Tag Archive | Texas State
January 24, 2013  

Bearkats Aiming For Encore In 2013 Season

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

When the Sam Houston State Bearkats began the season at 1-13 last year, many believed that they were on their way to having another dreadful year.

But the Bearkats won their final 26 out of 29 games to finish in second place in the Southland Conference behind regular season champion Texas State Bobcats and made the SLC Tournament.

After opening the tournament with a loss, the Bearkats won their next three games to reach the finals, where they eventually lost to the Bobcats.

Now with the Bobcats gone due to joining the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the Bearkats has been picked to win the 2013 Southland Conference softball title in the annual preseason poll of the league’s head coaches.

The Bearkats received seven first-place votes from the coaches and 78 total points.

Key returners for the Bearkats feature include first baseman Kim Damian, a senior from Angleton, Texas; third baseman Shelbi Tucker, a senior from Montgomery, Texas; catcher Hillary Adams, a sophomore from Elgin, Texas; and outfielder Tori Benavidez, a senior from Midlothian, Texas.

McNeese State, the team that Sam Houston defeated in last year’s Southland tournament semifinals, has been tabbed second by the coaches.

The Cowgirls return 11 letterwinners, including seven starters and two pitchers.

Central Arkansas stands third in the coaches’ poll, followed by A&M-Corpus Christi, Stephen F. Austin, Northwestern State and Nicholls State.

Houston Baptist, which is an affiliate member for softball this season before becoming a member of the Southland in all sports next year, was picked to finish tied for eighth along with Southeastern Louisiana in the coaches’ poll.

Lamar, which is reviving its softball program this season after playing from 1983-87, was picked to finish 10th in both polls.

Southland teams open the season Feb. 7 with conference play beginning March 9.

The conference tournament will be hosted by Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., May 9-11 at the Lady Demon Diamond Complex.

The championship game will be streamed live exclusively on ESPN3.

Sam Houston State’s first softball action will come Feb. 7-9 at the Baylor Bear Classic in Waco

June 12, 2012  

Bearkat Named To ABCA South Central Region Team

by Cheval John

The recognition keeps on coming for the Sam Houston State Bearkat baseball team as catcher Anthony Azar was named to the first team section of the ABCA All-South Central Region Team.

The South Central Region is made up of members from the Southland Conference, Sun Belt Conference, Conference USA and Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The sophomore from The Woodlands played a key role in the Bearkats earning an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

It was their seventh appearance in their twenty-six years at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Southland Conference.

He had a .354 batting average with a team high three home runs, 38 RBIs, 10 doubles and a.402 on base percentage.

Though the numbers seemed low, it came at the right moment in crucial situations during the Bearkat run.

Trailing arch-rival Texas State in the crucial first game of the series, Azar blasted a two-run home run that capped a four run, seventh inning that jumpstarted the three-game sweep of the Bobcats.

In the Southland Conference Post-Season Tournament, with the game tied at three, he hit a walk-off home run that avenged the loss against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders and solidify a spot in the tournament for the Bearkats.

He came through in the NCAA Houston Regional tournament for the Bearkats.

Leading host Rice by the score of 2-1, he hit a two out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning that extend the lead 4-1 and put the dagger through the heart of the Owls.

Since Azar was selected as a first team honoree, he is a candidate for the ABCA All-America honor which will be determined during the College World Series that take place in Omaha, Nebraska from June 15-26.

You can see Azar’s game-winning home run against Texas State by clicking here at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJAfW_tWC0Y