San Marcos, Texas – Texas State will face New Mexico State, Dallas Baptist and UT Arlington in this week's Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament for the right to play in the WAC Championship game against the winner of Pool A made up of top seed CSU Bakersfield, No. 4 UTSA, No. 5 Sacramento State and No. 8 San Jose State.
 
The Bobcats have beaten every team they will face in Pool B with series victories over both New Mexico State and Dallas Baptist, but just one win over UT Arlington. If one team goes 3-0 through pool play, that team will advance to the championship game, but if two teams finish 2-1, the winner of the head-to-head matchup in the tournament will advance to the championship game. In the case that three teams are 2-1 at the end of pool play, the highest seed that is 2-1 will advance to the championship game.
 
First, Texas State will have to face New Mexico State at 11 a.m. Thursday. After that, the Bobcats will face Dallas Baptist at 11 a.m. Friday and UT Arlington at 7 p.m. Saturday with the championship game scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
Currently, the Texas State rotation will be Lucas Humpal on Thursday, Taylor Black on Friday and Mitchell Pitts on Saturday with the championship game's starter to be announced. The rotation is subject to change.
 
Fans will be able to follow along with all of the action live on video and through live stats at the WAC's Tournament Central webpage at www.wacsports.com or audio at www.txstatebobcats.com/radio. As always, fans can also follow frequent updates provided throughout the game on the baseball Twitter account - @TxStateBaseball.
 
Game Info
Texas State (27-28, 16-11 WAC)

Site: QuikTrip Park – Grand Prairie, Texas
Date: Wednesday-Sunday, May 22-26
Times: 11 a.m. | 11 a.m. | 7 p.m. | 1 p.m.

Probable Pitching Starter
#21 RHP Lucas Humpal (4-2, 3.38 ERA)
#32 RHP Taylor Black (3-6, 4.32 ERA)
#17 RHP Mitchell Pitts (3-4, 6.33 ERA)
 
Live Coverage
Video: www.wacsports.com
Radio: www.txstatebobcats.com/radio
Live Stats: www.wacsports.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/txstatebaseball

Complete Game Notes
 
Bobcat Bits
WAC TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Seeds:
1. CSU Bakersfield                    5. Sacramento State
2. UT Arlington                          6. New Mexico State
3. Texas State                         7. Dallas Baptist
4. UTSA                                    8. San Jose State
 
WAC Tournament Bracket:
















FIVE BOBCATS NAMED ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
At the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament Banquet Tuesday night, the conference announced the 2013 All-WAC Baseball Team and five Texas State Bobcats made the cut. Texas State's lone representative on the first team was Cody Lovejoy, who paces the Bobcats in batting average this season. After Lovejoy, four others made the All-WAC second team, including two pitchers. Kevin Sah, Garrett Mattlage, Lucas Humpal and Hunter Lemke were all recognized.
 
CSU Bakersfield nearly swept the top awards with Bill Kernen being named WAC Coach of the Year, Jeff McKenzie the WAC Pitcher of the Year and Tyler Shryock was named the WAC Player of the Year. Sacramento State's Chris Lewis was recognized as the WAC Freshman of the Year.
 
The full All-WAC Team is below:
First Team All-WAC                                         Second Team All-WAC
Tyler Shryock, Jr., INF, CSU Bakersfield              Mylz Jones, Fr., INF, CSU Bakersfield
Robert Lecount, Sr., INF, New Mexico State        Andrew Ayers, Sr., INF, Sacramento State
Oscar Sanay, Jr., INF, CSU Bakersfield               Garrett Mattlage, So., INF, Texas State
Duncan McAlpine, Sr., INF, Dallas Baptist            Matt Carroll, Jr., INF, San Jose State
RJ Perucki, Jr., INF, UTSA                                    Austin Listi, Fr., INF, Dallas Baptist
Nate Roberts, Sr., INF, Seattle U                          Ronnie Mitchell, Sr., OF, Dallas Baptist
Tanner Rust, Jr., INF, New Mexico State             Michael Medina, Jr., OF, New Mexico State
Cody Lovejoy, So., OF, Texas State                 Kevin Sah, Sr., OF, Texas State
Cael Brockmeyer, Jr., C, CSU Bakersfield           Andre Mercurio, So., OF, San Jose State
Michael Miller, Jr., C, Dallas Baptist                      Daniel Rockett, Sr., OF, UTSA
Chris Lewis, Fr., DH, Sacramento State              Riley Good, Jr., OF, UTSA
Matt Shortall, Jr., DH, UT Arlington                       Greg McCall, Jr., C, UT Arlington
Scott Brattvet, Sr., P, CSU Bakersfield                Brock Hartson, Fr., P, UTSA
Brennan Leitao, So., P, Sacramento State           Kyle Hassna, Sr., P, San Jose State
Phil Maton, So., P, Louisiana Tech                       Lucas Humpal, Fr., P, Texas State
Jeff McKenzie, Sr., P, CSU Bakersfield               Hunter Lemke, Jr., P, Texas State
Sutter McLoughlin, Fr., P, Sacramento State       Evan Mott, Sr., P, New Mexico State
Michael Smith, Sr., P, Dallas Baptist                     Brad Vachon, Jr., P, UT Arlington
 
