University of Houston Athletics
Preview: vs. Tulsa*
4/19/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team continues American Athletic Conference play with a three-game series against Tulsa starting Friday at Cougar Softball Stadium.
Sunday's game will air on ESPNU with Melissa Lee on the call and Leigh Dakich providing analysis. For a direct link to the broadcast, click here.
| UP TO THE PLATE | ||
April 20-22 | • Houston (27-16, 6-6 The American) vs. Tulsa* (26-18, 6-6 The American) Cougar Softball Stadium | |
Coverage | Live Stats: , , Live Stream: Game 1, Game 2, Game 3 (ESPNU) | |
SINGLES
• Houston, which is 27-16 overall and 6-6 in The American, is coming off a 2-1 series win over Wichita State last weekend. The Cougars bookended the series with victories, winning 7-0 and 6-3. With two triples in the series opener, Houston tied its program record for most in a single game. The mark had previously been achieved nine times and last against Incarnate Word on Feb. 19, 2017, at Cougar Softball Stadium.
• Last week, junior pitcher Savannah Heebner went 2-2 in the circle with three complete games and a 1.46 ERA across games at Lamar and the Cougars' weekend series against the Shockers. For her efforts, she was named The American Pitcher of the Week. The conference nod is the second of her career and second for the Cougars on the season after sophomore Trystan Melancon garnered the pitching laurel for the second week of the season.
• On the season, the Cougars are outscoring the opposition, 203-115.
• Houston leads The American in hit by pitch (44), while senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton holds the top individual mark with 19, tied for fifth in the NCAA. Sophomore second baseman Arielle James (12) and junior catcher Brooke Vannoy (6) rank second and tied for sixth in HBP in the conference, respectively.
• Entering the weekend, James leads The American in on-base percentage (.497). She is also tied for the league lead in doubles (12) and sits second overall in both batting average (.396) and hits (57). Sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen is tied for sixth in walks (19), seventh in hits (48) and ninth in home runs (6). As a team, Houston is batting .285.
• In the circle, Heebner leads the Cougars with a 18-7 record and 1.05 ERA. Heebner's ERA leads The American and sits 17th in the NCAA, while her total wins rank third in the conference and tied for 19th nationally. On the season, she has tossed eight shutouts, a mark that is eighth in the nation. Heebner also leads the league in opponent batting average (.198). Pitchers Presley Bell (3-3) and Melancon (6-6) have 2.17 and 3.05 ERAs, respectively. The staff carries a 1.80 ERA, a mark that leads The American and sits 16th in the NCAA.
• Prior to the season, Houston was tabbed second in The American Preseason Coaches' Poll, garnering two first-place votes.
ON THE OPPONENT
• Houston is 17-21 all-time against Tulsa and 10-4 when hosting the Golden Hurricane at Cougar Softball Stadium.
• Tulsa enters the weekend with a 26-18 overall record and 6-6 mark in The American. The Golden Hurricane are coming off a 1-0 decision against No. 2/2 Oklahoma on Tuesday.
• Tulsa is hitting .282 as a team and holds a 2.88 ERA in the circle. The Golden Hurricane's pitchers lead the conference in strikeouts (306).
• Julia Hollingsworth leads the The American in runs scored (42) and sits fourth in batting average (.378), while Shelby Estocado is first in RBI (37), second in slugging percentage (.629), third in hits (52) and sixth in batting average (.371).
• In the circle, Emily Watson is 16-9 with one save and a 1.70 ERA. She leads the conference and ranks eighth in the nation with 211 strikeouts.
• Tulsa is led by Head Coach John Bargfeldt, who is 490-243-1 in his 13th season at the helm.
• The Golden Hurricane were picked first in The American Preseason Coaches' Poll, garnering six first-place votes.
ON DECK
After the series, the Cougars close their eight-game homestand with a Tuesday doubleheader against No. 21/21 Baylor. First pitch it set for 4 p.m. at Cougar Softball Stadium.
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 is the fifth largest at an on-campus softball stadium in the country and the largest in the state of Texas. The board, which sits just beyond the left-field wall, stands 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.
