University of Houston Athletics
Houston Baseball Unveils 2016 Schedule
9/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HOUSTON â€" Highlighted by 32 home games, 38 in the city of Houston, a neutral site matchup against the University of Texas, home contests against Texas A&M and Baylor and three first-time opponents, Houston Baseball and head coach Todd Whitting have unveiled an exciting 2016 schedule, announced Wednesday.
For the 10th consecutive season, Houston will open its slate at Cougar Field. In the five seasons under Whitting, Houston has accumulated a winning record of 14-1 in those season-opening series, which includes four weekend sweeps.
"We are excited about the challenges that are ahead during the 2016 season. Not only will we compete in the American Athletic Conference, which is one of the toughest leagues in the nation (#3 RPI in 2015), but we will once again play an aggressive schedule against non-conference opponents," Whitting, who will begin his sixth season at the helm said. "With 20 games against 2015 NCAA Regional teams, we must diligently prepare for success during this offseason. We are excited to build off back-to-back 40+ win seasons against some of the best competition in the country."
Houston will open the season hosting the Big East's Villanova Feb. 19-21. The Cougars and Wildcats will meet for the first time in the program's history.
Houston will then play its first 12 games in the city of Houston, and first four at Cougar Field. The Cougars have one scheduled non-conference road series slated, as Houston will travel to face the SEC's Alabama on March 11-13. The two teams met last season with the Cougars earning a 2-1 series win at Cougar Field.
"I am excited that our team will be in Houston for 38 of our 56 games," Whitting said. "We have a proud and energetic fan base and I am thrilled they will have the opportunity to see us play numerous times in four different venues in Houston. The passion for our fans and excitement in Houston for University of Houston Athletics is at a very high level and we look forward to the opportunity to showcase our program throughout the season."
The Cougars will then make its 16th straight appearance in the Houston College Classic, dating back to 2001 when it faces Texas Tech (Feb. 26), Arkansas (Feb. 27) and TCU (Feb 28) at Minute Maid Park.
"The College Classic sets the bar for every tournament in Division I baseball. It will once again have elite competition in a regional-type atmosphere, which I hope will help prepare us for a long postseason run," Whitting said. "I am appreciative of the Houston Astros organization for not only hosting a great event, but for inviting us back for the 16th straight year."
Houston will welcome in-state rival, Baylor, for a three-game series at Cougar Field as well as the WAC's Grand Canyon (March 18-20) and Atlantic 10's George Washington (March 24-26) during the month of March.
American Athletic Conference play will begin for the Cougars with a road trip to East Carolina (April 1-3), before returning home to host UCF (April 8-10).
A trip to UConn (April 15-17) will be followed by a home series vs. USF (April 23-24), while the final four weekends of American play will consist of two series vs. Tulane (a-April 29-May 1; h-May 19-21), a home series vs. Memphis (May 6-8) and a final regular-season road trip to Cincinnati (May 14-17).
"The American Athletic Conference will once again be one of the premier leagues in Division I baseball. Last year was a banner year in regards to sending four of the eight teams in the league to the postseason," Whitting said. "I thought we had a couple more that were deserving as well. There are no weekends off in the American and it is a battle each and every week, as we really do not have any weak or underachieving teams at this time. Each institution in our conference is committed to winning at the highest level of college baseball."
Houston and Rice will meet at three different venues for the third straight season, beginning with a March 22 contest at Cougar Field, followed by a May 10 contest at Reckling Park, on the Rice campus, and a final game on May 17 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas â€" home of the Sugar Land Skeeters.
The Cougars own the last two Silver Glove Series after earning a 2-1 series win over the Owls last season and sweeping them in 2014.
The city of Houston will be provided with a true Lone Star State showdown when Houston and Texas meet on Tuesday, April 12 for a non-conference midweek game in Sugar Land, Texas at Constellation Field.
The game is a designated home game for the Longhorns with the Cougars serving as the visiting team in the contest.
"Our fans and players have had a great experience playing at Constellation Field the past few years," Whitting said. "It is a great opportunity for the large number of UH Alumni in Fort Bend County and the surrounding area who may not have had the opportunity to experience a Houston Baseball game against two quality opponents. I am quite sure our fans will show up in full force for an overwhelming UH crowd."
In midweek play in 2016, Houston will host McNeese State (Feb. 23), UTSA (March 1), Prairie View A&M (March 8), Texas Southern (March 16), Rice (March 22), Texas A&M (March 29), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (April 19), and Sam Houston State (April 26), while making road trips to Lamar (March 15), McNeese State (April 5), Sam Houston State (May 3) and Rice (May 10).
Coming off a 2015 American Athletic Conference regular-season title, the Cougars will participate in the American Athletic Conference Championship set for May 24-29 in Clearwater, Fla., at Bright House Field for the third straight season.
QUICK HITS
OUR CITY
- 32 home games; 38 in the city of Houston
- First 12 games of the season will be played in the city of Houston
- 21 of the first 25 games will be played in the city of Houston
- 18 of the first 25 games will be played at Cougar Field
OPENING WEEKEND
- Houston will host Opening Weekend for the 10th consecutive season
- Cougars are 14-1 all-time during Opening Weekend under Todd Whitting
- Cougars have swept four of the five Opening Weekend series under Whitting
COLLEGE CLASSIC
- Houston to make 16th straight appearance in Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park
- Cougars to face Texas Tech, Arkansas and TCU
- Cougars own a 20-25 all-time record in tournament; has earned seven wins over Top 30 teams
FIRST-TIME OPPONENTS
- Houston has three first-time opponents on the schedule: Villanova, Grand Canyon, George Washington
RICE & TEXAS IN SUGAR LAND, TEXAS AT CONSTELLATION FIELD
- Houston will meet both Texas (April 12) and Rice (May 17) for non-conference, midweek games at Sugar Land's Constellation Field.
