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University of Houston Athletics
Softball Opens Nine Game Roadtrip
3/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 2, 2006
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HOUSTON - After starting the season with 16 of 18 games inside the friendly confines of the Cougar Softball Stadium, the University of Houston will embark on a nine-game roadtrip that opens this weekend with the Time Warner Texas Invitational at the University of Texas.
The Cougars are coming off of a 3-2 weekend at the Crowne Plaza Classic and are one of nine teams receiving votes in the recent NFCA Top 25 poll.
"We're excited about receiving votes in the Top 25 poll," head coach Kyla Holas said. "We're very deserving team with the wins that we already have this season. The next step is to get into the Top 25, and we can do that if we take care of business on this roadtrip."
Candi Kloecker has made the most of her starts this season compiling a 6-2 record and a 0.26 ERA. The six victories and 0.26 ERA lead Conference USA.
The Blinn College transfer enters the weekend with a streak of 34.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run dating back to her victory over then-No. 15 Baylor (Feb. 18).
Kloecker has fanned 58 batters, including 29 in her four starts last week. She has picked up wins over three Big XII opponents this season and is holding opponents to a .138 batting average this season.
She struck out a career-best 13 batters against Iowa State (Feb. 26) allowing only three hits and carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning. It was the third time this season that Kloecker has carried a no-no into at least the fourth inning.
"Candi has been a rock for us in the circle," head coach Kyla Holas said. "We know what we are going to get from her every start. She still has some things that she can fine tune, but we are very pleased with the way she is handling herself this early in the season."
Kloecker isn't the only Cougar pitcher to be making noise in the circle this season. Angel Shamblin has jumped out to a 4-2 start with a 1.19 ERA. Her 1.19 ERA and .219 opponent batting average against is fifth best in C-USA
Shamblin was named C-USA Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 13 after shutting down then-No. 22 Oregon (Feb. 12). She has stuck out 44 batters, fourth best in C-USA, in 41.1 innings of work. Her 15 Ks performance against McNeese State (Feb. 15) broke a school record.
On offense, Shamblin is one of only three Cougars to register double-digit RBIs. She joins Laura Durham and Elaina Nordstrom in that category. The Davie, Fla. native is hitting .245 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.
Nordstrom is the first California native to play softball at UH and has provided a big bat in the middle of the Houston batting order. She has hit safely in 15 of 18 games this season and is the only Cougar to reach base safely in all 18 contests. Nordstrom is hitting .360 on the season with seven of her 18 hits coming with two outs. She knocked her first career home run to open the seventh inning of game one at No. 8 Texas A&M (Feb. 22)
The month of February saw the Cougars finish 13-5. The 13 victories were the fourth most ever recorded by UH in program history during a month. Houston rolled to a 17-7 March during the 2003 season and a 15-6 February to begin the 2004 campaign.
All games at the Time Warner Texas Invitational will have livestats that can be accessed at the bottom of the home page at UHCougars.com
