University of Houston Athletics
Baseball Ready To Face UAB At Cougar Field
4/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2011
HOUSTON - The University of Houston baseball team will host UAB in its Conference USA home opener this weekend at Cougar Field. The series will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, continue at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and conclude at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Fans can follow all the weekend's action through the gametracker link on the baseball schedule page at UHCougars.com. The online radio broadcast and the live video feed will also be available through the schedule page.
Houston (16-15) will look to keep its perfect 3-0 league record in tact this weekend after a sweep of the Tulane Green Wave last weekend during its first series in conference play.
Sophomore Chase Jensen is leading the team with a .353 batting average, seven doubles, a triple, three home runs and 33 RBIs. Senior Caleb Ramsey has a team-high 34 RBIs and 11 doubles.
The Blazers are 16-12 this season and 4-2 in C-USA action. They went 2-1 at Marshall, March 25-27, and 1-2 against East Carolina last weekend. Jamal Austin leads UAB with a .393 batting average, four doubles and 12 RBIs.
This weekend's series marks the 48th overall meeting between the two programs with the Cougars holding a 35-13 led. UH went 2-1 in the last meeting between the two schools last season in Birmingham, Ala.
In the series opener, junior Matt Creel and UAB's Dillon Napoleon are expected to earn the start on the mound. Creel earned the win in the Cougars' C-USA opener last weekend. He pitched seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Creel is 4-3 this season with a 4.44 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Napoleon leads the team with a 1.75 ERA and a 4-1 record in seven starts. In 51.1 innings he has allowed just 10 earned runs with 41 strikeouts.
Junior Jordan Lewis and Ryan Woolley are expected to get the nod on Saturday. Lewis improved to 3-0 after recording the win against Tulane last weekend. He is posting a 4.58 ERA in 39.1 innings with 19 strikeouts. Woolley is 4-3 this season with a 2.61 ERA in 48.1 innings. He has given up 14 earned runs while striking out a team-high 45 batters.
Houston has not named a starter for Sunday's game while Michael Busby will close out the series on the mound for UAB. Busby is making his sixth start this season and he is posting a 4.29 ERA in 21 innings. He has struck out 14 batters and has allowed 10 earned runs.
UP NEXT
Houston head back on the road next week with a 6:30 p.m. contest at Sam Houston State on April 12. Following the midweek game, the Cougars will continue league play with a three-game series at Marshall, April 15-17.
