University of Houston Athletics
2011 Baseball Season Preview Part 2: Infield
1/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 28, 2011
HOUSTON - With the 2011 University of Houston baseball season just a month away, UHCougars.com will give fans a position-by-position preview in a four-part series to be released each Friday through Feb. 11. This week as part two of the series we take a look at the Cougar infield, where there is still a lot of competition as to who will get the start on opening day.
Here is an in-depth look at the Cougar infield.
INFIELD
According to head coach Todd Whitting, the strength of this season's team could be its infield defense. A lot of competition remains, however, for who will earn the starting nod.
"The thing I like about these guys is that they are really down in the dirt players who do a great job of just picking up the ball and throwing it across the field to first base and making the routine play," Whitting said.
Juniors Codey Morehouse and Matt Creel are in a tight battle at first base. Both players saw action in the infield last season and are members of the pitching staff.
"Codey and Matt continue to battle for who is going to start at first base," Whitting said. "We really have some great competition on the field right now."
Creel made a team-high 35 starts at first base in 2010, posting a .264 batting average with six doubles and two home runs. He also finished two games with a home run, while earning the save on the mound.
Morehouse emerged last season as a major contributor on the team after seeing limited action as a freshman. He had 13 starts at first base and finished with five doubles, three home runs and a .264 batting average. Last season, Morehouse saw action in right field, as the designated hitter and made 14 appearances on the mound.
A battle is also brewing at second base, with senior Ryan Still and junior Jake Runte in a tight race. Still saw a majority of action in the middle infield, making 39 starts in 2010, while Runte is making the transition from third base to second base.
Still struggled at the plate during the early going last season but was able to bounce back and finish with a .386 average in Conference USA action. Runte made 11 starts at third base and made one appearance at second base against Texas State during the opening weekend.
Sophomore David Murphy was having a great fall at third base but an injury suffered during the fall will keep him in the dugout until midseason. Sophomore Austin Gracey, who made 46 starts at third last season, has picked up where he left off last year and will be the projected starter on opening day.
Gracey finished his first season at UH with a .299 batting average including six doubles, two triples and five homeruns. He tied the school single-game record with three home runs against UTSA and he would go on to finish the game 3-for-5 with a career-high seven RBIs.
Murphy sat out his freshman season as a redshirt and played only 13 games in 2010 while he recovered from acute lymphoid leukemia. He completed his final treatment just before the start of the spring semester and is in remission. He will return to the line-up at mid-season at full strength for the first time since joining the team in 2007.
The only infield position that is not up for grabs is the shortstop position. That duty has been handed to Chase Jensen, a transfer from Weatherford College.
"Chase has fit in well with everyone since joining the program," Whitting said. "He came in and had a lot of success on the junior college level and was a freshman in a great junior college program at Weatherford College. He hasn't missed a beat here. He has stepped right in and is doing really well."
Jensen was a member of the Weatherford College team that finished with a program-record 39 wins in 2010. They advanced to the third postseason appearance in school history and Jensen earned honors as a Second Team All-Conference selection and was a member of the Dean's List.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Jensen attended Martin High School where he was a First Team All-District selection.
"Chase has a chance to win games with his defense," Whitting added. He can go from the six hole to the middle and he covers a tremendous amount of field. He is a tall, lanky pro-type body with a very good arm. He not only can get to balls that most players can't, but he has the arm strength to throw some people out."
Senior Travis Trial and junior Taylor White will provide depth in the infield.
UP NEXT
Next week's preview will feature the catchers.
