University of Houston Athletics
PREVIEW: at No. 5/5 Texas A&M
2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team will close its current six-game road swing in a 6 p.m. first pitch at No. 5/5 Texas A&M on Wednesday.
| Up To The Plate | ||
Wednesday, March 1 | • Houston at No. 5/5 Texas A&M | |
Coverage | Live Stats | SEC Network Plus | |
SINGLES
• The Cougars are coming off a 1-4 showing in their recent California trip. Houston fell to Cal State Fullerton, 8-0 in five innings, in its road opener last Thursday, before going 1-3 in the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., over the weekend. The Cougars posted an 8-2 win over Purdue, while dropping decisions to No. 17/17 Utah (8-0, six innings), rv/rv Oregon State (7-6, eight innings) and Northwestern (3-1).
• Freshman Arielle James led team with a .571/.643/.647 slash in The Golden State, going 8-for-14 with one double, four RBI and five runs scored. For her efforts, she was named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll. The native of Moore, Okla., currently leads the league with 24 hits.
• On the season, Houston leads The American in hits (122), home runs (16), triples (4), RBI (80), runs scored (86) and hit by pitch (11).
• Sophomore Maya Thomas leads the conference with a .427 batting average. Freshman Arielle James (.444), junior Kaylin Crumpton (.333) and senior Shelby Miller (.306) also rank among the top 17.
• Senior Shelby Miller leads the league in home runs (7) and RBI (22), ranking third in the NCAA in both categories.
• In the circle, pitchers Presley Bell, Savannah Heebner and Trystan Melancon each have two wins on the season. Heebner anchors the staff with a 3.09 ERA, while Melancon leads the team with three complete games, including a no-hitter, and 30 strikeouts.
• Houston's midweek tilt at Texas A&M marks a return to familiar grounds for Assistant Coach Megan Gibson-Loftin (2005-08) and Cassie Tysarczyk (2011-14), who were both All-Americans for the Aggies during their respective playing careers. Megan was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
• The Cougars are 6-18 all-time against Texas A&M and 5-7 in trips to College Station, Texas.
OPPONENT PREVIEW
No. 5/5 Texas A&M
2017 Overall Record: 15-0
Head Coach: Jo Evans
Record at School: 803-384-2 (21st Season)
Career Record: 1,116-594-2 (32nd Season)
All-Time Series: 6-18
Last Meeting: 2016 (L, 12-0 -- six innings)
ON DECK
Following Wednesday's action, the Cougars will host Louisiana-Monroe, Princeton, Sam Houston State and rv/rv Wisconsin in the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic across March 3-5 at Cougar Softball Stadium.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Softball on Twitter @UHCougarSB and "Like" /HoustonCougarSoftball on Facebook. Houston Softball is also on Instagram at UHCougarSB.
SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2016-17 athletic season. For only $80, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial savings as single-game tickets start at $5 for all four sports. To purchase a Shasta Pass, CLICK HERE.
JOIN DIAMOND CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Softball program by joining the Diamond Club. To find out more information about the Diamond Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Pride at (713) 743-GOUH. For more information, CLICK HERE.
