University of Houston Athletics
Baseball to Open Season against UC Santa Barbara
2/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 6, 2003
MALIBU, Calif. - The moment that Cougar Baseball fans have craved has finally arrived.
The University of Houston baseball team opens its 2003 season at noon (CST) Friday when it meets UC Santa Barbara in the opening game of the Battle at the Beach at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
Fans can hear the game live on KAXF 88.3 FM or over the Internet at www.UHcougars.com. For the second straight year, C.B. Devoy will call the action of all Cougar Baseball games with the pregame show, including the "Rayner Noble Report" slated to start 15 minutes before first pitch.
The Cougars, who are ranked No. 6 in the latest poll from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association also will face host Pepperdine and Washington during the three-day event. UH was ranked among the nation's Top 11 leaders in all four national preseason polls.
In 2003, UH looks to continue its stellar play after winning its third Conference USA regular-season championship for the third time in the last four years. In addition, the Cougars advanced to the NCAA Regional for the fourth consecutive year and competed in the championship game of an NCAA Super Regional for the second time in the last three seasons.
Junior righthander Brad Sullivan, a 2002 consensus All-American, is scheduled to start Opening Day for the Cougars, his second in as many years. A year ago, the Nederland, Texas, native threw to a 13-1 record with a paltry 1.82 ERA and a nation-leading 157 strikeouts.
Offensively, the Cougars are expected to be lead by senior Brett Cooley, who batted .339 with a season-best 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in 2002. The Round Rock, Texas, native is poised to add his name to the Cougar record book in career home runs but also compiled a team-best 22-game hitting streak last season.
Center fielder Michael Bourn has started all but one game during his Cougar career and returns for his junior season. In 2002, the Humble, Texas, native batted .327 and led both the Cougars and Conference USA with 32 stolen bases in 43 attempts.
Bourn, who was named a Preseason Second-Team All-American by Baseball America, is the only player in school history to reel off consecutive 30+ stolen base seasons.
UC Santa Barbara comes into the tournament with a 1-2 record after falling in a non-conference series to San Diego State last weekend. Pitcher Matt Vasquez, who is slated to oppose the Cougars on Friday, scattered five hits with five strikeouts and only one run in 6.0 innings to collect the Gauchos' only win against SDSU.
Chad Ziemendorf batted 4-for-8 with a run and a pair of doubles to lead the UCSB offense, which scored only seven runs in the entire series against the Aztecs.
