University of Houston Athletics
Preview: at Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
2/14/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team will play its first international games in program history with its participation in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge across Feb. 15-17 in Puerto Vallarta, México. The Cougars will face No. 3/3 Oregon, No. 15/18 Ole Miss, Rutgers and Texas across the three-day tournament.
| PUERTO VALLARTA COLLEGE CHALLENGE | ||
Thursday, Feb. 15 | • 2 p.m. | Houston vs. No. 3/6 Oregon | Live Stats | Live Stream | |
Friday, Feb. 16 | •2 p.m. | Houston vs. No. 15/18 Ole Miss | Live Stats | Live Stream | |
Saturday, Feb. 17 | •2 p.m. | Houston vs. Rutgers | | Live Stream | |
SINGLES
• Houston is coming off a 3-1 showing in the Aggie Classic to open the 2018 season. The Cougars defeated Texas Tech, 4-1 and 8-2, and Boston College, 5-4, with their lone loss coming in a 5-4 decision to No. 6/9 Texas A&M.
• After going 3-1 at the Aggie Classic, Houston is receiving seven votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.
• Senior shortstop Mariah Garcia was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the first week of the 2018 season. At the Aggie Classic, she led the Cougars with .636/1.182/.714 slash, going 7-for-11 with a double, triple, home run, seven RBI and four runs scored. The Austin native recorded at least one hit in all four games, including a 3-for-4 night against Texas Tech on Saturday in what would prove to be the final game of the tournament with Sunday's cancellations. The three-hit game is also a career high. The honor is the first of Garcia's career and the first for the Cougars on the season.
• Individually, Garcia leads The American with in batting average (.636), slugging percentage (1.182) and on-base percentage (.714), hits (7), RBI (7) and total bases (13).
Sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen is tied for second with a .417 average, while senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton is tied for seventh at .375. Sophomore second baseman Arielle James is tied for the conference lead with two hit by pitches. In the circle, junior Savannah Heebner is tied for the league lead with two wins. As a team, Houston leads The American in on-base percentage (.408).
• Two of Houston's opponents in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge are ranked in the top 18 between the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Oregon is No. 3 in both polls, while Ole Miss is 15th and 18th, respectively. Texas was receiving votes to begin the season.
ON DECK
After the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, Houston will return to Cougar Softball Stadium for its home opener. The Cougars will host Syracuse UNLV, UTSA and Yale in the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational across Feb. 23-25.
COUGAR SOFTBALL STADIUM UPGRADES
Thanks to a record year for the Diamond Club, Houston Softball announced the addition of an LED, Daktronics video board (completed) and indoor practice facility as major upgrades to Cougar Softball Stadium.
According to Daktronics, the new outfield video board will be the fifth largest at an on-campus softball stadium in the country and the largest in the state of Texas. The board, which will sit just beyond the left-field wall, will stand 29-feet-3.1-inches tall and measure 24-feet-4.0-inches wide with 576 square feet of space (24-feet by 24-feet) for live video, instant replays, statistics and scoring information, graphics and animations, and sponsor messages. The display features a 13HD pixel layout for crisp, clear imagery for a great view from every seat at the stadium.
The indoor facility, which will replace the current batting cage down the right-field line, will measure 70-feet by 80-feet. The 5,600-square-foot space will feature five batting cages, measuring 60-feet long by 15-feet wide each, with retractable nets for the space to be used in a variety of ways. The facility will have a synthetic turf floor and will be temperature controlled.
In total, the two capital projects represent $1.2 million in upgrades.
SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is once again proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2017-18 season. For just $80, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Volleyball, Soccer, Women's Basketball and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial saving as single-game tickets start at $5 for all four sports. To purchase a Shasta Pass, call 713-GO-COOGS or CLICK HERE.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Softball on Twitter and Instagram at UHCougarSB, and "Like" UHCougarSB on Facebook.
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.
