University of Houston Athletics
Houston Set to Host Second-Place Tulsa in Weekend Series
4/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
| HOUSTON vs TULSA | |
|---|---|
| Time | 1 p.m./3 p.m. (Sat.) | 12 p.m. (Sun.) |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Stadium | Cougar Softball Stadium |
| Series Record | Houston leads, 9-6 |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Houston Notes  Conference USA Notebook |
| Promotions | Saturday - First Pitch - C-USA Spirit of Service Award Winner Roxana Button Sunday - Shasta Squad Day |
| Social Media |  Facebook •  Twitter |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston softball team will play host to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in a three-game Conference USA series at Cougar Softball Stadium, April 16-17. The Saturday doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m. with the series finale scheduled for Sunday at noon.
Houston (29-13, 11-4) finished the first phase of the Cougars' tough six-game home stand with a split against No. 15 Baylor on Tuesday. Houston now heads into a three-game series with Tulsa, the second-place team in Conference USA.
"Tulsa has solid everything," head coach Kyla Holas said. "They have solid offense, solid defense and good pitching. You have to play a great game against them. So far, in the history of our back-and-forths, both teams' home field tends to be an advantage for them. We hope that continues to hold true."
The Cougars will wrap up the grueling home stretch on April 20 when they face No. 23/22 Texas A&M for the Fifth Annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game.
Houston proved itself up for the challenging schedule, as the team took down the nationally ranked Baylor Bears in an 8-0 five-inning run rule in game one and forced extra innings in the second game before falling, 6-4, to earn the split.
Despite the loss, Houston comes into the weekend riding a hot streak. The team has won 13 of its last 15 games, including a season-best 11-game win streak.
"Looking back, I don't think we knew it would work out as well as it did for us to face Baylor and then turn around and face really good pitching from Tulsa," Holas said. "Nationally, they are right with us in pitching statistics, so facing Baylor really helped prepare us for what's coming in."
AROUND THE BALLPARK
Spirit of Service First Pitch (Saturday) - University of Houston women's basketball player Roxana Button will throw out the first pitch before the series opener. She was named the C-USA Spirit of Service winter sport award winner.
Shasta Squad Day (Sunday) - All Shasta Squad members receive free admission with their membership card and are invited to participate in special activities throughout the game.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
This weekend will have sizable affects at the top of the conference standings. Houston enters the series in third place with a two-game lead over East Carolina. Tulsa is currently second in the league with a two-game lead over Houston. Houston holds the all-time series lead over Tulsa, 9-6. The last time the two teams faced each other, Tulsa took both games of the day one doubleheader. The final game was canceled due to rain.
HOUSTON (29-13, 11-4)
OVERALL: In the latest RPI projections, released on Wednesday, Houston jumped from No. 33 to No. 26 after taking one of two from Baylor on Tuesday. The Cougars have put themselves in a solid RPI position all season, as half of the opponents they have (or will) squared off against are in the top 50. Of their remaining games, the Cougars will not face a team ranked lower than 90 in the RPI (Central Florida, 89).
Houston enters the weekend on a steady climb upward. With four-straight series victories in conference play, the Cougars built a season-high 11 game win streak.
During the streak, Houston went on the road to sweep UTEP using three-straight run rules, the first time that feat has been accomplished in program history.
In their last time out, the team collected its fourth-straight run rule when they took the first game from No. 15 Baylor, 8-0, in five innings.
IN THE CIRCLE: Led by seniors Amanda Crabtree and Donna Bourgeois, the Cougar pitching staff continues to shine. The staff's collective 1.27 ERA ranks third in the NCAA and leads the conference.
Crabtree (16-7) enters the weekend as the C-USA Pitcher of the Week for the fourth time this season, after throwing 12.0 scoreless innings last week for a 0.00 ERA and 24 strikeouts. In midweek action, Crabtree racked up 10 strikeouts when she threw her eighth complete-game shutout against No. 15 Baylor to earn the win in game one.
According to the updated NCAA statistics that were released to start the week, Crabtree is now the No. 1 pitcher in the country in strikeouts per seven innings pitched (12.2). Her 267 strikeouts rank fifth in the NCAA, while her ERA (1.05) is eighth.
Crabtree also holds the top spot in hits allowed per seven innings. The relentless Kingwood, Texas native surrenders and average of 2.5 hits per game. Tulsa ace Aimee Creger ranks second (2.61 hits/game).
Senior Donna Bourgeois (11-6) is the other half of the Cougars' one-two punch. Her 0.37 ERA in conference action is second in the league, while her walks allowed (6) ranks fifth. Bourgeois is on a hot streak, going 6-0 in her last six appearances while allowing just five walks and one earned run.
AT THE PLATE: The Cougar lineup is backing up its governing pitching staff, as the hard-hitting lineup is 23rd in the country in homeruns per game (1.15). Houston unloaded for 10 homeruns against UTEP last weekend, C-USA's second-place homerun hitting squad.
With 49 bombs as a team, Houston now holds the top spot in the conference by a wide margin over UTEP (32).
Sophomore shortstop Brooke Lathan heads into the weekend as the defending C-USA Hitter of the Week. Lathan dominated at the plate last week, hitting at a .700 clip with three homeruns and 10 RBI.
She wasn't the only one doing damage over the week, junior left fielder/catcher Melissa Gregson knocked out her team-leading 11th and 12th homers of the season against UTEP. She leads the league in batting average in conference play (.463), while Lathan ranks second (.447). Gregson (1.073) and Lathan (.868) go first-second in slugging percentage in C-USA action, as well.
Overall, Gregson leads the league in RBI (34) and is second in homeruns (12). Senior outfielder Katy Beth Sherman leads the team and ranks sixth in the conference in batting average (.343).
RV/RV TULSA (32-9, 13-2)
OVERALL: The only member of C-USA with a single-digit in the loss column, Tulsa enters the weekend on an eight-game win streak. During the streak, the Golden Hurricane swept Memphis and Southern Miss, while taking two from Wichita State in non-conference action.
Tulsa is receiving votes in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball and the USA Today/NFCA Coaches polls this week, and checks in just one spot higher than the Cougars in the RPI race (No. 25).
IN THE CIRCLE: Freshman right-hander Aimee Creger (15-1) holds a 0.95 ERA, good for fifth in the nation. In 110 innings of work, Creger has 173 strikeouts to her credit. Of the 15 earned runs she's allowed, however, five of them were homeruns. Creger and her cohorts are holding teams to a .175 batting average, second only to the Cougars (.160).
AT THE PLATE: Tulsa and Houston continue their trend as the first and second teams in the conference at the plate, as well. The Golden Hurricane's .286 average as a team ranks first in the league to Houston's second-place .281. While Houston leads in runs scored (200) and RBI (173), Tulsa tops C-USA in hits (302).
Sophomore centerfielder Caitlin Everett leads the team in batting average (.372). Junior second baseman Skylar Swanson's five homeruns leads the team.
