Retooled Pitching Staff Primed for 2021

As we gear up for the 2021 University of Houston Baseball season, we take a closer look at the team in our four-part positional preview series featuring Cougar pitching (Feb. 1), catching (Feb. 4), infield (Feb. 8) and outfield (Feb. 11).

HOUSTON – There will be plenty of new faces gracing the mound for University of Houston Baseball in 2021. As the retooled pitching staff arrives, so do heightened expectations.

"From a pitching standpoint, we're replacing basically our entire weekend rotation but the kids we brought in are extremely talented," head coach Todd Whitting said. "A lot of these arms probably never would have made it to campus in past years because they would have signed in a normal draft. I love our depth on the mound."

The Cougars brought in 14 new arms, adding depth to a unit that returns eight student-athletes including two-way player and closer Derrick Cherry. The Baytown, Texas, native logged three saves alongside an impressive 13-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2020.

"He may be one of the best players to come through this program that nobody has seen play," Whitting said of Cherry. "Freshman year he tore his lat in the last inning of our red-white game. Last year, he comes back fully recovered from arm surgery and closed for us the last 10 days. He is as advertised. He's a tremendous talent. He's taken on a greater leadership role this year within the ballclub. From a closer standpoint, he'll be in the mix for that role and could be one of the most dominant in the country."

Right-handed graduate Layne Looney and senior righty Sean Bretz return after missing the 2020 season (Tommy John surgery). Looney was a 19th round MLB Draft selection of the Chicago Cubs (2018) and Bretz was taken in the 15th round by the Kansas City Royals (2019).

Junior southpaw Robert Gasser, who made four appearances in his 2020 debut season with the Cougars, was the 2019 ABCA/Rawlings National Pitcher of the Year at Delta College. Senior righty Carter Henry, who registered a 2.09 ERA in 47.1 innings in 2018, and has logged 103.1 career frames for the Cougars, is back for his fifth season.

Among the newcomers, right-handed sophomore transfer Ben Sears posted one of the more impressive first semesters, being named the staff's "King of the Hill" for the fall, an award given to the pitcher who steps up when called upon.

Sears is just one example of standout junior college talent for the Cougars. Right-handed sophomore Jaycob Deese, who spent two seasons at Galveston College, was tabbed the No. 13 JuCo player in the Lone Star State (Texas Baseball Report) and southpaw sophomore Cameron Prayer impressed during 2020 at Jefferson College.

"Deese has been the guy we thought he'd be when he showed up and Prayer isn't really a surprise for us," Whitting told Kendall Rogers in D1Baseball's Fall Report. "He was a Friday night starter a couple of years ago, and he's done a great job as well. With him, Sears, and some others, we have some great options available to us."

With six of Houston's 12 junior college additions on the mound, the group was named as the nation's No. 5 "JUCO to Division I" class by Perfect Game. Other former JUCO arms include sophomore Josh Brown, sophomore Blake Schultz and redshirt sophomore Maddux Miller.

Senior lefty Tristen Bayless is back for his third year with the program. Redshirt junior righty Isaiah Blaylock is in his second after holding opponents to a .130 average in seven innings during his inaugural 2020 campaign.

Houston also added four arms from the Division I ranks in right-handed redshirt senior MacGregor Hines (DBU), lefty redshirt junior Ryne Huggins (Clemson), right-handed senior Andy Belcik (Notre Dame) and southpaw junior Matt Lazzaro (Furman).

"I think we've got eight guys that could be in that top four (of the starting rotation)," Whitting said. "On top of those eight, there will be guys who will be great in a relief role. The luxury we have is we'll be able to give the ball to multiple guys throughout a weekend and guys who have the stuff to get people out."

The Cougars also brought in true freshmen right-handers Dravin Barber, Patrick Dunn and Colby Casey alongside southpaw John Alvey.

After injuries proved costly on the mound a season ago, the Cougars are ready to showcase their depth during a season that will feature four-game conference weekends and a heavy presence of veteran opposing offenses.

"We had five of our major bullpen guys out (last year)," Whitting said. "Seven of our nine losses last year we had the lead in the seventh inning. You just had no one to put in the game to hold it … some of those guys are back. It'll be good to have a full bullpen going forward."

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John Alvey

Dravin Barber

Andy Belcik

Isaiah Blaylock

Sean Bretz

Josh Brown

Colby Casey

Derrick Cherry

Jaycob Deese

Patrick Dunn

Robert Gasser

Carter Henry

MacGregor Hines

Ryne Huggins

Matt Lazzaro

Layne Looney

Maddux Miller

Cameron Prayer

Blake Schultz

Ben Sears

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