University of Houston Athletics
Baseball to Face Lamar in Beaumont on Tuesday
4/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 28, 2008
BEAUMONT, Texas - The University of Houston Baseball team returns to action at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday when it faces Lamar at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
The Cougars (27-16) come into the game after being swept at Conference USA rival Southern Miss last weekend in Hattiesburg. It was the first time since 2004 (at East Carolina, April 30-May 1) that the Cougars dropped three straight games to a C-USA opponent on the road.
Fans can hear Cougar Baseball games live at UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the play-by-play action while former letterwinner Pat Cauley provides color analysis.
Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the Gametracker link.
Freshman southpaw Ty Stuckey makes his eighth start when he toes the rubber against Lamar on Tuesday. This season, the Spring native has compiled a 2-3 record with two saves and added 42 strikeouts and a 5.55 ERA in 48.2 innings.
He ranks second on the UH staff in ERA and innings pitched and is a close third with his strikeouts total. He also tops all Cougar pitchers and ranks among the Conference USA leaders with a .230 opposing batting average.
In his last start, Stuckey collected the loss during the middle game of the UAB series on April 19 after giving up four runs off five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
In his last outing, Stuckey threw 2.1 innings of shutout ball with a walk and a strikeout during the middle game of the Southern Miss series on April 26 in Hattiesburg, Miss. He did not collect a decision as the Golden Eagles rallied for a 4-3 win.
Tuesday game will be Stuckey's first career appearance against the Cardinals.
Senior infielder Bryan Pounds continues to lead the Cougars and rank among the C-USA individual leaders with a .409 batting average and 49 RBIs. Senior outfielder Jake Stewart tops all Cougar sluggers with 11 home runs after blasting long balls in each of the last two games during the Southern Miss series last weekend.
Sophomore centerfielder Zak Presley continues to be a steady performer near the bottom of the Cougar lineup and enters the game having hit safely in each of his last 16 games, a career best and the second-longest streak by any Cougar hitter in 2008.
For the third consecutive year, the Cougars will face Lamar on the diamond. The Cougars own a 46-22 (.676) lead in the all-time series, which began in 1952 and has been played at least twice every season since 2006.
The Cougars bring a three-game winning streak into Tuesday's contest and have not lost to the Cardinals since a 5-4 decision in Beaumont on April 28, 2006.
The two teams were scheduled to meet earlier this season on March 18 at Cougar Field but wet weather in the Houston area forced that game to be pushed back to May 6.
The Cougars have posted a 16-10 (.615) all-time record against the Cardinals in Beaumont. The two teams have split the last eight games played at Vincent-Beck Stadium, dating back to 1993. However, the Cougars can boast of the most recent success after taking a 17-10 win in 10 innings on March 27, 2007.
Junior Steven Tucker leads the Cardinals with a .343 batting average and 38 RBIs, while senior David Moore is tops with five home runs.
Redshirt freshman righthander Taylor McInnis is scheduled to make the start on the mound for the Cardinals. This season, McInnis has pitched only 2.2 innings striking out two batters without allowing any runs during that time.
