University of Houston Athletics
Preview: at Sam Houston State, Tuesday
3/19/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team travels up Interstate 45 to Huntsville, Texas, on Tuesday to face Sam Houston State in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
| UP TO THE PLATE | ||
Tuesday, March 19 | •3/5 p.m. | Houston at Sam Houston State Bearkat Softball Complex | Huntsville, Texas | |
Coverage | Live Stats: Game 1, Game 2 ESPN3: Game 1, Game 2 | |
SINGLES
• Houston is coming off a 2-2 showing in the Houston Round Robin. The Cougars picked up a pair of wins over Eastern Kentucky while suffering two decisions to Dartmouth.
• On Saturday, freshman Tierrah Williams hit a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam in a 6-2 victory over EKU. The grand slam was the first for the Cougars since teammate Savannah Heebner hit one against UConn on April 9, 2017, as part of a multi-home run performance.
• On the season, the Cougars are outscoring the opposition, 111-57.
• Houston leads The American in hit by pitch (26), while senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton holds the top individual mark with 12, tied for sixth in the NCAA.
• Entering Tuesday, sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen leads the team in batting average (.378), slugging percentage (.610), home runs (5) and RBI (16). As a team, Houston is batting .294.
• In the circle, Heebner leads the team with a 10-2 record. She also leads The American in ERA (0.80) and opponent batting average (.170). Pitchers Presley Bell (3-3) and Trystan Melancon (4-4) have 1.58 and 2.01 ERAs, respectively. The staff carries a 1.35 ERA, a mark that ranks second in The American and sits 13th in the NCAA
ON THE OPPONENT
• Houston is 24-4 all-time against SHSU and 7-3 in trips to Huntsville, Texas.
• The Bearkats enter Tuesday with an 11-16 record. SHSU, which is 4-2 in Southland Conference play, is coming off a 1-2 series loss to McNeese over the weekend.
• Meagan McDonald leads the Bearkats with a .351 batting average, while Lindsey McLeod owns a staff-best 8-5 record and 2.05 ERA. As a team, SHSU is batting .238 and has a 4.18 ERA.
• The Bearkats are led by Head Coach Bob Brock, who is in his 34th overall season as a head coach. Brock, who announced he will retire at the end of the season, owns 1,113-759-1 career record, ranking ninth among active NCAA Division I Head Coaches. He was previously the head coach at Baylor (1980-81) and Texas A&M (1982-96) prior to taking over at his alma mater in 2002.
ON DECK
After Tuesday, the Cougars open American Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at ECU across Match 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.
