rattlers to Push Season Down to 0-5

2010-10-04T00:13:00.005-05:00

San Marcos High School football suffered its fifth straight loss of the 2010 season 41-14 on Friday to the undefeated Austin Anderson High School Trojans (5-0). Anderson was just too much when matched up against an undersized Rattler football team (0-5) and really took control of the game early.

Freshman quarterback Zack Sterling made his first career start on varsity for the Rattlers and was introduced to Texas high school football quickly when facing the hard hitting Trojan defense. Anderson really managed the clock well in the second quarter after being up 7-0, and they marched 85 yards for a touchdown with just a couple minutes left to go before halftime. Another dismal effort on offense from the Rattlers on their next possession forced a punt back to the Trojans, who scored another touchdown using the hurry-up style offense just before the half.

Although down 21-0 at that time, the Rattler confidence was still high coming out to the second half. The San Marcos offense failed to gain yards again and they found themselves making mistakes in many aspects of the game, including special teams. Anderson was up 34-0 after three quarters of play when the Rattlers finally managed to put some points on the board. Junior running back Ryan Marin scored on a run from inside the red zone at the start of the fourth quarter to make the score 34-7. After another Trojan touchdown, San Marcos made a drive down the field to close out the game with a touchdown by UTSA-bound running back Terrance Wilburn.

The Rattlers start district play this week at New Braunfels after a winless non-district effort. Although the Rattlers are winless, one positive thing to look at is that every other team in district 24-5A is winless in district play right now as well. For a team that has not won a single game this season, San Marcos consistently plays hard and the players and coaches are constantly giving their full effort and maintaining an extremely positive attitude. Coach Steve Van Nest seems to have won over his players despite the slow start, and if the Rattlers can be tougher mentally and cut down on the turnovers, they have a chance to start off district with a win against New Braunfels on Friday.

Rion Hamilton, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Tigers Blow Past Rattlers

2010-09-29T13:57:00.007-05:00

The San Marcos Rattlers football team dropped their record to 0-4 with a loss to Corpus Christi Carroll last Friday night. Coach Van Nest and the Rattler's football players were attempting to prove all the Snake doubters wrong, but still coming up short, the performance Friday night just added fuel to their fire.
CC Carroll came in and completely overmatched the Snakes at every position. Pushing the Rattlers undersized line on both sides of the ball, giving up large runs and even larger pass plays, are all grandiose ways that CC Carroll showed its dominance. The Snakes also fumbled the ball four times in the first quarter alone, losing three of them that resulted in Tiger touchdowns, making it easier on the opponent.

The Tigers were also coming off consecutive losses but played like a team possessed. The Tigers scored on every single drive in the first half, and essentially ending the game in the first quarter. The Snakes forced only one three-and-out drive, but it was late in the game when most of the starters where on the bench. In addition to this offensive assault – and to add salt to the wound – it was a freshman at quarterback for the Tigers.

After every big loss you always try to pick out the positives and the negatives but unfortunately the only positive I can see was that the Rattlers did manage to score one touchdown. The negatives were everywhere, mainly ball control. Three turnovers in the first quarter alone doomed the Snakes. Another big one was coverage. The team seems to be too slow for man-to-man and not well-coached enough for zone assignments.

At the end of the day, the snakes need to get back to fundamentals and quit turning the ball over and quit blowing coverages.

Sam Howell, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Football Strikes Southern Utah with 42-28 Victory

2010-09-28T01:03:00.004-05:00

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds came into San Marcos but could not slow down a red-hot Texas State team Saturday night as the Bobcats took the win, 42-28.
The Bobcats were coming off an impressive win over then-ranked No. 17 Cal Poly last week in San Marcos, but this game seemed to be more of a test at the outset. Southern Utah came into the game with a top-10 rush defense, so on paper, you wouldn't think Karrington Bush’s and Dexter Imade’s chances for a good night on the ground to be very high, right?

Wrong!

Bush netted 99 yards on 19 carries with three touchdowns, while Imade finished with 87 yards on 18 carries. However the running back committee wasn't the only successful group of the day; freshman quarterback Tyler Arndt had arguably the best game of his young career Saturday evening. He put up 221 yard on 15 of 19 passes and one touchdown through the air. Arndt also had 49 yards on the ground off of nine carries and two scores on the ground, as well. Senior linebacker Marcus Clark led the defense with 9 tackles.

The Bobcats received the ball after losing the opening flip, and went on a quick three-and-out. The ensuing Southern Utah possession featured a four minute drive, capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass to star wideout Tysson Poots. Poots is regarded as one of the most talented receivers in the FCS, but was not too much of a factor against Texas State after his touchdown catch. And that was about all the Thunderbirds would accomplish for the remainder of the first half. They did not score again before halftime, while Texas State closed out on a 21-0 run headed into the locker room.

Opening the third, Southern Utah went down the field in five minutes on 13 plays to score. The Bobcats in turn went on another 14-0 drive to close out the third quarter, and as the game dwindled down in the fourth, the Bobcats were up 48-21 with under three minutes left. The 'Cats gave up a 70-yard touchdown strike, which I think they’ll likely hear about in practice this week.

A couple of personal learning points: first off, this Texas State squad can ill-afford to turn the ball over in the red zone like they did twice this week. Both were credited to Karrington Bush as he fumbled on a carry, and the other was a bobbled pitch by Arndt that Bush could not hold on to. I’d have to say that these critical mistakes would need to be cleared up by conference play, or these games might begin to turn out differently.

Secondly, I’d say stopping the run is an area the ‘Cats might improve upon. Allowing SUU running back Austin Minefee to gain 105 yards on 14 carries is too close for comfort for me, and with as much talent as I see on the defensive side of the ball, I know these Bobcats can get it done.

Then again, mistakes can be overlooked because of the final score. However, some hiccups might re-surface later in the season if they aren't nipped in the bud now, so I'm sure the practice schedule will be heavy in this upcoming bye-week. Texas State has one week of rest before they travel to Hammond, LA, to start the Conference slate against Southeastern Louisiana. Last season, SLU squeaked out a win in San Marcos when the Bobcats were up by as much a 17 points in the fourth quarter, only to give up that lead and lose in an overtime heartbreaker, 51-50. As for now, the main thing on that bulletin board in the locker room is their 3-1 record. Texas State returns to action on Saturday September 9, at 6:00 P.M., with KTSW pregame coverage starting at 4:00 P.M.

Robert Fisher, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

San Marcos High School Drops Valiant Comeback Attempt to Bastrop Bears

2010-09-21T00:13:00.004-05:00

The San Marcos Rattlers headed into a meeting against the Bastrop Bears having only scored seven total points in their first two games this season, and the Snakes desperately needed some offensive output, especially against a team that had scored over 100 points in its last two games. However, the Bears held on in the end and took the win, 43-36.

After lighting up the scoreboard for 36 points, Rattler fans breathed a little easier as their home team came one fourth down completion away from potentially sending the Friday night slugfest into overtime. A fast-paced, back and forth first half excited fans in their seats as Bastrop clinged to a narrow 29-21 halftime lead.

The second half started out sloppy, with both teams consecutively turning the ball over to each other four times. In the fourth quarter, the Bears watched their 15-point lead evaporate after the Rattlers scored on consecutive drives and converted a game tying 2-point conversion.

All was dandy in San Marcos, but only momentarily.

The Bears answered with a quick scoring drive of their own. On the ensuing drive, the Rattlers managed to get the ball to midfield with less than two minutes on the clock, but on 4th and 13, the Bears defense stood strong and forced the turnover on downs.

For San Marcos (0-3), senior Terrance Wilburn, who began the season as the starting quarterback, again showed off his athleticism, accumulating more than 220 yards of total offense. Wilburn rushed for 171 yards on 25 carries and also caught a screen pass that ended up going 66 yards, ultimately setting up one of the Rattlers’ five touchdowns. Also involved in the Snakes’ running game were Anthony Ramirez and Dorian Perez. They rushed for 85 and 69 yards, respectively.

Earning his second start behind center, Adrian Narvaiz showed great poise in the pocket when needed, completing five of nine passes for 119 yards and one touchdown.

However, Bastrop’s (3-1) Josiah Monroe outshined his counterpart Narvaiz as he racked up just over 200 yards of total offense and threw for three touchdowns. He also ran for a 37-yard touchdown which broke the 36-36 tie late in the 4th quarter. All three of his passing scores fell into the arms of Buddy Nunn, who ended the day with 102 yards receiving on just those three receptions. Apart from Monroe, the Bears running game included 46 yards from Trae Bunton and 44 yards from Mark Jackson.

The Rattlers will look one more time to secure their first victory of the season as they host Corpus Christi Carroll on Friday, Sept. 24. This game was originally scheduled for play in Corpus Christi, but has been moved to San Marcos. Next season’s meeting between the teams will be in Corpus. Corpus Christi Carroll, has lost three straight games after winning their season opener.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Defense Tightens the Reigns on No. 17 Cal Poly with 21-12 Win

2010-09-19T23:52:00.006-05:00

Texas State football took on No. 17 Cal Poly for the second straight home game of the season, winning 21-12 at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday. The match up was the first of five road games for Cal Poly, and the Bobcat defense shut down any hope for the Mustangs starting their road trip on a good note.

Texas State came out strong with a 37-yard touchdown run by Karrington Bush at the 10:54 mark of the first quarter. Team morale was high as the guys on the sidelines high fived and pumped each other up. The rest of the half was a struggle for the Mustangs thanks to the Bobcat defense, which held the score to 7-3 as both teams jogged back to their locker rooms at the half.

The second half of the match up was a tremendous showing for redshirt freshmen running back Dexter Imade. After his second field goal of the night, Mustang kicker Jake West brought the score to 7-6, but Imade came back to score his first career touchdown to put the Bobcats up by nine. Cal Poly’s Doug Shumway quieted a riled-up Bobcat crowd with a touchdown that made the game a close 14-12 contest with the entire fourth quarter still looming ahead.

Going into that fourth quarter, tensions were high but Imade made sure that any thought of Cal Poly pulling an upset came to an end as he ran a 37-yard touchdown into the end zone to seal a Bobcat victory, 21-12. The rest of the half was all about the Bobcat defense as it tightened the reins on the Mustang offense.

Texas State is now 2-1 on the season and looks forward to its next match up on Sept. 26 against Southern Utah. Kick off is set for 6:00 p.m. and can be heard live on 89.9 FM KTSW.

Karina Medellin, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Rattlers Find The End Zone but Fall Short Against Hays

2010-09-14T18:52:00.009-05:00

It's been seven seasons since San Marcos High School and Hays High School went head-to-head on the gridiron, and the Rebels came out on top Friday night, claiming a 34-17 win over the Rattlers in a revived old rivalry between two former district powerhouses. Since both schools have fallen subject to redistricting at different times during the last decade, the rivalry that was so popular in the 1990s hasn't had a chance to thrive again since 2003, when San Marcos crushed the Rebels 33-7 in Buda.

Junior Adrian Narvaiz got the nod to start at quarterback, sending week-one-experiment Terrence Wilburn back to the running back position, where he thrived. Wilburn started at QB on opening night against Marble Falls, and was picked three times as the Mustangs shut the Rattlers out 49-0. On Friday, Wilburn handled the ball impeccably well, displaying soft hands and an innate ability to gain yards after the catch in the most graceful of ways – the senior still has "it," which is a big reason he’s playing Division I football for UTSA next year.

In the season opener, San Marcos held Marble Falls at bay effectively throughout the majority of the first quarter – in this one against Hays, the defense wasn't as solid, but did put up a goal line stand early on and forced the Rebels to settle for a field goal to lead 3-0. That meant San Marcos had yet to score in 2010, and the first quarter was winding down.

Wilburn answered the call to spur the offense, catching a pair of 22- and 19-yard passes from Narvaiz, before a 25-yard gain put the Rattlers in the red zone for the first time this season. After another Hays field goal, three points were all the Purple and White could post on its side of the board, but this did cut the Rebel lead in half, and got the proverbial scoreless-monkey off of San Marcos' back.

But the typical size difference that so many speak of between Rattler football – the "little guys" – and most other teams in the area – who typically seem to be much larger young men – reared its ugly head again, and Hays had an answer for nearly every other Snake score, and then some. San Marcos was able to come within two possessions before the half, but a 20-10 game became a 27-10 score at the half time buzzer when Hays' Billy Tabor hauled a 7-yard pass in for a score.

Again, after the half, the Snakes had an answer coming out of the locker room and quickly scored seven more, but 27-17 wouldn't last as Rebels quarterback Caleb Kimbro ended the third quarter with a short run that sealed the final score, 34-17.

Head coach Steve Van Nest finds his Rattler football team to be capable, and says his guys make things happen when they are able to execute plays and play with a sense of dominance – or more specifically, a sense of confidence. That "go-get-em" mentality. A lot of work is left to be done for a struggling 0-2 San Marcos High School football team, but as Hays isn't in the Rattlers' district any longer, the bright spot is that this game could be viewed as a tune-up to district play, which Van Nest says is what he and his team are more focused on than anything.

The Rattlers return to the field and face a big challenge against Bastrop High School next weekend, still searching for their first win. Catch game live on 89.9 FM KTSW, and also on the web at KTSW.net. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m., Sept. 17, at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos.

Mason Robinson, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

Rattlers Have No Bite Against Mustangs

2010-09-01T14:34:00.003-05:00

The San Marcos High School Football team came into the season with hopes of returning to their former 5 form when they reached the playoffs three different years. On Friday night at Bobcat Stadium, it was evident that they still had a long way to go. The Rattlers lost their first game of the season to the Marble Falls Mustangs by a score of 42-0.

Turnovers and sloppy play turned what could have been a potential upset into what could be called a "learning experience." Two lost fumbles and three interceptions, coupled with Marbles Falls' offensive passing attack made it a long night for the Rattlers. The game started slow, with the score being only 7-0 after the first quarter of play. Then the talented combination of Marbles Falls quarterback Zed Warner and 6-4" wide receiver David Morgan began to tear through the San Marcos secondary. Warner ended the contest by going 9-10 for 239 yards with 4 touchdowns, 3 of those scores and 157 yards were to his favorite target, Morgan.

After the slow 7-0 start to the first quarter, the Mustangs began rolling in the second. Marble Falls took a commanding 35-0 halftime lead to the locker room. Once the game was safely in hand for the Mustangs, the Rattler defense did perform better; holding Marble Falls to a single touchdown in the second half. Offensively the Rattlers struggled as well, managing only 104 yards rushing in their run-based wing-T offense. Newly transformed quarterback Terrance Wilburn lead the team in rushing with 35 yards on 12 carries.

The best part of the Marble Falls game for the Rattlers is that it's over, and that they have they weeks to prepare for their next opponent thanks to an early bye week.

Luke McBroom, KTSW Sports Director

Bobcat Baseball Defeats UTA Mavericks

2010-05-21T00:32:00.003-05:00

It is the beginning of the end for the Southland Conference Season and tonight was a night to remember. The University of Texas- Arlington Mavericks came into this series in the 5th sed to compete against the Texas State Bobcats who were tied for 1st with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. All that has now changed, the Bobcats have proven themselves once again after an outstanding 10-0 run rule triumph ending the game in the 7th inning.

Starting for Texas State was sophomore Carson Smith and for the Mavericks was senior Jason Mitchell. But it wasn’t the senior starter for UT-Arlington that was predicted to come out and put on a show against Smith, it was #2 centerfield Michael Choice who had a batting average of .397. But tonight has proven that numbers aren’t always what the players going to show. Carson came into the first inning taking out the first two batters leaving Michael Choice up to bat. Just by sitting in the audience view, it was obvious that Carson was ready to take out the best batter on the Mavericks team. First pitch was a ball, then a strike, then another and out went Choice on a 4 pitch count. The impressive Carson Smith striked out Michael Choice just as if he was just any other batter on the team.

It then came to the bottom of the first and Jason Mitchell came off with a bad start that followed through till he was changed out in the 6th inning. Kyle Livingstone who is the replacement for Paul Goldschmidt (All-American) in first base who recorded a two run single in his first bat. The Bobcats earned three runs off the first inning and led the game never looking back.

Arlington’s only hope getting a run was in the fourth inning when they received their first scoring position to second base by #26 Nick Orr. It’s the bottom of the fourth and no runs have yet been achieved by either team. A sacrifice bunt was hit by batter Clint Vest for the Bobcats and which allowed Jeff McVaney to steal 3rd base. After that, a wild pitch is thrown by Jason Mitchell for the Mavericks and McVaney takes home while Laurn Randell was waiting on bat.

The game had been consistent among the pitchers, Carson leading and Jason Mitchell was amazingly still in the game after many foul plays. The Mavericks just didn’t seem like they were prepared to play against the #1 sed in the conference. Any other time Arlington had a chance to get a homerun, Carson got the next batter out with either a double play or a single. Chances for the Mavericks to catch up were scarce to none.

The 6th inning was the lead to the end for the Mavericks. Kyle Livingstone scored a 3 run homer which then lead to a pitching change for Arlington. Jason Mitchell was changed off for #38 Stephen Krolick who still couldn’t match up against the Cats.

Jason Martinson came up after the pitching change and scored off a double and then came home after a hit off Jeff McVaney.

The Bobcats are 33-19 overall and 22-9 in Southland Conference play, and now hold sole possession of first play due to Southeastern Louisiana’s loss against Northwestern. The series continues tomorrow at 6:30 pm with senior Michael Russo starting off for the Bobcats.

Jessica Salinas, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

2010 SLC Softball Tournament Recap

2010-05-20T14:06:00.003-05:00

After securing their 3rd consecutive regular season Southland Conference Championship, the Texas State Bobcats headed into the Conference Tournament not completely satisfied. After a late season slip-up forced Stephen F. Austin and Texas State to share the regular season title, Coach Woodard and the Bobcats wanted to prove to the rest of the Conference that there can only be one champion.

Until the Conference Tournament champion is crowned, the Bobcats can only win one game at a time, and they did just that, crushing the #3 seeded Lady Mavericks of UT-Arlington 10-1 in their first game of the SLC tourney Thursday afternoon.

After losing 9 of their final 13 games, the Bobcats entered the Conference Tournament with the same mentality as the team that took home the Championship just last year. In fact it only took one inning for the 505 in attendance to witness how serious this ‘Cats team really is.

In McKenzie Baack’s first at bat of the tourney, she belted a 3-run homerun (4) over the left field wall to put #2 Texas State up 3-0 quickly. Still in the 1st inning, the hungry Bobcats weren’t finished. In last year’s SLC tournament, Allyce Rother posted her first HR of the season with a solo shot that proved to be the winning run. This year, Rother was feeling heroic yet again, as she turned on an inside fastball and crushed it not only over the left field wall, but over the bullpen as well.

