April 10, 2008

HOUSTON - Fresh off Wednesday's offensive explosion, the 19th-ranked University of Houston baseball team returns to the friendly confines of Cougar Field this weekend to play host to Conference USA rival Tulane in a three-game series.

The first two games of this weekend's series will be televised live by CBS College Sports, marking the fourth straight season and the ninth time in the last decade that the Cougars will play in front of a television audience.

Fans should note that the starting times for Friday's and Saturday's games recently were pushed back to accommodate CBS College Sports live coverage of the games from Cougar Field. Due to the expected high attendance throughout the series, fans are encouraged to arrive at the ballpark early.

First pitch for the series opener Friday is slated for 7:21 p.m., following the pregame show, which begins at 7 p.m. on CBS College Sports. Saturday's game, which also is being televised live, is slated for a 7:06 p.m., first pitch.

Tom Hart will call the play-by-play action with former Major Leaguer Kevin Stocker providing color analysis.

The series wraps up at 1 p.m., Sunday.

Fans can hear Cougar Baseball games live at UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the play-by-play action while former letterwinner Pat Cauley provides color analysis.

Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the Gametracker link.

The Cougars, who swept the Green Wave in Louisiana a year ago, come into the game after pounding out 15 runs off 19 hits in a 15-9 win at Texas State on Wednesday. Every Cougar starter recorded at least one hit with eight starters adding at least two hits in the win over the Bobcats.

Friday's game is expected to be one of the premier pitching matchups in college baseball this weekend with sophomore southpaw Wes Musick throwing for the Cougars and righthander Shooter Hunt pitching for Tulane.

Musick will make his eighth consecutive start of the season during the series opener. This season, the Lufkin native has posted a 6-1 record with 42 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA in 46.1 innings. He leads all Cougar hurlers in wins, ERA, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts.

With his impressive totals, he also ranks among the Top-Seven Conference USA leaders in all three pitching Triple Crown categories (win, ERA, strikeouts).

In his last start, Musick earned the win after holding C-USA rival and 25th-ranked UCF to two runs off seven hits and four walks with a UH-season high eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings during the series opener on April 4 at Cougar Field. He struck out at least one batter in six of the seven innings he worked, including each of the first five frames.

Friday's game will be Musick's second start against Tulane during his career. He allowed only one run off five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings during the middle game of the series on April 21, 2007. However, he did not earn the win as the Cougars rallied with two runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 2-1 win over the Green Wave.

Hunt has posted a 5-0 record with a 1.02 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 44.1 innings this season for the Green Wave.

For the 12th consecutive season, the Cougars will square off against Tulane on the diamond. The Cougars own a 23-20 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1986 but has been played at least three times every year since 1997 when both teams began competition in Conference USA.

The Cougars enter this weekend's series as winners of its last five games against the Green Wave, the longest such streak by either team in the all-time series. UH has not lost to Tulane since an 8-4 setback on April 8, 2006, during the middle game of the regular-season series at Cougar Field.

The Cougars have posted a 12-5 all-time record against the Green Wave in Houston. UH has won seven of its last nine home games against Tulane with series wins in 2002, 2004 and 2006, including a sweep in 2002.

Tulane (23-9-1, 3-2-1 C-USA) comes into the game after an 8-4 win at New Orleans on Wednesday. Catcher Jared Dyer leads the Cougars with a .361 batting average, while outfielder Andrew Rodgers is tops with seven home runs. Infielder Seth Henry paces the Green Wave with 32 RBIs.