Rob Lopez
Staff Writer
Coming off a red hot weekend, the Houston Cougar baseball team looks to continue its winning ways against the Rice Owls 7 p.m. today at Cameron Field.
The Cougars swept a three-game series this weekend over the then No. 20-ranked Michigan Wolverines at Cougar Field, and also swept three from the University of Illinois the weekend before they pushed their record to 10-8 for the season.
By opening the year with a monster of a schedule, the Cougars found themselves scratching their heads and trying to figure out who they angered to have received such a tough schedule.
Six of the team's first eight games were against teams that made it to the NCAA playoffs last year, and only one of the first seven games was played at Cougar Field.
The Cougars have won seven in a row, after starting the season with a 1-7 record.
The win streak is the longest in UH coach Rayner Noble's career at the University of Houston.
"I think the turning point for our team was when Rice hammered us pretty bad over there (Cameron Field)," said Noble. "I think it really woke a lot of the guys up to the fact that we are a team that can't be over-confident."
The main key to the Cougars' recent success has been a recent surge in offensive. The Cougars have scored an unbelievable 66 runs over the past six games.
"I think the biggest reason for the recent success is because of the fact that we are hitting the ball and scoring a bunch of runs," Noble said.
The Cougars have maintained a .367 hitting percentage over the past week and have watched their team batting average climb 37 points, from hitting .262 a week ago to a percentage of .299 going into today's game.
This hitting surge by the Cougars has averaged 12.8 hits per game and 10 home runs.
Today's game will mark the third installment of the Silver Glove Series - a five-game contest best compared to the Bayou Bucket in football.
Greg Runser, the Cougars' freshman pitcher from The Woodlands, will get his first start of the season. Runser is coming off an injury in the off season.
"I am going to get my first start of the season," Runser said. "I have only pitched two innings so far this season and have not given up a run."
"Our heads just were not in the game last time we played Rice, but I think we can overcome that because we are playing with a lot of confidence lately due to the seven-game win streak."
The Owls crushed the Cougars 16-3 in the last meeting at Cameron Field, tying the series 1-1.
Sunday: Cougars 12, No. 20 Michigan 10
On deck: Cougars (10-8) vs. Rice Owls (16-6) - 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cameron Field
*All home games are free to UH students
Game 1: Cougars 8, Owls 7
Game 2: Owls 16, Cougars 3
Game 3: today at Cameron Field (7 p.m.)
Game 4: March 17 at Cameron Field (7 p.m.)
Game 5: April 15 at Cougar Field (7 p.m.)