After losing two of three games to the Tulane Green Wave last weekend, the Houston Cougars baseball team now holds the rest of the season and a possible Conference USA title in the palm its hand.
With six conference games left and a half-game lead over Southern Miss and Tulane, Houston controls its own destiny.
"All we've got to do is make it simple and win our last six conference games," UH baseball coach Rayner Noble said.
One of the main reasons the Cougars still hold that slight edge in conference play is due to Mother Nature and her ability to rain out key games between Houston's closest challengers.
Tulane had a game rained out earlier in the year against South Florida, and Sunday's rubber game between Louisville and Southern Miss was also canceled due to inclement weather.
Although those two games will not be made up, accepting a canceled game is something that the Cougars definitely cannot afford.
With a chance of rain this weekend, the Cougars may be forced to find the only alternate place to play - our eighth wonder of the world, the Houston Astrodome.
Rice played there last weekend after its field was practically washed away and swept a doubleheader that was vital for its playoff hopes.
Noble said if it is necessary to find another ballpark to play in, the Astrodome could come into play.
"I think it's definitely an option." Noble said. "We can't afford to lose any games (due to rainouts)."
***
Series of the week
If you're looking for the series of the week, try looking in Orlando, where the Southern Miss Golden Eagles take on host South Florida.
Although the Bulls have not exactly lived up to their preseason expectations, do not count them out of the race just yet.
A sweep of the Eagles could put them a tie for first if Tulane and our beloved Cougars are both swept.
"Although winning first place is still mathematically possible, I don't think it's that realistic," Bulls coach Eddie Cardieri said. "We've been in sort of a hitting funk over the past couple of weeks, but hopefully this weekend we can get our bats going."
Because the Eagles are just a half a game out of first, they too are in a must-win situation in order to keep pace with Tulane, which has the potential to sweep Saint Louis, and the Cougars, who need to sweep Alabama-Birmingham.
Last weekend, South Florida swept a three-game series from Memphis, scoring 23 runs on 29 hits.
Junior outfielder Sean Lynch was 6-for-12 last week with five walks, five runs scored, two homers and three RBI.
Again, kudos from Houston to Old Man Weather for raining out the third game of the Southern Miss-Louisville series.
After losing the first game of the series, the Eagles posted a 14-1 victory on Saturday. USM sophomore outfielder Jeremy Albritton led the way, extending his hitting streak to 20 games, tied for third longest in school history.
"(South Florida) is in better shape than we are schedulingwise going into these final two series, and we need to get going," Southern Miss coach Hill Denson said.
"They always hit really well down there, and they've got some guys who can throw a strawberry through a battleship."
***
1967 UH team honored
Before Saturday's contest against UAB, members of the 1967 Cougars baseball team, the College World Series runners-up, will be honored.
In a memorable eight-day run for the national title, Houston had to play under the pressure of losing the opening game to Stanford.
After that loss, the Cougars rolled off three wins in a row over Ohio State, Boston College and Arizona State before losing to the Sun Devils in the championship game.
***
Hitter of the week
UAB junior shortstop Dan Harness batted .700 (14-for-20) in four games last week with a slugging percentage of .739.
He scored at least two runs in each game, finishing the week with 12.
By hitting safely in all four games, Harness extended his hitting streak to 12 games, his longest of the season.
He also added two doubles, two homers, and six RBI.
***
Pitcher of the week
Tulane junior Jason Navarro won C-USA Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season after picking up his league-leading ninth win of the season by beating the Cougars Friday.
He pitched out of two big jams to preserve the victory, including a first-and-third, no-out jam in the seventh and a bases-loaded, no-out pickle in the eighth.
Navarro lowered his ERA to 2.52.