Sports the university star
primeposition The Texas State baseball team is ranked No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball poll released Monday. It is the highest ranking ever for the team, as it was put in the No. 30 spot in March 2007. The Bobcats also received votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Rivals.com polls.
10 - Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sports Contact — Lisa Carter, starsports@txstate.edu
Baseball winning streak continues By Joseph O. Garcia Sports Reporter
The Texas State baseball team owns a 12-game winning streak including a sweep over the McNeese State Cowboys Friday to Sunday. The Bobcats won 9-4 Friday. Kyle Kubitza, freshman infielder, went 2-for-4 with a pair of tworun homers. Kane Holbrooks, senior pitcher, earned his ninth win of the season. Other contributors to the victory included Tyler Sibley, freshman outfielder, who hit his seventh home run of the season with a solo shot on two outs, and Ben Theriot, junior catcher, who went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. Holbrooks held the Cowboys to two runs on eight hits while striking out six batters. “Kane did another fantastic job for us, and Kubitza had some big hits,” said Coach Ty Harrington. The Cowboys were up 2-1 in the third inning in game two Saturday before the Bobcats responded in their half of the inning. Keith Prestridge, junior outfielder, hit a two-run homer to left field. McNeese State tied the game at 5 in the fifth inning with a two-run homer to left field by Andy Riche’, McNeese State outfielder. The Bobcats took back the lead when it was their turn to bat in the fifth inning. Sibley
knocked in his eighth home run of the season. The three-run homer was part of a six-run, fivehit inning for the Bobcats. Texas State led 11-5 after five innings. An RBI double from Spenser Dennis, senior outfielder, pushed Paul Goldschmidt, junior infielder, across the plate for the final run of the afternoon, giving Texas State the 16-6 victory in seven innings. Zach Tritz, senior pitcher, was credited with his sixth win of the season. “I thought he (Tritz) showed a lot of guts and courage because they can really hit,” Harrington said. The sweep was completed Sunday. Brian Borski, sophomore pitcher, obtained the first complete game in his career and earned his fifth win of the season. Texas State scored runs in every inning Sunday for a 15-2 victory. It was the Bobcats’ fourth 10-run rule victory of the season. The Cowboys scored first with an unearned run in the first inning. Dennis answered in the bottom half with an RBI single through the left side to tie the game. McNeese State, down 2-1, tied the game in the top of the third with an RBI single. The tie was broken in the third inning when Laurn Randall, junior outfielder, and Kyle Livingstone, junior infielder, hit back-to-back home runs to give
the Bobcats a 4-2 lead. “Offensively there are moments when this team really gets going,” Harrington said. “If you make some mistakes, they will hit you.” Borski closed out the game on the mound, allowing just two hits over the next four innings and did not allow a McNeese State base runner to move past first base. The Bobcats added three runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings and tacked on five runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win. Dennis went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. Bret Atwood, sophomore outfielder, went 3-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 15 consecutive games. Texas State improves to 3110 on the season and 18-5 in Southland Conference play. McNeese State drops to 19-21 and 8-16, respectively. “We talk about each game, and we don’t go beyond it,” Harrington said. “Our focus has been about the moment in each game. They buy into what they are trying to do right now and they believe that they want to do something (special).” The Bobcats will play the Texas Longhorns Tuesday in Austin. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. “They will be ready to play,” Harrington said. “That place creates so much adrenaline and excitement.”
Lindsey Goldstein/Star photo
STUPORBOWL SUNDAY: Michael Rowe, manufacturing technogoloy senior, of the Unicycos, aka “Turbo VanWinkle,” and Tor Greisen of the Gnarwhals, aka “Bjorn,” struggle for the ball in the Stuperbowl Sunday. The Unicycos won 20-18 at the Tantra Coffeehouse.
