Around
the Bases
With one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules (13 games against top 20 teams) and a roster made up of 20 freshmen and sophomores, the UH baseball team has posted a record of 18-14 (not including last night's Texas game) and is in the hunt for the Conference USA title.
"I feel good about what we're doing right now," said Cougar head coach Rayner Noble. "We just need to fill some gaps in certain areas, and if we do that, I think we'll be steamrolling toward the finish line."
Perhaps the most consistent area of the team in the first half of the season has been the outfield, where every player has made a contribution.
"I think our outfield has done a pretty good job to this point. Mike Medrano has played really well, and Brandon Caraway has done an outstanding job in left field," Noble said.
"Eric Lee is going to get better. His stats aren't indicative of what he can do," said Noble. "Jason Pekar creates some excitement when he goes to the plate, and Shane Nance, when he has gotten the opportunity, has also gone out there and done a nice job."
As far as the infield is concerned, Noble said, "We're improving each day. But I think we're probably going to make some minor adjustments."
Third baseman Kris Wilken, who was drafted as a catcher by the major league's Boston Red Sox, will see some time behind the plate, and Medrano and Caraway will probably see some action at third.
"Kris' future in the game is at catcher, and we need to get him behind the plate," Noble said. "So in the next couple of weeks, we're going to be looking at a few different things."
Noble added that the catching has been solid and will only improve with sophomore Scottie Scott and the freshmen Wilken and Jarrod Bitter.
Noble said the UH pitching staff has also raised its performance as the season has progressed. "We've pitched a lot better in the last month," he said. "I think the guys, especially the youngsters, are getting a lot more comfortable on the mound."
However, one area that the Cougars will need to address their the remaining 23 games is its defense, where they rank in the middle of the C-USA pack with 53 errors.
"We've played pretty shoddy defense over the last 10 games," Noble said. "For us to put ourselves in a position as an at-large candidate, we're going to have to play a lot better defense."
C-USA Pitcher of the Week
For the second consecutive week, a UH lefty has been named conference pitcher of the week.
Senior Jon McDonald threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout over Saint Louis on Sunday.
The 9-0 victory over the Billikens was McDonald's team-leading fifth win of the season.
C-USA Hitter of the Week
UNC Charlotte senior third baseman Bo Robinson hit .571 (12-for-21) with 13 RBIs, 11 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .654 in five games for the 49ers last week.
Struggling Bulls
After finishing 39-24 last season and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament, the South Florida Bulls were expected to compete for the C-USA title this year.
However, the high hopes have turned into a disappointing season as USF sits in the conference cellar at 1-8 and 12-21 overall.
The Bulls' struggles can be traced to injuries incurred by its top two starters.
The team ERA is 7.31, and USF leads the league in dubious pitching categories including hits allowed (367), losses (21), walks (157), earned runs allowed (230), hit batters (48) and wild pitches (45).
Preseason All-C-USA senior lefty Scott Glaser and junior righty Luis Ramos have been sidelined since mid-February.
Last year the two combined to pitch in 163 innings and post a record of 13-4.
Glaser is still out with a muscle tear in his arm, and Ramos just came back from his shoulder injury.
Not only have the Bulls missed Glaser and Ramos' innings, but their lack of starts has also hurt USF's pitching depth.
True freshman John Vigue (3.94 ERA) was expected to be the No. 3 starter, but the injuries have thrust him into the No. 1 role. Vigue is the only regular in the Bulls' pitching rotation.
Sykes Sidelined
Sophomore Jerret Sykes had an MRI done on his bothersome left elbow last Thursday.
The lefty has a partial tear of his MCL in his pitching elbow and will be sidelined for the next two weeks.
Sykes has only pitched in two-and-a-third innings this year because of the pain in his elbow.
The Numbers Game
The Louisville Cardinals have five players in its lineup that are hitting .321 or better.
UNC Charlotte senior outfielder James Matan has hit in a school-record 29 straight games.
In scoring 53 runs in a three-game sweep of Cincinnati, the UAB Blazers set a school-record with 27 hits and 43 total bases.