Game Info

No. 21 Texas State (8-3) vs. No. 4 Rice (11-1)

Site: San Marcos, Texas - Bobcat Ballpark

Date: Tuesday, March 6

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Live Coverage

Video: www.txstatebobcats.com/showcase

Radio: www.txstatebobcats.com/radio & 89.9 KTSW

Live Stats: www.txstatebobcats.com/live_stats

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TxStateBaseball

Probable Pitching Matchup

March 6 - Mitchell Pitts (Sr., RHP, 1-1, 4.22) & Andrew Benak (Jr., RHP, 2-0, 0.79)

 
Game Notes (PDF)

San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State baseball team – ranked No. 21 in the latest Baseball America poll – will look to extend both its six-game winning streak and five-game shutout streak when the team welcomes No. 4 Rice to Bobcat Ballpark on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. game.

The top-25 matchup will be the 57^th meeting between the two teams. Texas State will look to end a four-game winning streak by Rice and win for the first time against the owls since May 5, 2009.

Texas State is coming off a sweep of Notre Dame last weekend the boosted the team's record to 8-3 this season and garnered the team its highest ranking in the program's history. The Bobcat pitching staff has not allowed a run over its last 50 1/3 innings – a streak that's just under 14 innings from the all-time consecutive scoreless innings record of 64 set in 1972 by Arizona State.

Rice (11-1) enters the game after winning two of three games last weekend at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. The Owls were dealt their first loss of the season against Texas but rebounded with wins over Texas Tech and Tennessee to close out the weekend.

Texas State will look for another great crowd at Bobcat Ballpark after having two of its top-10 attendances all-time this past weekend against Notre Dame. Fans can purchase tickets in advance for Tuesday's game by visiting www.TxStateBobcats.com/tickets or calling 245-2272.

Live coverage of the game will also be available through www.TxStateBobcats.com and includes video, audio and live stats. In addition, frequent in-game updates will be provided through the baseball Twitter account - @TxStateBaseball.

Top Storylines

Scoreless Innings Streak

Texas State starting pitchers have not allowed a run over the team's last 50 1/3 innings entering Tuesday's game with Rice. In addition, the Bobcats have not allowed an earned run over the team's list 54 innings. The last five games have all been shutout victories for the Bobcats who lowered their team ERA to 1.31 on the season. The Bobcats have already set team record for scoreless innings and consecutive shutouts and are chasing the NCAA record of 64 consecutive scoreless innings pitched set in 1972 by Arizona State. Here is how Bobcat starting pitchers have fared during the streak:

- 2/25 vs. Houston - Travis Ballew: 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO (Streak began with 2 out in the 4th)

- 2/26 vs. Houston - Kyle Finnegan: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO

- 2/28 vs. No. 18 TCU - Mitchell Pitts: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO

- 3/2 vs. Notre Dame - Colton Turner: 6 2/3, 7 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 SO

- 3/3 vs. Notre Dame - Travis Ballew: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 SO

- 3/4 vs. Notre Dame - Kyle Finnegan: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 SO

Baseball America No. 21

Texas State enters its showdown with Rice as the No. 21 team in the country according to Baseball America. The ranking is the second time that Texas State has been ranked in the Baseball America Top 25 (No. 25 in 2011) and the highest in Texas State's history.

Ballew Named SLC Pitcher of the Week

Junior Travis Ballew has earned his first career Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after his career night against Notre Dame when he struck out a career-best 11 batters as part of a three-hit complete game shutout of the Fighting Irish. He allowed just three singles for the game and did not walk a single batter. Ballew retired the first seven batters of the game and then had a stretch of 14 consecutive batters retired between the third and eighth innings. Ballew needed just more than 100 pitches to get through the outing and allowed just one Notre Dame player past first base for the game.

Home Attendance