by Catherine Taylor
Staff Writer
With both Houston (22-12, 9-3 in Conference USA) and UNC Charlotte (18-14, 7-4 in C-USA) fighting for top spots in the conference, this weekend's series between the two teams is vital to both of them. The Cougars say they have their sights set on a sweep, and though it will not be an easy task, it is well within Houston's grasp.
Houston will face off against the 49ers at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at noon Sunday at Cougar Field.
"We cannot take UNC Charlotte lightly," said UH catcher Bruce Rios. "They will be ready to play, and we need to sweep them."
The first hurdle UH will have to overcome is 49ers' pitcher Brandon Player. Player leads the league in wins for this year with seven, while boasting a 4.23 ERA for his 66 innings of play. Player has dominated in his last three outings, going the distance in each game - a feat that all the UH pitchers combined cannot match - including a shutout against Old Dominion.
"He's pitched extremely well for us, and has been able to step up to a new level in his last few outings," said UNCC coach Loren Hibbs. "Hopefully he'll be ready to go on Friday, and will keep doing well for us."
Based on past performance, Houston's offense is more than capable of overcoming Player, as well as any other UNC Charlotte pitcher, considering the fire the Cougars have been burning at the plate. UH catcher Bruce Rios has been on a tear lately, batting over .500 for his last 39 at-bats.
Along with Rios, Houston third baseman Dustin Carr has been a constant threat to opposing pitchers, batting .408 for the season and nursing a 17-game hitting streak.
"I'm extremely concerned with Houston," Hibbs said. "(Noble) has done an excellent job there. There is no doubt that they can play."
Houston center fielder Goefrey Tomlinson will hopefully be returning to the lineup this weekend, Noble said. Tomlinson has missed the last few games due to a pulled hamstring suffered before the Baylor game last week.
Tomlinson leads the team with a .419 batting average and would give the Cougars some added momentum both in the field and at the plate.
"We're still waiting on (Tomlinson)," said Houston coach Rayner Noble. "We don't want to throw him in there too early and then be back on square one."
UH will need to get its bats swinging early against UNC Charlotte, and must not fall into the dreaded must-hit situations which have plagued the Cougars in their recent losses.
"Hitting comes and goes," Noble said. "You have to realize that hitting that baseball is one of the toughest things in sports."
With plenty of hitters to pull from, the Cougars are strong throughout their lineup, batting .331 as a team, and will challenge the 49ers' pitching staff to shut them down.
At the plate, UNC Charlotte is not to be taken lightly. First/third baseman Bo Robinson recently set a school record with eight consecutive hits and had a 17-game hitting streak going before it was snapped in the loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday.
With six other players batting over .300, the 49ers will be ready to take advantage of any weak pitching the Cougars might have.
Pitchingwise, the Cougar starters need to come out with the same intensity that their relief staff has been giving. Houston had a great showing from Jerret Sykes on Wednesday, giving up only one hit in seven innings, and hopefully this will be a catalyst for the Cougars to get back to the strong pitching they were exhibiting earlier in the season.
On Friday, Houston will likely start Shane Nance, who has been pitching well for the Cougars, leading the team in strikeouts with 61. Other probable weekend starters include Robb Kirkland, who is 4-2 for the season, and Scott McLeod, who would be making his first conference game appearance.
With the 49ers only one and one-half games back from the league-leading Cougars, both teams will be coming out with their guns loaded. However, Noble said he is not as adamant about sweeping the series as the rest of his team.
"It's not imperative that we have the sweep," he said. "If we can win two out of three, then we'll have a strong chance. The danger is if you lose two of them. Then you are forced to sweep in the next games."