Did I mention it scored 4? That’s right. Rother’s first homerun of this season came in “grand” fashion, as she did so with the bases loaded. After 1 inning, the ‘Cats found themselves up 7-0, just like that.

Texas State put up 3 more runs in the second inning, and after Chandler Hall struck out her 4th batter of the night to end the top of the 5th, the run-rule came into effect, ultimately ending the game.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Rice Owl Baseball Thrashes Bobcats 16-2

2010-05-05T21:55:00.007-05:00

Texas State traveled to Houston on Tuesday to take on the Rice Owls. The 3pm scheduled game was a make-up from February 23rd, a date that was interrupted by wintery mixes. The Bobcats came into the game hoping to extend their recent winning streak to 5, but instead found themselves at the unfortunate end of a 16-2 blowout.

Rice (27-16) used their explosive bats to get ahead early, and stay ahead throughout. Jeremy Rathjen got it going for the Owls, crushing a Brian Borski fastball over the left field wall in his first at bat.

The 1-0 lead quickly swelled to 4-0 after Rice pulled together a slew of hits in the 2nd inning. Borski was relieved after two innings, however through the final 7 innings, the Bobcats emptied their bullpin and finished the game having used a total of 8 pitchers. With every Bobcat reliever that was tossed into the game, the Owls looked as if they were taking batting practice, as they amassed a total of 17 hits and scored at least one run in every single inning except the 3rd.

Although almost everyone was involved in the offensive outburst for the Owls, there were a few that stood out. Rick Hague went 5-6 at the plate with 3 RBI’s and 2 runs scored. Michael Ratterree went 2-3 with 3 RBI’s and Michael Fuda went 3-4 with 3 RBI’s and 3 runs scored. Hague and Ratterree each joined the HR parade, while Fuda was actually a Homerun away from the cycle.

Jared Rogers was the starter on the mound for the Owls and through 5 innings, gave up no runs on only 3 hits. Rogers (5-1) was relieved in the 6th inning, but by then the ‘Cats were already losing 12-0.

For the Bobcats, Jason Martinson and Kyle Kubitza each had 2 hits. Kubitza also recorded an RBI. Bret Atwood, Clint vest, and Tyler Sibley were the only other ‘Cats to manage a hit.

Brian Borski (1-7) was tagged with the loss, and as mentioned before, his relievers weren’t much help. The 7 pitchers who were called from the pin allowed a total of 12 runs on 14 hits.

Bullpin issues are definitely a concern as the season comes to a close, but other factors could have played into the abysmal loss. The opportunity to play loose was undeniably available for the Owls, however no excuses will be enough to explain the 14 run loss.

The Bobcats (28-15) will travel to take on McNeese State this weekend. The Bobcats seem to do better in SLC games as is, as they still sit atop the Conference, sporting an 18-6 conference record. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for 6:30pm on Friday.

Texas State Survives Roller Coaster Ride in San Antonio

2010-05-03T11:51:00.006-05:00

Baseball is a game of myriad statistics. You have your fan-friendly batting averages and earned run averages, and you also have your slightly more obscure slugging percentages and fielding percentages. One stat that is usually reserved for another sport, basketball, is the number of lead changes in a given game, but given Texas State's 11-10 victory at UTSA on Sunday, it doesn't seem completely out of line to use this stat to show just how wild the game was. Three different lead changes occurred in Sunday's contest, as the 'Cats came from four runs down in two different occasions to sweep UTSA for the first time since 1997.

Any of the season-high 444 fans in attendance at Roadrunner Field knew that this wasn't going to be your average Sunday afternoon baseball game from the start, as Kyle Livingstone smashed the third pitch of the game over the right field wall to put the 'Cats up 1-0. The red-faced man who gave up the early bomb was UTSA starter Ryan Proudfoot, and his frustration from the homer may have fueled a fire that helped him shut down the Bobcats for the rest of the first and second innings. UTSA started out the bottom of the 2nd with a leadoff double, and that's when the Sunday starter frustrations started to send the game's complexion in an entirely different direction.

The last time a Sunday starting pitcher had won a game for Texas State was on April 11, when Lee Colon shut down a struggling Central Arkansas team in an 11-4 victory. Since then, Texas State had suffered a 9-6 road defeat at Southeastern Louisiana and a humiliating 8-0 shutout the week before in San Marcos at the hands of Northwestern State. In what was likely an experiment concocted by Bobcat head coach Ty Harrington to bring some stability to Sunday's rotation, Mitchell Pitts took the start over mainstays Brian Borski and Lee Colon. Pitts got out of the bottom 1st unscathed, giving up only one hit. It also seemed like he might be able to squeeze his way out of the bottom 2nd as well, as UTSA designated hitter Brett Aguilar lined into a 4-3 double play. However, an inspired and vengeful 'Runner team took out the weekend's frustrations on Pitts, staging a two-out rally that would make the Bobcat hitters proud. UTSA managed five straight hits and brought in five runs, chasing out Pitts and bringing in the usual Sunday starter, Lee Colon. Colon was able to get power hitter Ryan Rummel to foul out, but San Antonio had already done the damage in jumping out to a 5-1 lead.

Seeing that it was still early, and that Texas State was the master of late-inning comebacks in Southland play, the 100-150 Bobcat fans in attendance didn't seem nervous at the start of the third inning. Clint Vest got on with a walk and Livingstone advanced him to third on a double. Bret Atwood then brought home Vest on the grounder, but that would be all she wrote for the top of the third. Lee Colon looked a tad shaky in the bottom 3rd, letting two runners on, but he was able to preserve the 5-2 Bobcat deficit and get out of the inning. In the top of the 4th, the proverbial pendulum of momentum would swing back in the Bobcats' direction again.

Sunday's game featured no clouds and an extremely bright sun, and that harsh glare coming from millions of miles away caused all sorts of havoc in the Bird Bath. Clint Vest at second and Jason Martinson at shortstop would have major issues with misjudging routine fly balls, but losing the ball in the sun would dearly cost UTSA in the fourth. Andrew Stumph got the 'Cat bats going again with a leadoff single and advanced to second from a Shaun Garcia sacrifice bunt. Then, Daniel Neumann popped up to right to the Roadrunners' Tyler Carpenter, who was camping under what looked to be a sure third out. Carpenter, however, ended up misjudging the ball's trajectory because of the sun's glare, and dropped the ball, scoring Stumph. Vest then knocked home Neumann from second, bringing the score to 5-4. Even though Texas State couldn't come through with a lead in the top 4th, it seemed like the big 'ol Mo was back in the Bobcats' dugout once again.

However, some games are just too wild to start making any assumptions based on momentum.

The bottom of the 4th started with another UTSA leadoff double, which is never a good sign for any pitching staff. Lee Colon saw his bread and butter pitch, the breaking ball, get away from him in a couple of ways. First of all, he couldn't find the strike zone to save his life, and at some points, he couldn't even get the ball across the plate. However, what was much worse was when he did find the strike zone, he give some tasty pitchest for the UTSA batters to smash, and smash they did. The 'Runners reeled off five hits and three more runs to match their largest lead put up in the 2nd inning, this time putting the score at 8-4. Now it's the top of the 5th, and UTSA looks to be sitting pretty, correct?

Not so fast. Go ahead and swing that pendulum of momentum again.

Jason Martinson and Jeff McVaney got things started in the fifth with a couple of one-out singles. Then, Texas State's home run leader Kyle Kubitza came to the plate, and absolutely crushed one....foul. However, just as those wearing orange and blue were breathing sighs of relief, Kubitza got a meatball from Proudfoot, sat on it, and obliterated it. As the ball screamed over the left center field wall, fans from both sides started shaking their heads and doctors at the Central Texas Medical Center may have started preparing some extra beds for some very loyal, nervous baseball fans. However, Fielding Pittman, in relief for Colon, calmed things down in the bottom of the 5th with a three up, three down inning to keep the score at 8-7, UTSA. The calm wouldn't last for long.

Texas State brought home Clint Vest on a Martinson sacrifice fly to tie things up in the top of the 6th. UTSA then got 2 runners on base against Bobcat pitcher/DH Jeff McVaney, but McVaney was able to get Brett Aguilar to fly out to left after a tense mound visit from pitching coach Derek Matlock. Fans were then treated to a top of the seventh inning that, frankly, had a little bit of everything.

Kyle Kubitza got things going with a leadoff single, and he then advanced to second on a misguided throwing error by UTSA relief pitcher D.D. Towler that got past first. Andrew Stumph came in and crushed a home run ball to left field, sending home Kubitza and giving Texas State their second lead of the day, 10-8. Laurn Randell then came in to pinch hit for Shaun Garcia; Randell had not been given the start in right field on the day, presumably because of some recent struggles at the plate. Randell sat on one and crushed it to right for a double and advanced to third on a Neumann flyout. Clint Vest, already perfect on the day in terms of getting on base, got a Texas Leaguer to drop into right to score Randell. Livingstone then advanced him on a single of his own. Then, both runners advanced to second and third on a rare balk from Towler. It seemed like the 'Cats were ready to put their throats on the 'Runners' throats at that point, but just like every other point in the game, the momentum would swing back again. Atwood popped out and Martinson grounded out to short, stranding two runners in scoring position. From that point on, the 'Cat bats would fall completely silent.

The bottom of the seventh didn't give Garrett Carruth much of an issue, and it looked like the bottom of the eighth wouldn't either as he got two straight outs to start his second inning of work. However, UTSA would again reel off another two out rally as they loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Carruth's arm seemed to start to give out as his pitches drifted farther and farther away from the strike zone, but that not the most disastrous occurrence of the inning, by far. With the bases juiced, Carruth got Michael Rockett to pop up to second for Clint Vest to make the routine play. The only problem? The play didn't end up being routine. Vest had already misjudged two pop-ups and let them drop on the day because of the sun, and he had barely caught another pop-up as he fell down on his rear end to make the catch. The usually solid second baseman, in for the injured Tyler Sibley, started backpedaling and fell down as he watched the baseball drop three feet to his right. Two Roadrunners scored, and we were back to a nail-biting 11-10 score.

Texas State was unable to get anything going in the top of the 9th, and UTSA got another lead-off single to start the bottom of the 9th. The intimidating 6'5" Carson Smith then went to work and got two outs, but Tyler Carpenter also got to third in the process. Strolling up to the plate was UTSA star hitter Ryan Rummel, a preseason Southland Conference selection who was batting over .360 on the year. As of that point, he had been a shocking 0 of 5 on the day, making him the only Roadrunner without a hit. The law of averages certainly dictated that Rummel would bring home Carpenter from third and tie it up, but Carson Smith didn't care about averages. Smith worked the count to 2-2, and threw a nasty breaking ball on the inside. Rummel bit and swung with all his might--and came up with air. Game over, sweep completed, and 440 people and change re-learned how to breathe again.

Another gritty comeback win brings Texas State's record to 28-14 and 18-6 in the SLC, keeping them 1.5 games ahead of SFA in the conference standings. UTSA, eliminated from winning the regular season, saw their chances of making the postseason as the SLC's eighth and final team in the conference tournament fade further with the loss. A 14-27, 5-19 SLC record certainly won't help their cause. Texas State, currently ranked 30th in some polls, will look to improve their overall NCAA tournament resume further as they make up March 3rd's rainout at Rice on Tuesday in Houston. First pitch will start at 3 pm, you can listen to KTSW 89.9 FM's pregame coverage starting at 2:45 PM.

Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director

Texas State Blasts Lady Demons in Game Three

2010-05-02T23:00:00.005-05:00

With the regular series coming to a close, the Bobcat Softball team looked to take the final game of a crucial series against the Northwestern State Demons. This game was the senior presentation for four ladies who have excelled on and off the field. Seniors Leah Boatright, Elizabeth Dennis, Lacey Duncan, and Kristina Tello entered the field for their last time wearing maroon and yellow in San Marcos. With the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, these four senior ladies played a game worth telling for the rest of their lives in a 7-1 victory.

A crowd of nearly 500 loyal Bobcat and Demon fans filed in to watch the hot arm of Sophomore Chandler Hall taking the circle at the noon first pitch. Hall entered the game with not only the best ERA for the Texas State, but held the mark of strikeout leader for the SLC. Taking the circle for the Northwestern State Demons was Kelee Grimes with an impressive ERA of 3.12 and a 5-6 record to her name. Hall fell victim right away to the win hungry Demons by giving up a run from an Ashlee England RBI single to center field in the first inning. After giving a run, Hall was determined to keep the opposing Demons to just one run as she concluded by striking out the next two batters. The Bobcats knew they had to answer back to this early lead put on by Northwestern State. After beginning the inning with two outs, Haley Lemons and McKenzie Baack were both walked to put runners on first and second. Jenna Emery carded her fourth homer of the season when she bombed a high rising fastball to left field. Leah Boatright was next to add to the damage after a solo home run to the exact same spot as Jenna Emery had previously done, putting Texas State up 4-1. Second baseman Anna Hernandez was next up to bat. Hernandez drilled a high fly ball to again the same spot as Emery and Boatright had previously done. However, this ball was about a foot too short and Hernandez was tagged out at second to wrap up the inning.

The Bobcats continued to put runs on the scoreboard when Emery recorded her fourth RBI of the day off of a single down the first base line to advance McKenzie Baack home. Texas State added two more runs in the fourth inning to secure a 7-1 lead. Chandler Hall continued to show why she was the most dominating pitcher in the SLC by fanning five total batters in the contest. Senior Elizabeth Dennis secured the win for Texas State after coming into the 5th inning. Dennis struck out two batters and lowered her ERA to 4.99 on her last home appearance. Texas State batted .320 to Northwestern State's .240. Shortstop Lindsay Matt was 2-for-2 from the plate, including a triple in the second inning. Emery finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run scored. Also batting well for the Bobcats was pitcher Chandler Hall who recorded two RBIs on the day while going 1-for-3. Overall every aspect of the Bobcats game was drawn to perfection. It wasn't just dominating pitching this time that secured the team its nineteenth Southland win this season, but it was also excellent work at the plate.

The Bobcats will wrap up their season this weekend against their bitter rivals, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. There will be a doubleheader played this Saturday with the first game beginning at 1 pm in Nacogdoches. The final game of the series and regular season will be Sunday May 9th at noon. This series is extremely important for the Softball due to the fact that they only have a one game lead on the Lumberjacks. You can go to sfajacks.com for live stats or twitter.com/txstatebobcats.

Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Baseball Outlasts UTSA in Game Two

2010-05-01T23:48:00.007-05:00

After taking a beating on Friday night in the opener of a three game series against Texas State, the UT-San Antonio Roadrunners came out with a lot more energy Saturday afternoon. On Friday Carson Smith held the Roadrunners to 2 hits and no runs in 7 innings.

The Roadrunners scored early when Tyler Carpenter singled to open the game and came home one play later on a Casey Selsor triple. Texas State starter Michael Russo struggled early having to work out of two jams in the first two innings. The roadrunners scored 3 runs in those first two innings, loading the bases in the first before a double play ended the inning.

UT-San Antonio’s starter Taylor Walton was dominating the Bobcats until the fifth inning when Texas State finally put two runs on the board. The ‘Cats then plated another in the sixth after a bomb from none other than Kyle Kubitza, but UTSA answered the comeback with a two-run homer from Ryan Hutson in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead.

Texas State came right back in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back base hits from Kyle Livingstone and McVaney. A wild pitch shifted the pair and a sacrifice fly from Jason Martinson drove in a run. Kubitza backed it with an RBI double to left center and Texas State tied the game once more.

An error in the top of the ninth threatened Texas State's comeback, but Garret Carruth came to the mound and retired the inning with six pitches. With a final chance to take the victory, Clint Vest reached base on walk to put the winning run in place. Colton Burnett replaced Vest on the base paths and on one out, Atwood singled into left field to advance the runners. Livingstone followed with a fielder's choice to third base, putting Burnett out on the play and the Bobcat had just one out to work with. McVaney came through with a shallow base hit into left center to plate Atwood for the win.

McVaney finished the day 2-for-5 with one RBI. Kubitza led the team with a 2-for-3 effort and two runs scored. Altogether, Texas State tallied 12 hits. UTSA was held to nine hits, led by Hutson and Bret Aguilar with a 2-for-5 effort. Carruth earned the win and improved to 4-2 on the season.

The Bobcats will head to the Alamo City to close out the series with UTSA. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field. KTSW FM (89.9) will provide a live broadcast of the game.

Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Find Bats, Bounce Back Against Lady Demons

2010-05-01T22:30:00.002-05:00

After suffering a tough loss in game 1 of Saturday’s double-header vs. Northwestern State, the Bobcats were reunited in the second game of the double-header with what kept them atop the Southland Conference all season: Their Bats. In the 7 losses of the previous 8 games, Texas State had amassed only 4 total runs. In the 5th inning of Game 2 on Saturday, the Bobcats batted around the order and thwarted the Lady Demon pitching for 5 runs.

A 6-1 lead heading into the top of the 7th had Texas State all but ready to pack it up and call it a day. Northwestern State had other plans.

After winning the first game on Saturday 1-0, the Lady Demons found themselves a base hit away from possibly stealing the victory in Game 2. Three outs away from a Bobcat victory, relieve pitcher Libby Dennis gave up a 2-run shot to Freshman pinch-hitter Kylie Roos. Before anyone knew it, the score had dwindled to 6-4 and the Lady Demons were sitting comfortable with 2 on and still no one out.

So, where did Coach Woodard turn to close out the win? She stepped out of the dugout, headed to the circle for a visitation and just as she hit the 3rd base line, looked into left field where pitcher Chandler Hall had been playing (and playing well) all game and gave her the Bobcat Ace the signal to come in and close it out.

After a walk loaded the bases, Hall kept her composure, struck out the next batter, and then started the game ending 1-2-3 double play.

Haley Lemons went 3-4 and scored once. Jenna Emery added 2 more hits, 2 RBI’s, and also scored once. Chandler Hall proved she can do it all, going 1-4. Might not seem like much, but her sole hit was a 2-run double that started the monstrous 5th inning for the ‘Cats.

Freshman Anne Marie Taylor started in the circle for the Bobcats and went a solid 4.2 innings with no earned runs while striking out three. Libby Dennis (2-5) picked up the win for Texas State.

For the Lady Demons, apart from Kylie Roos’ 2-run blast in the 7th, Taywanee Edmonds and Kayla Cole provided their efforts, as Edmonds went 2-3 and Cole went 1-3 with an RBI. Samantha Roberts entered the weekend with 5 homeruns and 33 RBI’s. The Bobcat pitching held her to 0-5 in the two Saturday games. Tagged with the loss was Brooke Boening (8-8). She was relieved after allowing 5 runs on 8 hits.

