Texas State began its run in the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston with two wins.
The Bobcats used a dominant pitching performance from junior right-hander Nicholas Fraze to defeat Rice, 1-0, on Friday. Texas State downed Houston, 9-4, on Saturday.
Fraze’s career outing pushes ‘Cats past Owls
Fraze took a no-hitter into the seventh inning during Friday’s game against Rice.
He allowed his first hit after 6.1 innings of no-hit ball. He finished the day with a career-high 12 strikeouts. He only gave up the lone hit and two talks in seven innings of work.
Fraze outperformed Owl junior pitcher Matt Canterino in a pitchers’ duel. Canterino also went seven innings and tallied nine punchouts and gave up one run on four hits.
Texas State’s lone run of the game came in the seventh inning after back-to-back errors allowed senior third baseman Jaylen Hubbard and sophomore designated hitter John Wuthrich to reach base safely. Redshirt junior left fielder Will Hollis hit an RBI double to bring home the lone run of the game.
Redshirt junior righty Brent Hebert notched his first career save for the Bobcats with two strikeouts in the ninth.
State blows past Houston
Texas State earned a 9-4 win over Houston on Saturday to secure a winning weekend.
The Bobcats (7-3) fell behind early against the Cougars. Houston plated two runs in the second inning to grab the early advantage.
But it didn’t last long. Texas State answered with two runs of its own in the third inning. Sophomore shortstop Dalton Shuffield hit a one-out triple to get things started in the frame. Junior second baseman Jaxon Williams brought Shuffield home with an RBI groundout.
Hubbard drew a two-out walk and Hollis followed with an RBI triple to even the score.
Texas State blew the game open with a four-run fourth inning.
Houston scored a run in the fifth inning. But the Bobcats added two insurance runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.
The Cougars scored a run in final frame but that’s all the damage they’d do. Texas State secured with 9-4 victory.
The Bobcats close out their run at the Shriners College Classic on Sunday against No. 12 Baylor at 11 a.m.