GOING STREAKING
Garrett Mattlage is the hottest streaker for the Bobcats with 31 consecutive games in which he has reached base. That is the longest streak on the team this season. Kevin Sah is behind him with a 24-game active streak while Tyler Pearson has a 10-game streak going. Pearson also has the longest active hitting streak on the team at 10 consecutive games, which is the longest streak of the season for Texas State. Austin O'Neal and Cody Lovejoy both have streaks of nine games while Sah and Andrew Stumph each have streaks of eight games.
 
YOUNG ARM MOVING UP
Lucas Humpal made the All-WAC second team as just a freshman this season. He recently dabbled in the Texas State record books with a 3.00 earned run average just a few games ago , but bounced out now that it's up to 3.38, still respectable. With a good performance in Thursday's game, Humpal coulud stake an early claim in the record books.
 
He started the season as a middle reliever, but made a rapid ascent to midweek starter and now is Texas State's series opener starter as he will start against New Mexico State Thursday morning. For the season, he is 4-2 in 24 appearances, seven starts and 56.0 innings pitched. He has struck out 37 and walked 14 with an opponents' batting average of .267. He has been even more impressive in conference play with a 2.79 ERA and a 2-1 record in eight appearances, four starts and 29.0 innings pitched. He's struck out 18 and walked eight in the WAC and is allowing opponents a .256 batting average.
 
CLOSING 'EM OUT
Texas State found two reliable arms to close out games with right-handed Hunter Lemke and left-handed Donnie Hart, both sidearm throwers. Lemke was untouchable in an extra-inning game against UTSA. He retired 10 consecutive batters, seven by strikeout, to propel Texas State to victory, picking up his first win of the season. He owns a 2.35 earned run average and has been a part of three shutouts. He has two wins and eight saves, tying him for second most all-time in a season, with 44 strikeouts in 46.0 innings. He was also named All-WAC second team. Hart owns a 2.21 ERA in 40.2 innings with 34 strikeouts.
 
The duo has combined for 72 appearances, putting them both in the Texas State record books for most appearances in a season. Hart is first with 38 and Lemke is tied for second with 34.
 
Head Coach Ty Harrington has taken to playing them back to back with Hart taking the first of the last two innings and Lemke closing it out. However, it's clear that Harrington is willing to rely on either arm for multiple innings if needed.
 
CLIMBING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
Andrew Stumph has made his stamp on the Texas State record books this season. He is third all-time in games played (207) and third in at bats (759). He is third in RBI (143) and sits fifth in hits (218) and tied for sixth in doubles (36). He is seventh in total bases (305).
 
Stumph isn't alone though as other Bobcats march into the record books. Morgan Mickan made his way in recently and now is tied for 11th all-time with 30 stolen bases. Kevin Sah is also tied for 11th all-time with 30 stolen bases, thanks in large part to his WAC-leading 26 stolen bases, putting him second all-time for  most steals in a season.
 
Mitchell Pitts, like Stumph, is all over the record books. He is tied for fifth in appearances (66) and tied for sixth in innings pitched (233.2). He is 12th in strikeouts (170) while Hunter Lemke is tied for fourth all-time in saves with eight, all eight of which came this season, putting him tied for the second most saves in a season with Stephen Smith, and just one save away from Jeff McVaney. As mentioned above, Lemke is tied for second in appearances in a season (34) while Hart leads the way with 38.
 
