University of Houston Athletics
Preview: at Aggie Classic
2/8/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team will open its 2018 season at the Aggie Classic, hosted by No. 6/9 Texas A&M, across February 9-11 in College Station, Texas.
| AGGIE CLASSIC | ||
Friday, Feb. 9 | • 12:15 p.m. | Houston vs. Texas Tech | Live Stats | |
Saturday, Feb. 10 | • 10 a.m. | Houston vs. Boston College | Live Stats | |
Sunday, Feb. 11 | • 3 p.m. | Houston at No. 6/9 Texas A&M | Live Stats | SEC+ | |
SINGLES
• Houston is coming off a 30-25 campaign in 2017. The Cougars finished in second place in the American Athletic Conference with a 12-6 league record and added a runner-up finish in The American Championship. The two runner-up finishes are Houston's best finishes as a member of the league.
• Houston returns eight starters overll and all of its starting pitching from 2017. Among those returners, the Cougars bring back four All-American Athletic Conference honorees, including three first-team selections in pitcher/first baseman Savannah Heebner, outfielder Maya Thomas and second baseman and 2017 American Rookie of the Year Arielle James. Sophomore pitcher Trystan Melancon returns after being named to The American All-Rookie Team. In addition, Heebner (first team), James (second team) and Thomas (third team) also garnered NFCA All-Region Honors, respectively.
• In 2017, the Cougars led The American in batting average (.302), on base percentage (.383), hits (437), runs (286) and RBI (250). Houston also finished second in slugging percentage (.424), home runs (34), walks (33) and opponent batting average (.260).
• Individually, Thomas finished second in conference in batting average (.435), a mark that stood 14th in the country, and on base percentage (.463), while James led all freshmen in bating average (.354), on base percentage (.424), hits (43) and runs (63).
• Houston's season-opening tournament at Texas A&M marks a return to familiar grounds for Assistant Coach Megan Gibson-Loftin (2005-08) and Volunteer Assistant Cassie Tysarczyk (2011-14). Both were All-Americans for the Aggies during their respective playing careers. Gibson-Loftin was also inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
• Two of Houston's opponents at the Aggie Classic are familiar to the Cougars from a year ago. In 2017, Houston hosted Boston College on opening weekend with the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational, splitting the teams' two meetings. The Cougars also visited Texas A&M in a midweek matchup, winning 1-0 over the then No. 5/5 Aggies.
ON DECK
After the Aggie Classic, Houston will travel out of the United States for the first time in program history when it heads to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge across Feb. 15-17.
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.
