by Matt Milner
Staff Writer
The No. 17, Conference USA-leading University of Houston Cougars baseball team takes a break from conference play to keep the embers burning in its 49-year rivalry with its cross-town foes from Rice University, 7 p.m. today at Cougar Field.
The Cougars (21-11 overall, 9-3 C-USA) took the first meeting this season at Cameron Field in a 16-12 slug fest, but the No. 22 Owls (24-12, 11-7 Western Athletic Conference) have won the last two meetings to take a 2-1 lead in the five-game series this season.
Houston leads the overall series 50-35.
Taking the mound for the Cougars is junior pitcher Jon McDonald. During his last start, McDonald got roughed up for the first time this season in the 8-3 loss to Louisville Friday. With a 4-1 record and 5.81 ERA over 48 innings pitched, McDonald has been a formidable starter for the Cougars so far this season.
With center fielder Goefrey Tomlinson still out with a groin injury, Houston coach Rayner Noble has had to make some adjustments to the lineup.
Tomlinson leads the Cougars in hitting this season with a .419 batting average and is second on the team with 14 stolen bases.
Taking over at center field in Tomlinson's absence is freshman Eric Lee, who normally is in right field. With Lee shifting to center, junior Scott Keithley, who normally plays first base, has been moved over to Lee's vacant right field position and Matt Ferrell has slid into first.
This certainly sounds like a nightmare on paper, but if it has had any negative effect on the Cougars on the field, it did not show in the Louisville series in which Houston won two of the three games.
Rice's offensive duo of Lance Berkman and Justin Berg, both averaging over .400 at the plate, will certainly pose a bigger test for the Cougar defense.
The Cougars also need to keep an eye on Bubba Crosby, who lit Houston up last Tuesday, going 4-for-4 with a double and a homer in the Owls' 8-5 win over UH.
Crosby and Berkman have combined for 41 homers this year.
The Owls are on their longest losing streak of the season at three games after a weekend sweep by the Fresno State Bulldogs.
The Owls are, in fact, only 5-9 away from Cameron Field, but Noble said he suspects the Owls will not be thinking about the road troubles they have experienced so far this season.
"There going to be ready to play after being swept," Noble said. "Any time we lock up with Rice it ought to be an interesting affair."