University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Opens C-USA Play vs. Marshall this Weekend
3/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2006
HOUSTON - The University of Houston baseball team begins the homestretch of its season-long, nine-game homestand this weekend at Cougar Field when it plays host to new Conference USA rival Marshall in a three-game series at Cougar Field.
That series begins with 7 p.m. games on both Friday and Saturday before wrapping up at 1 p.m., Sunday. All three games can be heard live over the Internet at www.UHCougars.com 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 on the schedule at www.UHCougars.com.
In addition to the games, fans also will be able to enjoy various promotions during the Marshall series. Friday's opener will be another Dollar Dog Night where fans can eat hot dogs for only $1.
On Saturday, UH Baseball campers will be honored as part of Camper Reunion Day. Campers will be recognized at the end of the fifth inning and will be featured in all the game-day fun.
The Cougars (13-12, 0-0 C-USA) come into the series after a disappointing 3-2 loss to state rival Texas A&M on Tuesday at Cougar Field. After falling behind early, UH rallied late with runners on second and third with two outs, but the Aggie bullpen held on to take the win.
Junior righthander Brad Lincoln will take the hill for the opener of the Marshall series on Friday. This season, Lincoln leads the Cougars with 63 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 49.2 innings of work to go with a 2.17 ERA.
With nine strikeouts in the opener of the San Diego series on March 17, Lincoln recorded the 200th strikeout of his career, becoming only the seventh player in school history to accomplish that feat.
Besides his pitching prowess, Lincoln also is a regular in the heart of the Cougar lineup, playing DH or at first base on the days he does not pitch. This season, he has compiled a .269 batting average with team highs of five home runs and 21 RBIs.
In his last outing Lincoln allowed four runs (only two earned) off 11 hits with nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work in the opener of the San Diego series on March 17. However, he did not pick up a decision as the Toreros rallied with two runs in the top of the ninth before taking a 9-4 win in 11 innings against the Cougars.
Junior infielder Dustin Kingsbury leads the Cougars with a .337 batting average. However, junior outfielder Jake Stewart has jumped up among the Cougars' hitting leaders with his play during the last six games. The Santa Fe, Texas, native is batting .500 (13-for-26) with at least two hits in each of his last six games. Stewart also has added three runs, three doubles and a pair of walks in those games.
As a result, he has raised his batting average 110 points to its current .306 mark, third best on the team.
The Cougars will be competing in their 43rd conference-opening series when they play host to new Conference USA rival Marshall this weekend. UH has posted an all-time record of 25-17 (.595) during the first conference games of the season. In addition, the Cougars are 6-3 (.667) all-time in C-USA openers after taking a 6-0 win at Memphis on March 18, 2005. That win snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Cougars are 7-2. (.778) all-time in the opening series of C-USA play after winning two of three games at Memphis on March 18-20, 2005.
This weekend's series will be the first time that the Cougars have faced Marshall on the baseball diamond. The Thundering Herd are one of three first-time opponents that the Cougars will face in 2006, joining Monmouth and UC Irvine. This season, UH has posted a 5-1 (.833) mark against those opponents after sweeping Monmouth on Feb. 24-26 at Cougar Field and winning two of three at UC Irvine on March 10-12.
Marshall (8-8, 0-0 C-USA) comes into the series after falling at Virginia 12-0 on Wednesday, snapping a a four-game winning streak. However, The Thundering Herd brings a dazzling .346 team batting average into the series against the Cougars.
Senior southpaw Chris Koutsavlis is expected to start for Marshall in the series opener for head coach Dave Piepenbrink. This season, Koutsavlis has compiled a 3-1 record with 23 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA in 24.2 innings.
Senior catcher Rich Russell leads the way with a .435 batting average, while junior infielder Brendan Murphy is tops with six home runs and 27 RBIs.
