University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Ready to Face C-USA Rival Memphis This Weekend
5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 1, 2008
HOUSTON - After splitting two non-conference games earlier this week, the University of Houston baseball team continues its brief homestand this weekend when it plays host to Conference USA rival Memphis at Cougar Field.
The series begins with 6:30 p.m. games on both Friday and Saturday before wrapping up at noon, Sunday. Fans should note that Sunday's starting time was pushed back to accommodate Memphis' travel plans and may be different from earlier published schedules.
UH comes into the game on the heels of a disappointing 11-9 loss to UTSA on Wednesday in Houston in a game that took 12 innings and nearly five hours to decide. It was only the Cougars' third midweek loss of the 2008 campaign.
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.
Sophomore southpaw Wes Musick will make his 11th consecutive weekend start during the series opener against Conference USA-rival Memphis on Friday. This season, the Lufkin native has posted a 7-3 record with 57 strikeouts and a 3.92 ERA in 64.1 innings.
He leads all Cougar hurlers in wins, ERA, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts and leads all C-USA hurlers with his win total.
In his last game, Musick dropped his second straight start after giving up six runs off seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings. The outing was his shortest against a C-USA opponent during his career.
Friday's game will be Musick's second career start against the Tigers. In his only previous outing, he allowed six runs (five earned) off nine hits and four walks with a strikeout in five innings but did not collect a decision as Memphis claimed a 16-10 win during the middle game of the series on May 12, 2007.
Senior infielder Bryan Pounds continues to lead the Cougars with a .395 batting average and 49 RBIs. After going 0-for-3 during Wednesday's loss to UTSA, Pounds saw his season average dip below .400 for the first time all year.
Senior outfielder Jake Stewart tops all Cougar sluggers with 12 home runs after bashing his third long ball in the last four games against the Roadrunners.
Sophomore centerfielder Zak Presley enters the series riding an 18-game hitting streak, the second-longest by any Cougar hitter this season and tied for the seventh longest in UH history.
For the 12th consecutive season, the Cougars will meet Memphis on the diamond. The Cougars own a 28-7 (.800) lead in the all-time series, which began in 1997 when both teams began competition as members of Conference USA.
However, the two teams have split the last four games with the Tigers boasting of the most recent success after taking a 12-4 win during a first-round game at the 2007 C-USA Tournament.
The Cougars enter this weekend's series as winners of all but one series against the Tigers. Only a Memphis series win in 2003 at Nat Buring Stadium prevents the Cougars from enjoying an 11-year series winning streak against the Tigers.
The Cougars own a perfect 15-0 record against the Tigers at Cougar Field during the all-time series. UH has enjoyed five consecutive home series sweeps against Memphis in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
However, the most recent home series against the Tigers provided some tense moments with UH holding on for one-run wins in the first and last games of the 2006 series, including a 16-inning marathon in the finale.
Memphis (16-28, 4-10) comes into the series after falling 10-1 to No. 25 Mississippi on Tuesday. It was the Tigers' third straight loss and their seventh setback during the last eight games.
Chad Zurcher leads the Tigers with a .288 batting average, while Brett Bowen and Trey Wiedman are tops with five home runs apiece. Wiedman also leads the way with 30 RBIs.
Head coach Darren Schoenrock had not announced his rotation for this weekend as of press time.
