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Friday, May 17
Austin, Texas
1 p.m.
University of Houston
vs
Texas A&M
Houston Set for Texas A&M in Austin Regional
5/16/2019 6:50:00 PM | Softball
Cougars ready to embark second-straight NCAA Regional
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Softball team opens NCAA postseason play at the Austin Regional, starting Friday at 1 p.m. when the No. 2 seeded Cougars face No. 3 Texas A&M.
The matchup between the Cougars and the Aggies can be streamed on ESPN3.
Houston enters the NCAA Championship looking to continue its hot stretch as of late, having won 13 of its past 16 games. Earlier this season, the Cougars squared up with the Aggies at Cougar Softball Stadium, where Houston came out on top 9-3 in comeback fashion.
NCAA Austin Regional
Friday, May 17
THE BEST OF THE BEST
The Cougars landed five student-athletes on the All- American Athletic Conference list, including Player of the Year Sarah Barker.
Barker was joined by Maya Thomas, Savannah Heebner and Arielle James on the First Team. Heebner earned the fourth First Team selection of her career, becoming the first player in program history to accomplish the feat.
Presley Bell rounded out the list of Cougars who received All-Conference accolades with her appearance on the Second Team.
With Barker being named the 2019 Player of the Year, Kristin Vesely has now mentored four major award winners in her three years at the helm of the program. In 2017, Shelby Miller was named the Co-Player of the Year, and James earned Rookie of the Year status, while Heebner received 2018 Co-Pitcher of the Year honors.
Player Honor
Sarah Barker The American Player of the Year
First-Team All-Conference
Savannah Heebner First-Team All-Conference
Maya Thomas First-Team All-Conference
Arielle James First-Team All-Conference
Presley Bell Second-Team All-Conference
HIT 'EM FAST, HIT 'EM HARD_
Not only has the Houston offense come out firing this season, but the Cougars have pounded their opponents in the opening innings. Heading into this weekend, the Cougars are outscoring their opposition 82-28 in the first two innings.
The opening frame for Houston has proven to be a valuable one for the team, as the Cougars are 14-2 on the year when they score in the first inning. Overall, Houston is 25-4 when scoring first.
WIN THE STATE
Houston has proven its worth as one of the best in the entire state, having posted a 11-1 record this season against opponents from the Lone Star State.
The Cougars won their first nine games of the season against Texas schools before Houston suffered its first loss, dropping its contest with the Texas (April 10). By the end of the season, the Cougars will have played 12 games versus opponents from the state of Texas.
MIDWEEK, FULL SUCCESS
With a total of 10 midweek games on their schedule this season, the Cougars haven't let up in their midweek competitions, finishing the 2019 campaign with a 9-1 mark in games played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Some of Houston's biggest wins of the season have come in midweeks, taking down RV/RV Texas A&M before traveling to Waco, Texas, and sweeping the doubleheader against RV/-- Baylor.
MILESTONE TRACKER
Savannah Heebner continues to etch her name in the record books, as her 63 career wins rank second all-time behind only Angel Shamblin (2005-08), who holds the program record with 94 career victories.
With her start behind the dish against USF (March 31), Brooke Vannoy reached the 200 mark for games she's appeared in for her career. She became the second player this season to have appeared in 200 games in a career, joining teammate Maya Thomas.
Thomas has also seen her name climb in the record books, as she is on the verge of setting the program record for career batting average. With her career mark of .380, Thomas currently holds the program's all-time batting average record.
With Houston's 3-0 victory over UCF (April 26), Kristin Vesely earned the 100th career of her coaching career, becoming the fastest coaching program history to reach that 100-win milestone.
BARKING AT THE OPPOSITION
With three American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll honors already under her belt, Sarah Barker received one of the league's top honors when she was named The American's Player of the Year.
Barker finished out the year as the most prolific hitter in the conference, finishing herself ranked inside the top five in five different offensive categories. Those categories include batting average (.418, 2nd), hits (23, T4th), slugging percentage (.600, 5th), stolen bases (6, T2nd).
MY OH MY, SHE'S ON FIRE!
After garnering three All-Conference accolades in her first three seasons, Maya Thomas earned the fourth All- Conference award of her career this season after leading the league with her .536 batting average. Since the start of conference play on March 22, Thomas has been on an absolute tear, bolstering a .507 batting average in 25 games.
In her past 10 outings, Thomas has put up a blistering .667 mark, recording five multiple-hit performances in the process. That same stretch also saw Thomas set a career high four hits against Memphis (April 20), which she tied at UCF (April 28).
A PRO'S PRO
On April 15, Savannah Heebner was selected to the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), as she was drafted by the Chicago Bandits with the 24th overall pick in the fifth round. Heebner became the seventh player in program history to be drafted to the NPF and first since Haley Outon in 2014.
Prior to the start of the season, Heebner earned herself a spot on the Top 50 Watch List for the 2019 USA Softball Player of the Year award, which was announced by USA Softball. She was the only player from the American Athletic Conference named to the list.
The 2018 NFCA All-American has shown her dominance in the circle in her past five appearances, recording a 4-0 record with a 0.75 ERA. That same stretch has also seen Heebner hold opposing hitters to a .184 average and strikeout 22 batters in her 38.0 innings of work.
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.
– UHCougars.com –
The matchup between the Cougars and the Aggies can be streamed on ESPN3.
