University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Plays Host to C-USA Rival Louisville this Weekend
4/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2005
HOUSTON - The University of Houston baseball team returns to action this weekend as it plays host to Conference USA rival Louisville in a three-game series, starting at 7 p.m., Friday at Cougar Field.
The series continues at 7 p.m., Saturday before wrapping up at 1 p.m., Sunday. Friday's game can be heard live on KLVL 1480 AM while Saturday's and Sunday's contests will air on KGBC 1540 AM. All three games can be heard live on the Internet with former UH letterwinners Nick Torina and Pat Cauley calling all the action. Fans also can follow play-by-play action by clicking on the "Live Stats" link at www.UHCougars.com.
Both UH and the Cardinals come into the series tied in fifth place in the latest C-USA standings with 5-3 records in league play. In addition, both teams come in after winning their lone, non-conference game of the week (UH at Baylor, Louisville at Western Kentucky).
Those wins came after both teams split doubleheaders last weekend when rain in Louisville., and Cincinnati, Ohio, respectively, forced the cancellation of one C-USA game.
Junior southpaw Matt Farrington will make his team-leading ninth start of the season on Friday in the series opener against Conference USA rival Louisville. This season, the Sugar Land, Texas, native has compiled a 5-1 record with 33 strikeouts and a 2.49 ERA in 47.0 innings of work.
He leads all UH hurlers in wins and ERA.
Farrington is the only lefthander to start for the Cougars since Brian Henderson at Rice during the championship game of the NCAA Super Regional at Reckling Park on June 9, 2003.
In his last outing, Farrington allowed two runs off six hits with two walks in 3.2 innings at C-USA rival Cincinnati in the first game of a doubleheader on April 3. However, it would not be enough as the Cougars dropped a 2-1 decision in seven innings. It was Farrington's first loss since May 29, 2004, against TCU during the 2004 C-USA Tournament at Cougar Field. It also snapped his career-best five-game winning streak.
In addition to his pitching duties, Farrington also has recorded a .183 batting average (11-for-60) with three doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs at first base.
Friday's game will be Farrington's first start against Louisville on the mound. However, he has compiled a .319 batting average (6-for-19) with fur runs, two doubles, a triple and two stolen bases at the plate against the Cardinals.
Sophomore infielder Brad Lincoln continues to lead the Cougars with a .391 batting average and 24 RBIs and has recorded at least one RBI in 10 of the last 11 games. In addition, he brings a career-best seven-game hitting streak into this weekend's series.
Junior infielder Kevin Roberts is second on the team with a .340 batting average and nine RBIs, while junior outfielder Travis Tully paces the Cougar offense with three home runs.
For the third consecutive year and the eighth time in the last nine seasons, the Cougars will meet Louisville on the baseball diamond. Houston owns a 16-7 (.696) lead in the all-time series which began in 1997 when both teams began competing as Conference USA members. The two teams did not square off against one another during the 2002 season.
A year ago, the Cougars won two of three from the Cardinals in Louisville, Ky. UH enters this weekend's series as winners of three of their last four games against UH.
The Cougars have posted a 7-2 (.778) record against Louisville at the friendly confines of Cougar Field with wins in five of their last six games. In the last meeting in Houston, UH took two of three games during the 2003 regular season as UL won the middle game.
Louisville (15-10, 5-3 C-USA) enters this weekend's series after a 9-4 win at Sun Belt Conference member Western Kentucky on Tuesday. That win snapped a four-game losing streak.
Junior outfielder Boomer Whiting leads UL with a .344 batting average, while senior infielder J. T. LaFountain tops the team with seven home runs and 23 RBIs.
Head coach Lelo Prado had not announced his probable rotation as of Thursday evening.