After Sunday’s series-deciding Game 3, the Bobcats will finish off the season on the road, as they’ll take on Stephen F. Austin. Depending on how this weekend finishes, the winner of next week’s series will be crowned regular season Southland Conference Champs.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Northwestern State Continues Bobcat Softball's Misery

2010-05-01T22:20:00.002-05:00

Losers of 6 out of their last 7 games, the Texas State Softball team looked to bounce back against the Northwestern State Lady Demons in Saturday’s double-header. In the final home series of the season for Texas State, the Bobcats continued their struggles and lost 1-0 in Game 1.

Light-out pitching by both Chandler Hall of Texas State and Kylie Roos of Northwestern State kept the pressure on the offense, as the game headed into the 6th inning with the scoreboard still reading “0-0”. In the top of the 6th, the Lady Demons managed to get their first and only hits of the game. Stormi Stech led off the inning with a single and Kayla Cole singled later in the inning to score Stech.

It’s a no-brainer that Chandler Hall suffered her most gut-wrenching loss of the season, however, she has had past experience feeling such agony. Last Wednesday vs. Houston, Hall went 7 innings strong, struck out 4, and maintained the shutout before late mistakes by the bullpin handed Hall a “no decision”. That following Saturday, Hall ended up getting tagged the “L” in a game where she went 6 innings, fanned 6, and gave up 1 run.

It was the same old story in game 1 of the Saturday double-header, as Hall struck out a whopping 9 Lady Demon hitters and gave up 1 run on 2 base hits. One would think these eye-popping stats would produce an impressive win, but the sole run by the Lady Demons (and the absence of Bobcat bats), insured the victory for Northwestern State.

The majority of the undersized Bobcat offense came from the bats of Kristina Tello and Chandler Hall. They each recorded two hits. McKenzie Baack and Lindsay Matt each managed a hit as well. The home crowd was left scratching their heads as they watched Texas State’s two most powerful hitters, Senior-leader Leah Boatright and Freshman-phenom Anna Hernandez, go a combined 0-6 with 2 strikeouts.
Failing to score any runs on 6 base hits wasn’t even the worst part for the struggling ‘Cats. Coach Woodard’s squad stranded 9 base runners, including a bases-loaded situation early in the game.

For Northwestern State, nothing can be said offensively except for the heroism displayed in the 6th inning by Stormi Stech and Kayla Cole. Instead, the story of the day was the pitching by Freshman Kylie Roos. Roos (12-9) pitched a complete shutout giving up 6 hits and walking 3. Between her and Chandler Hall of Texas State, a “pitcher’s dual” was undeniably defined Saturday afternoon.

Texas State will have to turn it around quickly if they want a chance to be regular season conference champs. If the struggles continue, they could not only push themselves out of that opportunity, but also miss out on a first round bye in the Conference Tournament.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Dominant On Both Ends; Take Game One Of I-35 Rivalry

2010-04-30T23:32:00.002-05:00

Carson Smith picked up right where he left off from his last outing as he tossed a shortened, seven inning complete game shutout Friday evening. The mercy rule came into effect after the Bobcats notched their tenth run in the top of the seventh making it 10-0, which is where the score remained upon its abrupt ending. The Bobcats improved their SLC record to 16-6 and remain in sole possession of first place by 2 games; meanwhile the Roadrunners fell to 5-17 in the conference and have dropped 11 of their last 13 games, which in turn means that Head Coach Sherman Corbitt and the Roadrunners need a victory in just about every single remaining game on the schedule in order to play in the Southland Conference Tournament. The 10-0 victory marks the second straight complete game for Carson Smith and the ninth win on Friday games this 2010 season, upping that mark to 9-2. The Bobcat offense equally did it's part scoring in every frame except for the first, and put up a 4 spot in the second inning that set the tone for the entire night. Kyle Livingstone and Jeff McVaney each belted a home run to highlight the offensive attack, while Bret Atwood and Laurn Randell each collected two hits of their own.

Smith worked a quick first two innings and got a long rest in the bottom of the second inning as he watched his offense put up four runs, highlighted by the first pitch of the inning as Jeff McVaney took UTSA lefty starter Casey Selsor's fastball off of the net in left field marking his sixth homerun and breaking the 0-0 tie. Daniel Neumann, Laurn Randell, and Bret Atwood each contributed an RBI single in the inning and gave Smith an early comfortable lead to work with. With two outs in the fourth inning, Bret Atwood reached on a bunt single which then was followed by a 2-run blast off of the bat of Kyle Livingstone (his 6th) stretching the Bobcat lead to 7-0 eventually chasing Selsor out of the ballgame.

Smith's performance on the mound was one of the most dominating thus far this season notching seven strikeouts and only rendering two Roadrunner hits; each of which failed to leave the infield. The Roadrunner hitters only worked a full count one time throughout the whole g ame and failed to reach third base as well. His fastball cut under the right handed hitters hands beautifully all night, and his slider covered the plate the entire night (even more so than it usually does). It is safe to say the Sophomore has come out of his shell completely and will be extremely intriguing to watch as the season starts to creep toward the dog days and the hunt for the postseason

Game two is set for 2:00 tomorrow at Bobcat Field in San Marcos, as each game for both teams start to become far more meaningful. The victory improves the overall record of the Bobcats to 26-14, and also marks the third time that the Bobcats have won by run-rule this year over a conference opponent. Stay plugged in as the Bobcats are striving toward their third straight regular season Southland Conference Title and third straight regional appearance. Tune in to 89.9 KTSW FM at 1:45 for pregame and eventually game 2 of the I-35 rivalry.

Weston Warner, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Obliterates Houston Baptist

2010-04-28T11:34:00.008-05:00

The Bobcats were coming off a bitter-sweet weekend of baseball heading into Tuesday night’s matchup vs. the Houston Baptist Huskies. Texas State, recently ranked 30th in the Nation, hosted a three-game series against conference foe Northwestern State, and after winning games 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday, the Bobcats struggled defensively and committed 4 errors in Sunday’s 8-0 loss.

Well, someone should have told the Huskies that Coach Harrington was going to let out his frustration on Tuesday.

The ‘Cats exploded for 17 runs and completely dismantled Houston Baptist in their 17-2 victory. The Bobcats poured it on early and often. A seven-run 3rd inning is what got it started. Texas State (24-14) / (15-6) managed 2 more runs in the 4th, then after a 3-run Home Run in the 5th by Laurn Randell, his fourth of the season, the home team found themselves up 12-0 in what seemed like a blink of an eye.

The game went back to normalcy for a brief moment, as the Bobcats failed to score in the 6th and 7th inning, before putting up a 5-spot in the 8th.

Offensively for the Bobcats, the question isn’t, “who did well?”, it’s more a question of “who didn’t do well?” All nine starters for Texas State managed at least one hit. Jeff McVaney and Clint Vest each had 3 hits apiece, while Laurn Randell, Bret Atwood, and Andrew Stumph each managed 2 hits. In fact, Texas State’s reserves threw in their two cents as well. Pinch hitters Andrew Lacombe and Nico Taylor each tallied a hit in their 8th inning appearance. Taylor also recorded an RBI. Though everyone seemed on cue tonight, Laurn Randell gets the “yo” as Texas State’s player of the game. The senior outfielder went 2 for 5 at the plate, scored thrice, and batted in 4 other Bobcats.

Houston Baptist, despite 11 hits, never got into a rhythm at the plate. Zeke Zikeli, Dered Smith, and Kolby Arnst each had 2 hits. First baseman Chase Hernandez went 1 for 4 and batted in the only 2 runs for the Huskies with his 2-run double in the 6th.

‘How did the Bobcats manage 17 runs on 18 hits, while Houston Baptist only scored twice off 11 hits?’ one might ask. Well, the answer is simple. Of Texas State’s 18 hits, 9 of them went for extra bases (1 HR, 2 triples, 6 doubles…yikes!).

The winning pitcher was Mitchell Pitts (4-0). Pitts fanned 2 batters and gave up no runs on five hits. Freshman Travis Ballew came as one of three relieve pitchers. In two innings pitched, he gave up 2 hits and struck out 4 Huskies (his first strikeouts of the year). Jay Reese (1-2) was tagged with the loss for Houston Baptist. He was pulled early, going 2.1 innings and giving up 7 runs off of 6 hits. His relief wasn’t much help either. It took five different pitchers, including designated hitter Robbie Buller, to finish off the ‘Cats. The five Huskies combined to give up 10 runs on 12 hits (walking 8 didn’t help either).

Texas State battles their IH35 rivals of UTSA this upcoming weekend. Games 1 and 2 will be held here in San Marcos, while the third and final game of the series will be played in San Antonio. You can listen to all three games on txstatebobcats.com, and both Saturday's and Sunday's contests will be simulcast on KTSW 89.9 FM and ktsw.net.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Demons Terrorize Bobcats in Game Three

2010-04-26T11:30:00.004-05:00

Errors and miscommunication in the infield doomed the Bobcat baseball team as they dropped game 3 of the series 8-0 against the Northwestern State Demons after winning the previous two.

Things looked great in the beginning as center fielder Laurn Randell led off in the bottom of the first with a single right up the middle, but that was his only hit of the day as Randall went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts. Bobcat starting pitcher Brian Borski didn’t fare much better as he lasted only 2.1 innings, giving up two hits and 3 runs and walking three. A pickoff attempt to first from Borski to Livingstone went wide as runners advanced into scoring position. Both eventually came around to score.

At the end of the day the Bobcats committed four errors. This was ironic however because it was the Demons who had committed numerous errors in the two games before. Fielding Pittman came in relief for Borski in the third inning and was surprisingly pulled out only after a inning and a third of work; not even giving up a hit. The bobcats went on to use four more pitchers in the game; the bullpen gave up 5 runs. On the Demons' side, lead off hitter Eric DeBlanc was a thorn in the side of the Bobcats when he got on base. DeBlanc went three for four and reaching base all four at bats and scoring two of the Demons’ eight runs.

The story of the game was the dominating pitching performance by the NSU pitching staff. Starter Andrew Adams went six innings giving up a sparse 4 hits and walking two. Reliever Chad Sheppard followed his domination with three innings of work and only giving up one hit and striking out 3.

Texas State drops to 24-14 on the season and 15-6 in conference play, but still maintaining the number one spot in the southland conference. The Bobcats will take on Houston Baptist this Tuesday here in San Marcos before resuming conference play with a three game series against the UTSA Roadrunners. The HBU game will be aired on Stretch Internet at txstatebobcats.com.

Jason Britsch, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Win Series Against Second Place Northwestern State

2010-04-25T13:24:00.006-05:00

Eager to score a second victory over Northwestern this Saturday, the Texas State baseball team earned a 7-3 win. The Demons started one of their top pitchers, junior, Luke Irvine, who this past week was named hitter of the week in the Southland Conference. Facing him was Texas State's Michael Russo, who pitched a little over five innings, allowing eight hits and three runs.

Northwestern State started the game with a rally, as Demon left fielder Eric DeBlanc hit a grounder for a single. Center fielder Oscar Garcia delivered the RBI to score DeBlanc, giving the Demons the lead early. The Bobcats fought back in the bottom of the second as left fielder Shaun Garcia hit a drive to center field for a stand up double, bringing home Jeff McVaney to tie the ballgame.

Both teams held two scoreless innings, and took off in the fifth.Sophomore Demon Colin Bear hit a solo home run giving Northwestern their second lead as Russo was replaced by senior, Fielding Pittman. Northwestern State followed Texas State's strategy and switched their pitchers. Irvine was yanked in favor of a senior, Heath Hennigan. The Bobcats did not let the change affect them as Jason Martinson, Kyle Livingstone, and Kyle Kubitza hit three consecutive singles. Kubitza and Garcia earned Texas State two RBIs, helping the 'Cats take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Texas State dominated in the bottom of the seventh, keeping the visiting Demons scoreless for the last three innings. Garret Carruth came in to relieve Pittman, as Demon pitcher Dustin Northcot did the same for Hennigan. RBI hits from catcher Jordan Kopycinski, right fielder Laurn Randell, and center fielder Bret Atwood, gave the Bobcats a solid four run lead.

With the win, the Bobcats improve to 24-13, 15-5 SLC while NSU falls to 25-14, 12-7 SLC. The two teams will face off in Game 3 on Sunday at 1 pm, that game can be heard at txstatebobcats.com.

Natalie Pendergrass, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Baseball Exorcises Demons in Game One

2010-04-24T23:44:00.006-05:00

The Texas State baseball team faced the Number 30 Northwestwern Demons to start off their weekend series Friday night. They came out on top by beating the Demons 5 to 3.

Sophomore pitcher Carson Smith started the Bobcats off with two scoreless innings, retiring four Demons with four strikeouts. The Bobcats had a rough start as well, as their batters suffered four scoreless innings. It wasn't until the top of the third that the fireworks really got started. Northwestern State took their first lead when a single shot over second baseman Christian Gallegos, gave the Demons their first run. NSU pitcher Ryan Zimmerman walked two Bobcats in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn't enough for them to score.

A single home run from Northwestern's third baseman, Chase Lyles, gave them a two run lead in the top of the fourth. Bobcat fans sat anxiously, awaiting the turnout for the next few innings. However, the Bobcats came through as expected in the fifth inning Bobcat catcher Andrew Stumph lined out to center field, giving him a double to start the rally. Gallegos was hit by a wild pitch, giving right fielder Laurn Randell two runners on base to work with. After two pitches, Randell found his pitch and doubled it to right field, scoring Stumph and Gallegos. This brought the score to 3-2, Demons.

In the sixth inning with Bobcats trailing by a run, McVaney hit a single to drive in Jason Martinson to tie the game at 3-3. Smith, meanwhile, kept the Demons at bay with a total of ten strikeouts throughout the entire game. The Bobcats, determined to take the lead, earned two runs in the bottom of the seventh from Randell and Kyle Livingstone. Smith was kept in for the rest of the game, striking out three Demons, to keep the Bobcats' lead and earn them the first win of the series.

Texas State will face Northwestern again Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm, and Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm. All games will be aired on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net, and/or txstatebobcats.com. For more information on stats, scores, and other updates you can always visit txstatebobcats.com or follow KTSWsports on Twitter.com/ktswsports.

Natalie Pendergrass, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Smacks Baylor Early, Cruises to Victory

2010-04-22T00:30:00.007-05:00

Hungry to break the hex set by their I-35 neighbors, Texas State baseball team finally got a victory over the Baylor Bears this year by a score of 9-3 in San Marcos on Wednesday night. The Bears had beaten the Bobcats the previous two meetings earlier this year.

Things looked as if the 'Cats might fall into another deficit early, as BU got out to a fast start on Texas State's starting pitcher Mitchell Pitts. First inning jitters were clearly evident for Pitts at the start as he gave up a run in the very first inning on two hits and a walk. The sophomore from Highland Village had primarily been an late inning reliever for the 'Cats throughout the year, so seeing him as a starter may have raised a few eyebrows for those wearing both maroon and green. Bobcat head coach Ty Harrington seemed to be asking a lot of a reliever with a 6.39 ERA to start against a talented Baylor team, and some 'Cat fans may have been squirming in their seats after BU took their 1-0 lead. Making the situation even more tenuous was a walk issued to Cal Towey which loaded the bases with two outs. However, Pitts got Baylor's Landis Ware to ground to third, and the Bears stranded three runners.

Then, the Bobcats exploded.

Texas State plated 5 runs in the bottom of the first as the batting order went cycle. Laurn Randell started out the inning with a walk, and was eventually knocked home by a Jason Martinson single. Three more of those runs came via a base clearing double by Kyle Livingstone. Daniel Neumann then brought home Livingstone on a sac fly, and Randell, who started it all, fittingly ended the inning with a ground out. Pitts then settled down in the second inning, giving up no runs or no hits in a complete reversal of the first inning. He continued his dominating pitching performance for seven innings, giving up only four hits and one earned run.

Regarding other highlights than Pitts’ pitching, Kyle Kubitza put on a hitting clinic for the crowd and the Baylor Bears. He had two home run blasts in the game that gave the audience and both teams something to talk about. The sophomore third baseman ended the game going 3 for 4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs. The Baylor Bears would end up using 6 pitchers in the game, as starting pitcher Crayton Bare was unable to find his way out of the first inning.

Cal Towey hit a two run homer in the bottom of the ninth for Baylor, but it was just too little too late as Texas State had previously held a 9-1 lead. The victory for the Bobcats tonight was a huge psychological boost even though it wasn’t a conference game for either team. It was so important tonight that the Bobcats bounce back after losing 2 out of 3 from Southeastern Louisiana this past weekend, especially against one of the two Big 12 teams (the other, sadly, being Texas) that seemed to hold a mental hex over them. It was also a good win for the 'Cats RPI rating as well, which at 46th as of boydsworld.com on Wednesday morning. That number will obviously go up with this win, and with that increase in ranking may also bring an increase in the possible chance of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament in case Texas State does not win the Southland Conference Tournament.

However, the team can't afford to look ahead that far, as have a tough conference matchup this weekend against Northwestern State. The Demons currently sit 2nd in the Southland Conference and only a half game behind Texas State in the standings. All three games will take place in San Marcos at 6:30 PM on Friday, 2:00 PM on Saturday, and 1:00 PM on Sunday. Friday and Sunday's game will be aired exclusively on Stretch Internet at www.txstatebobcats.com, while Saturday's game will be aired on 89.9 KTSW and www.ktsw.net. Pregame coverage for each contest will start at 15 minutes before the first pitch.

Jason Britsch, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Bats Continue Slump As Softball Falls to Houston

2010-04-22T00:15:00.006-05:00

With a respectable amount of wins against a historically strong University of Houston Cougars program, the Bobcats had nothing to fear on Wednesday night in San Marcos. Overall the Bobcats were only down 7-5 in the all-time series between these two teams. Also worth mentioning was the road record for the Cougars. Up to Wednesday night's game at Texas State, U of H had not won on the road in the entire 2010 season. However, a slumping Bobcat batting lineup crushed all hopes of statistical goodwill, as Houston held on for a 3-0 win in nine innings of play in San Marcos.

The game got underway at 6 pm with a turnout of almost 500 loyal Bobcat and Cougar fans. The stadium was flowing with a pink glow to support Breast Cancer awareness. Even the team showed their support by wearing a pink t-shirt with the cancer ribbon on the front. Taking the circle for the Bobcats was sophomore Chandler Hall and her golden right arm. Hall came into the game leading the Bobcats in just about every stat worth following. She sat at 176 strikeouts on the season and added four more to her resume on the night. Taking the circle for the Cougars was freshman ace Bailey Watts. Perhaps in an attempt to upstate Hall, Watts pitched one of the most dominating performances against Texas State so far by any team this season. She pitched 9 full innings of play, fanning nine batters and secured a shutout giving up only five hits. The struggling bats of the Bobcats continued to hurt the team's cause as star players such as Leah Boatright and Anna Hernandez went hitless on the night.

