University of Houston Athletics
Houston Baseball Poised To Challenge In C-USA
1/26/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 26, 2012
Houston, Texas - Houston Baseball, armed with a returning weekend rotation and a young, exciting offensive corps, was picked fifth in the 2012 Conference USA Baseball Preseason Poll on Thursday.
The Top-Five prediction comes in one of college baseball's premier leagues. In 2011 C-USA ranked No. 5 nationally in RPI and boasts two clubs ranked in Baseball America's Preseason Top 25 poll (No. 6 Rice and No. 21 UCF).
Rice is the C-USA preseason favorite in 2012 picking up eight first-place votes, followed by No. 2 UCF, No. 3 East Carolina and No. 4 Southern Miss. Each of those four clubs advanced to NCAA Regional play last year and UH finished tied for fourth in the C-USA standings, just missing out on a regional berth.
Houston shortstop Chase Jensen was named a preseason First Team All-C-USA selection. The talented junior hit .320 in 57 starts, pacing the club with 78 hits and 105 total bases. The Arlington, Texas, native also led the club in slugging percentage (.430), totaling 18 extra-base hits and 45 runs batted in.
Ticket plans are on sale now through the UH Athletics Ticket Office. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets online at UHCougars.com, by calling the UH Ticket Office at (713) GO-COOGS (462-6647) or by visiting the Athletics Center Box Office.
Houston Baseball opens its 2012 campaign Feb. 17-19 at home vs. Delaware. Game time for the season-opener is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Cougar Field. The Feb. 18 date is scheduled for a 2 p.m. opening pitch while the Feb. 19 contest begins at 1 p.m.
For more information on UH Baseball, please visit our website at UHCougars.com.
### GO COOGS ###
2012 PRESEASON BASEBALL AWARDS
(as selected by C-USA's head coaches)
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Rice (8)
2. UCF (1)
3. East Carolina
4. Southern Miss
5. Houston
6. Tulane
7. Memphis
8. UAB
9. Marshall
(first place votes in parentheses)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
D.J. Hicks, UCF (Junior, Designated Hitter/Pitcher)
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Austin Kubitza, Rice (Sophomore, Right-hander)
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMP Kevin Brandt Sr. East CarolinaP Austin Kubitza So. RiceP Dillon Napoleon Sr. UABRP Tyler Duffey Jr. RiceC Jeremy Schaffer Sr. TulaneC Zach Wright Sr. East CarolinaIF Chase Jensen Jr. HoustonIF Darnell Sweeney Jr. UCFIF Corey Thompson Sr. East CarolinaIF Jacob Wilson Sr. MemphisOF Kameron Brunty Sr. Southern MissOF Jeremy Rathjen Jr. RiceOF Michael Ratterree Jr. RiceOF Ronnie Richardson Jr. UCFDH/UT D.J. Hicks Jr. UCF