NCAA TOURNAMENT COMPETITION
- 20 games this season will be played against an NCAA-tournament team from 2015
- Arkansas, TCU, Texas Southern, Rice, Texas A&M, East Carolina, Texas, USF, Tulane
| Opponent | All-Time | Last Meeting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VILLANOVA | H | First Meeting | First Meeting |
| MCNEESE ST. | H | UH leads 50-13 | W, 9-2 - 5/5/15 |
| Texas Tech | N | UH leads 45-42 | W, 9-0 - 2/28/14 |
| Arkansas | N | UA leads 37-27 | W, 4-1 - 3/3/12 |
| TCU | N | UH leads 52-46-2 | L, 1-2 - 3/2/14 |
| UTSA | H | UH leads 16-10 | W, 6-4 - 2/20/11 |
| BAYLOR | H | BU leads 87-65 | W, 11-0 - 3/3/15 |
| PV A&M | H | UH leads 10-0 | W, 6-0 - 5/6/14 |
| Alabama | A | UH leads 8-7 | L, 3-8 - 2/22/15 |
| Lamar | A | UH leads 57-28 | W, 6-5 (10) - 3/24/15 |
| TX SOUTHERN | H | UH leads 26-0 | W, 11-5 - 2/18/15 |
| GRAND CANYON | H | First Meeting | First Meeting |
| RICE | H | Rice leads 102-76 | L, 2-3 (20) - 5/31/15 |
| GEORGE WASH. | H | First Meeting | First Meeting |
| TEXAS A&M | H | A&M leads 110-57-1 | L, 0-6 - 3/7/15 |
| East Carolina* | A | ECU leads 23-24-1 | L, 1-9 - 5/24/15 |
| McNeese State | A | UH leads 50-13 | W, 9-2 - 5/5/15 |
| UCF* | H | UH leads 24-17 | L, 3-4 - 3/29/15 |
| Texas | N | Texas leads 94-31-2 | L, 0-4 - 6/7/14 |
| UConn* | A | UH leads 6-1 | W, 1-0 - 5/16/15 |
| TX A&M-CC | H | UH leads 3-2 | W, 10-0 (8) - 3/5/14 |
| USF* | H | UH leads 22-12 | W, 7-3 - 5/21/15 |
| SAM HOUSTON | H | UH leads 80-78 | W, 3-0 - 4/28/15 |
| Tulane* | A | UH leads 36-30 | W, 7-1 - 5/3/15 |
| Sam Houston | A | UH leads 80-78 | W, 3-0 - 4/28/15 |
| MEMPHIS* | H | UH leads 43-18 | W, 17-3 - 5/23/15 |
| Rice | A | Rice leads 102-76 | L, 2-3 (20) - 5/31/15 |
| Cincinnati* | A | UH leads 31-7 | W, 8-4 - 5/19/15 |
| Rice | N | Rice leads 102-76 | L, 2-3 (20) - 5/31/15 |
| TULANE* | H | UH leads 36-30 | W, 7-1 - 5/3/15 |
A LOOK AT 2015
Houston is coming off its second straight 40-win season in 2015 as it captured its first American Athletic Conference regular-season title, first league title since 2002 and eighth in program history after recording a 16-8 mark among the toughest conference in the nation.
The Cougars, led by head coach Todd Whitting, who was named the ABCA South Central Regional Coach of the Year, notched its second straight 40-win season, finishing with a 43-20 record and ranked No. 18 in the nation.
With its impressive regular-season play, Houston was awarded an NCAA Regional hosting bid and the No. 1 seed at Cougar Field - the first time hosting since 2000 and just the third time ever in program history.
Houston finished the year with a 26-8 mark at home, tallying the most home wins ever, while earning five weekend sweeps and eight shutouts on the season - a number that ranks among the nation's Top 10. Houston went on to capture its second straight Silver Glove series - the first time since trophy was established in 1998.
Cougar Field saw a program-record 1,832 fans on average in 2015.
The Cougars were highlighted by sophomore Andrew Lantrip's Third Team All-America honor by Perfect Game and freshman Seth Romero, who led the league with a 1.94 ERA and was tabbed a Freshman All-American and the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
Three Cougars were named to the All-Region Team (Survance, Lantrip, Iriart) and seven Cougars earned All-Conference honors with Kyle Survance leading the way as a First Team selection.
Eight Cougars were selected in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Lemoine, Weigel, Survance, Iriart, Dowdy, Cobb, Fulmer, Rice) - the most since 11 in 2000.
Houston Baseball, once again, excelled in the classroom - posting a program-record 3.09 cumulative GPA and the fourth-highest spring GPA at 2.97 as 24 student-athletes posted a 3.0 GPA or better.
TICKETS
Houston Baseball season ticket renewals and online purchases will be available soon. Check back at UHCougars.com and/or call the Houston Athletics Ticket Office at (713) GO-COOGS.
STAY CONNECTED
Stay up to date with all Houston Baseball news and highlights by following us on Twitter @UHCougarBB or on Facebook at /HoustonCougarBaseball. Fans can also follow head coach Todd Whitting @toddwhitting on Twitter.
