Baseball | 3/23/2015 5:06:00 PM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State, currently sitting tied for first place atop the Sun Belt Conference, will host the No. 10 Texas Longhorns for a thrilling midweek game at 6 p.m. Tuesday. With plenty looking to see this game, it has already been sold out, but fans can tune in via the txstatebobcats.com website at www.txstatebobcats.com/showcase.
 
Series Info: Texas State (10-12-1) vs. No. 10 Texas (16-8)
Site: Bobcat Ballpark – San Marcos, Texas
Dates: Tuesday, March 24
Times: 6 p.m.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups
#13 RHP Montana Parsons (0-2, 3.78 ERA) vs. #30 LHP Josh Sawyer (2-1, 4.87 ERA)
 
The Series
The Longhorns have an overwhelming advantage on the Bobcats in the all-time record, 40-9. Texas State has lost 19 consecutive meetings with Texas, but the Bobcats were tied, 1-1, with Texas in the top of the fifth in the last meeting between the teams in 2014 before the game was called due to inclement weather.
 
Texas State has never beaten the Longhorns in San Marcos and lost the last meeting at Bobcat Ballpark by a score of 6-3. The last time the teams faced each other, they played in Austin, and Texas State fell, 5-1.
 
Ben McElroy was able to score on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning for Texas State's only run of the game.
 
On the Longhorns
Texas comes into Tuesday night's game off a sweep of Big 12 opponent Kansas State, winning two games on Saturday and completing the sweep on Sunday. However, the Longhorns fell to Sun Belt Conference opponent UT Arlington on the road in the midweek by a score of 6-5.
 
Outside of that loss, the Longhorns have won eight of their last 10 games. While they are 12-3 at home, they have been susceptible on the road, going just 4-4.
 
The Bobcats will face sophomore lefty Josh Sawyer. He owns a 4.87 ERA and a 2-1 record in five appearances. In 20.1 innings, he has given up 22 hits and 13 runs, 11 earned. He has seven walks to 12 strikeouts while opponents are hitting .282 against him with three extra-base hits.
 
At the plate, Texas State will have to be aware of top hitter Ben Johnson. He is batting .404 this year with 42 hits, three home runs, 14 extra-base hits and 19 RBI. Behind him is Tres Barrera at .329 and Michael Cantu at .300.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State is coming off a tough series that led to two losses to South Alabama, but finished up strong with an 8-7 victory over the conference opponent to stay tied for first place atop the SBC. On the weekend, Texas State added a few more names to the team's home run list as Granger Studdard knocked his first of the season, as did Ben McElroy, a three-run shot that put the Bobcats up 8-3 in the series finale and clinched the game.
 
Before that, Texas State scored seven runs in the seventh inning to come from behind and beat UTSA in the last midweek game. The Bobcats proved dangerous with two outs, scoring nine of their 11 runs with two gone in the inning.
 
Cedric Vallieres has been pacing the Bobcats at the plate with a .319 batting average. He went through a stretch of four games where he scored at least two runs with two RBI. After a short break, he did it again on Sunday with a 3-for-5 performance. He leads the team in RBI with 15, but David Paiz isn't far behind with 14. Paiz leads the squad in extra-base hits with six doubles and a triple on a team-high 25 hits this season.
 
The Bobcats will pitch Montana Parsons, a freshman righty from The Woodlands. In five appearances and two starts he has pitched 16.2 innings. He has given up seven earned runs with four walks and eight strikeouts.
 
A Look Ahead
After Texas, the Bobcats will look to stay hot in conference play with a three-game series against Georgia Southern for the top spot in the Sun Belt Conference. The teams will play in San Marcos over the weekend before Texas State travels to UTSA for the next midweek. After that, the Bobcats return home to host Baylor in the first game of a three-game series. The teams will finish the other two games in Waco.