Texas State baseball avoided being swept Sunday by No. 14-ranked Coastal Carolina, taking a 10-6 win after 6-2 and 2-1 losses Friday and Saturday, respectively.
The Bobcats desperately needed a win after the Southern Miss Golden Eagles swept them last weekend. Texas State sits at 42 in the NCAA RPI rankings and will have to battle through a competitive Sun Belt for a bid to the NCAA tournament. Aside from Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss, Texas State trails South Alabama, Troy and Appalachian State in the conference.
Here are some takeaways from Texas State's weekend.
Entering Game 3, Texas State hadn't scored more than four runs in seven straight games. It'd also suffered seven straight conference losses, enduring a precipitous fall out of second place in the Sun Belt. For a team that had been winning primarily due to its excellent offense, both streaks were starting to reach untenable levels.
The bats came roaring back to life Sunday, scoring 10 runs on 11 hits. Coastal Carolina right-hander Cameron Flukey, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming draft, returned from injury and held Texas State to zero runs. But once he exited in the second inning, the Bobcats pounced, with outfielder Jaquae Stewart getting things started with a Grand Slam in the third inning. Infielder Dawson Park tacked on two more runs in the fourth off a double to left center.
It's a small sample size, but the shift in Texas State's starting rotation has paid major dividends. Right-hander Wade Cooper had another solid start, going 6⅓ innings, striking out eight and allowing four earned runs. Fellow righty Cade Smith did even better, recording six Ks and holding Coastal Carolina's bats to one run through seven innings of work.
Unfortunately for Texas State fans, Jesus Tovar struggles continued Sunday despite the win. He lasted 3⅔ innings, giving up four runs on four hits and failing to make it to the fifth inning for the fourth-straight start. The Bobcats do not need Tovar to be perfect, but head coach Steven Trout said last Tuesday, following a win over Incarnate Word, that he expects better from his Sunday starter.
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Texas State went 1-5 against the top two teams in the Sun Belt. It was not ideal, but the Bobcats have a chance to make up ground this weekend against the South Alabama Jaguars.
South Alabama is one game ahead of Texas State in the standings. A sweep would flip the two's positions, while a series win would push the Bobcats into a tie. Texas State's 10-11 conference record is tied with four other teams in the Sun Belt. It faces two of them, Arkansas State and Marshall, to close out the season.