University of Houston Athletics
Preview: Pink Game vs. Texas, Tuesday
4/2/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team will step out of American Athletic Conference play to host Texas in its 12th Annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game on Tuesday at Cougar Softball Stadium.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. A silent auction will be held starting at 4:30 p.m. and closing in the middle of the fourth inning, with all proceeds going towards breast cancer research.
| UP TO THE PLATE | ||
Tuesday, April 3 | • 6:30 p.m. | Houston vs. Texas Cougar Softball Stadium | |
Coverage | | | |
SINGLES
• Since the 2007 season, Houston has hosted a Striking Out Breast Cancer game to raise funds and awareness. Over 11 seasons, the Cougars have raised and donated $97,089 to local charities supporting breast cancer research.
• Houston is facing Texas for the fifth time in its annual Striking Out Breast Cancer game, having previously hosted the Longhorns in 2008 (doubleheader), 2012 and 2015. The Cougars are 2-2 against Texas in the marquee game.
• Houston, which is 22-12 on the season and 3-3 in The American, is coming off a 1-2 series decision to UCF over the weekend.
• After falling 3-0 and 7-2, the Cougars closed the series with a 4-0 shutout. Junior Savannah Heebner went 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA across behind two complete-game efforts, while sophomore second baseman Arielle James led the team with a .500 batting average, going 4-for-8 with one home run and three runs scored. For their efforts, both were named to The American Weekly Honor Roll.
• In the series finale, sophomores third baseman Sarah Queen, James and first baseman Kelli Montgomery combined for three 5-4-3 double plays. The three double plays turned tied the program record for the most in a single game, a mark previously achieved three times and last against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 20, 2015, at Cougar Softball Stadium.
• On the season, the Cougars are outscoring the opposition, 159-88.
• Houston leads The American in hit by pitch (31), while senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton holds the top individual mark with 13, tied for 11th in the NCAA. James (7) and junior catcher Brooke Vannoy (6) are tied for third and rank fifth in HBP, respectively.
• Entering Tuesday, James leads the team is fourth in The American in hits (42) and tied for second in doubles (9), while Queen is tied for fourth in home runs (6) and fifth in batting average (.381) and sixth in slugging percentage (.610). As a team, Houston is batting .290.
• In the circle, Heebner leads the Cougars with a 14-4 record and 0.72 ERA. Heebner's ERA leads The American and sits sixth in the NCAA, while her total wins rank third in the conference and 22nd nationally. On the season, she has tossed seven shutouts, a mark that ranks seventh in the nation. She also leads the league in opponent batting average (.186). Pitchers Presley Bell (3-3) and Trystan Melancon (5-3) have 2.26 and 2.91 ERAs, respectively. The staff carries a 1.66 ERA, a mark that leads The American and sits 16th in the NCAA.
ON THE OPPONENT
• Houston is 5-24 all-time against Texas and 2-7 when hosting the Longhorns at Cougar Softball Stadium.
• The two teams have already met in 2018 with Texas winning 7-3 on Feb. 17 in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico.
• Winners of seven straight, the Longhorns enter Tuesday with a 19-13 overall record. Texas, who defeated No. 25/rv Texas State to open its win streak, is coming off sweeps of Kansas and Iowa State to open Big 12 play 6-0.
• At Iowa State, Kaitlyn Washington led the Longhorns with a .500 batting average, going 5-for-10 with three home runs and seven RBI to be named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week.
• On the season, Texas is hitting .263 as a team and holds a 2.72 ERA in the circle.
• Janae Jefferson leads the Longhorns in batting average (.351), hits (34) and on-base percentage (.447), while Kaitlyn Slack (15), Bekah Alcozer (14) and Paige von Sprecken (14) lead the team in RBI. In the circle, von Sprecken leads the team with a 1.76 ERA and is 7-5 on the year.
• The Longhorns are led by Head Coach Connie Clark. She is 859-388-3 in her 23rd year (22 varsity seasons) at the helm.
ON DECK
After Tuesday, the Cougars return to play in The American with a three-game series at USF starting Friday.
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.
