MOSS BLUFF — The hard-hitting, third-ranked Sam Houston Broncos will host No. 6 Sulphur and its loaded pitching staff today in a District 3-5A showdown.
The rivalry between the Tors and Broncos has been a tight one in recent years with the two teams splitting the last 10 games. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
Sulphur (16-6, 1-1) is expected to start junior Chance Stone (5-1, 2.08 ERA). But Sam Houston head coach Chad Hebert knows that no matter who is on the mound, the Broncos will have to bring their A-game against a staff that sports a 1.83 earned run average.
“They are a well-coached team and talented,” Hebert said. “You know no matter who they roll out there on the mound they always have a quality arm.
“They have the deepest pitching staff around. I haven’t seen them much but we are just preparing for a good arm and let the game play itself out.”
Sam Houston (19-4, 3-0) is on a six-game win streak and currently leads District 3-5A standings thanks to an offense that averages more than nine hits and eight runs per game. Seniors Chris Haggard, Peyton Johnson and Reid Bourque have combined for 47 RBI and 80 runs. But the difference this season has been underclassmen stepping up, such as juniors Barron Simon and Mason Stutes and sophomore Silas Ardoin and Braden Duhon.
“The biggest improvement is the young guys are growing up,” Hebert said. “We have a couple of sophomores and juniors that didn’t have a lot of playing time coming into this year. They have helped to carry us to a couple of wins.”
Sam Houston also has a solid pitching staff (2.42 team ERA) to match the offense and will counter Stone with senior Peyton Johnson (3-1, 2.31 ERA).
“They have a lot of guys back and have been together for a while,” Sulphur head coach Jesse Cassard said. “They are geared up and senior loaded.
“Our kids know they are good, but we are trying to stay locked in on us. We must figure out what we can to better. We feel just as confident with our guys.
Despite a pitching staff that has amassed 139 strikeouts to 45 walks, the one problem for the Tors this year has been run support. When scoring two or more runs, Sulphur is 15-2 but has been outscored 36-7 in its six losses.
“We have to execute offensively,” Cassard said. “We feel like our pitching is as good as anybody in Louisiana. We have to figure out a way to scratch and claw for more runs.
“They have responded to everything else and we think they will respond to this.”
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