The Cougars posted hits in both the first and third inning, but stranded four runners on base through three to come up scoreless. Haley Lemons was the first Bobcat to achieve the first hit on the night in the 4th inning. Pinch runner Brooke Baker entered the game and stole second. Jenna Emery was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. A wild pitch by Bailey Watts advanced the runners into scoring position, but a McKenzie Baack strikeout ended the inning before a run could be scored for Texas State. The rest of the game in regulation was on the same basic set listm as both teams continued to leave nine runners on base.

As the extra innings session got underway, Coach Ricci Woodard decided to let Chandler Hall rest by replacing her with Senior Elizabeth Dennis. In one inning of work, Dennis only gave up one hit and no runs for a solid bit of play. What surprised a lot of fans was UH's decision to keep pitcher Bailey Watts in the game after playing near perfect in her seven total innings. Watts continued on her streak continuing to strikeout batters.

In the top of the ninth inning, Coach Woodard made a bold decision to replace Dennis with the freshman Anne Marie Taylor. Taylor, however, immediately fell victim to the frustrated Cougars. She quickly gave up three runs, with two coming off of an Ashleigh Jones single to the outfield. The Houston, Texas native was eventually was tagged with the loss against her hometown team, while Watts received her 11th win of the season.

Texas State faces a crucial series as they travel down I-35 to San Antonio this weekend, where it will face UTSA April 23-24 at Roadrunner Field. Friday's doubleheader begins at 5 p.m, while Saturday's single game is set for 12 p.m. Texas State still holds a tie for first in Southland with SFA, so this series could help determine who is Queen of the Mountain by Saturday afternoon. All three games will be aired on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net, and txstatebobcats.com. For more information on stats, scores, and other updates you can always visit txstatebobcats.com or follow KTSWsports on Twitter.com/ktswsports

Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Series Recap: Southeastern Louisiana Takes 2 of 3 From Texas State Baseball

2010-04-19T11:40:00.006-05:00

Texas State baseball maintains the top spot in the Southland Conference standings despite dropping its first series of the season on the road against No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana and committing eleven errors this weekend in Hammond, Louisiana. The Bobcats stand 21-12 overall and 13-4 in the SLC.

Carson Smith took the ball in game one after a recent "promotion" to the Friday night starter spot and mowed smoothly over the SLU offense through three innings, striking out three hitters early. Smith found trouble in the fourth, walking Lions' short stop Justin Boudreaux on seven pitches and allowing the runner to take second base on an errant pick-off attempt. Designated hitter Joe Sparacino drove Boudreaux in from third after right fielder Cody Gougler moved the runner up on a single to left; Gougler would also score in the inning after second-sacker Brock Hebert knotched a single of his own. Hebert was a difficult out all weekend and Smith showed his frustration early while being knocked around. More trouble in the bottom of the fifth came as a walk, a hit by pitch and the first of 11 errors for Texas State led to three more runs and a 5-0 lead for the Lions.

The Bobcats did not score until the seventh when sophomore DH Jeff McVaney doubled to right center field on an 0-2 pitch. McVaney advanced to third on a wild pitch and came in to score the only Bobcat run of the night thanks to Tyler Sibley's single up the middle.

Knowing he'd need to stretch out his innings, and one of head coach Ty Harrington's best options to keep a 5-1 game close, Carson Smith continued to work into the eighth but only retired one that inning. Sophomore Covey Morrow relieved Smith, but with one pitch to Gougler, surrendered a single and prompted Harrington to pull the lefty for Mitchell Pitts, who was knocked around for 5 more runs.

McVaney proved to be the star of the 10-1 loss, hitting 3-for-4 and scoring one run. Smith took the loss and is 4-3 on the season. Starting pitcher Brandon Efferson pitched his first complete game this season for the Lions and earned the win.

Game two was arguably the wildest Southland game played in 2010, needing 11 innings to complete, but the Bobcats rallied for two runs in extras off the strength of (who else) Jeff McVaney and pure braun from senior right hander Garrett Carruth. Michael Russo pitched five and two-thirds in a shaky start, allowing 5 runs through the first two innings. Boudreaux set the crowd on fire with a two-run homer to right in the bottom of the first with nobody out and McVaney replied with a towering home run of his own over the left field wall the next inning to trim the lead 2-1. Amazingly though, Boudreaux repeated his earlier feat with another monstrous 2-run dinger to left, finishing the game with 5 RBI.

The see-saw battle continued to the third inning as short stop Jason Martinson drove in two runners with two outs in the third to carve the Lions' lead to one run. In the fifth inning, potential National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year candidate Josh Janway, who led the league in ERA at 1.93 in 5 saves, came in for long relief, an odd move by head coach Jay Antigues. Off of such a great Lion closer, the Bobcats poured on a huge five-run fifth inning to take the lead 8-5.

The aforementioned Hebert retaliated with a two out knock of his own in the bottom of the inning to drive in two but ended the inning in a rundown at second. In the Lions' sixth, with two outs, freshman third baseman Christian Gallegos committed a throwing error for Texas State to first to put a runner in scoring position, and big-hitting center fielder Cass Hargis tripled to right and eventually scored to regain the lead for SLU.

But the Bobcats snatched that lead right back in the seventh thanks to an RBI sac fly for freshman catcher Andrew Stumph. Another potential Stopper of the Year candidate, Garrett Carruth, took the mound in the eighth and exited the inning unscathed despite another error, this time by Martinson, setting up a dramatic ninth inning.

Carruth immediately give up a lead off home run to left fielder Jeff Harkensee. Carruth walked the next batter to begin the ninth and hot-hitting Joe Sparacino, who came into the series with a six-RBI performance against Alcorn State the week before, reached on a fielder's choice. The runner was eliminated at second and during the next at-bat, Stumph gunned down pinch runner Trey Martin attempting to steal second, who replaced Sparacino on the bags.

With the game tied into the eleventh, center fielder Bret Atwood singled on the first pitch, setting up the at-bat for McVaney. The Bobcat DH smashed a triple off the wall in right center field, scoring Atwood all the way from first and giving the Bobcats the lead 11-10. First baseman Kyle Livingstone drove McVaney in easily from third before heading to the bottom of the eleventh up 12-10.

A one out single to Jeff Harkensee gave pinch hitter Phillip Freeman a chance to hit, which he did thanks to a throwing error by Gallegos. WIth a runner on second, Carruth struck out Martin swinging with a full count, bringing none other than Brock Hebert back to the plate. Hebert popped a 1-2 pitch back to Carruth on one hop, and the Bobcat hurler made the stop with his face, taking a glance off the chin, recovering the play and under-handing a toss to first base for the third out to seal a dramatic victory, 12-10. With the win, Texas State guaranteed itself at least a one game lead in the conference after leaving Hammond.

After the play, blood poured from a three inch gash on Carruth's right cheek and he collapsed to the ground, asking for help from his trainers. As tough as the big guy is, he stood up almost immediately and shared fist punches and high fives with his teammates along the first base line while Hebert trotted back to the home dugout with his head down in defeat. Already dealing with a small case of poison ivy on his feet, Carruth's injury required only seven stitches and he was
in the dugout the next day for game three.

Lee Colon started game three on Sunday and was rocked in four-and-one-third innings with seven runs, but only four earned. Fielding Pittman replaced Colon on the mound in the fifth but three errors by the Bobcat infield led to three more runs for the Lions, making it a 7-0 game. Texas State made four errors Sunday afternoon, the same total from Friday night, totaling 11 for the weekend.

The Bobcat offense remained dormant into the sixth, finally putting up a four-spot to bring the game within reach, 4-7, but an RBI single in the bottom of the inning erased a Bobcat run from the previous rally to extend the SLU lead to 4.

A ninth run crossed the plate in the seventh, but the late innings became interesting for the visitors. Texas State pushed across a run in the eighth and ninth and at 9-6 with runners on the corners, McVaney stepped to the plate as the potential tying run. The hottest Bobcat hitter for the weekend swung at the first pitch and hit a two hopper to third, inducing the 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

A toss of his helmet to the ground represented the general disappointment for the entire team. Texas State had not dropped a Southland series all season, and in the biggest series of the year so far, loses two games to second place Southeastern Louisiana. Any tie-breaker situation now favors SLU should Texas State have an identical record come season's end.

Baseball returns to San Marcos Wednesday, Apr. 21 as the Baylor Bears come to town. The Bobcats are 2-5 against the Big 12 Conference this season with wins over Texas A&M and Texas Tech. Baylor took wins from Texas State in February and early April, both in Waco, but it's the Bobcats' turn to host the Bears on Wednesday for a 6:30 first pitch. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:15 on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net and also on www.txstatebobcats.com with live updates on Twitter.com/Ktswsports.

Mason Robinson, KTSW Assistant Sports Director

That Sinking Feeling: Bobcats Surrender Late Lead to Texas Once Again

2010-04-13T23:44:00.007-05:00

Déjà vu is translated from French to mean “already seen.” In Tuesday’s road game vs. #4 ranked Texas in Austin, the Texas State Bobcats were about to see something they had already seen. In the previous matchup between these two teams, the Longhorns came back in the 8th inning scoring by three runs to take the lead and leave it up to their ace closer, Chance Ruffin. Texas State fans may also remember last year's 6-5 loss in San Marcos where UT scored two runs in the eighth to erase a 5-4 deficit. The final result in tonight's matchup was another familiar score: Texas 6, Texas State 5, but the scoreboard did not tell the whole story. Weighing on the collective shoulders of Bobcat Nation tonight is the horror of knowing that Texas State outplayed UT in three out of the past four games in the series, but nonetheless came up empty each time in the win column due to late-inning collapses.

As the Bobcats got off to a fast start with a three run moon shot from freshman catcher Andrew Stumph, it seemed that Brian Borski had gotten over his rough outing against Baylor in his last appearance. The Bobcats scored four runs in the second inning with the first homerun in against Texas in Austin since 2008. The start for Borski was fine in the first two innings only giving up a leadoff, first pitch hit, to Cohl Walla. Borski retired the third in order and fanned two batters to close out the fourth, but not before Texas scored two runs.

Tant Shepherd started it with a single up the middle and Borski walked Cameron Rupp to put runners in scoring position. Russell Moldenhauer took the opportunity to lift a double off the centerfield wall to score one and Kevin Keyes followed with an RBI single through the left side. Texas State came back with a double by Clint Vest that scored another Bobcat run. This was short-lived as the Longhorns came back in their half of the inning and scored on an unearned run.

Now we all know sequels usually aren’t as good as the original, and for the Bobcats, in this movie the sequel was just as brutal. I’m betting Coach Harrington isn’t asking for a third movie to be made from Hollywood.

In the eighth the Longhorns threatened again and with two on and two out, a 3-2 pitch on the way to Kevin Keyes from Jeff McVaney, the game of inches proved its name. A fastball on the outer half of the plate, which landed in what looked to be the exact same area of the zone called for strikes by home plate umpire Terry Richards, was called a ball and allowed the inning to continue. Bobcat and Longhorn fans alike seemed to be shocked by the call. Kevin Lusson then lifted a ball to shallow right field and with Clint Vest going back, Laurn Randell called him off and looked to be in position to make the inning saving catch. Randell squeezed his mitt a second too soon and an inch too early and allowed the Longhorns to continue the inning and get within one. A two run triple from Texas pinch hitter Paul Montalbano then sealed the deal as Bret Atwood tried a Superman leap to catch a ball 15 feet away from him. No dice, and the Longhorns erased seven and a half innings of laborious work by Texas State in a heartbeat as they took a 6-5 lead.

The ninth seemed previously scripted as Chance Ruffin came on with his 0.51 ERA in 35 innings of work and got another save on the year for Texas and Augie Garrido. All the 'Cats could do is watch Laurn Randell hit what may be his only career hit against Texas.

After this weekend's game, coach Harrington talked about the defense of his team, saying that they were still improving. After this game he hopes the team takes a step forward and not backward, saying: "We've got to learn from tonight's game, have a short memory and move on," he went on to add, "We'll take something from this, especially how to keep our competitive nature, but we have to work on finishing our game."

The Bobcats need a short-term memory and keep the Déjà vu on the SLC side of the brain. A sweep this past weekend in their SLC series is what the team is hoping for as the travel to Hammond, LA to face Southeastern Louisiana. The Bobcats still hold the top spot in the SLC with a 12-3 record, the Lions are in second place, with a SLC record of 10-5. Game time for Friday’s opener is set for 6:00pm. You can catch all the action on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net, and txstatebobcats.com, as well as live in game updates on Twitter on twitter.com/ktswsports.

Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Baseball Sweeps UCA as Randell Continues Hot Streak

2010-04-12T00:53:00.007-05:00

Bobcat fans saw it all in Sunday afternoon’s 11-4 victory over the Central Arkansas Bears. The series-clinching sweep included designated hitter Jeff McVaney going back to his old position as a brief relief pitcher, as well as the very untraditional 1-5-6 double play to begin the top of the 5th inning. In addition to that, Laurn Randell capped his weekend with another masterful performance. The loyal 881 in attendance watched on, as their home team swept their opponents for the third time this season.

Three consecutive hits by Jason Martinson, Kyle Livingstone, and Kyle Kubitza got the ball rolling for the Bobcats, as Martinson scored to put Texas State up 1-0 after one inning of play. In the third inning, the Bobcats exploded at the plate with 6 runs on 6 hits. Amongst the offensive outburst, Laurn Randell hit a two-run blast into the softball field in left-center, his 3rd of the series and season, while second baseman Tyler Sibley lined a 2-run double in the gap in right-center.

The Bears answered with 4 runs through innings 4-6. Clay Washington, the Central Arkansas designated hitter, led the way during their spurt, as he legged out a triple in the 4th inning and a double in the 6th inning. With the Bobcat lead trimmed to 7-4, the home team’s bats would prove to be too much for the visitors to overcome, as third baseman Kyle Kubitza crushed a solo HR in the bottom half of the 6th. Texas State ended up scoring runs in the 7th and 8th inning as well to finally pull out the 11-4 victory.

Kyle Kubitza and Laurn Randell led the way for the Bobcats’ offense recording 3 hits apeace. Kubitza went 3-5 at the plate with 2 RBI’s and also scored twice. His solo shot in the 6th inning marked as his 4th of the season. Laurn Randell continued his Superman-like role in Sunday’s victory. The senior outfielder went 3-4 with 2 RBI’s and 2 runs of his own. Randell ended the weekend going 10 of 11 from the plate with 3 long bombs, 6 RBI’s, two triples, two stolen bases, and 6 runs. Bret Atwood, Jason Martinson, and Kyle Livingston each had 2 hits in their respective contribution.

For the Bears, the man of the hour was undoubtedly Clay Washington. He went a perfect 4-4 from the plate with 1 RBI and 2 runs. He is improved his consecutive game hit streak to 13 with a single in the first inning.

Lee Colon(4-2) got the win for the Bobcats as he went 5 and a third innings pitched with 4 earned runs off of 8 hits and 1 strikeout. Fielding Pittman, Jeff McVaney, and Garret Carruth worked as Colon’s relievers as they only allowed a total of 3 hits in the final 3 and two-thirds innings.

Central Arkansas’ Chase Huchingson(1-1) was tagged with the loss as he allowed 7 runs off 8 hits. He was relieved in the third inning by Bobby Pritchett, who pitched the next 4 and a third innings, giving up 3 runs off 5 hits. The Bears drop to 9-22 overall and 3-12 in the Southland with the loss, while Texas State improves to 20-10 on the season and 12-3 in conference play.

The Bobcats will travel to Austin on Tuesday to take on the Longhorns for the second and final time of the season before hitting the road to battle Southeastern Louisiana in a very important three game series next weekend. Texas State is still atop the Southland Conference standings while SE Louisiana is close on their heels at 10-5. Tuesday's battle starts at 6:05 PM at Disch-Falk Field on the UT campus, while the three battles against SLU will take place on Friday at 6:30 pm, Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 1:00 PM. All four games will be aired on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net, and txstatebobcats.com, with pregame coverage starting at 15 minutes before first pitch.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Colonels Avoid Sweep at Paws of Bobcats

2010-04-11T21:37:00.006-05:00

With the confidence of a two game lead in the series against Southland rivals Nicholls, the Bobcat softball team had momentum in their favor. However, due to poor hitting from Texas State, the Colonels were able to block the sweep with a 1-0 victory.

With the misty Texas air coming over the field, the game got underway at noon with the Bobcats searching for the sweep. Texas State came into the game at the top of the Southland Conference with a solid record of 16-4 and a 21-15 record overall. However, Nicholls State is a team to be feared with an 11-5 record in Southland play with an 18-11 overall record to brag about. The Colonels were on a five game winning streak after defeating Southern 9-2. The streak came to an end yesterday as Texas State took the first two games in the thrilling series, including a 5 run come back late in the game to secure the second win.

As the game got underway, anybody could have speculated that the misty weather could have an effect on the pitching. However, with Chandler Hall taking the circle as the Southland strikeout leader, Texas State didn't suffer much as she didn’t let the bad weather affect a stellar pitching performance. Hall struck out ten total batters in the contest. With this kind of pitching displayed from Texas State, you would figure a win would come easy for the 'Cats.

However, the Colonels had other plans in mind. Halls excellent pitching was matched by the ERA leader for NSU, Carlee Winkelmann. Winkelmann was able to fan two batters and secured a complete shut out in the 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon. Power hitters for the Bobcats such as Leah Boatright, Haley Lemons, and Chandler Hall were silenced to either one hit or none. Only five Bobcats were able to find a single or double.

Both teams were held scoreless through the first six innings of play, with only five runners combined reaching third base. Nicholls was the first to score with a RBI single delivered by the second baseman Natalie Travasos in the top of the 7th inning, driving in Audrey Wood to put the first run on the board. The one run inning was not matched by the 'Cats, and Texas State dropped the final game of the three game series.

Texas State falls to 16-5 in Southland Conference play while the Nicholls Colonels improved their Southland record to 12-6. Natalie Travasos was the key to the win for Nicholls with her game winning RBI and golden glove style playing at second. She displayed excellent footwork on the field not letting any chances happen for Texas State.

The Bobcats will face North Texas in a doubleheader on April 14 with the first game starting at 2:00 p.m. you can catch live stats updates on txstatebobcats.com and gomeangreen.com. The Bobcats will return to Southland play against UTSA in a three game series starting April 23.

Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Come Up Big in Seventh, Win UCA Series

2010-04-11T15:01:00.005-05:00

With a couple of key late hits the Bobcats defeated the Bears of Central Arkansas 7-3 to win game 2. After beating the Bears of Central Arkansas 14-2 in game one on Friday the 'Cats improved to 18-10 overall, and came into the game Saturday feeling very confident. The Bobcats put Michael Russo on the mound, who came into the game with a 3-0 record and a 3.74 era with 26 strikeouts. Russo got the game started with a big strikeout on Jordan Getchell. After, making quick work of the first 2 in the bears lineup Clay Washington took Russo deep down the line in right field to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead.

