University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Announces 2008 Schedule
1/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 29, 2008
Complete 2008 Houston Baseball Schedule in PDF Format 
HOUSTON -With less than a month before opening day, University of Houston baseball head coach Rayner Noble announced the team's 2008 schedule on Tuesday.
Not shy of playing the nation's elite programs, the Cougars are slated to play 17 games against seven teams ranked in at least one national preseason poll. Included are five games against crosstown- and Conference-USA rival Rice with bragging rights and the 2008 Silver Glove Series on the line.
The five-game series will be comprised of two home-and-home midweek games and a three-game series at Rice's Reckling Park on May 9-11.
Houston begin its 2008 season on Feb. 22 when the Cougars open a four-game homestand against Pacific (Feb. 22-24) and Texas State (Feb. 26) at Cougar Field, the first of 31 scheduled home dates. It marks UH's latest start since the 1982 season.
Houston once again will compete in one of the nation's premier collegiate tournaments when it competes at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. This marks the eighth consecutive season that the Cougars will compete in the Houston College Classic.
UH faces Texas Tech (Feb. 29), Oklahoma (March 1) and Texas (March 2) at the tournament.
When Houston enters C-USA play, UCF (April 4-6), Tulane (April 11-13), Memphis (May 2-4) and Marshall (May 15-17) will make weekend appearances at Cougar Field.
In 2008, the Cougars will face a formidable conference road schedule. Houston hits the road to square off against East Carolina (March 21-23), UAB (April 18-20), Southern Miss (April 25-27) and Rice (May 9-11).
In non-conference play, the Cougars meet Louisiana-Lafayette (March 4), Sacred Heart (March 5), Stephen F. Austin (March 11), Lamar (March 18), Texas A&M (April 8), Sam Houston State (April 16), McNeese State (April 22) and UTSA (April 30) in midweek games.
UC Santa Barbara (March 7-9) and San Francisco (March 14-16) travel to Cougar Field for non-conference weekend series.
The Cougars make their annual venture out west when they travel to face San Diego in UH's lone non-conference weekend series on the road.
Houston will also travel to face Sam Houston State (March 12), McNeese State (March 25), Texas State (April 9), Stephen F. Austin (April 15), Lamar (April 29) and UTSA (May 13) in non-conference midweek games.
The Top Eight teams from Conference USA will head to Tulane's Turchin Stadium on May 21-25 for the annual C-USA Tournament. The winner of the league's annual postseason event earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 30.
The Cougars begin the 2008 season with the start of practice on Friday. On Saturday, the program plays host to an Alumni Game beginning at 1 p.m. with an intrasquad scrimmage featuring the 2008 Cougar team to follow.
Both the Alumni Game and the scrimmage are free and open to the public.
Following the game, fans are invited to a picnic at Cougar Field where they can eat and enjoy good times with current and former Cougar players.
While the game is free and open to the public, fans must pay in advance and make reservations to attend the picnic. Fans who wish to attend the picnic must call or email Brandi Clark (713-743-9456 or brclark2@central.uh.edu). Prices to attend the picnic are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children 12 and under.
