University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Opens Play at NCAA Norman Regional on Friday
6/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 1, 2006
NORMAN, Okla. - The 11th-ranked University of Houston baseball team returns to the NCAA postseason this weekend after receiving the No. 2 seed at the 2006 NCAA Norman Regional.
UH opens the postseason at 1 p.m., Friday when it plays host to No. 3 seed and 30th-ranked Wichita State in the opening game of the double-elimination tournament at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
All postseason games can be heard live on www.UHCougars.com with former letterwinners 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 Cougars come into the game on the heels of an 11-5 loss to No. 1 Rice during the championship game of the 2006 C-USA Tournament at Reckling Park on Sunday. Despite the loss, the Cougars enter the postseason as winners of four of their last five and eight of their last 11 games.
The Cougars have appeared in 16 NCAA Regionals previously, posting a combined 25-25-1 (.500) record during those games. Combined with UH's recent berths in the NCAA Super Regionals, UH has compiled a 31-35-1 (.470) all-time record in the NCAA postseason.
While this is the first time in three years that UH has competed in the NCAA postseason, the Cougars have enjoyed tremendous success there, reeling off five consecutive berths from 1999-03.
UH last competed in the 2003 NCAA College Station Regional. After falling to Alabama in the first round, the Cougars rattled off four straight wins, including a pair of wins against host Texas A&M to win their third NCAA Regional title in a four-year span. The Cougars then advanced to the NCAA Houston Super Regional where they fell in the championship game to eventual national champion Rice.
This will be the first time in school history that the Cougars have competed in the NCAA postseason as a No. 2 seed.
Junior righthander Brad Lincoln, winner of his last 11 decisions, will toe the rubber against No. 3 seed and 30th-ranked Wichita State for the Cougars in the opening game of the 2006 NCAA Norman Regional.
This season, Lincoln leads the Cougars with 147 strikeouts and only 27 walks in 121.0 innings of work. The Clute, Texas, native joined Brad Sullivan (2002-03) and Shane Nance (1997, 1999) as the only pitchers in UH history to record 100+ strikeouts in two seasons during his collegiate career.
In addition, his 147 strikeouts to date this season ranks as the fourth-highest total in UH single-season history and is only 10 Ks away from tying the UH record of 157 set by Brad Sullivan in 2002.
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.
In his last pitching Start: Lincoln propelled the Cougars into the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament with a dominating performance against No. 5 seed East Carolina May 25, his 21st birthday.
Lincoln allowed only one run off four hits with six strikeouts in eight innings of work. He retired 16 of the last 18 batters that he faced and allowed only two baserunners after the third inning.
Friday's game will be Lincoln's first appearance against the Shockers and in the NCAA postseason.
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 .292 batting average with 13 home runs and a team-best 52 RBIs.
In the season opener against Texas-San Antonio on Feb. 7, Lincoln blasted a three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead UH to an 11-10 win over the Roadrunners. He finished 2-for-3 with two runs, a home run, double and two RBIs against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 14.
Lincoln recently garnered honors as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, Roger Clemens Award and Brooks Wallace Award.
He also was honored as the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year and was named to the All-Conference USA First Team. He also earned a place at DH/UTL on the All-Conference USA First Team. Following his performance at the plate at the C-USA Tournament last week, Lincoln was named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team as a DH.
Combined with his offensive numbers throughout the regular season, Lincoln was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Houston College Classic. In addition, he was recognized as the C-USA Co-Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 13. He also was named C-USA Pitcher of the Week for March 6 and March 27.
Following the series at No. 1 Rice, Lincoln was honored as the C-USA and Pro-Line Cap National Pitcher of the Week May 16.
Senior infielder Isa Garcia, an All-Conference USA First-Team honoree and member of the 2006 C-USA All-Tournament Team, continues to lead the Cougars with a .356 batting average, 50 runs scored, a .412 on-base percentage and 19 stolen bases.
Senior outfielder Matt Weston, another All-Conference USA First Team member, tops the Cougars with 15 home runs - all since April 4 - ranks second among all UH sluggers with 49 RBIs.
For the first time since 1997, the Cougars will meet No. 30 Wichita State on the baseball diamond when they take the field in the opening game of the 2006 NCAA Norman Regional.
The Cougars have posted a 25-11 (.694) all-time record against the Shockers in the series, which began in 1951 and was played at least two times every year until 1960 when both teams competed as members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
The series resumed in 1986 and continued in 1987 before taking another 10-year hiatus. The two teams met against in 1996 with the Shockers winning both games of a non-conference series. A year later, the Cougars returned the favor with a pair of wins at Cougar Field in the last meeting between the two teams.
This will be the first time that the Cougars have met Wichita State in the NCAA postseason.
Wichita State (44-20, 15-9 MVC) comes into the postseason after falling to Evansville 14-3 on May 26. It was the Shockers' second loss in a three-day span.
Freshman righthander Aaron Shafer is expected to take the hill for Wichita State in the NCAA Regional opener. This season, Shafer has compiled a 10-3 record with 74 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA in 92.1 innings of work.
Sophomore infielder Damon Sublett leads the Shockers with a .394 batting average and 10 home runs, while freshman Conor Gillaspie is tops with 58 RBIs.
