University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Set to Meet Northwestern State on Wednesday
2/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 21, 2006
HOUSTON -
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The University of Houston baseball team returns to the friendly confines of Cougar Field at 7 p.m., Wednesday when it meets Northwestern State in a non-conference showdown.
This will be the first time since 2003 that the Cougars have met Northwestern State on the baseball diamond. UH will be looking for a small measure of revenge after the Demons won the finale of a weekend series to take the series victory.
Wednesday's game will be the start of a four-game homestand for the Cougars. Following their showdown against the Demons, the Cougars play host to Monmouth in a three-game, non-conference series this weekend at Cougar Field.
Wednesday's game can be heard live over the Internet at www.UHCougars.com with Nick Torina and Pat Cauley calling all the action. Fans also can follow live stats by clicking on the "Gametracker" link at www.UHCougars.com.
The game also is part of UH Spirit Day at the ballpark. The Cougars Dolls and UH Band are scheduled to perform at the game with special appearances by Shasta and Sasha.
In other Cougar Baseball news, fans and media should note a time change for the Cougars' game against Monmouth on Saturday. Originally scheduled for 2 p.m., UH' s showdown against the Hawks will now be played at 7 p.m., Saturday, at Cougar Field.
Sophomore righthander Ricky Hargrove will make his first start of the season when he takes the hill against Northwestern State on Wednesday.
This season, Hargrove has not allowed any earned runs through his first 9.1 innings to open the season. Entering the game against Northwestern State, he has not allowed any runs in his last 8.2 consecutive innings, setting a new personal high.
The Katy, Texas, native also has struck out eight batters while holding opponents to a minuscule .129 batting average.
Wednesday's game will be his first start since March 29, 2005, against Rice in Game Three of the Silver Glove Series.
Hargrove came out of the bullpen to hold No. 23 Arizona State to only two hits with three strikeouts in four shutout innings of work during the series opener on Friday.
This will be the first time that Hargrove has faced NSU.
Sophomore outfielder Bryan Tully leads the Cougars with a .360 batting average. Junior pitcher/infielder Brad Lincoln, who also sports a .344 batting average, is tops with three home runs and nine RBIs to rank among the C-USA individual leaders in both categories.
Houston owns a 23-8 (.742) advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1951. However, the two teams have split the last four games.
In the two teams' last meeting, the Demons won the first and last games of a non-conference series on March 7-9, 2003. The games were tight affairs with no game being decided by more than two runs.
The Cougars are 17-6 (.739) all-time on their home field against Northwestern State. But the Demons can boast of the most recent success after winning two of three games during a weekend series on March 7-9, 2003.
NSU junior righthander Drew Brown is scheduled to start against the Cougars. This season, Brown has compiled a 1-0 record with three strikeouts and a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings.
Senior infielder Brandon Morgan leads the Demons with a .360 batting average and six RBIs. Senior catcher Michael Flower and junior outfielder Miles Durham have hit the team's only home runs.