Houston enters the NCAA Championship looking to continue its hot stretch as of late, having won 13 of its past 16 games. Earlier this season, the Cougars squared up with the Aggies at Cougar Softball Stadium, where Houston came out on top 9-3 in comeback fashion.
NCAA Austin Regional
Friday, May 17
- Game 1 | 1 p.m. | Houston vs. Texas A&M | Watch | Live Stats
- Game 2 | 4 p.m. | Texas vs. Sam Houston State | Watch | Live Stats
- Game 3 | 1 p.m. | Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
- Game 4 | 3:30 p.m. | Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
- Game 5 | 6 p.m. | Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner
- Game 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
- Game 7 (if necessary) | 6 p.m. | Game 6 rematch
THE BEST OF THE BEST
The Cougars landed five student-athletes on the All- American Athletic Conference list, including Player of the Year Sarah Barker.
Barker was joined by Maya Thomas, Savannah Heebner and Arielle James on the First Team. Heebner earned the fourth First Team selection of her career, becoming the first player in program history to accomplish the feat.
Presley Bell rounded out the list of Cougars who received All-Conference accolades with her appearance on the Second Team.
With Barker being named the 2019 Player of the Year, Kristin Vesely has now mentored four major award winners in her three years at the helm of the program. In 2017, Shelby Miller was named the Co-Player of the Year, and James earned Rookie of the Year status, while Heebner received 2018 Co-Pitcher of the Year honors.
Player Honor
Sarah Barker The American Player of the Year
First-Team All-Conference
Savannah Heebner First-Team All-Conference
Maya Thomas First-Team All-Conference
Arielle James First-Team All-Conference
Presley Bell Second-Team All-Conference
HIT 'EM FAST, HIT 'EM HARD_
Not only has the Houston offense come out firing this season, but the Cougars have pounded their opponents in the opening innings. Heading into this weekend, the Cougars are outscoring their opposition 82-28 in the first two innings.
The opening frame for Houston has proven to be a valuable one for the team, as the Cougars are 14-2 on the year when they score in the first inning. Overall, Houston is 25-4 when scoring first.
WIN THE STATE
Houston has proven its worth as one of the best in the entire state, having posted a 11-1 record this season against opponents from the Lone Star State.
The Cougars won their first nine games of the season against Texas schools before Houston suffered its first loss, dropping its contest with the Texas (April 10). By the end of the season, the Cougars will have played 12 games versus opponents from the state of Texas.
MIDWEEK, FULL SUCCESS
With a total of 10 midweek games on their schedule this season, the Cougars haven't let up in their midweek competitions, finishing the 2019 campaign with a 9-1 mark in games played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Some of Houston's biggest wins of the season have come in midweeks, taking down RV/RV Texas A&M before traveling to Waco, Texas, and sweeping the doubleheader against RV/-- Baylor.
MILESTONE TRACKER
Savannah Heebner continues to etch her name in the record books, as her 63 career wins rank second all-time behind only Angel Shamblin (2005-08), who holds the program record with 94 career victories.
With her start behind the dish against USF (March 31), Brooke Vannoy reached the 200 mark for games she's appeared in for her career. She became the second player this season to have appeared in 200 games in a career, joining teammate Maya Thomas.
Thomas has also seen her name climb in the record books, as she is on the verge of setting the program record for career batting average. With her career mark of .380, Thomas currently holds the program's all-time batting average record.
With Houston's 3-0 victory over UCF (April 26), Kristin Vesely earned the 100th career of her coaching career, becoming the fastest coaching program history to reach that 100-win milestone.
BARKING AT THE OPPOSITION
With three American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll honors already under her belt, Sarah Barker received one of the league's top honors when she was named The American's Player of the Year.
Barker finished out the year as the most prolific hitter in the conference, finishing herself ranked inside the top five in five different offensive categories. Those categories include batting average (.418, 2nd), hits (23, T4th), slugging percentage (.600, 5th), stolen bases (6, T2nd).
MY OH MY, SHE'S ON FIRE!
After garnering three All-Conference accolades in her first three seasons, Maya Thomas earned the fourth All- Conference award of her career this season after leading the league with her .536 batting average. Since the start of conference play on March 22, Thomas has been on an absolute tear, bolstering a .507 batting average in 25 games.
In her past 10 outings, Thomas has put up a blistering .667 mark, recording five multiple-hit performances in the process. That same stretch also saw Thomas set a career high four hits against Memphis (April 20), which she tied at UCF (April 28).
A PRO'S PRO
On April 15, Savannah Heebner was selected to the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), as she was drafted by the Chicago Bandits with the 24th overall pick in the fifth round. Heebner became the seventh player in program history to be drafted to the NPF and first since Haley Outon in 2014.
Prior to the start of the season, Heebner earned herself a spot on the Top 50 Watch List for the 2019 USA Softball Player of the Year award, which was announced by USA Softball. She was the only player from the American Athletic Conference named to the list.
The 2018 NFCA All-American has shown her dominance in the circle in her past five appearances, recording a 4-0 record with a 0.75 ERA. That same stretch has also seen Heebner hold opposing hitters to a .184 average and strikeout 22 batters in her 38.0 innings of work.
Follow Houston Softball on Twitter and Instagram at UHCougarSB, and "Like" UHCougarSB on Facebook.
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.
– UHCougars.com –
Players Mentioned
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