University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Opens 2009 Season Against Kansas State on Friday
2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 19, 2009
HOUSTON - The University of Houston baseball team will open the 2009 season on Friday in the first of the three-game series against Kansas State at Cougar Field.
The series begins at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday and will wrap up at noon on Sunday.
Fans can hear all three of this weekend's games live on UHCougars.com with second-year announcer Jeremy Branham calling the play-by-play action and former UH letterwinner Pat Cauley providing the analysis.
Fans can also follow live stats via the internet by clicking the Gametracker link on the UH front page or on the Cougar Baseball schedule page.
The Cougars are coming off a year in which they won the 2008 Conference USA Tournament and reached the Championship game at the College Station Regional before falling to Texas A&M, 13-5.
Junior lefthander Wes Musick will make his third consecutive opening day start for the Cougars, when he takes to the mound against the Wildcats on Friday.
Last season, Musick posted an 8-4 record with a 4.35 ERA and 87 strikeouts. For his efforts he was named to the 2008 South Central All-Region Second Team and was a member of the 2008 All-Conference USA Second Team.
Prior to the start of this season, Musick was selected to the All-Conference USA Preseason Team and was one of 50 collegiate baseball players chosen for the Brooks Wallace Preseason Watch List.
In two opening day starts, Musick led the Cougars to a 15-6 win over Stephen F. Austin as a freshman and recorded a 3-1 win over Pacific last season.
At the plate, Houston returns junior Chris Wallace and Zak Presley. Both lead the team in batting average among returners from last season's squad. Wallace hit .318 with eight doubles, 34 RBI and a .405 slugging percentage, while Presley ended the season with a .310 batting average with eight doubles and 30 RBI.
Friday's opener marks the beginning of Houston's 63rd season of intercollegiate baseball. UH has enjoyed great success in season-openers, posting an all-time record of 38-24 (.612) and reeling of 13 straight victories from 1975-1987.
The Cougars will meet Kansas State for the just the second time in program history on Friday. The Cougars won the last contest between the two schools, 12-4 in the 2004 season opener at Minute Maid Park at the Houston College Classic.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following this weekend's series the Cougars will play two mid-week games at Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 24) and at Rice (Feb. 25) before beginning play at the Houston College Classic on Feb. 27 against Baylor. Other games at the College Classic include a Feb. 28 game against UC Irvine and a March 1 game against Texas A&M.