Unicycos win ‘neck-to-neck’ league Stuperbowl against Gnarwahls Austin Byrd/Star photo
HOT HANDS: Spencer Dennis, senior outfielder, Bret Atwood, sophomore outfielder, and Ben Theriot, junior catcher, contributed to the Bocbats’ seven-inning victory over McNeese Saturday. Texas State swept the three-game series against the Cowboys during the weekend.
Bobcats win regular season title for Southland Conference By Blake Barington Sports Reporter Alex Newton, senior shortstop, led the Texas State softball team to the Southland Conference regular season championship Sunday with her first-inning home run against Stephen F. Austin. The Bobcats lost the first game 2-0, but came back to win the last two games of the series 3-2 and 1-0, respectively. Jenna Emery, sophomore third baseman, caught a hard-hit ball that came right to her, then tagged the runner out at third in the first inning. Ryan Kos, senior second baseman, was the first Bobcat to get on base, drawing a walk in the bottom of the second inning. However, the Bobcats’ first hit did not come until the sixth inning when Newton hit a line drive to Monika Covington, SFA pitcher, who was unable to throw the ball to first for the out. Chandler Hall, freshman pitcher, walked after Newton’s single, putting runners on first and second base. However, the Bobcats were unable to score any runs. SFA pulled ahead in the seventh inning after a close play at third base. Emery attempted to tag the SFA runner going to third after Jessica Arana, SFA shortstop, singled to left centerfield. The runner was called safe, putting players on the
second and third bases. SFA led Texas State 2-0 in the middle of the seventh inning. “He (the umpire) said we bobbled the ball,” said Coach Ricci Woodard. The Bobcats put runners on first and second base in the bottom of the seventh inning after McKenzie Baack, sophomore first baseman, was hit by a pitch and Lacey Duncan, junior outfielder, walked. Emery hit a foul ball behind home plate in the second game of the series. The catcher assisted the SFA first baseman while Taylor Hall, senior outfielder, tagged third base and scored. Newton would tag second base and advance to third while T. Hall scored. Newton then tagged third and scored. The Bobcats led 2-0 after two SFA errors. The Lumberjacks tied the score in the top of the sixth inning after Ashley Struchtemeyer, SFA second baseman, hit a homer that passed the left centerfield wall, scoring two runs. The game was tied at 2 after six innings. T. Hall answered in the top of the seventh inning with a single. C. Hall would reach first base on an error by the SFA second baseman, moving T. Hall to second. T. Hall scored after Emery flied out deep to centerfield, giving the Bobcats the lead and
the win 3-2. The Bobcats needed one more conference win Sunday to claim the regular season SLC title. Newton scored the Bobcats’ only run in the first inning to win the game. Texas State became the first team in the SLC to clinch a spot in the conference tournament. C. Hall got her 20th win on the mound Sunday with three strikeouts. Hall currently leads the SLC in ERA with 0.55. Texas State moves to 34-15 on the season and 21-7 in SLC play. SFA fell to 27-24 and 16-11, respectively. The Bobcats will face North Texas 6 p.m. Thursday at Bobcat Field. The Mean Green are currently 25-26 on the season. Texas State will return to SLC action 6 p.m. May 2 against Sam Houston State in Huntsville. Coach Ricci Woodard said the team needs to improve on hitting to finish out the season well. “We need to come out and swing at good pitches,” Woodard said.
✯FYI The Texas State softball team still has eight conference games left to play before the SLC tournament. The tournament will take place May 7 to May 9 in Lake Charles, La. and will determine which team receives a bid to the NCAA Regional.
