University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Begins Practice on Monday
1/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 14, 2005
HOUSTON - The University of Houston Baseball team begins preparations for the 2005 season Monday with the start of practice at Cougar Field.
With school closed for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Cougars will practice twice on Monday before settling in to their routine workout schedule later in the week.
On Monday, the Cougars will work out at Cougar Field around 9:30 a.m. and again around 2 p.m. after a break for lunch. After the one-day holiday, the Cougars will hold daily workouts around 2:30 p.m. each day at Cougar Field.
All UH Baseball practices are open to the public, and fans are invited to attend.
Thirteen letterwinners and four position starters return for the Cougars, who finished 30-29 overall and in fourth place in Conference USA a year ago. Leading the way is junior Kevin Roberts who emerged as one of the Cougars' most versatile players in 2004.
Roberts, who was named to the 2004 C-USA All-Tournament Team, led the Cougars with a .374 batting average and ranked among the Cougars' leaders with six home runs and 31 RBIs. In the field, he played every position except catcher, center field and first base.
Originally projected as the team's closer at the start of the 2004 season, Roberts was pushed into the starting rotation after a rash of injuries struck the team midway through the season. By the time the year was finished, Roberts compiled five wins and 67 strikeouts to rank second among all UH hurlers.
For those impressive numbers, Roberts was picked as the Greater Houston Area Preseason College Player of the Year by the Houston Athletic Committee.
Outfielder Travis Tully also returns for his junior season after batting .308 and leading the Cougar with 17 stolen bases in 2004. A 2004 All-C-USA Second-Team honoree, Tully was the only Cougar to appear and start in all 59 games a year ago and has made 85 consecutive starts dating back to his freshman season in 2003.
Sophomore righthander Brad Lincoln, a 2004 member of the C-USA All-Freshman Team, is slated as the team's No. 1 weekend starter after compiling a 3-2 record with 35 strikeouts and a 4.29 ERA in 56.2 innings.
Junior righthander Austin Sumerlin returns after assembling a 3-1 record with 15 strikeouts and a 1.73 ERA a year ago. The Houston native returned to the Cougar rotation in an impressive way, throwing 15.0 consecutive scoreless innings to start the season.
After an impressive fall season at the plate, Lincoln also is expected to see considerable playing time in the heart of the Cougar lineup as the team's first baseman or DH. UH opens its 2005 season against three nationally-ranked teams during the Minute Maid Park College Classic on Feb. 11-13. The Cougars will face No. 11 Baylor at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 11 and meet No. 23 Oklahoma State at Noon, Feb. 12. UH then closes out the event against No. 10 Texas A&M at 6 p.m., Feb. 13.