HOT AT HOME
Texas State has worked to a 21-9 record at home this season while going 6-19 on the road. The disparity is even more pronounced lately as the Bobcats are 17-3 at Bobcat Ballpark in the last 20 home games. Below are some comparisons in statistics at home vs. away.
Statistic                         Home                   Away     
Batting Average                  .287                  .275        
Slugging Percentage           .389                  .360        
On Base Percentage           .399                  .361        
Fielding Percentage             .959                  .955        
Earned Run Average           3.47                  5.51        
 
AUSTIN BURST ONTO THE SCENE
Austin O'Neal was seeing limited time earlier this season, only starting when Texas State faced a left-handed pitcher. Against Louisiana Tech, however, he burst onto the scene with a 3-for-4 day, adding a three-run homer to stake his claim on a Sunday start. That Sunday, he knocked his second home run en route to a 3-for-5, four-RBI day. Before that weekend, he was batting .229 with 11 hits and six RBI, but since, O'Neal is hitting .379 with 22 hits, nine for extra bases, and a team high 20 RBI.
 
He also  went on a nine-game hitting streak, and his feats earned him recognition as the Western Athletic Conference's Player of the Week for the week of April 15, his first such award. Him and Ben McElroy may be back to being situational players with O'Neal hitting lefties and McElroy going against righties.
 
STUMPH IS BACK
Senior Andrew Stumph returned to the lineup against Sacramento State after missing a number of games to injury, but he didn't show he was all the way back until the midweek game against Texas. He was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI against the Longhorns and followed that with an impressive weekend against Louisiana Tech.
 
He hit his first home run of 2013 against WAC leader CSU Bakersfield. Since Texas, Stumph is 33-for-98 (.337), and knocked a team high 26 RBI during the stretch. For the season, Stumph is averaging .307 with 50 hits and 36 RBI.
 
PLAYING POWERBALL
Texas State struggled to hit home runs early, knocking just four in the first 33 games. Since then, however, the Bobcats have blasted 13 long balls since. Led by Austin O'Neal and Morgan Mickan, both hitting the first three home runs of their career. Cody Lovejoy knocked his first career home run during the stretch while Andrew Stumph went yard for the first time of 2013 and the 14th time of his career. Mickan added his second home run at UTSA and his third in a midweek game while Nick Smelser jumped in the home run derby with the second of his career and first of the season against the Roadrunners. Eight different Bobcats have knocked a home run during the strong stretch for the Bobcats, seeing the team go 14-8. For the season, Texas State is slugging .375, but since the homers have started coming, the Bobcats have put together a slugging percentage of .439.
 
PICKING THE BOBCATS
Texas State was picked second in the preseason poll of Western Athletic Conference coaches. Dallas Baptist topped the poll with eight first place votes. The Bobcats received one first place vote while Sacramento State earned one first place vote.
The full poll is as follows:
1.         Dallas Baptist (8)           80 points
2.         Texas State (1)            65
3.         New Mexico State         60
4.         Sacramento State (1)    54
5.         CSU Bakersfield            47
6.         UT Arlington                   45
7.         Louisiana Tech              41
8.         UTSA                             24
9.         San Jose State              23
10.       Seattle U                        11
 
2012 RECAP
The Bobcats began the season strong with a 14-6 record through the team's first 20 games, the second best 20-game start to a season since Head Coach Ty Harrington took over in 2000. The start helped catapult Texas State up to No. 20 in the Baseball America rankings, the highest since the program began in 1985, and No. 30 in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
 
Partially responsible for the strong start was the Bobcat pitching staff, which set program records and made a run at a longtime NCAA record. Texas State hurlers did not allow a run over 57 2/3 consecutive innings, a streak spanning seven games from Feb. 25 to March 6. The Bobcats set the team record for scoreless innings and consecutive shutouts (5) and came up just 6 1/3 innings shy of the NCAA record of 64 consecutive scoreless innings set in 1972 by Arizona State. The streak included a win against No. 18 TCU, a series sweep of Notre Dame and a victory over No. 4 Rice.
 
The Bobcats' win over No. 4 Rice was one of six wins the team had against ranked opponents during the season. Texas State also defeated preseason No. 37-ranked Wichita State along with No. 18/No. 19 TCU twice and No. 16 Oregon twice.