Bobcat baseball has record setting season

Jul 1 2009 - 3:31pm | Joseph O. Garcia

During the 2008 to 2009 season the Texas State Athletics program claimed five Southland Conference titles, and the Commissioner’s Cup.

However, the Bobcat baseball team excelled with a season to remember.

The team played in a new stadium and broke numerous records en route to receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Regional Championship

Tournament under Coach Ty Harrington, who completed his 10th year of coaching Texas State baseball.

The new stadium’s seating capacity nearly doubled from approximately 1,000 to 2,000 seats with four additional private suites and a two-tiered press box.

“It had been five years that we were waiting,” Harrington said. “We were very anxious, very excited to see it built.”

According to Harrington, the new complex proved to be an intimate, fan-friendly setting. It helped to provide a great game-day atmosphere.

“It’s incredibly inspiring to our players, coaches and everybody everyday to come out here and see it,” Harrington said.

A record crowd of 2,593 people attended the opening game in the new stadium against the Texas Longhorns. It marked the first time in history the Longhorns had visited San Marcos.

“I think it was a very special moment,” Harrington said. “It was a great way to start a new ballpark, but I wish we would have won. That would have made it better.”

The Bobcats lost the opening game 6-5.

The team set six single-season records. A handful of individual single-season and single-game records were broken as well.

The first record-breaking game for the Bobcats came on March 24 at home against the Prairie View A&M Panthers.

The Bobcats scored the most runs in school history with 33 and set a school record for most hits in a game with 30. The 33-3 win was the largest margin ever for Texas State.

Spenser Dennis, senior outfielder and a former Prairie View A&M Panther, set the single-game record with seven hits on eight at-bats.

“I was just trying to hit it hard somewhere,” Dennis said. “I wasn’t trying to do too much: see the ball, hit the ball.”

Dennis tied the school record in April against Prairie View A&M for most home runs in a game. He went 4-6 at the plate with three home runs.

“Each home run felt good,” Dennis said. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world. It was fun.”

The Bobcat baseball team never looked back after taking over the SLC lead, sweeping the then first-place Southeastern Louisiana Lions April 9 to April 11.

The Bobcats posted a school record 11-game winning streak that lasted from April 7 to April 26 and included a victory over then nationally-ranked No. 9 Baylor.

The team wrapped up the 2009 Southland Conference Regular Season Championship May 10 with a 7-6 victory over Nicholls State.

The Bobcats earned their first outright SLC championship in school history. Texas State entered the SLC tournament May 20 as the No. 1 overall seed.

The Bobcats made it to the championship game of the SLC tournament with a three-run walk-off homer by Bret Atwood, sophomore outfielder. However, the Bobcats came up short of the tournament championship by losing to Sam Houston State 7-1.

The Bobcats were not done, however. The team was granted an at-large bid to the NCAA Regional Championship Tournament with a regular season record of 38-14 overall and 24-7 in the SLC. The Bobcats earned the No. 2 seed in the Austin Regional hosted by national No. 1 seed Texas, and featured Boston College and Army.

The Bobcats suffered losses to both Boston College and Army in the regional tournament. Texas State lost the lead in the late innings of the games.

The team finished with a 41-17 record, which marked the most wins in a season in school history. The Bobcats also set the single-season record for most runs scored, most hits and most home runs.

Tyler Sibley, freshman outfielder, scored a Texas State and SLC-best single-season record of 77 runs.

Harrington was named the 2009 SLC Coach of the Year. Harrington gives credit to his players for this year’s accomplishments.

“A lot of tremendous things helped us get to this point,” Harrington said. “And really and truly to the credit of the players, it was about them and what they were capable and able and did as a team this year.”

Paul Goldschmidt, junior first baseman, is satisfied with the outcome of the season.

“It was a fun year,” Goldschmidt said. “We did some good things and set a lot of records. We couldn‘t ask for anything better.

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