Baseball
PREVIEW: Baseball to Host UNO, Baylor at Cougar Field this Weekend

Cougars to play Privateers Friday, Sunday - Host Bears on Saturday

March 14, 2013

HOUSTON -- University of Houston Baseball will begin an eight-game homestand this weekend when it welcomes New Orleans and Baylor to Cougar Field. The Cougars will host the Privateers on Friday (6:30 pm) and Sunday (1 pm) and Baylor on Saturday (6:30 pm).

AT A GLANCE WEEKEND OPPONENTS
Logo Houston
(13-4)
Roster
Stats
Schedule 		VS

Cougar Field
Houston, Texas

New Orleans
(3-14)
Roster
Stats
Schedule 		Logo Baylor
(7-10)
Roster
Stats
Schedule 		Logo

Fri., March 15
Cougar Field 		 6:30 p.m.Notes

ª GAMEDAY CENTRAL

 ª TICKETS
ª NOTES 		Probable Starters:
Houston: RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (1-2)
New Orleans: RHP Blake Prest (0-3) 		Houston will host New Orleans for the first time in program history, while the two teams will meet for just the second time.
Sat., March 16
Cougar Field 		 6:30 p.m. Notes

ª GAMEDAY CENTRAL

 ª TICKETS
ª NOTES 		Probable Starters:
Houston: RHP Austin Pruitt (3-1)
Baylor: RHP Max Garner (1-2) 		Houston and Baylor will meet for the third time this season as the Cougars have won the previous two meetings.
Sun., March 17
Cougar Field 		 1:00 p.m. Notes
ª GAMEDAY CENTRAL
 ª TICKETS
ª NOTES 		Probable Starters:
Houston: TBA
New Orleans: RHP Alex Smith (0-4) 		Houston and New Orleans will meet for the second time this weekend on Sunday.
 
Cougar Field will also host two non-UH (Baylor vs. UNO) games on Friday and Saturday afternoon, with game times slated to begin at 2 p.m. before Houston takes on the two respective teams following at 6:30 p.m. on both evenings.
 
QUICK HITS ON HOUSTON
·      Houston is 13-4 on the year and 7-2 at Cougar Field
·      Cougars won at Baylor on Tuesday night, 5-3
·      Houston has recorded its best 17-game start since a 16-1 mark back in 1993
·      Cougars are hitting .278 this season, led by six players hitting over .300
·      Junior Caleb Barker leads the team in hits (22) and RBI (19) and is tied in HR (2)
·      Junior Frankie Ratcliff paces C-USA in walks (18), while freshman Josh Vidales is second (15)
·      Junior Jonathan Davis leads the team in average (.387), while sophomore Michael Pyeatt follows (.370)
·      Cougar pitching staff holds a 3.66 ERA with four saves and 13 wins
·      Freshman Jake Lemoine (4-0) leads the team with four wins, while senior Austin Pruitt (3-1) follows with three
·      Juniors Tyler Ford, Dylan Rucker, Chase Wellbrock and freshman Grant Slaughter all have one save for four total
·      Houston has walked just 37, while fanning 104
 
QUICK HITS ON NEW ORLEANS
·      New Orleans enters the weekend with a 3-14 record
·      The Privateers swept its midweek series with Alcorn State
·      UNO is hitting .242 with 136 hits and 50 RBI
·      Privateers are led by Andre Damiens' .391 average, 18 hits, while Zacary Hawkins paces the team in RBI with nine
·      The team has 51 walks to its 145 strikeouts
·      Pitching staff holds a 7.15 ERA with three wins and no saves
·      RHP Alex Smith (0-4) paces the team in ERA (3.60) and 35.0 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts
·      RHP Blake Prest is 0-3 with four starts and 22.0 innings with eight strikeouts
 
QUICK HITS ON BAYLOR
·      Baylor enters the weekend with a 7-10 record and an 0-3 mark away from Baylor Ballpark
·      The Bears are hitting .252, led by Nathan Orf's .419 clip, team-best 26 hits and 11 runs scored
·      Cal Towey has drive in 17 on his .258 average
·      Bears have drawn 57 walks and struck out 113 times, while committing 25 errrs for a .963 fielding percentage
·      Baylor pitching holds an ERA of 4.32 with three saves
·      RHP Dillon Newman paces the team with a 2-0 record and a 1.82 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched
·      RHP Max Garner is 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA with a team-high 21 strikeouts in 28.1 innings
·      RHP Ryan Smith has recorded three saves to lead the Bears
·      As a staff, Baylor has walked 80 hitters and fanned 102        
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday
            Houston: RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (1-2, 3.32 ERA)
            UNO: RHP Blake Prest (0-3, 6.55 ERA)
Saturday
            Houston: RHP Austin Pruitt (3-1, 2.51 ERA)
            Baylor: RHP Max Garner (1-2, 2.86)
Sunday
            Houston: TBA
            UNO: RHP Alex Smith (0-4, 3.60 ERA)
 
SERIES HISTORY
·      vs. NEW ORLEANS
             o   Houston and New Orleans will meet for just the second time in program history and first time ever at C Cougar Field this Friday. The Privateers won the two's only meeting back on Feb. 17, 1995 in an 8-2 contest at the Winn-Dixie Showdown in New Orleans.
·      vs. BAYLOR
             o   Houston and Baylor's all-time history stands among the Top 5 in games played in the Cougar record books. The Cougars and Bears will meet for the 150th time on Saturday and third time this year. Baylor currently leads the all-time series, 87-62, but Houston has won both meetings in 2013.
             o   The three meetings between Houston and Baylor (all played at different ballparks - Minute Maid Park, Baylor and Cougar Field) marks the first time since 2007 that the Cougars have played one opponent in three different locations in one season outside of Conference play. Houston met UTSA in 2007 at the College Classic, at UTSA and at a neutral site (Riverside Park in Victoria, Texas).
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Fans who purchase tickets for Friday will be granted access for both games that day (UNO/Baylor - 2 pm, UNO/Houston - 6:30 pm). The same applies for Saturday's contests (UNO/Baylor - 2 pm, Baylor/Houston - 6:30 pm) at Cougar Field - essentially purchasing a day's pass.

Fans can visit UHCougars.com or visit this link HERE to purchase tickets or by calling the Houston Athletics Ticket Office at (713) GO-COOGS.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
FRIDAY FRENZY
·      Friday Frenzy is back for the second straight season. Offer is available for both games on Friday.
·      Deal includes: $1 hot dogs, $2 sodas, $3 beers every Friday at Cougar Field.
SATURDAY BINGO AT THE BALLPARK
·      Come out to Cougar Field every Saturday for Bingo at the Ballpark.
·      Fans will be given a Houston Cougar Bingo card that they can fill out as they watch the game.
·      Support the Coogs, play Bingo and win exciting Houston Cougar prizes!
SUNDAY KIDS DAY
·      Every Sunday is Kids Day at Cougar Field.
·      Bring the family and enjoy an afternoon of baseball with the Houston Cougars.
·      Kids will have the opportunity to participate in National Anthem Buddies, Kids Run the Bases, as well as a special post-game autograph session with the team.

STAY CONNECTED
Stay up to date with all Houston Baseball news and highlights by following us on Twitter @UHCougarBB or on Facebook at /HoustonCougarBaseball. Fans can also follow head coach Todd Whitting @toddwhitting on Twitter.

UP NEXT
Following the three weekend games, Houston will welcome the University of Texas to Cougar Field at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 and Harvard on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information on the Houston-Texas game, CLICK HERE.


 

 

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