by Andrew J. Ferraro
Staff Writer
Last season, the Texas Longhorns chewed up the Houston Cougars and spit them out all over Cougar Field, but things are different today.
In four games, Texas outscored Houston 50-16 and swept the season series, improving its all-time record against the Cougars to 78-22.
But since their final Southwest Conference meeting, an 11-3 Houston loss on April 7, Texas' legendary coach Cliff Gustafson has retired and the two teams have relocated to new conferences. They will meet just once this season.
The 2 p.m. game today in Austin is a game many Cougars have been waiting for.
"We are pumped up and ready to play Texas," senior third baseman Dustin Carr said. "But whenever you play at Disch-Falk Field, you go there prepared for a good game. That's what we've come to expect."
Houston coach Rayner Noble said that today's game should be a good match-up and that the teams' similarities at the plate and on the mound are a good indication of that.
"Like us, they are only as good as their pitching," Noble said.
The Longhorns are coming off a series with Sam Houston State in which they took two of three at Disch-Falk.
Texas won the first game 10-0 behind Kendal Adare's first win of the season.
The Bearkats stole game two of the series in a 7-4 upset victory, but fell in game three 6-7 for Texas' Rad Weaver's second victory of the season.
Hittingwise, the Longhorns are led by David Johnson, who transferred from Texas Christian for this season.
Johnson is hitting .429 through nine games and has 12 hits in 28 at-bats, including two doubles, a triple and a homer.
Junior shortstop Kip Harkrider follows with a .348 average. Harkrider has 16 hits in 49 at-bats and has scored a team-high 16 runs.
Harkrider co-leads the Longhorns in doubles with four, and has added a triple, two home runs and 15 RBI.
But these stats are not enough to scare the Cougars, who are hitting the baseball hard and with much authority.
Junior first baseman Scott Keithley leads the Houston attack with a .455 average, making 10 hits in 22 at-bats with three doubles, two homers and eight RBI.
Senior Dustin Carr and junior Goefrey Tomlinson follow Keithley with .444 and .433 averages, respectively, and are co-leading the team in doubles with four apiece.
Tomlinson, who already has two home runs, has equaled his entire collegiate longball total in just 30 at-bats and will more than likely add more to that before conference play begins.
"It's really good to see Goefrey get going after being here a couple seasons and struggling a bit," Carr said. "He's really starting to come through."
Noble said, "He's physically matured and has realized he has ability, and is playing with a lot a maturity."
Tomlinson and the rest of the Cougars will be facing junior right-hander Donny Barker today and say they hope their surprising power numbers continue to rise.
Barker, who stands 6 feet, 3 inches and weighs 184 pounds, has made just one three-inning appearance this season where he was shelled for seven hits, five runs (all earned) with three strikeouts and two walks, giving him an ERA of 15.00.
Noble will counter Barker with Scott McLeod, the hard-throwing right hander from Round Rock, Texas, who will be making his second appearance of the season.
When asked if being from the Austin area had anything to do with McLeod's start tomorrow, Noble simply said, "It has a little do with that, but for right now, the timing is right."
Coming off a disappointing road trip (1-2 vs. Northwestern State), the Cougars say they are ready to put that behind them and focus on winning today in Austin.
"They're nothing we haven't seen before," senior second baseman Ryan Ware said. "And we really don't have to make any big adjustments at all."