PREVIEW: Houston Heads to Salt Lake City to Battle Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Houston Softball team is back on the road for a three-game set at Utah this weekend. The series starts at 5 p.m. CT, Friday, before continuing at 5 p.m. CT, Saturday with a 1 p.m. CT, Sunday, conclusion.

UTAH
Date \| Time				March 28 \| 5 p.m. CT \| Watch \| Live Stats \| Tickets March 29 \| 5 p.m. CT \| Watch \| Live Stats \| Tickets March 30 \| 1 p.m. CT \| Watch \| Live Stats \| Tickets
Location				Dumke Family Stadium \| Salt Lake City, Utah
Game Notes				Game Notes

SERIES vs UTAH

All-Time: 2-1
in Salt Lake City: First Meeting
Last Houston Win: 6-5; Feb. 6, 2002
Last Utah Win: 8-0 (6 inn.); Feb. 24, 2017
Last 10 in Series: 2-1
Current Streak: L1

HEAD COACH KRISTIN VESELY
Overall record: 229-204-1 (9th season)
At Houston: same

FIRST PITCH

In its last game out, Houston capitalized on opportunities to down McNeese, 10-6, on Tuesday. Freshman Brooke Wells went 3-for-3 with a triple while Jordee Wilkins hit her third homer of the season in the win.
The Cougars renew a rivalry against Utah this season, last playing the Utes in 2017. In total, the teams have only met three times on the diamond with Houston winning two of the meetings.
Houston has hit back-to-back home runs four times this season, all at Cougar Softball Stadium. The Cougars started against Tarleton on Feb. 25 before completing the feat twice as part of back-to-back-to-back homers against Iowa State on March 7. Junior Mandy Esman and sophomore Makenna Mitchell completed the most recent occurrence against Lamar on March 16.
Houston has been drawing walks at a prolific rate this season. Picking up 174 bases on balls through the first 29 games, the Cougars lead the country in walks, sitting two walks behind of Oklahoma who has played two more games. In the total is five games where Houston drew double-digit walks, including 13 against New Mexico on Feb. 7 which is the second most walks drawn in a single game by a NCAA Division I team this season as well as a new program record for walks in a game.
The Cougars' walk total this season has already eclipsed the season total from 17 of Houston's seasons.
Houston used a 5-3-5 triple play to clinch a 4-3 win against Pitt on Feb. 15. It was the team's second triple play in program history and its first since April 7, 2007, against UTEP. The Cougars are one of six NCAA Division I teams to turn a triple play this season, joining Alcorn, Campbell, Elon, Jackson State and ULM. Houston, Alcorn and Campbell all completed the feat in the second weekend of the season.
Houston filled the third assistant coach role permitted by the NCAA last summer, hiring Barrett Barnes to complete the coaching staff. The Cougars' staff of Head Coach Kristin Vesely and assistant coaches Nadia Taylor, Hope Trautwein and Barnes are the only staff in the Big 12 who all have played either softball or baseball professionally.
Vesely has defeated a ranked team in every season as head coach of Houston, including knocking-off top-ranked Texas last season for the Cougars' first win against a #1 opponent in program history.

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