The Sam Houston baseball team was given a significant boost when junior starting pitcher Ryan Peterson returned for another season, ready to compete and help the Bearkats win in 2026.

The Bearkats are 14-14 and 4-5 in Conference USA play and have won back-to-back CUSA series. This marks a notable improvement from last year, when SHSU went 12-43 overall and 6-21 in league play.

Peterson is looking to continue to help the Bearkats win and achieve success this season.

“We started off great, I mean, we’ve had a great season so far,” Peterson said. “It’s definitely stuff we can work on … that’s just part of the game. I feel like once we get going and we get into a rhythm, I think we’ll be going good.”

The starting pitcher for the Bearkats is off to a hot start in 2026, with his 1.43 ERA leading the Bearkats and ranking second in CUSA. He also has a 3-3 record and 57 strikeouts, which were second in CUSA and tied for 13th-most in the country as of his most recent performance.

“I’m going out there and competing,” Peterson said. “That’s my biggest thing. I love to compete, I’m a competitor and I love to win, and I feel like every time I go out there, that’s my only goal in mind.”

Peterson attended Shiner High School, where he earned third-team all-state honors. He was also a three-time all-area MVP, 2023 Co-MVP for District 29-2A and a 2023 2A state semifinal MVP in his time in high school.

Peterson was a top weapon for the Bearkats in the bullpen during his freshman year in 2024. He made 13 appearances, including three starts, that season. After posting a 3.86 ERA, 24 strikeouts and holding his opponents to a .209 batting average, he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team.

After becoming a starter for the 2025 season, Peterson showed off his strikeout prowess again. He had a 6.29 ERA and 75 strikeouts, which was the eighth-best in CUSA, and held his opponents’ batting average to .291. Peterson was also named CUSA pitcher of the week on May 5th, 2025. In a game against New Mexico State in the 2025 season, he set what at the time was his career-high in strikeouts by striking out 10 batters.

Being the series’ opening starter on Friday nights is a big thing for starting pitchers in college baseball, as they are out there to set the tone for the series. Peterson understands the expectations that come with this role.

“That’s the biggest thing, is setting the tone for the weekend,” Peterson said. “I feel like my biggest thing is getting strike one and get the hitters out as fast as I can. I feel like my pitching coaches, we go through [the] scouting report throughout the week, and we build a good plan on who we’re facing.”

Peterson continued by saying, “When it’s time to go out there and play, all I just think about is just go compete and have fun.”

In a press conference before the season, Sam Houston head coach Jay Sirianni elaborated on the improvement Peterson has made in his three years at Sam Houston, as well as what he expected from the junior pitcher this season.

“Petey’s going to be good,” Sirianni said. “He has followed that trajectory that a lot of guys we’ve had over the years. You know, freshman year, sophomore year and now junior year, he’s really working with a mission and he’s got a bright future.”

Peterson and the Bearkats have one goal in mind, and that is to compete and get the win at the end of the day. Peterson notes that they have each other’s backs when they take the field, believing and trusting in one another.

“Knowing the team’s gonna have my back, I have their back, we’re all together, [we] just go out there and do the best we can,” Peterson said.

In a game against UIC earlier this year, Peterson tied his career-high in strikeouts by striking out 10 batters. He then set a new career-best the following week, striking out 11 batters against Oklahoma State.

“I didn’t even know that I broke it until after the game,” Peterson said. “Once I’m in the game, there’s just like a tunnel vision, and that starts from Monday with routine throughout the week. I mean, it’s a great accomplishment. I just want to keep going, do the best week in and week out for our team.”

Peterson has improved significantly during his time at Sam Houston, going from the bullpen his freshman year to becoming the Bearkats’ starter on Fridays. He has been a top arm for the Bearkats, reaching as high as 96 miles per hour this season, with an average speed between 92-94 mph.

“I’d say getting stronger in the weight room,” Peterson said of his increased velocity. “Coach Andrew Hacker, he did a great job with us this summer … just being in the weight room and eating healthy.”

Peterson is aiming to continue his dominance and help the Bearkats win games, with the ultimate goal of reaching the Conference USA tournament at the end of the season.

“We can make the conference tournament,” Peterson said. “That’s a big goal of ours, and I mean, just go day by day and take it day by day with each game. You can’t get ahead of yourself as a team, just taking it day by day and trying to go out there and win that game, and then move on to the next one.”

Peterson is looking to continue his momentum into the final eight weeks of the season. He earned CUSA pitcher of the week honors on Monday following a stellar performance against Western Kentucky, in which he recorded the Bearkats’ first complete-game shutout since 2017, striking out six batters with one hit allowed.

Peterson’s next start is slated for Friday at Missouri State.

“I think we’re going to have a great rest of the year, and it’s going to be fun,” Peterson said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”