University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Earns Bid to NCAA Norman Regional
5/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 29, 2006
HOUSTON - The 11th-ranked University of Houston baseball team returned to the NCAA postseason Monday for the first time in three years when the Cougars were awarded the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Norman Regional.
The Cougars (39-20) will meet No. 3 seed Wichita State at 1 p.m., Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Okla. Host and No. 1 seed Oklahoma will meet No. 4 seed TCU at 7 p.m., Friday.
All Cougar Baseball postseason games can be heard live on the Internet at www.UHCougars.com with former UH letterwinners Nick Torina and Pat Cauley calling all the action.
Each of the four-team double-elimination Regionals will be played Friday through Monday. The winners of each Regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regional round on June 9-11.
The winner of the Norman Regional advances to meet the winner of the Houston Regional in the NCAA Super Regional. Rice will play host to No. 2 seed Arizona State, No. 3 seed Baylor and No. 4 seed Prairie View A&M at that site.
The Cougars come into their first NCAA Regional since 2003 after finishing as the runner-up at the Conference USA Tournament last weekend at Reckling Park. It was the team's fifth appearance in the tournament title game and the first since 2002.
Junior Brad Lincoln, who has been named a semifinalist for three national player and pitcher of the year awards, has compiled a 12-1 record with 147 strikeouts and a sparkling 1.64 ERA this season. The Clute, Texas, native also has blasted 13 home runs, including two at last weekend's C-USA Tournament, while adding a team-best 52 RBIs and a .292 batting average.
Senior outfielder Matt Weston, a 2006 All-Conference USA First Team member, leads the team with 15 home runs with all of those long balls coming since April 4.
Senior infielder Isa Garcia, a 2006 All-Conference USA First Team honoree and member of the 2000 C-USA All-Tournament Team, enters this weekend as the Cougars' leading hitter with a .356 batting average and 19 stolen bases.
Representatives from the UH Ticket Office will be taking ticket requests until 5 p.m., Monday and from 8 a.m. until noon on Tuesday. The Ticket Office will then fill as many requests as possible. For more information or to fill out ticket requests, please call the UH Ticket Office at 713-GO-COOGS.
2006 NCAA Norman Regional Schedule
Friday
Game 1 - No. 3 Wichita State vs. No. 2 Houston 1 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 4 TCU vs. No. 1 Oklahoma 7 p.m.
Saturday
Game 3 - Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser 1 p.m.
Game 4 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner 7 p.m.
Sunday
Game 5 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser 1 p.m.
Game 6 - Game5 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 7 - Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (* if necessary) 7 p.m.
* - all times subject to change.