The bottom of the first inning of Saturday’s game did not quite get started like on Friday as the Cats went three up, three down. Laurn Randell found his way on base to open up the game, but was picked off by the UCA pitcher Dustin Ward on an attempted steal. Michael Russo finally got his composure as he held the Bears to a very dormant second inning. Dustin Ward was very strong in the second as well as he only allowed one Cat to reach base Kyle Kubitza.

The Bobcats in the third once again having problems with leaving men on base. Despite putting two runners on with only one out, theywere unable to bring them around. In the fourth, the Bears came out with authority as Ethan Harris hit a lead off single, Clay Washington came up big with a long double to right center to move Getchell to third, and Blake Roberts then brought home Getchell on the sac grounder. Then, Michael Pair came up with a long sac fly to score Washington from third.

The Bobcats showed some life in the fourth, but once again unable to do anything with runners on base. Kubitza drew a walk to reach base for the second time, but Jeff McVaney and Andrew Lacombe left him standing out there with nothing to do. Michael Russo once again workedvery quickly in the fifth sending the Bears down in order hoping to shock some life into the Bobcat bats.

The Bobcats showed that they were not completely lifeless in the fifth when Laurn Randell and Atwood got on base with two outs. However, the big hitting shortstop Jason Martinson was unable to get the job done when he struck out to end the inning. The sixth was very slow as both pitchers were still having good days. The Bobcats did get a man on base when Kubitza drew the walk, but once again another opportunity was lost for the Cats as they stranded him.

In the 7th, the Bobcats saw the return of the Tyler Sibley who got the inning started with a base hit. The Bobcats continued to stay hot when Andrew Stumph came through with an infield hit. Laurn Randell was plunked by Dustin Ward loading the bases for Bret Atwood who came through with a single to left to put the Cats finally on the board. Jason Martinson followed up Atwood with 2 rbi double down the line in left to bring the game to a tie. A sacrifice fly by Kyle Livingstone scoring Atwood gave the Cats their 1st lead of the game. The Bobcats scored 2 more times in the inning to give them a 6-3 lead. With the Bobcats gaining a lead in the seventh, Coach Ty Harrington turned the game over to his bullpen. Coach Harrington brought in Jeff McVaney to give Russo a little help, and that’s just what he did shutting down the Bears. Laurn Randell also added on to the 6-3 score with a solo shot homerun in the 8th.

In the 9th Garrett Carruth came in to close the door earning his 6th save and giving Michael Russo his 4th win of the season. The Bobcast improve to 11-3 in conference play, and still remain on top of the Southland Conference. They'll face Central Arkansas tomorrow at 1 pm, the game will be aired on Stretch Internet at txstatebobcats.com.

TJ Ladusky, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Softball Run-Rules Nicholls State in Game 1 of Doubleheader

2010-04-11T14:58:00.003-05:00

The Texas State softball team routed the Nicholls State Colonels on Saturday, 8-0. Leah Boatright came through big for the team; counting for 5 of the teams 8 total RBIs. Boatright got it going in the first inning with a towering three run homerun over the left center wall. Anna Hernandez and Haley Lemons counted for two of those runs, reaching base via walks by Nicholls State pitcher Lacey Gros.

Boatright continued her domination into the third inning. Both Kristina Tello and Anna Hernandez reached base again because of walks. Haley Lemons, using a sacrifice bunt, moved Tello and Hernandez into scoring positions. Boatright made her presence felt again clearing the bases, bringing in Tello and Hernandez. Chandler Hall turned in yet another dominating performance, going 5 innings and only giving up 1 hit and zero earned runs. In the sixth inning, the Bobcats scored some more runs leading to the eventual leading to run rule the Colonels. There was nothing but celebration and ecstatic cheers coming from the stands and from the dugout of the bobcats after the dominating performance.

Looking over at the Colonels sideline, the mood was somber and dissatisfied looks were in abundance. Besides Boatright’s dominating performance, the play of the role players made such a huge difference in their win. Anna Hernandez’s plate discipline was second to none. Of the nine pitches thrown to Hernandez in the game, eight of them were balls; putting her in a position to score runs. Watching the bobcats pre-game and warm up, I wasn’t too sure of how well the bobcats were going to perform in this game. They were making some major throwing errors and etc. They pulled a complete 180 from the word go in the game and never looked back. It was an amazing TEAM victory; nothing but solid defense, offense, and pitching.

Jason Britsch, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Randell Hits 5 for 5, Bobcats Destroy Central Arkansas

2010-04-10T03:23:00.007-05:00

In a sport where it’s ignorant to predict the victor after just 20 minutes of play, the 702 in attendance Friday night at Bobcat Field couldn’t help but feel the victory early on. Texas State exploded out of the gates with a seven-run first inning, and fans watched their home team run-rule Central Arkansas for a 14-2 win.

The Central Arkansas Bears arrived in San Marcos on Friday to begin their 3-game series against the Southland Conference leader Texas State, unaware of what Coach Harrington and gang had up their sleeves. No, this wasn’t your ordinary routine of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. That’s simply amateur compared to what was witnessed on Friday. The magical theme of the day for game was simply this: Don’t Blink.

For starters, the Bobcats batted around their lineup and scored 7 runs off of 6 hits in only the first inning of play as previously mentioned. Blink in the second inning, and you missed the 3 more runs put up by the crew in Maroon and Gold.

The damage in the first inning was so overbearing that Reece Cross (0-3), the starter on the mound for the Bears, was relieved after just 2/3 of an inning pitched. Jonathan Houston took over the reins in the first inning, and while he only allowed two more runs through the next 3 innings, the 5th inning wasn’t so kind. A five-run 5th, led by home runs from Laurn Randell and Jeff McVaney, proved far too much as the Texas State lead vaulted from 9-0 to 14-0. Though Cross started the game, Jonathon Houston (0-1) was handed the loss.

On the flip side of the playing field, Carson Smith was the starter for the Bobcats. Smith went the distance, striking out 4 batters and only allowing 4 hits. The shutout remained intact through 5 innings, until Central Arkansas managed to score 2 runs in the 6th to avoid the always-dreaded “goose egg” in the runs column. Also encouraging was that the infield of Texas State proved very worthy and helpful for Smith after a rough three-error outing at Baylor on Tuesday. In innings 1, 3, and 4, the Bobcat defense showed why they’re the top fielding team in the Southland Conference as they turned 3 inning-ending double plays. With the win, Carson Smith (4-2) now finds himself in a very comfortable spot, acting as the solid Friday starter in the rotation.

Leading the way at the plate for the Bobcats was outfielder Laurn Randell. Randell, the Senior from Austin's McCallum HS, entered Friday night’s game with no triples and no home runs to his credit. After legging out, not one, but two triples, as well tallying his first bomb of the season in Friday’s outing, Randell quickly went from the consistent small ball hitter, to the big bat. He finished the night going 5-5, scoring twice, and driving home 3 runs. The outstanding play by Randell jacked his batting average from a respectable .303 to an eye-popping .346. In fact, Randell also had a chance to hit for the cycle. In the bottom of the 6th and with two outs, he blasted a liner into the outfield gap between center and right field. As Randell made his way to second base, which would have secured the cycle, he turned the gears up one more notch and slid safely into third, recording his second triple of the day.

Other Bobcats who got it done at the plate were Jeff McVaney and Andrew Stumph. McVaney ended the night going 3-4 with 5 rbi’s, including a 5th inning 3-run shot. He also scored 3 times. Catcher Andrew Stumph recorded a 2-run double in the first inning and finished the night with 3 RBI’s, as he went 2-4 at the plate.

For the Bears, the top 4 batters in the lineup were the ones who recorded the 4 lonesome hits. Clay Washington and Blake Roberts, who batted third and fourth respectively in the lineup, were each credited with an RBI. All this makes since however, as Blake Roberts is the team leader in home runs (4), RBI’s (24), and hits (36), and as Clay Washington extended his remarkable hitting streak to 11 games in a row.

With the loss, Central Arkansas’ record falls to 9-20 overall and 3-10 in Conference play. The Bobcats meanwhile, increase their record to 18-10 overall and 10-3 in the Southland.

Other Notes: The Bobcat victory ups Coach Ty Harrington’s all-time win total to 355. Laurn Randell is now tied with Jason Martinson for the second best batting average on the team (.346). Randell’s night at the plate marks as only the second time this season a Bobcat has managed 5 hits (Bret Atwood went 5-6 against Texas Tech on March 16th). Jeff McVaney has 3 HR’s in the month of April.

Tomorrow’s game will begin at 2pm. Michael Russo will be on the mound for the Bobcats and Dustin Ward will get the start for the Bears. The game will be aired on Stretch Internet at www.txstatebobcats.com.

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

KTSW Sports Department Wins TIPA Award

2010-04-09T11:21:00.005-05:00

The KTSW Sports Department is pleased to announce that the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association has awarded two of our broadcasters the 2nd place award for "Best Sportscast" in the 2009-2010 academic year! Play-by-play commentator and former KTSW Sports Director James McNeal and color commentator Will Butler were given the award for announcing the opening minutes of the 2nd half of the San Marcos High School football game against a state-ranked Kerrville Tivy team. The Rattlers came out and upset the Antlers as they were buoyed by an action-packed, frenetic start to the 2nd half. It was a very intense game for those in attendance at Bobcat Stadium, and we felt that the broadcast reflected that excitement.

The KTSW Sports Department will look to aim even higher at the Collegiate Broadcasters, Incorporated awards this summer. We will send in two 30-minute clips of our best broadcasts and compete against fellow student broadcasters from around the nation. A little bird told me that one of our clips will be Texas State's electrifying comeback win over Texas A&M in baseball...

Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director

Baylor Bats Too Much for Bobcats to Bear

2010-04-07T14:27:00.004-05:00

Texas State came into Waco on Tuesday looking for a little payback against the Bears of Baylor. The 'Cats were coming off a winning weekend over the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin, while the Bears were coming off a winning weekend as well over the Missouri Tigers. In Game 2 of this year's three-game series, Baylor put an emphatic stamp in the win column with a 12-3 victory over Texas State, adding to their 3-2 victory against the 'Cats in the QTI Classic earlier this season.

The Bears' starter for the game was Ross Speed from Westwood High in Austin, Texas, while the 'Cats countered with Brian Borski on the mound. Borski registered an impressive performance against the Aggies of Texas A&M last Tuesday, going 6 and a third, and only giving up 2 runs.

In the first inning the Bobcats scored early after a big triple by Jason Martinson scored Laurn Randell all the way from 1st base. In the Bear half of the first, Brian Borski got some good defensive help when Brooks Pinckard was picked up trying to steal by Bobcat catcher Andrew Stumph. Texas State continued to stay hot in the 2nd inning when Shaun Garcia got a base hit, advancing Jeff McVaney to third who later scored on a Andrew Stumph base hit. The Bobcats took a 2-0 lead, and also drove the Ross Speed out of the game for BU.

The 'Cats held a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the 3rd when the Bears came out and decided to play with some intensity. Baylor got on the board when Max Muncy hit a sacrifice fly to score Brooks Pinckard and make the score 2-1. Freshman Tyler Collins then smacked a base hit, scoring Joey Hainsfurther to tie the game at 2-2.

Both offenses then fell dormant until the Baylor 5th, when a pair of base hits scored 2 for the Bears in the 5th. This chased Texas State starter Brian Borski out of the game, and Coach Harrington brought in Covey Morrow to stop the bleeding. The Bobcats got one run back in the 6th, and that would be the last time they crossed home plate. Kyle Kubitza scored on a Shaun Garcia base hit, and Jeff Mcvaney was thrown out trying to score from 1st when he collided with Baylor catcher Gregg Glime.

The Bears tacked on four more runs in the sixth off a Clint Vest throwing error trying to turn a double play, as well as a single and a sacrifice fly. Baylor finally stopped scoring in the 8th after they made the score 12-3 off a pinch hit homerun by Jake Miller, and an error by third baseman Kyle Kubitza.

Errors can kill, and that seemed to be a big problem as the Cats were hit with three in the devastating loss. Texas State falls to 17-10 with the defeat, while the Bears improve to 16-10. However, with the loss came some in-game experience for some green players, as Coach Harrington used this game to get some young arms into action for his squad.

Texas State will look to rebound this weekend against a struggling Central Arkansas team. The first pitch of game one will be at 6:30 at Bobcat Field on Friday, while the Saturday and Sunday games will start at 2:00 PM and 1:00 PM, respectively. All three games will be aired on Stretch Internet at www.txstatebobcats.com.

TJ Ladusky, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Softball Dominated by Vengeful Longhorns

2010-04-01T09:37:00.005-05:00

Texas State entered Wednesday’s evening battle with IH-35 rival Texas hoping to copy last week’s outcome. The Bobcats stylishly beat the Longhorns 9-7 on March 24th off of a Leah Boatright walk-off home run. Winning yesterday would have completed the season sweep over Texas, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by Texas State since 2000. However, with the 17th-ranked Longhorns beating the Bobcats 8-0 yesterday in a run rule blowout, Texas State will have to try the sweep again in 2011.

Game 2 of the season series, played on Wednesday, March 31st, needed only 6 innings before a victor was decided. The game was concluded in the bottom of the 6th when Courtney Craig of Texas hit her second home run of the game, a two-run shot over the left field wall. The bomb pushed the Longhorn lead to 8 and forced the run-rule to come into play, ending the game.

The story of the evening came from the pitching of freshman phenom and Bowie (Austin) High School standout, Blaire Luna. The home crowd of 826 watched Luna, who entered the game with a 1.12 era and 196 K’s, strike out 12 Bobcat hitters, including a span of 6 in a row coming in the early innings. The freshman pitcher had a no-hitter through 5 innings, before Kristina Tello and Allyce Rother managed Texas State’s only hits of the night in the top of the 6th. Tello, the senior center fielder, along with first baseman Leah Boatright and second baseman Anna Hernandez, combined for 5 hits and 6 RBI’s in the walk-off victory against Texas a week ago in San Marcos. Yesterday, the trio struggled against Luna, hitting a combined .125 and striking out 3 times.

Courtney Craig carried the offensive load for the Longhorns, as she managed 5 RBI’s off of two home runs. Catcher Amy Hooks added 2 hits and an RBI.

The Bobcats faltered early, committing 2 crucial errors in the first inning. Both occurred in the infield and both directly affected the scoreboard, as the Longhorns took a quick 2-0 lead without even getting a hit. It also seemed to affect the Bobcats' confidence, as both errors shattered any chance of them starting the game with some momentum. From there, sophomore pitcher Chandler Hall simply could not find her rhythm. The squad in burnt orange rocked Chandler for 5 hits and 5 earned runs and soon found themselves up 6-0 after 4 innings of play. Anne Marie Taylor relieved Hall on the Circle, and retired 4 consecutive Longhorns, before giving up the game-sealing 2-run home run in the bottom of the 6th.

As Blaire Luna retired Bobcat after Bobcat, Coach Woodard could only watch on as her club give everything they could. However, last night is now behind Coach Woodard and her proud Bobcat squad. The most important thing to do now is to look ahead. Next up is a feasible 3-game road series against Central Arkansas this weekend. Central Arkansas sits in 8th place in the Southland and sports a 3-8 conference record. Texas State is 12-3 in the conference and has seemed to shine its brightest when playing Southland squads. A double header on Friday in Conway, Arkansas will start the series, with game 3 rounding out on Saturday. All stats and information from all the games can be found online at www.ucasports.com

Andrew Vizzone, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Maroon Out, but Bobcats In with a Win

2010-03-31T00:47:00.007-05:00

Laurn Randell’s parents probably couldn’t decide which side to sit on at Bobcat Field on Tuesday night. The Randells were, on this night, a split house as Laurn’s father was a walk on for the baseball team at Texas A&M, and Laurn’s mother was a Texas State grad. The seating arrangement might have gotten tricky for the couple as Texas State’s “Maroon Out” was in affect and the stands were littered with Maroon shirts and jerseys. They might not have even found a seat if they showed up late, as a record attendance of 2,603 fans showed up to see the #22 Texas A&M Aggies against the Texas State Bobcats. The Maroon AND Gold-clad fans were treated to an exciting 6-5 walk-off Bobcat win in the 11th inning.

In what Kyle Kubitza called “an unforgettable game,” the Texas State Bobcats and Laurn Randell found themselves in the 11th inning of a tie game with 2 outs to go. Hopefully Mr. Randell was sitting with the Mrs. on the Texas State side, because like 2 years ago when Texas State played, then ranked, the #1 Rice Owls, Laurn delivered and sent Bobcat fans home happy.

Brian Borski faced the Aggies earlier this year in the QTI Baylor classic in Waco, TX. That outing ended in a loss with Borski going 7 innings and giving up 4 runs. On Tuesday it was Borski’s turn in the rotation again, according to Head Coach Harrington. Borski didn’t go 7 innings this time, but his changeup was on point and he left the game after 6.1 innings and only gave up 2 runs. More importantly Borski left with the lead and a win...if the bullpen did its job.

To counter Borski, the Aggies sent surgically repaired and highly touted sophomore Ross Hales to the mound. He was only to go a short while due to his rehabilitation. That brief appearance was still enough for him to get touched up, as after a 1-2-3 1st inning he gave up a lead off Home run to Jason Martinson in the 2nd. After striking out the next two, his night was done. In came Shane Minks (Sr.) for Texas A&M.

Borski started well, giving up 3 hits in the first 2 innings and no runs. A lead-off walk to Brodie Greene (Sr.) proved costly, as he was able to advance on a wild pitch and eventually score on a two out single by Joaquin Hinojosa (Jr.). After another wild pitch allowed Hinojosa to advance to 2nd the next batter, Kenny Jackson (Jr.) singled to right and Randell threw a bullet to Andrew Stumph at the plate to hose Hinojosa. The score stayed 1-1 in the middle of the third. Menawhile, Borski went back to shutting down the Aggie hitters and was working his pitch sequence between changeups and fastballs for the next 3 innings.

The 4th inning is when things starting getting exciting. Kyle Livingstone (Sr.) hit a shot at Aggie second baseman Jackson, the un-Olsen Field surface caused a hop and the result was E4 Aggies, man on 1st. A walk to Martinson put two on. Kyle Kubitza, the hottest Bobcat hitter as of late, put a shot in for a single that scored Livingstone, and put two on. Then came the controversy. After a Jeff McVaney (So.) ground-out to third that allowed first and third on a big hop, Andrew Stumph hit a ball to center field. Scott Arthur seemed to be under it, ready to try a throw in, and dropped it. The ball was ruled a catch and a drop on the transfer. Coach Harrington thought different and after Martinson scored, he ran out just as quickly for a word with 1st base umpire Frank Coffland. After discussing plans for "after the game eateries," Harrington was satisfied. It was a big call none-the-less as Stumph would have been on 2nd with Kubitza on 3rd. As it stood the situation was Kubitza on 3rd with two outs. A Laurn Randell single scored Kubitza and at the end of 4 innings it was Bobcats 4, Aggies 1.

