Bobcats Knock Out Panthers, 7-2, Tuesday

By Kyle Owen

Sports Reporter

Junior shortstop Davis Powell (8) went four-for-five at the plate with three runs batted in, including a solo home run in the first inning as Texas State baseball (27-15) defeated the Prairie View A&M University Panthers (16-24), 7-2, Tuesday night at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas.

Powell, on the season, leads the Bobcats in hits (50), runs (37), and boasts nearly a .100 average higher than any other Bobcat at the plate (.388). Tonight, Powell exemplified why he’s the team leader in so many categories and has been for the majority of the season.

“He’s (just) been doing it all year, to be honest with you,” Head Coach Steven Trout (fourth season) said. “He’s just such a consistent player and hitter. He’s got a really good approach; he knows what he’s doing and when he gets a good pitch to hit; he (just) puts a good swing on it. And then, defensively, he works really hard … makes a lot of great plays … he works extremely hard and he’s a really good player.”

On the other side of the ball, redshirt-junior right-handed pitcher Peyton Zabel (24) threw six full innings of work without allowing a run on four hits while striking out three and allowing just a single walk in his 23 batters faced. Zabel has begun to prove himself as one of the top pitchers for the maroon and gold.

“He’s had good moments; he’s had okay moments,” Trout said. “That was another really good moment for him. I think we’re going to have to have that guy, especially when we get down the stretch. We still have some big midweek games left and then into the tournament.”

Also throwing two shutout innings in relief was redshirt-junior right-handed pitcher Cameron Bush (3) who allowed only two hits. Senior right-handed pitcher Nathan Medrano (13) allowed the only two runs in the game as he began the top of the ninth. Then senior right-handed closing pitcher Triston Dixon (2) finished the job against the Panthers with a complete inning in the ninth without a hit.

Sophomore first baseman Daylan Pena (7) was the only other Bobcat (Powell) with a long ball, a solo shot in the seventh for the Bobcat’s final run of the evening, while sophomore third baseman Ryan Leary (12) also batted in a runner, and freshman catcher Rashawn Galloway (35) had a three-hit game.

The Bobcats (10-8 Sun Belt Conference) will hit the road this weekend as they take the 1,500-mile-plus trip to Bud Metheny Baseball Facility in Norfolk Virginia to face off against the Monarchs of Old Dominion (27-13, 10-8 SBC) for the first time in program history in the Monarch’s first season as a Sun Belt Conference member.

All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Featured Image by Kyle Owen.