University of Houston Athletics
Softball To Host Team USA On Tuesday
10/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Oct. 10, 2011
HOUSTON - The University of Houston softball team will play host to Team USA at Cougar Softball Field Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m.
The Cougars are in the midst of their fall exhibition schedule before the regular season starts on Feb. 12, 2012 at Cougar Softball Stadium with the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic tournament. The exhibition game comes as Team USA prepares for the Pan American Games, Oc. 14-30, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Head coach Kyla Holas has marked this game as a great learning experience for the team.
"We have asked them to really work on playing as a team," Holas said. "We've also asked them to have fun. Yes, you always want to win but you should do so while having a really good time. We'd like to use this game as a measuring stick of where we are and where we want to be but it's something that, on paper, we're not necessarily supposed to win."
The game against the national team will be the fifth game of the Cougars fall schedule so far. Houston beat UTSA and Texas Southern last week at the Spring Klein College Classic while dropping close games to Louisiana-Lafayette and Baylor. After the Team USA game, Houston will remain in Houston for the Sugar Land College Classic on Oct. 15-16.
Houston returns nine letterwinners from last year's 44-18 team that advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. Five true freshman, two transfers and one redshirt freshman fill up the rest of Houston's roster.
Houston will return six starters from last year's Conference USA co-Championship team in Holly Anderson (3B), Reina Gaber (DP), Melissa Gregson (LF), Jennifer Klinkert (2B), Ashleigh Jones (CF) and Haley Outon (C). Holas will look to sophomore Diedre Outon or freshmen Ty'ara Law to get the start in the pitching circle.
TEAM USA
Athletes slated to compete for USA Softball in Houston and Guadalajara: Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./California senior); Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas/Baylor junior); Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda Calif./Arizona State 2009); Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md./Tennessee junior); Kelly Grieve (Asheville, N.C./Tennessee 2011); Hoagland; Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga./Alabama 2009); Molly Johnson (Tucson, Ariz./Kentucky 2010); Stacy May-Johnson (Reno, Nev./Iowa 2006); Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif./Arizona 2009); Meagan May (Spring, Texas/Texas A&M junior); Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla./Florida senior); Christi Orgeron (New Orleans, La./ULL junior); Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif./Oklahoma junior); Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Michigan 2011); Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga./Missouri 2011); and Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa/Missouri junior).
Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla./Head Coach at the University of South Florida) is the head coach of the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team. He will be joined in Houston and at the Pan American Games by assistant coaches Mike Larabee (Fayetteville, Ark./Head Coach at the University of Arkansas), Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz./Head Coach at Cal State Northridge) and Mike White (Eugene, Ore./Head Coach at the University of Oregon).
For more information on Team USA, visit http://www.usasoftball.com
TICKETS
Tickets to the exhibition game, which will be followed by an autograph session with the Houston Cougars and Team USA, cannot be purchased online but are available now for $10 by calling 281-655-7303. Tickets can also be purchased at Absolute All Sports in Spring, Texas, prior to the game or at Cougar Softball Stadium tomorrow.