By Keff Ciardello Sports Reporter The Unicycos and the firstplace Gnarwahls faced off in the third Unicycle Football League Stuperbowl Sunday. The game took place at Tantra Coffeehouse and marked the second consecutive meeting in the Stuperbowl for the two teams. The Unicycos won the game and sported their championship bolo ties. However, the Gnarwahls battled hard, resulting in a close score of 20-18. “Last time, we stomped them (the Gnarwahls),” said Michael Rowe, manufacturing technology senior, aka Unicycos quarterback, Turbo Van Winkle. “This year it wasn’t as easy. We are very lucky we pulled this one out. It was neck-to-neck the entire time. The intensity of the game has gotten way crazier as it keeps getting bigger and bigger. Dudes are jumping off their rides and dive tackling. The flags are like invisible now. It’s great.” Turbo Van Winkle was named MVP of the Stuperbowl for the second consecutive year. He scored a touchdown and threw for two more. He scored five touchdowns in the Unicycos’ defeat against the Gnarwahls in last year’s championship game. “It feels great (winning MVP twice),” Rowe said. “(It) makes me glad that I learned to ride a unicycle.” The match began with a man wearing a Scottish kilt playing “American Glory” from his bagpipes. The man would wander to the middle of the playing field and play a tune after each touchdown. The Gnarwahls struck first with an over-the-shoulder touchdown snag by Slim Jim, giving them a 6-0 lead. The Unicycos came back as El Jefe made a leaping touchdown catch. The Unicycos took
their first lead at 8-6 after Turbo Van Winkle converted the extra point. Slim Jim had three interceptions on the day. Slim Jim had one-on-one coverage on El Jefe as Turbo Van Winkle floated a pass in toward the end zone. Slim Jim leaped from his unicycle, caught the ball and regained his balance on the unicycle. He pushed El Jefe out of the way and pedaled almost the entire length of the playing field as he tauntingly held the ball behind him, strolling into the end zone. The Gnarwahls had a 12-8 lead after a missed point and a touchdown. El Jefe caught another touchdown pass from Turbo Van Winkle, giving the Unicycos a 14-12 lead at halftime. The halftime show started with songs by Unsurpassed Profit, but it ended with a crowdpleasing and jaw-dropping BMX freestyle show by The Austin Flatland Crew. Six riders from all over Texas showed off their skills with bunny hops and dizzying spin moves. Chris Balles, Texas Flatland promoter, was among members of the crew. “I’m a San Marcos native. I was born and raised here,” Balles said. “(Austin Flatland Crew) is from all over this state, representing our hometowns. We got guys from here (San Marcos) Austin, San Antonio and Dallas.” Balles said the Austin Flatland Crew competes in freestyle competition throughout Texas, the United States and other countries. “We’ve had guys get the chance to compete in Amsterdam and places like that,” Balles said. “Flatlands is getting global. Watch out for us Flatlanders.” Turbo Van Winkle found the end zone at the beginning of the third quarter as the Unicycos took a 20-12 lead. Neither
team would score until minutes left in the fourth quarter. A long pass popped out of Slim Jim’s hands on third down and 15 yards, and into the hands of his teammate Kenny Skrobanek, geography graduate student, better known as “Baby Punch,” who pedaled 20 more yards for what appeared to be the game-tying touchdown. However, on the ensuing extra-point attempt, one of the Uni-Brawdz, the UFL’s cheerleading squad, moved her arm during the kick, acting as a goalpost, making the ball go through the uprights. A controversial call was made after minutes of discussion, and the Gnarwahls’ point was no good. Time finally ran out after back-to-back interceptions, and the Unicycos were crowned the kings of UFL once again. “This stuff is just so amazing,” said Bear Byrd, owner of High Life Glass Works. “I love coming out here to watch these kids because most of them are my customers that I see in the shop. It’s great for San Marcos, too. It shows off our creativity and that we’re not just some old Texas town.” Byrd discussed creating and sponsoring a team to compete last season, but was unable to find sufficient riders for his squad. “The guys I wanted are another team, but I won’t say who,” Byrd said. However, like other local business owners, Byrd has toyed with the option of sponsoring an already-formed team. Most teams currently have sponsors. However, the very first UFL team, the Hotdogs, do not have a sponsor. “These dudes need pads and helmets and stuff to compete and a lot of them are just kids that can’t afford that stuff,” Byrd said. “I would absolutely be interested in sponsoring a team.”