The game went on until in the 7th the Aggies got a single from Arthur who scored on a Brandon Wood (Fr.) triple. At the end of 7, the score was score 4-2 Bobcats. In the bottom of the 8th, after solid relief pitching by the Bobcats and Covey Morrow (So.), one bad pitch to pinch-hitting sophomore Adam Smith tied the game. Smith homered deep to left with Joe Patterson (Sr.) on after a single. As a result, the tie game would take both teams into the 9th inning.

After quick 9th and 10th innings, the 11th saw the Aggies with their first lead of the game. A leadoff double by catcher Kevin Gonzalez (Jr.) gave Texas A&M a man in scoring position with nobody out. Fundamental ball from A&M yielded a sac bunt and then a sac fly RBI by Brandon Wood to the Aggies.

Kyle Kubitza said, after the game, going into his lead-off at bat in the bottom of the 11th he just wanted to get something started. A first pitch fastball inside was belted deep by Kubitza over the scoreboard for a quick equalizing run for Texas State. The near-delirious Texas State fans saw a 5-5 score with nobody out for the Bobcats. Jeff McVaney singled next to allow the Bobcats to show their fundamental side. Senior leader Jordan Kopycinski, who came in at catcher in the 7th, showed bunt on the first two pitches of his at-bat. The next pitch, as first baseman Patterson was charging, Kopycinski pulled his bunt back and chopped one that almost ended the game to second. The ball was snagged by the second baseman, keeping McVaney’s pinch runner, Colton Burnett (Fr.) from scoring.

Laurn Randell’s dad must have been switching sides by this point. After an intentional walk to Shaun Garcia to get to Randell, Mr. Randell must have been changing shirts.

The Aggies brought their center fielder in to play short second and with two outfielders in shallow, all Laurn Randell had to do was put it in the outfield. Randell needed one pitch, a fastball on the outside part of the plate, to end a thriller of a game. His single to right sent the 6th and final run home for Texas State. The sellout crowd exploded in celebration as the final result showed on the scoreboard: 6-5, Bobcats Win!

Texas State takes down Texas A&M for the first time since 2006 in College Station with the win, and the Bobcats took their first win of the season against a ranked opponent. The 'Cats also improve to 15-8 on the season while #22 Texas A&M falls to 17-8, and may possibly be ejected from the Top 25. With a four-game hot streak, the Bobcats head to Nacogdoches to face Southland Conference foe Stephen F. Austin. The games are set for Thursday through Saturday to allow the teams off on Easter Sunday. Game time for Thursday’s game is 3pm in Nacogdoches.

Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

KTSW to Carry Texas State at Southeastern Louisiana Baseball Series

2010-03-29T12:26:00.006-05:00

KTSW 89.9 FM is pleased to announce that we will be airing the Southeastern Louisiana baseball series live from Hammond, Louisiana! Both teams are currently atop the SLC standings with 7-2 records, and SLU is coming off of a recent ranking of #22 in the nation. Texas State is currently ranked 38th in RPI according to www.boydsworld.com, and SLU is ranked 39th. This could easily be a series that determines the winner of the 2010 Southland Conference regular season championship. Texas State swept the Lions last year in San Marcos.

The first game on Friday, April 16th will start at 6:00 PM and will have pregame coverage starting at 5:45 PM, the second game on Saturday April 17th will begin at 2:00 PM and will have pregame coverage starting at 1:45 PM, and the third game on Sunday, April 18th will begin at 1:00 PM and will have pregame coverage starting at 12:45 PM.

All three games will be available on 89.9 FM KTSW, www.ktsw.net, and www.txstatebobcats.com. We are also currently exploring the possibility of airing the McNeese series in Lake Charles in May, stay tuned to the KTSW Sports Blog for more programming updates.

Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Baseball Uses Second Comeback of Series to Sweep Lamar

2010-03-28T23:00:00.006-05:00

After a 12-1 win on Saturday’s game, the Texas State Bobcats swept the Lamar Cardinals this Sunday afternoon with a final score of 5-2. There was much anticipation on how today’s game would play out due to the inconsistency of the games before on Texas State's part. Ty Harrington mentioned that every game’s a new game regardless of the wins his team has earned before. According to him, the Bobcats should in no way have gone into Sunday’s game with their heads held up any higher, and instead go out on the field and play their hardest.

The starting pitchers were Lee Colon for the Bobcats and Eric Harrington for the Cardinals. The Bobcats may have felt intimidated batting against Eric Harrington, last year's SLC freshman of the year and All-SLC first team member. The match up against these two pitchers was well fought out for the batters. Both pitchers put up zeros in every inning until the 5th when the Cardinals finally scored 2 runs and the Bobcats scored 1 at the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that was the first and last time they would ever put up any numbers on the scoreboard.

It wasn’t until the 7th inning that the action started to unravel. Before then, the game had been easygoing and the pitchers were in and out with their innings. Tyler Sibley walked on the batting box and hit a triple on Eric Harrington's pitch. This was the first time any player from either team had a man on the third base. This play gave Bobcat fans encouragement on a comeback. After Sibley's hit, Bret Atwood stepped on base and immediately hit a double. Lamar's Harrington was having a hard time accepting the hits he was giving up and head coach for the Cardinals came out and talked to him on the mound trying to regroup his pitcher. After their coach came out, two players for the Cardinals went out to the bullpen for warm up to relieve Harrington.

Kyle Livingstone was next on bat and hit a single right off the pitch. The crowd was going wild, this had been the most action fans had seen throughout the entire game. With the bases loaded, the Cardinals were put in a tough position. Jason Martinson got up to the plate and hit a sacrifice bunt, scoring Sibley and Atwood. Kyle Kubitza went off with a home run to the right field for the final 5-2 score of the game.

Kubitza went 3-for-4 and Atwood went 2-for-3 in today's game. The Cardinals had a pitching change after Kyle Kubitza and went to the 8th inning. Covey Morrow came in for a pitching change for the Bobcats to take out the left hander at bat for LU. After his success, Garret Carruth came in after to relieve the game and got his second save of the series.

The are now 7-2 in Southland Conference play and 14-8 overall with the sweep, while Lamar falls to 15-9, 2-7 SLC. Texas State will face off against Texas A&M this coming Tuesday at 6:30 PM at Bobcat Field, KTSW will have live coverage beginning at 6:15. The game will be available on 89.9 FM, www.ktsw.net, and www.txstatebobcats.com.

Jessica Salinas, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Run-Rule Lamar in Game 2 of Series

2010-03-27T22:06:00.003-05:00

A 12-1 run-rule victory over the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday afternoon marked the 350th career victory for Head Coach Ty Harrington, and ensured the third straight series victory over Southland Conference opponents this season. The win put Texas State's overall record at 13-8 and a 6-2 mark in the SLC. The weather (with the wind howling in toward home) and the exciting come from behind finish the previous night set the tone for what many thought would be a two sided pitching duel and another close finish, but the Bobcats ended that idea in the first inning when they posted a five spot. This only foreshadowed the theme of the next few innings and the rest of the game as the game ended after an abrupt seven innings due to the mercy rule. Michael Russo completed all seven innings using the ground ball and the Cardinals' lack of patience to keep his record at a spotless 3-0 for the 2010 season, and many Bobcat hitters put in a collective effort to spark what was arguably the most impressive all around offensive effort all season.

The 'Cats picked up right where they left off from Friday night's rally as they posted a five run first inning sparked by a bases loaded single off the bat of Designated Hitter Jeff McVaney, with RBI singles immediately following from Kyle Kubitza and Laurn Randell. Russo made quick work of the Lamar early on and for most of the game with the help of 3 ground ball double plays spread out through the seven innings. Two of them came in the 6-4-3 variety started by the brilliant glove of shortstop Jason Martinson. The second inning was much like the first for the Bobcats offensively, as Atwood reached on an error in shallow right field allowing Jeff McVaney and Kyle Kubitza to further the damage with back to back doubles to right field. That play was followed immediately by another Laurn Randell single, which eventually chased the Cardinals freshman starter Jonathon Dziedzic out of the game, giving him his first loss of the season.

Cardinal reliever Zach Boulanger didn't post much success either as the Bobcats jumped on him in the third inning, posting a four spot which would be the last bit of offense from the Bobcats. The third was highlighted by a Bret Atwood double and another Kyle Kubitza RBI single, notching the third hit in as many innings. Michael Russo spread out eight hits, one earned run, and five strikeouts throughout the seven inning complete game, with the only run for the Cardinals coming in the seventh inning (although a diving attempt by Laurn Randell nearly sewed up a shut-out). Either way, the Bobcats got to cut out the final two innings of the game easily bringing Coach Ty Harrington to the 350 win plateau as he climbs on toward a taller one.

The game lasted less than 2 hours (1hr and 57 mins) and featured a relatively large saturday afternoon crowd of 814. With the victory the Bobcats look to stay hot at the plate and will go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon at 1:00. The pitching match-up will feature Eric Harrington (3-0) and Bobcat lefty Lee Colon (2-1). The action can be heard on KTSW 89.9, the only station for Texas State Bobcat Baseball. It can also be heard on the internet at www.ktsw.net and www.txstatebobcats.com.

-Weston Warner, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Baseball Shocks Lamar With Five Run Comeback

2010-03-27T09:21:00.002-05:00

Lamar tacked on two runs in the top of the 7th inning to go up 7-3, and the already sluggish Bobcats looked defeated. Reliever Mitchell Pitts was able to stop the bleeding in the top of the 8th in stead of the struggling Carson Smith, but the dormant Bobcat crowd was unconvinced that the 'Cats could come back. Then, in the bottom of the 8th, you blinked...and Texas State was up by a run. Garrett Carruth would then get the save in the top 9th by retiring the side to pull off the stunning 8-7 comeback for the Bobcats.

The ballgame started out with Carson Smith giving up two straight singles and Lamar bringing home a runner on a sacrifice grounder-turned-double play. Texas State's Kyle Livingstone answered with a triple, and Kyle Kubitza blooped a single to right field to knot the game at one apiece. It seemed as if the tone was set for a knock-down-drag-out slugfest after the first inning, and the two Smith ace pitchers--Carson Smith for Texas State, Mattison Smith for Lamar--made sure things stayed that way until the 5th inning. Texas State was able to manufacture another run off of a perfect Bret Atwood bunt in the third, but the two pitchers managed to only give up six hits between them between the 2nd and 4th innings.

Then, in the 5th, disaster struck.

Carson Smith had looked like he had finally gotten in a groove for Texas State, striking out four and keeping any Lamar runners away from home plate. Ted Zentek vaporized Smith's rhythm by sending a shot to center field that resulted in a stand-up double. Lamar then teed off on Smith, taking advantage of his lack of control for walks, wild pitches, singles, and, most importantly, a three-run homer by the previously ineffective designated hitter Wade Mathis. Bobcat head coach Ty Harrington got some of his relievers working in the pen, but he decided to leave his starter in until the 7th inning despite the 5-2 deficit. The 'Cat bats, meanwhile, were largely ineffective throughout the midsection of the game.

Texas State scored a run in the 6th and went into the top of the 7th trailing 5-3. That's when Lamar poured it on Smith and the 'Cat fielders. Outstanding Lamar shortstop Aaron Buchanan lifted the third of eventually four lead-off hits into left field, and he was immediately knocked home by Clayton Farhat on a well-traveled double. Ryan Meade later executed a sacrifice fly to center field that sent home Farhat, although it seemed that Farhat was obviously out on the tag at the plate. The Bobcat crowd was furious and the most vocal it had been all day, which was a bit of a sad representation of how the game had gone thus far for Texas State. Smith was pulled in the 8th, Mitchell Pitts avoided a two-base jam in the top half of the inning, and then everything changed.

After an Atwood pop-out, Kyle Livingstone then stepped into the batter's box, staying calm and focused despite the four run deficit. Mattison Smith, outstanding all day for Lamar, then made his biggest mistake of the evening: He gave Livingstone a chance in the strike zone. The senior first baseman smashed a meatball over towards the Bobcat softball complex in left field, and the floodgates opened. Kyle Kubitza seized the momentum, singled, and Martinson tripled home Kubitza to bring the score to 7-5. Mattison Smith's day was done, and Garrett Steward came in to stop the bleeding. At first, it looked like he would.

Shaun Garcia struck out with Martinson on third, and the wind was momentarily taken out of the sails of the maroon-clad fans at Bobcat field. Then, another struggling player found a way to execute, and it made all the difference. Jeff McVaney, previously 0 of 3 on the day, blooped into left field to score Martinson. Lamar's Steward then melted down and could not find a sweet spot, and Andrew Stumph took advantage with an RBI single. Steward was quickly pulled for Taylor McInnis, and he somehow managed to look as twice as bad as Steward. McInnis managed three pitches before a wild pitch brought home the leading run in Aaron Burnett. The LU pitcher was likely distracted by the speedy Laurn Randell on his way to second on an attempted steal. After McInnis made his unceremonious exit, Kyle Livingstone strolled back to the plate for the second at-bat of the inning. He saw a stunning 8-7 Bobcat lead, bases loaded, and a golden opportunity. However, maybe the baseball gods decided that five runs were enough, as Livingstone popped out to short to end the inning.

Then, it became Garrett Carruth's time. The senior from Lewisville turned in arguably his strongest outing of the season in the top of the 9th, freezing the Lamar batters in a three-up, three-down whimper of a final effort for the Cardinals. A joyous Bobcat dugout celebrated at midfield, and the electrified Texas State crowd tried to take in the improbable comeback. In his postgame interview, Coach Harrington stated that Jeff McVaney's RBI single was the biggest catalyst in the 5-run comeback, as it sparked the Bobcat dugout and gave the whole team confidence. He also tempered the excitement by noting that starting pitcher Carson Smith "didn't have his best stuff today" and that the team still has a long way to go to stay consistent.

With the win, the 'Cats improve to 12-8 and 5-2 in the SLC, while Lamar falls to 15-7, 2-5 SLC. The two teams will face off again on Saturday at 2 pm, you can listen to the game live on KTSW 89.9 FM and ktsw.net at 1:45 pm for pre-game coverage.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Boatright Bombs #15 Texas, Walks Off Into Sunset

2010-03-25T00:40:00.005-05:00

Exciting doesn’t even begin to describe the match up between Texas State and Texas on Wednesday night. Leah Boatright’s 3-run homer in the bottom of the 7th clinched a 9-7 walk-off win for the Bobcats over the 15th ranked Longhorns, bringing their record to 14-13 for the season.

Chandler Hall was the starting pitcher, and she dominated for almost half of the game. Hall was able to shut down the Longhorn batters with her off-speed change ups and by working the outside corners of the plate. The Texas State batting lineup backed up their pitcher by coming out and swinging right from the very first pitch. Throughout the first part of the game the Bobcats continuously put the ball in play, then Leah Boatright had her first home run in the 4th to bring the Bobcat lead to 4-0. Haley Lemons, McKenzie Baack, and Kristina Tello also contributed with hits and runs.

However, in the top of the 4th the Bobcats began to run into a little trouble. Chandler Hall started showing signs of fatigue and the Longhorn bats took advantage of every missed pitch. Texas’s Amy Hooks and Loryn Johnson both put up back to back solo home runs, decreasing the Bobcat lead to 4-2. Hall struggled in the 5th inning, allowing 4 runs for the Longhorns. Coach Woodard had to make the difficult decision to take out Hall and bringing in freshman phenomena Anne Marie Taylor. Taylor would give up one run on one of two illegal pitch calls, but she quickly shut down the 'Horn batters after that debacle.

With the score now 7-4 Texas’ lead, it didn’t look good for Texas State as they headed into the bottom of the 6th. Suddenly, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, centerfielder Kristina Tello got a slap hit to the right side of the field, scoring one run. Then, another error was racked up when UT made a wild throw that landed in the home field’s dugout, automatically moving Tello to third and advancing pinch runner Brooke Baker home, decreasing the deficit to 7-6.

Taylor held the Longhorns to a scoreless 7th inning as the meat of the Bobcat line up prepared for their last at bat of the game. With the Bobcats down by one, and with two outs, hard hitter Leah Boatright strutted to the plate. On her third pitch she connected with a rise ball that hung in the zone a little too long. With two runners on, Boatright bombed a home run to left-center field, leaving the final score 9-7, Texas State. The entire Bobcat dugout erupted in jubilation, and the 650 or so maroon and gold clad fans out of 739 in attendance went crazy.

The 'Cats will hit the road to face Southeastern Louisiana this weekend before heading up to Austin to face these same Longhorns on Wednesday. KTSW will have coverage of Texas State at Texas starting live at 6:15 pm, first pitch is at 6:30. the game will be aired live on 89.9 FM, ktsw.net, and txstatebobcats.com

-Lauren Scalise, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Softball Wins Series Over TAMU-CC

2010-03-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Texas State Softball team continued to play well as they once again won another Southland Conference game on Sunday. With winds gusting up to 40 mph, hitting was affected greatly in a double-header played at Bobcat Field. The wind blew from left to right field pushing every hit put out to right field foul. Game one went underway at noon with Chandler Hall starting at the circle. Hall came into the game with a 2.84 era and a total of a team leading 116 strikeouts. Taking the start for the Islanders was their leader in earned run average, Margo Hurdt, who displayed an impressive 2.55. With a batting average of .316 overall for Corpus Christi, Chandler Hall faced the run-hungry bats of the Islanders.

Striking first in game one were the Bobcats with a grand slam recorded by Leah Boatright. The grand slam was the first in right fielder’s career. Adding the 4-0 lead was Anna Hernandez’s double driving in from second and third Shelby Carnline and Kristina Tello. The lead was advanced further when Boatright collected her fifth RBI of the day after a bases loaded walk advanced Hernandez home, giving Texas State a 7-0 lead. However, after a few pitching changes for Texas State, the Islanders were able to answer back with a bit of a comeback. AMCC cut into the Bobcats lead when it recorded two runs in the third after Margo Hurdt hit a single to center field. The Islanders recorded three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. With the lead now cut to 7-6, it was up to the freshman pitcher Anne Marie Taylor to get the save and clean up the victory. Taylor came into game and took care of business, giving the win to the 'Cats. The save from Taylor made it her 7th on the season while Chandler Hall improved her record to 9-6 overall. The win clinched the series for the Bobcats bringing the game total to 2-0 for the weekend series.

