University of Houston Athletics
Preview: Cougars Prep for Sam Houston State, Tuesday
3/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2012
| HOUSTON COUGARS (6-9 • 0-0 C-USA) vs SAM HOUSTON STATE (9-6 • 2-1 SLC) | |
|---|---|
| Date/Time | March 13, 2012 - 6:30 p.m. |
| Location | Cougar Field • Houston, Texas |
| Radio | UHCougars.com (Jeremy Branham & Pat Cauley) |
| Live Stats | |
| Series History | All-time series tied at 75-75 |
| Last Meeting | in Huntsville (April 12, 2011); UH lost 9-0 |
| Game Notes | Houston Notes  Conference USA Notebook |
| Social Media |  Facebook •  Twitter |
HOUSTON--The University of Houston baseball team returns home for one midweek game this week when it hosts Sam Houston State on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Cougar Field.
Houston is coming off a tough week, dropping all four games on the road, including being swept in a three-game series at No. 14 Ole Miss this past weekend.
Sitting at 6-9 overall and 4-4 at home, Houston looks to snap its five-game skid on Tuesday that dates back to a loss to Texas Tech on March 4 at the Houston College Classic.
Leading Houston offensively is junior Chase Jensen with his .292 average, followed by senior Jake Runte with a .291 clip and a team-best .400 slugging percentage and 12 walks.
Sophomore Jonathan Davis notched a .400 average in a 4-for-10 effort with an RBI at Ole Miss, leading the Cougars at the plate. Davis tallied a hit in all three games and made his first start of 2012 during he series opener on Frida.
ON THE BUMP FOR HOUSTON
Houston will start right-handed junior Austin Pruitt on Tuesday against Sam Houston State. Pruitt enters Tuesday's contest with a team-low 1.93 ERA, one complete game, but is 0-2 this year. In 18.2 innings pitched, Pruitt has fanned 12 and allowed just four earned runs as well as holding his opponents to a mere .194 average.
A LOOK AT SAM HOUSTON STATE
Sam Houston State heads to Houston with a 9-6 overall record and a 1-3 mark on the road. The Bearkats are coming off a 9-1 win over SFA as they managed to take the three-game series, 2-1, at home.
The Bearkats are under the direction of former Cougars, head coach David Pierce (1984-85) and assistant coach Sean Allen (1998-01).
Anthony Azar leads the SHSU offense with a .421 average, while Kevin Miller is hitting .340. Both Azar, Miller and teammate Luke Plucheck pace the team with 10 RBI. As a team, Sam Houston State is hitting .290 as a team and has belted four homeruns and scored 80 runs this season.
Sam Houston State looks to start RHP Michael Burchett, who is 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA in two starts. In 17.2 innings, Burchett has fanned 11, but surrendered 20 hits and seven earned runs.
HOUSTON vs SAM HOUSTON SERIES HISTORY
Houston and Sam Houston State will meet for the 151st time in school history on Tuesday. The two teams are currently tied all-time at 75-75. The last meeting between the two teams came last season on April 12 in a Houston loss (9-0) on the road. The Cougars defeated the Bearkats at home on March 15, 2011 in a 9-3 win at Cougar Field. Senior Codey Morehouse earned the win last season for Houston.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can also stay connected to action at www.facebook.com/HoustonCougarBaseball or on Twitter @UHCougarBB. Live stats via GameTracker will be available as well as live audio at www.UHCougars.com, brought to you Jeremy Branham and Pat Cauley.
UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's midweek game, Houston will travel to Oklahoma State to take on the Cowboys in a three-game series in Stillwater, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.
