Mark Mayorga
Staff Writer
The Houston Cougars are off to a dismal start in 1998, dropping their last four games, including a 16-3 loss against the Rice Owls.
Houston's schedule remains difficult with tough opponents in this weekend's Houston Marriott West Loop Invitational.
"We need to get back on track," said left fielder Brandon Caraway. "The best way to rebuild is to start over."
The Cougars are in search of a better effort in order to be successful this weekend. Entering the tournament, the Cougars are hitting .247 as a team, while their opponents are hitting .321. The pitching staff must overcome the team's ERA of 11.48.
UH's opponents do not get any easier this weekend. The No. 6-ranked University of Oklahoma Sooners will bring their 5-0 record to town 7 p.m. Friday at Cougar Field. This will be the Cougars' sixth consecutive game playing a top 20 opponent.
The Sooners have a high scoring offense. That doesn't bode well for Houston's pitchers. Leading the charge is junior Casey Bookout, with a .778 batting average. He had a streak of home runs in his first at-bats in three of his first four games. With Bookout, the Sooners have put up 24 homers and scored 89 runs in their first five games.
"We're playing really strong right now," Oklahoma assistant coach Aric Thomas said. "We're hitting and fielding everything the right way. Everything is clicking the right way."
On the mound for the Cougars in game one will be Shane Nance, who is coming off a strong outing in Alabama.
In game two, the Cougars will face a Kansas Jayhawks (2-0) club that seems to be a mirror image of themselves 4 p.m. Saturday. Duncan McAdoo will get the ball for the Cougars in his second start of the year. The Jayhawks will fight and claw to stay in games but don't have a powerful team.
"If this weekend's games are all high scoring, it isn't in our favor," Kansas head coach Bobby Randall said.
Central Florida will play the Cougars in game three for a 4 p.m. start on Sunday. The Golden Knights (4-6), are coming off a 1997 season that earned them an invitation to the NCAA regional. Kris Wilken, who only lasted a third of an inning Wednesday against Rice, will take the mound for the Cougars.
"Oklahoma is ranked, Kansas should be good and Central Florida is always good," Houston catcher Scottie Scott said. "We just need to be smarter and better than the rest of those guys."