Game two started around 2:30 pm with the winds continuing to cause problems for both teams on the field and at the plate. Taking the circle for the Bobcats once again was freshman Anne Marie Taylor, just fresh off her recent save in the second game of the series. Anne Marie’s record coming into the game was a perfect 4-0 in southland play and 4-4 overall. The starting pitcher for AMCC was Addie Tallman who pitched a near perfect game to close the strong hitting displayed from the Bobcats in the second game of the series. Addie’s overall record was 5-4 on the season. A bizarre start to the game resulted from another grand slam, this time from the Islander catcher Brittany Tucker in the top of the first inning. The grand slam made it Brittany’s 6th time to clear the fence.

By the bottom of the third the score was set at 6-1 in the Islanders favor, but the Bobcats were determined to not let this game get away from them. Texas State was able to knock in 6 runs off a pitching change set by TAMU-CC head coach Schumann to put Elena Crabtree into the game. The Bobcats took a 7-6 lead after second baseman Anna Hernandez drove in two runs off a sacrifice grounder down right field. However, the strong hitting from the Islanders was not finished just yet. Chandler Hall was put back into the game and managed to give the Islanders 5 more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Texas State was not able to answer to the runs put up by Corpus Christi and dropped the final game of the series with a final score being 11-7.

After the game I was able to grab a quick interview with Coach Woodard of the Bobcats. I asked her about the inconsistency at the circle for the pitchers on the day. She responded by saying the girls just couldn’t find their spots. We discussed the wind situation and how it affected the game and errors. She claimed most of the errors were due to poor fielding. With this win, Coach Woodard now has 200 wins and makes her the 2nd person in Southland to have such a record. The Bobcat Softball team will now face Texas in San Marcos on Wednesday, March 24th at 6:30 p.m. You can listen to the game live on 89.9 FM or ktsw.net, pregame coverage starts at 6:15 pm.

-Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Softball Clinches Another Win in the SLC

2010-03-21T10:56:00.003-05:00

Texas State University pitcher Chandler Hall hit a walk-off double for the Bobcats, giving them a 4-3 comeback win over Texas A&M University Corpus-Christi on Saturday evening.

Despite the 40 degree weather and 38mph winds, Texas State pulled through to gain their 12th win for the season. In the first couple of innings it seemed to look like Texas State was not making any progress out onto the field at all; Chandler was having trouble with her pitching, Kristina Tello had no action what-so-ever in the outfield, and Anna Hernandez was not getting any hits. The score at that time was 3-0, Islanders. TAMUCC took the lead over the Bobcats in the 3rd and 5th innings and it seemed like trouble was heading towards Texas State.

Coach Woodard noticed that her team wasn't getting the work done so she decided to switch up the pitching. She brought in Anne Marie Taylor for two innings to shake things up. Taylor kept it consistent with the ball during the time she was out on the mound , but Coach Woodard wasn't quite done with her plans of stategy just yet. Chandler Hall was later put back onto the mound and pitch the rest of the game for the Bobcats.

On the other end, TAMUCC had some tough players on the field as well. First baseman Megan Mckinney played a strong defense against Texas State and also made 1 run for the Islanders. 2nd baseman Cayley Jeter also did a good job out on the field, but it was not strong enough to make it past the Bobcats. During the 6th inning Tx State came back into the game and scored 3 runs in a row, making it a tie game. At the top of the 7th the Islanders tried to win the game over, but lead pitcher Hall put a stop to that with her quick 3 strike outs. With the final remainder of the game Chandler Hall hit the ball into the center outfield almost making an out, but center fielder Cassie Redman missed the ball as it flew over her. After that the game was over. Bobcats win.

Texas State will take on the Islanders in a Sunday doubleheader starting at noon. You can listen live on Stretch Internet at txstatebobcats.com, pregame starts at 11:45.

-Bryana Lundy, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

2010 Texas State Football Spring Game to be Aired on KTSW

2010-03-17T14:54:00.004-05:00

Tune in on Saturday to listen to the Maroon-Gold Spring Game live from Bobcat Stadium! Brant Freeman and Bill Culhane will call the game with KTSW Sideline Reporter Karina Medellin interviewing coaches, players, and others involved with Bobcat Athletics. Tune in at 6:15 PM for the KTSW Pregame Show, and then listen to the kickoff at 6:45 PM.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Bobcats Grab Game 3, Series Sweep vs. Penn State in Bottom 9th

2010-03-15T00:08:00.004-05:00

The Bobcats came into Sunday’s morning game with a 2 games to none lead against Penn State, and they prevailed in a 5-4 late-inning win. This weekends sweep has improved Texas State to 8-6 overall and are still 2-1 in conference. Starting for Texas State on the mound was (junior) Lee Colon who pitched seven straight innings. Colon rationed Penn State only three hits and two runs, one of which was earned. The junior also struck out a career-high eight batters in the no-decision.

This was only the second time of the season that Colon has started during a weekend series on Sunday. Last week Colon had six strike outs and earned the win against the Islanders in an ending score of 13-8. This Sunday afternoon’s game played out different from Friday and Saturday’s in earned runs for both teams. The Bobcats scored early within the first 3 innings with about 5 to 6 runs and Penn State fell behind. Regardless of how hard the Nittany Lions tried to come back with runs, Texas State’s defense made sure to keep them at a scoring distance.

Today’s batting line up started off with (sophomore) Tyler Sibley and ending with (RS Senior) Laurn Randell. Coach Ty Harrington has been changing the batting line up throughout the season and has mentioned that he’s going to keep it up and play his best batters when necessary. In the top of the third, an RBI single from Jordan Steranka gave PSU its first run, and gave up a fly in the fifth allowed them the first tie of the game.

A key player for the Bobcats was (senior) Kyle Livingston who went 3-for-3 and has improved his batting average to 375. Shaun Garcia won the game in the bottom of the ninth with a sacrifice fly to center field. Carson smith recorded the win for the game after giving up 2 runs to Penn State in the top of the ninth allowing them to tie the game at 4 – 4. The win is Carson’s first win of the season.

Texas State will be heading to Lubbock on Tuesday to face Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m. This upcoming weekend the Bobcats will also head off to play against rival Sam Houston State in Huntsville. You can check the Texas Tech and Sam Houston State websites for radio information.

-Jessica Salinas, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Bats Too Much For The Nittany Lions in 15-6 Rout

2010-03-13T23:32:00.002-06:00

The 'Cats merely replicated the Friday night onslaught with a 16 hit, 15 run performance highlighted by two towering home runs to right field in a 15-6 win over Penn State. The PSU pitching staff came in to Saturday afternoon with an emphasis on slowing down the Bobcat offensive attack, but got a little sidetracked after an early mistake that Jason Martinson took advantage of and the offense remained contagious. Head Coach Ty Harrington harped upon the importance of worthy and meaningful at bats after the Tuesday night heart breaking loss in Austin and they have responded in the best and most obvious way this weekend by tallying 35 runs in 2 games thus far and is now looking for the sweep Sunday afternoon.

Saturday provided a little tweak in the lineup as as fellow freshman Andrew Stumph got some rest after hitting his first Grand Slam Friday Night, but fellow Freshman Andrew Lacombe represented the fifth different player to be inserted in the DH spot this year and like all of the rest did a good job. Several Bobcat players used Saturday's game to keep piling on their stats in the offensive category including Kyle Livingston who is now 6 for 10 in the series and is now producing at the rate that everyone expects to see.

Brian Borski got his second consecutive Saturday start and had a perfect top of the first with a strike out and a 4-6-3 double play, opposed to his last couple that included the first inning blues and a few uncharacteristic walks. Then, in the bottom of the first the Bobcats took advantage of a two out error and picked up right where they left off from Friday night on an opposite field blast off the bat of Jason Martinson that plated three and made it 3-0 right out of the gates. A manufactured run in the second made it 4-0, but then a two inning mental lapse (3rd & 4th) by the Bobcat defense that accounted for three errors and a home run off the bat of Bobby Jacobs chased Brian Borski out of the game a little earlier than desired and the Nittany Lions tied up the score 5-5 in the top of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Laurn Randell got things going by taking a pitch in the elbow, stealing second base, and eventually coming home on a Tyler Sibley single up the middle. Brett Atwood and Kyle Livingstone both singled as well in the inning, and starting pitcher Neal Herring fittingly exited after a line drive off the bat off Jason Martinson struck the Freshman's shin, putting the Bobcats back up by three runs at 8-5. Fireworks sparked in the fifth inning for the Cats as they put up a seven spot in the inning that began with seven straight singles and was capped off by a Shaun Garcia three run bomb to right center field putting them up 15-5 and in cruise control.

The bullpen did a good job this afternoon mopping up 4 1/3 innings as Garret Carruth was credited with his 2nd win on the year by pitching two solid innings. Freshman RHP Garret Sheppard helped his own cause for playing time as he pitched a near perfect two innings to close out the game that included 4 k's and a remarkable rhythm. The win puts the Bobcats back over the .500 mark at 7-6 overall and will try to pull off a series sweep against a Big 10 team for the second consecutive season. You can listen to the game on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com, first pitch is set for 11:00 A.M and the pregame will start at 10:45.

-Weston Warner, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Baseball Bounces Back, Blows By Penn State

2010-03-13T12:38:00.003-06:00

The Texas State Baseball team has certainly bounced back into their winning ways with a dominating performance Friday night against the Penn State Lions. With a heartbreaking loss against the heavily favored Texas Longhorns, the ‘Cats have showed their fighting ways against the adversity of facing a larger school such as Penn State. Texas State was able to hand a beating to the Lions, coming away with a 20-6 victory. The struggling bats of the Bobcats were certainly absent as they scored every inning but two. The Texas sized road trip for the Nittany Lions is now halfway over and seems to only be getting worse and worse for them. Penn State will have to turn things completely around before their season spins out of control.

After being crushed by the Aggies, Penn State came into the game a little bit weary. This could certainly be seen from the poor pitching displayed by the Nittany Lions. Kyle Livingstone was one Bobcat that took advantage of every opportunity, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Garcia brought in a trio of runs off one hit. Garcia was walked five times in tonight's outing and scored twice. Other hitters that seemed to bully up on the Penn State pitching squad were Tyler Sibley, Kyle Kubitza and Andrew Stumph. Stumph can add a Grand Slam to his highlight reel, which came late in the bottom of the seventh inning making it his second hit of the night. Sibley went 2-3 on the night with a stand up triple after excellent hustle around the bases. A triple from Atwood brought Sibley home, giving Atwood his only RBI of the night.

The Bobcats jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning with a two run homer by powerhouse hitter Kyle Livingstone. The lead only increased with the back to back triple from Sibley and Atwood. Penn State was final able to answer with three runs of their own coming off a three run homer from first baseman Joey DeBarnardis. After poor pitching from the Lions in the bottom of fourth inning, the Bobcats were able to run away with a huge lead from six earned runs. The game was sealed with Stumph’s Grand Slam.

Taking the mound for the Lions was Ryan Ignas. Even though Ignas had the best ERA on the team with a 2.81, he was picked apart by a 6 runs scored in the second inning. After Ignas was pulled, San Marcos got to meet almost every single pitcher Penn State had to offer. Not one pitcher for the Lions was able to come in and not give up a run. Each pitcher gave up one or more runs. This lose will be Ignas’s first one the season while Russo take his second win.

Concluding the game, I had a chance to talk with Coach Harrington about the heartbreak to Texas and Michael Russo’s excellent pitching so far. He told me that the loss to Texas was certainly disappointing. He told his guys to keep their feet moving and continue on. With a huge victory from last night you could certainly see the ‘Cats were moving their feet. The Bobcats will now face to Nittany Lions two more times as they round out the series today and tomorrow with the first game coming at 2 p.m. and the second at 11 a.m. You can listen to both at 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net, or txstatebobcats.com.

-Tyler Thomason, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

First Round of the SLC Tournament takes seeds 1-4; Bobcats left behind

2010-03-11T20:57:00.002-06:00

The Men's basketball team went into Katy, Texas to take part in the Southland Conference Tournament Wednesday as a # 5 seed. They took on a tough Southeastern Louisiana squad who held the # 4 seed. Both teams were on a roll coming into the game as they were both on a 3-game winning streak. The Bobcats' winning streak was a little more impressive, however, as they beat UTSA in San Antonio and the Southland Conference champs, Sam Houston State, at home. Nonetheless, when you go into postseason play, all of that is thrown out of the window because none of it really matters, and the 'Cats can attest to that as they fell to the Lions 79-78 in overtime.

Texas State led by 17 points going into the half when senior guard John Rybak nailed a fall-away three from the corner at the buzzer. The 'Cats looked like the superior team in almost every aspect of the game. They ended up crushing the Lions on the boards, 49-31, and shot a better percentage from the free-throw line. However, they turned the ball over too much. On the season, when the Bobcats have fewer than 16 turnovers they are a perfect 6-0. So guess how many turnovers they had Wednesday night? Yep, you got it. 21 turnovers to only 12 assists was the mark that bit the 'cats in the end. None were more costly than one that came at the hands of Ryan White with :05 left on the clock though. He was dribbling the ball at the half-court line, wasting the clock away so the bobcats could get the final shot as time expired. Then he accidentally dribbled the ball off of his leg and into the back-court where he lost it and SLU gained possesion. The Lions missed a layup at the buzzer, which sent the game into overtime.

Note: In that saecond half SLU went on a 22-7 run and got the second lead change of the night at the 6:24 mark. The Lions hit the first three-pointer of the game in the opening minute of the first half, but the Bobcats took control from then on. Guard Trent Hutchin from SLU finished with 21 points on the night, 18 of them coming in the second half/overtime. Cameron Johnson finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds, and Ryan White finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Both stars will be seniors next year.

In overtime the teams kept trading baskets until the final seconds. Senior Bidias A' Moute was whistled for a foul with only 2 seconds left that stunned the crowd and sent SLU's star center Patrick Sullivan to the line. Texas State had no more timeouts so they could not really do much but pray that he would miss the two attempts. Sullivan, who was currently 2-4 from the line on the night, stepped up and missed the first shot. Texas State fans went crazy behind the press line as that shot gave the 'Cats some light. Then Sullivan took a deep breath, stepped up to the line, and stuck a dagger right into bocat hopefuls. Nothing but twine, as the shot was grabbed out of the net by Rybak aware his team had no more timeouts. He sprinted out of bounds with the ball a rifled a pass down court to Forward Cameron Johnson who had been carrying the team down the stretch. Johnson leaped up, snatched the ball away from one defender, and turned towards the basket to stare down a wide-open 15-foot jump shot. The Christian Laettner-like heroics were unsuccessful as Johnson's shot clanked off the rim, long.

The shot was a great explanation of the game as a whole, a heartbreaker. A game where the Bobcats were in control the ENTIRE time. They played solid defense and made every open shot, even some very tough ones, and they fought. They fought for about 35 out of the 40 minutes in regulation, which left the door open for the Lions to come in and snatch the victory away from the Bobcats. The loss continues the losing-streak for the 'cats as they have not won a tournament game since the 2002 season. It will be a LONG AND DREARY off-season for the returners as they think about what "could've been." As for the two seniors, John Rybck and Emmanuel Bidias A' Moute, you guys fought your heart out and I tip my hat off to both of you. You both deserved more and I'm sorry that y'all (we are in Texas) had to go out like this, but that's just the way the ball rolls sometimes. As for all the returners and Bobcats fans, it was a great ride while it lasted but you know what they say, there's always next year, and it promises to be a good one. Mark my words. So until then, keep your heads up and keep the Bobcat Pride Alive!

- Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Squeeze Their Way To An Upset Over #22 Baylor

2010-03-11T14:59:00.004-06:00

With several ample opportunities to grab a hold of the ball game, the Bobcats found themselves down by a run heading to the bottom of the ninth inning. The Baylor Lady Bears were eager to sneak out of San Marcos with a 3-2 victory and ruin Chandler Hall's nine innings of hard work; meanwhile leaving the Bobcats scratching their heads wondering how they lost control of the firm grip the seemed to have Wednesday evening. The only problem for Glenn Moore and his Lady Bears stemmed from the fact that the Bobcats were just as eager to make sure that did not happen, and that's exactly what they did. With the aid of the extra inning rule and a lead off triple from Senior Kristina Tello, Chandler Hall stepped up to the plate with the winning run on third and laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that abruptly ended the intense nine inning affair and sent the #22 ranked Lady Bears packing. In a match-up where something had to give, the Bobcats ended the Lady Bears seven game win streak and extended their own win streak to six games and a 9-11 overall record. The 4-3 victory was a minor jab of revenge as the Bobcats' season ended last year in the Waco Regional due in major part to the 2009 Lady Bears; but after Wednesday night all of that is pushed back just a little further in the history books.

It was the first visit for the Baylor University Softball program to San Marcos since Bobcat Field was renovated, and the Bobcats made them feel as welcome as any road opponent. The 'Cats started with a three up three down defensive top of the first, and an early run in the bottom of the frame from a McKenzie Baack RBI fielders choice. Baylor starting pitcher Courtney Repka found herself in trouble all night due to walks (8 total) but managed to pitch herself out of jams all throughout the first 4 innings. On the other hand, Chandler Hall breezed through the first five innings only giving up two infield hits in the second with each frame lasting less than 5 minutes.

Baylor plated their first run in the top of the sixth off of a pass ball and a two base error as Freshman Catcher Macie Hair simply could not locate the wild pitch, resulting in a 1-1 deadlock going into the bottom of the sixth. Then, in the bottom of the sixth Jenna Emery crushed a two out double in the left center gap which lead to a pinch hit single up the middle off of the bat of sophomore Allison Snow marking her first hit of the 2010 season. The clutch hit put the Bobcats up by one with three outs to go. The Lady Bears would not go quietly though, as Nicole Wesley lead off the seventh with a double and eventually came around to score with a two out single off the bat off her sister Tiffany Wesley and the battle would continue. In extra innings, both ball clubs had trouble getting down sacrifice bunts as both offenses were shut down in the eighth inning.

Baylor with small ball in the top of the ninth as well and temporarily swiped a one run lead in the top of the ninth off of a suicide squeeze play, which also marked the first time the Bobcats were trailing in the game. Then in the bottom of the ninth, Kristina Tello lead off with a triple over Tiffany Wesley in left field which tied up the game and eventually lead to Chandler Hall giving the Bears a taste of their own medicine with the one out, walk off suicide squeeze.

Hall threw all nine innings for the Cats and recorded 11 strikeouts, notching her record to 7-5 on the year and dropping her E.R.A back under the 3 mark to 2.92. Kristina Tello was the only Bobcat that had a multi-hit day going 2-4 with an RBI and and scored the winning run. The Bobcats also got away with leaving 11 on base, and notched their first win over a Big 12 opponent in the 2010 season bringing that record to 1-2. Look for this to be a benchmark victory for the ladies as they continue on to Lake Charles, Louisiana on Saturday to take on their Southland Conference foe McNeese State and eventually will make it out to Lubbock for a double-header against the Texas Tech Lady Raiders next Tuesday.

