The Texas State Men’s baseball team took on an old southland conference rival in McNeese State University during the weekend starting Friday, Feb. 23, where the Bobcats came away with a 2-1 series victory.
Game one saw the Bobcats open the weekend with a big 12-1-win, courtesy Nick Fraze, sophomore starting pitcher. Fraze went a strong seven innings, allowing two hits, one run and recorded six strikeouts.
“My sliders been working really well for me, and I’ve been able to command it really well.” Fraze said.
“His first pitch ability has been really well,” Head coach Ty Harrington said. “He was ahead more times than he wasn’t tonight, and his slider has been really, really good. I also thought his fastball was really well tonight on the opposite side of the plate. A lot of times college baseball is about the pitches away from you and he did really well with executing that tonight.”
Game two of the series was one of the more exciting games of the young season for the Bobcats. The Bobcats entered the eighth inning trailing 3-1 and ended up scoring three runs that same inning to seal the deal against the Cowboys.
“The momentum definitely swung back to them (when they went up 2-1), and then (Dylan Paul) hits an opposite field home run, which was a great at-bat on his part,” Harrington said. “And Hubbard gave us one of the best at-bats all night. It was critical to get on base at that point. And then JO’s sac-fly was a great approach.”
The starting pitcher for the game, Connor Reich, junior right-handed pitcher, and relief man Brock Bosse, sophomore left-handed pitcher, were critical to the Bobcats’ victory.
“(Reich) kept competing,” Harrington said. “I can’t tell you how important that was to us. And then Brock Bosse came in and was amazing. When you come out of the pen and you start pouring it on, that gives you a really good chance to win, and he certainly did that today.”
Game three saw McNeese State hold the Bobcats hitless. The game saw a near thirty-minute weather delay when lightning touched down near campus, and the Bobcat bullpen went on to allow four hits with just one earned run, which came in the top of the ninth inning.
The Bobcats will be back in action back at home Friday, March 2, when they host Stephen F. Austin University for a three-game homestand.