PREVIEW: Cougars Welcome Mavericks for Non-Con Series

HOUSTON – In a break from Big 12 Conference play, the Houston Baseball team welcomes UT Arlington to Don Sanders Field at Darryl and Lori Schroeder Park for a three-game series Friday-Sunday.

HOUSTON (20-21) vs UT Arlington (17-24)
Date \| Time	Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28 at 1 p.m.
Opponents	UT Arlington (17-24, 12-9 WAC)
Location	Schroeder Park \| Houston, Texas
Watch	Big 12 Now on ESPN+ \| Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Listen	The Varsity Network \| Jeremy Branham
Live Stats	UHStats.com
Game Notes	Houston \| UT Arlington
Media Center	Notes, media guide/record book, rosters, box scores, photos
Promotions	Check out all the fun at the ballpark

PROMOTIONS

Series
- Bark in the Park
  - All dogs welcome to the ballpark with no seating restrictions
Friday
- Free pretzel on National Pretzel Day for first 100 fans
Saturday
- Dog bandanas and bowls for man's best friends while supplies last
Sunday
- Hometown Heroes
- Kids get in free with youth jersey
- First 50 kids get a youth t-shirt

THE MATCHUP

Houston split two games last year against UT Arlington, winning the weekend finale 18-9.
Junior Cade Citelli started his career at UT Arlington where he made seven starts and 14 appearances for the Mavericks over 28.2 innings with 28 strikeouts.
The Cougars are 6-3 against the Mavericks in the Todd Whitting era.
Center fielder Cameron Nickens homered twice in the last meeting against UT Arlington, a single-game high for the junior.
The Cougars came back after being down 6-3 in the last meeting, scoring five unanswered runs to take the lead before rattling off 10 unanswered runs to win 18-9. Houston hit seven home runs in the game.

QUICK HITTERS

Shortstop Coby DeJesus was named the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Week after going 9-for-21 with four RBI and no errors against Houston Christian, Southern and Cincinnati.
Freshman Anthony Avalos recorded his first career hit on a pinch-hit two-run home run at #1 Texas A&M on Tuesday.
Second baseman Harold Coll smacked his 10th home run of the season at Texas A&M on Tuesday, pulling into a tie for the team lead with catcher Jonathan French. Houston has had a pair of hitters each hit 10+ home runs in four-straight seasons.
Right fielder Cary Arbolida moved into third in Big 12 play in both home runs (seven) and slugging percentage (.811).
The Cougars have scored five or more runs in 11 of the last 13 games and have recorded 10+ hits in 10 of the last 11 games.
Left fielder Ace Reese recorded his first-career three-hit game at Texas A&M with two opposite field hits including an opposite field home run. Reese is now third among Big 12 Conference freshmen in homers (six).
The Cougars have scored 20+ runs in two games this year after beating Southern 25-0 on Wednesday. It marks the first time Houston has scored 20+ in multiple games in the same season.
Houston's 10-0 run-rule victory in eight innings was its first non-conference run-rule win since March 27, 2019, at Stephen F. Austin (W, 16-1 [7 inn.]).
Freshman Conner Bennett made his second-career start and delivered his first extra-base hit and first RBI as a collegian on the first pitch he saw in the second inning against Houston Christian. Bennett then hit a pinch-hit grand slam against Southern for his first-career home run. Bennett ended the game a triple shy of the cylce with six RBI.
Right-handed pitcher Owen Woodward twirled 4.1 perfect innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts against Texas on Friday before giving up his first hit. The righty then struck out the next batter grabbing his arm, exiting the game after delivering a strike the next at bat.
Houston has hit three home runs in back-to-back games.
Before Houston's April 5 game at Texas Tech, the Cougars had not allowed a home run in 10 consecutive games, the second longest stretch without a home run in program history during the metal bat era.
The Cougars snapped Lamar's Division I-leading 13-game winning streak with a 6-4 win on Tuesday. The Cardinals went on to sweep then #20 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., over the weekend.
The Cougars' conference opening sweep of Baylor was just the fourth conference opening series sweep by a Todd Whitting team (2024, 2018, 2013, 2011).

LAST TIME OUT

Scored three runs in the first and five in the eighth against #1 Texas A&M before bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning in a 13-11 loss on Tuesday.
Freshman Anthony Avalos recorded his first-collegiate hit, a pinch-hit two-run home run, in the eighth inning.

SERIES HISTORY
Houston record vs Texas A&M                   11-4
Last meeting                                                            W, 18-9, 3/26/23, Home
Streak                                                                           Houston, W1

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