-Weston Warner, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Suffers Late-Inning Comeback From Texas

2010-03-10T11:20:00.004-06:00

The 6'5" pitcher Carson Smith took the mound for Texas State on Tuesday night with an imposing physical presence, but nobody knew what he was about to unleash at Disch-Falk Field in Austin. After the dust had cleared at the end of the bottom of the 7th, Smith had allowed only five hits and one run while fanning eight Texas Longhorn batters. He had earned the respect of all 6,049 fans in attendance, and he had also helped his team preserve a 2-1 lead. However, baseball is not a 7-inning game, as Texas State learned in excruciating fashion in a 4-3 loss to the 3rd-ranked Texas Longhorns.

Texas State and Texas were locked in a pitcher's duel for the first three innings, as the 'Cats could only muster up one hit from Andrew Stumph and the 'Horns could only get two hits. The Bobcats then broke things open in the top of the 4th, as Bret Atwood started a three-hit rally that brought home himself and Kyle Livingstone. As the 'Cats teed off on UT starting pitcher Austin Dicharry, momentum swung directly over to the Texas State dugout as the burnt orange-clad fans at Disch-Falk were silenced. Carson Smith continued his mastery of the Longhorn batting lineup as he allowed only two total runners to get on base in the 5th and 6th innings--one reaching on a walk, one reaching on a throwing error by shortstop Jason Martinson.

Smith did work his way into a jam in the 7th inning, as UT pounded out three hits and scored Kevin Keyes, the leadoff batter. Things were getting a bit hairy for the Bobcats when Jordan Etier laid down a squeeze bunt with one out and the bases loaded, but first baseman Kyle Livingstone saved the day by picking up the bunt, throwing home, and watching catcher Andrew Stumph tag out Kevin Lusson at home. The play was so intense that not only did baserunner and catcher collide, but home plate umpire Tim Henderson was also knocked down by the play at the plate. Possibly inspired by such a defensive effort, Smith then fought back with his eighth strikeout of the game to Tant Shepherd, helping preserve Texas State's 2-1 lead and putting an emphatic closing statement on his tenure at the mound. Momentum was still on Texas State's side, even though the Bobcat bats had gone silent.

Then, the bottom of the 8th started, and everything changed.

Bobcat head coach Ty Harrington pulled Smith after his mastery of the strike zone had begun to fade somewhat in the 7th inning, and instead sent in his relatively untested sophomore reliever Mitchell Pitts. Harrington stated that Smith "probably would have gone deeper into the game, maybe into the 8th if he had not pitched on Sunday" in his postgame interview with KTSW broadcaster Will McGinnis, and the call to sit Smith made sense at the time. However, Pitts was immediately rocked for two straight hits, and the feelings of dread and sick familiarity may have started to seep into the minds of Bobcat fans familiar with last year's bullpen meltdowns.

The 'Cats tried to reassure themselves with a nice play at third by Kyle Kubitza on a fielder's choice to get the first out, and Harrington went into his bullpen again and brought out right-handed senior Garrett Carruth. Harrington's logic in going to Carruth was to try to offset the powerful right-handed Kevin Keyes of Texas, who had already lit up the 'Cats for two singles earlier in the game. However, Carruth walked Keyes to juice the bases. Kyle Lusson then scored a run on a failed double play turned fielder's choice, as Martinson and Sibley were not quite able to get Lusson on a 6-4-3 double play at first. Lusson did a fantastic job of getting a slow chopper over to Martinson and then showing hustle down the basepaths to beat out the Sibley throw to first. That split second miss by Texas State proved to be extremely costly, as relatively unknown pinch hitter Paul Montalbano singled and scored two runs to put Texas up 4-3 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th. Harrington then brought in Jeff McVaney to relieve Carruth, and McVaney did a nice job of getting the final out with the bases loaded, but by then the damage was done.

The Bobcat bats, active at times but dormant in others in this game, couldn't find much of a window against ace reliever Chance Ruffin, who gave up a walk but nothing else to secure the Longhorn win. It was another frustrating loss for Texas State at Disch-Falk, as the Bobcats ended their season last year with back-to-back late-inning losses to Boston College and Army in the NCAA tournament in the Austin Regional. It was also another tough loss to the Longhorns, as the Bobcats came close but fell short in last year's home opener in San Marcos against Texas. However, as crushing as the loss was, there are still plenty of reasons to still be excited about this team. Carson Smith is now the unquestioned ace on a fairly solid Bobcat starting rotation, while Michael Russo, Brian Borski, and Lee Colon will start on the weekends. The 'Cat bats have shown signs of waking up in the past few games, and slumping Tyler Sibley and Kyle Kubitza are bound to break out at some point. Jeff McVaney will also look to get more time in the Bobcat bullpen, as Coach Harrington stated after the game how pleased he was with McVaney's play in pressure situations. It was also impressive to see Texas State put forth their best effort in Austin in a long time in front of an energized Texas crowd--indeed, the game had almost a bit of a late-season tournament feel to it despite its March date.

However, you can bet that the 'Cats aren't satisfied with their current situation.

Texas State will host a three-game non-conference series this weekend against Penn State starting on Friday. First pitch for Friday's game will be at 6:30 PM, while Saturday's contest starts at 2:00 PM and the Sunday game starts at 11:00 AM. All three games will be aired on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net, and txstatebobcats.com. Pregame coverage starts 15 minutes before first pitch.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Baseball Takes Two of Three From Islanders

2010-03-07T21:53:00.000-06:00

The Bobcats won the series 2-1 this past weekend against their Southland opponent Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Islanders. After a 10-8 loss on Saturday, the Bobcats came back and wrapped up the first conference series of the season with a winning score of 13-8.

Coach Ty Harrington had Lee Colon come into Sunday’s game as the starting pitcher for the first time in this year’s season. Colon is a Junior transfer from Temple College and helped the Leopards to a 47-15 overall record and went 11-0 on the mound with a 1.5 ERA. Brian Borski had been the starter for the Sunday pitching line up last season and coming into this season, but there was much potential for Junior pitcher Lee Colon.

Andrew Stumph #30 was a double shy of hitting for the cycle and lead the 18-hit outing from the Bobcats going 4-5 in the game. The Bobcats nearly matched the team's past two games combined at the plate, leading to a 13-8 win over the Islanders to win the first Southland Conference series of the season Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Field.

Texas State started the game off strong scoring six runs in the first innings, and never looked back. The islanders fought back throughout the game, but every time they scored the Bobcats would respond with runs of their own. One big part of the Texas State offense tonight was the long ball. Home runs by Andrew Stumph and Jason Martinson capped off the barrage of hits by the bobcats. The game ended tense after Corpus Christi scored three in the top of the 9th to bring the score to 13-8 but Texas State called on pitcher Carson smith to close out the game. He did successfully recording three straight outs to end the game after being called in.

The Bobcats will travel to The University of Texas in Austin who are ranked 3rd in the nation this Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. for a non-conference play. The Cats will then come back to Bobcat Stadium on the Friday the 12th and play against Penn State in a three-game series that will span the weekend. You can listen to all four games on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com.

-Jessica Salinas, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Sweep the Bearkats, Nab Fifth Straight Win

2010-03-07T18:46:00.000-06:00

The Texas State Softball team was in action again on Sunday, as they finished up their series with the Bearkats of Sam Houston State. The Bobcats had taken the first two games on Saturday and were looking for a sweep of their Southland Conference foe. It started early with the Bobcats scoring in the first, and with Chandler Hall on in the pitchers circle, there was no stopping Texas State today in a 9-1 run-rule victory in 6 innings.

The Bearkats were shut down the entire game, with only a few runners reaching base. The only run scored on Hall was a homerun for Sam Houston State. It was on a drop-ball pitch, "that simply didn't drop, and thats what hitters are supposed to do to those" said Coach Woodard after the game.

Anna Hernandez was the offense supplier for the Bobcats on Sunday as she racked in 4RBIs and 2 Homeruns, one to end the game in the 6th inning. The three run blast sent everyone home happy as it gave Texas State an 8 run lead and the run-rule victory. Anna also displayed her range at second base as she had a play in the 3rd inning where she had to dive to her left and throw out a speedy Bearkat runner.

The Bobcats improve their overall record to 8-11, 5-1 in the SLC. The Bearkats loss drops them to 4-14, 0-6 in the SLC.

Hernandez and Chandler Hall posted back-to-back singles to give Texas State runners on first and second. After a passed ball, Hernandez advanced to third to put Texas State in scoring position. An RBI single by Haley Lemons, advanced Hernandez home and Hall to second. A ground out pushed Hall and Lemons a base each, before Hall scored at the plate on a wild pitch. Jenna Emery batted next, reaching first base on an error by the shortstop, which also saw Lemons score a run. Leah Boatright added to the Bobcats hitting spree with a double to left center, advancing Emery home and giving Texas State four runs on four hits in the first.

SHSU would not be held scoreless as Erin Burford hit a solo home run to left field to give the Bearkats their second hit and only run of the game.

Chandler Hall picked up her sixth win of the season after 5.1 innings in the circle. Hall struck out six batters, allowing just two hits and one run in the game. Texas State had three batters go 2-for-3 from the plate, but Hernandez went 3-for-4 with two homers, three runs and four RBI. It was Hernandez that put the nail in the coffin for Sam Houston State, as she hit a three-run rocket over the Bobcat bullpen in left field and onto the railroad tracks in the 6th inning. That three-RBI home run was enough for Texas State to get the 8-run lead necessary to invoke the NCAA softball run rule that takes effect after 5 innings of play.

Morgan Mikulin took the loss for SHSU after 5.2 innings on the mound. Mikulin fanned six batters, but allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs on the day.

Texas State returns to Bobcat Field on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:00 pm, when it hosts Baylor in non-conference play. Pregame coverage will air live at 5:45 pm on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com.

-Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Needs Overtime to Win "Catfight"

2010-03-06T21:39:00.000-06:00

The Bearkats of Sam Houston came into San Marcos on Saturday to face the Bobcats of Texas State. The ‘Kats had the upmost confidence entering the game because they blew out Texas State in their previous meeting 95-64. However, this was senior night for the Bobcats and Senior John Rybak had a different ending in mind. Rybak's 25 points as well as four other Bobcats in double figures propelled Texas State to a big 101-97 upset in overtime over their heated rivals from Huntsville.

The other senior being honored that night was big man Emmanuel Bidias A’ Moute. Big E finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds, and played solid from start to finish in what will be his last game a Strahan Coliseum. Both players will be missed next seaon.

On with the game…

The game started off as a shootout between both teams, and Sam Houston Newcomer Gilberto Clavell was having his way with the Bobcats. Clavell finished with 35 points and 10 rebounds on 15-16 shooting from the line. However, his strong play could not match that of Ryback. John Ryback cut the “clutch switch” on at the 8-minute mark. He hit back-to-back threes and drew a charge in three consecutive plays. His inspiring play had the Strahan Gym rocking and every fan on their feet. The play of the game came later with about 6 seconds left on the clock though. The ‘Cats were down by one and Ryback got the ball on the inbounds play. He got his defender off his feet with .4 seconds left and drew the foul. Ryback hit the first that knotted it up but missed the second so they went into overtime.

In overtime the two teams continued to battle back and forth until the Bearkats were dealt a heavy blow at the 2:15 mark. Josten Crow fouled out of the game with 21 points, 9 rebounds and most importantly 4 steals. Their big-time defender sat down and watched Ryan White knock down 6 straight Free throws to ice the game and the Bobcats won 101-97.

Sam Houston who came into the game 14-1 in conference was upset by Texas State, but they still have the #1 seed going into Tournament play. They finish the Season 22-7. The Bobcats on the other hand end their season with a BANG as they win 3 straight down the stretch and finish 15-15 overall and 9-7 in conference play. With the win and couple of loses, the Bobcats have the #5 seed and they will most likely face the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament.

All games of the tournament will be played at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The Bobcats’ first game will be on Wednesday at 8 p.m. and KTSW will have pregame coverage starting at 7:30. Tune in for live coverage of all of Texas State’s games in the tournament on 89.9 or ktsw.net. Game times and tournament seedings can be found on either txstatebobcats.com or Southland.org

-Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Tello's Four RBI Seal Bobcat Win in Game Two of Double Header

2010-03-06T20:46:00.000-06:00

Anne Marie Taylor went all seven innings in the circle for game two of Saturday's double header, earning the 6-2 win for Texas State despite the offense sputtering early against Sam Houston State. The Bobcats have outscored opponents 18-4 in the past three games and improve to
4-1 in the Southland.

Offense for the visitors rolled out early when the Bearkat's first baseman Amy Brown scored on a passed ball in the second. Shortstop Haley Wiginton placed a perfect bunt in front of home plate to reach first and advanced on a wild pitch, later scoring on a double to left to stretch the lead, but that would end the offense for the visitors. Taylor allowed only four hits for the remainder of the game, striking out four and improving her record to 2-4.

Head coach Ricci Woodard was impressed with her team's clutch hitting in the fourth. With two outs, a battery of Jenna Emery, Leah Boatright, Megan Parten and Lidsey Matt reached on four consecutive singles. Center fielder Kristina Tello dazzled the crowd with the fifth hit in a row, a triple to the right centerfield wall, scoring two. Texas State flipped the score upside down from an 0-2 score going into the inning and leaving it at 4-2 over Sam Houston.

In the sixth, Tello smashed another two run triple to the wall, also to right center, but would be stranded at third. Coach Woodard said Tello's ability to surprise teams is what struck her most about her outfielder's output. Tello has the unique ability to be a slap hitter and Woodard commended her on the ability to adjust and combine slap-style hitting with driving the ball.

The Bearkat offense woke up in game two, a difference from game one, and the defense in game one struggled, committing three errors. This go-around, the Bearkat offense fell back into a snooze and couldn't drive runners in, leaving six stranded on the base paths. Frustration played a key role in Sam Houston's game-play, now with a 4-13 record overall and no wins in conference games.

The Bobcats now ride a four game win streak into Sunday's game three. First pitch for the series finale is set for Sunday, Mar. 7 at Noon. Live action on 89.9 FM KTSW begins at 11:45 a.m.

-Mason Robinson, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Softball Sinks Sam Houston in Game 1

2010-03-06T20:06:00.002-06:00

Buoyed by a 2-1 series win over UT-Arlington to start Southland Conference play, Texas State came into Saturday's rivalry series against Sam Houston State with some momentum and self-confidence after a rough 4-10 start to the season. One of the key issues plaguing the Bobcats was Chandler Hall's inconsistent play on the pitcher's circle, as she amassed a 4-5 record and an earned run average close to 3.50. That's why it seemed fitting that Texas State's 4-2 victory in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Bearkats was spearheaded by Hall in an 8-strikeout effort.

The (correctly spelled) 'Cats jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning, as Hall fanned two of three Bearkat batters in the top of the inning and the Bobcat offense came alive. Kristina Tello struck out swinging, but SHSU catcher Ashley Isbell dropped the ball in the dirt and Tello ran to first. Isbell made a crucial mistake by not throwing to first--in NCAA softball, if the catcher drops the ball in the dirt after a strikeout, the catcher must throw to first to record the actual out. One Bearkat error led to another as Anna Hernandez, batting in the 2-hole for Texas State, tried a sacrifice bunt and reached on a bad throw by third baseman Shelbi Tucker. Chandler Hall then laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced Hernandez to second and Tello to third in a nice bit of small-ball strategy by Bobcat head coach Ricci Woodard. Haley Lemons then reached on a nice bit of base-running on a fielder's choice, bringing home Tello and advancing Hernandez to third. Jenna Emery then smacked through a single and reached second in the ensuing confusion as two more Bobcat runners came home.

By the end of the bottom of the first, Texas State led 3-0, and the SHSU players looked visibly shaken from being hit in the mouth so early by their bitter rivals. It took until the third inning for the Bearkats to settle back down and knock 2 runs in on 3 hits, and for a while it seemed like SHSU was about to do what many teams had done in earlier Bobcat losses: figure out Chandler Hall. However, the sophomore from Baytown instead transitioned to the vintage, dominant player we saw from last year in the final four frames. She only gave up three more hits, and amassed five more strikeouts. The Bobcat bats, dormant since the first inning, provided an insurance run in the form of a Haley Lemons RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was at that point that the body language of the Bearkats started to shift back to the negative, anxiety-prone form seen during the Bobcat onslaught in the second inning. Chandler Hall's 7th inning close-out of the ballgame was not without a bit of a nervous moment as SHSU's Callie Wood doubled to center field and eventually advanced to third, but Hall would prevail and earn the game-winning groundout from Mandy Gegen.

Texas State improves to 6-11 and 3-1 in the SLC with the win, and they would not have long to recover before the 3 PM first pitch of the back end of the Saturday doubleheader. Ann Marie Taylor would get the start at pitcher, and the Bobcat bats would come alive...

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Women's Basketball Ends Heartbreaking Season With Triple Overtime Loss

2010-03-06T18:02:00.000-06:00

Diamond Ford and Kelsey Krupa led the team with 18 points apiece in a game that saw three overtimes, 12 lead changes and 10 ties, but Texas State's fighting effort came up short Saturday afternoon, falling in a 92-89 decision to Sam Houston State at Johnson Coliseum in the regular season finale. Aimee Hilburn ended her Bobcat career with a career-high 16 rebounds as well as 9 points before fouling out early in the first overtime period.

The two teams combined for 52 turnovers and 49 fouls.

Texas State trailed 29-27 at halftime, and Hilburn tied the game with a layup coming out of the break. The tight game went point-for-point until the 13:30 mark when Sam Houston State scored six unanswered point to take a 47-39 lead.

With six minutes to play the Bobcats took the lead and held it until the 20 second mark when Brittany Brooks nailed a three for Sam Houston State to make it a one point game. Chika Ofoegbu was fouled on the ensuing posession and made her free throws to bring the game back to a three point Bobcat advantage. Brittany Brooks answered right back with another three point shot from the same spot to tie the game and send it to overtime. The senior Brooks had a spectacular game for the Bearkats.

Sam Houston made Texas State chase the win to close out the first five-minute frame after Ray Alexander hit a jumper with 13 seconds on the clock to give the Bearkats a 74-72 edge, but Ford answered on a layup with seven seconds to play to force a second OT.

The second overtime saw the Bobcats in control and then free throws for the Bearkats led to a two point lead. Chika Ofoegbu scored on a layup with 4 seconds left to force a third overtime. The third overtime was close all the way with Sam Houston State capitalizing at the end. Up three with under a minute to go, Mallory Williams hit a three to cut the lead to one. After two made free throws from Sam Houston State, the guard Williams got another shot, this time finding only rim.

Texas State ends the season with a 7-19 overall record and a 3-12 mark in the league. Sam Houston State improves to 11-17 and 8-8.

-Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports Staff Writer