Sports

UH steamed at Rice

By Emily Davis
The Daily Cougar

If old habits die hard, they sure do resurrect easily.

In a situation eerily similar to 1998, the UH baseball team was swept by a Conference USA opponent -- only this time it was Tulane rather than Charlotte doing the honors -- and the Cougars limped home with a mediocre 18-18 record.

Now UH has a final rendezvous with next-door neighbor Rice, and the Cougars hope to bury the bad memories of the two teamsi four previous meetings this year -- all Rice wins -- and put an end to their losing streak before it takes on a life of its own.

"Thereis just something different about playing Rice for us," assistant coach Todd Whitting said. "Itis a game every time."

But rest assured the teams will not miss each other once the 7 p.m. game has come and gone and the lights have shut off over Cougar Field tonight. Despite their 4-0 record against UH, the No. 1 Owls (35-3) have had some of their toughest games of the season against the Cougars, with two of the four match-ups decided by a ninth-inning run.

The most recent game in the Silver Glove Series was quite a bit easier for the Owls, however, as they slammed UH 11-0 on April 1 at Reckling Park.

But tiny Lamar proved the Owls are not unbeatable last week, accomplishing what no team in the nation had been able to do in more than two months by ending Riceis 30-game winning streak. And after that 7-5 loss to Beaumontis boys last Wednesday, the Owls fell to Western Athletic Conference foe Fresno State 7-3 two days later.

"Theyire just like any other team," said senior Brett Cooley, who has redshirted the season after a hamstring injury. "Weive given them some close runs this season."

Both teams in tonightis cross-town rival showdown have much to gain from a win.

Although the Cougars came up short this weekend, they are still batting .259 as a team, with their strong arms holding opponents to a .229 clip this season.

Hard-hitting junior Hyung Cho (.373, eight home runs, 26 RBIs) continues to lead the Cougars at the plate, but UH has four other hitters batting over .250, including Gabe Lucas, (.286, two home runs, 11 RBIs) whose fifth-inning RBI on Sunday scored teammate Michael Bourn with the Cougarsi lone run in a 5-1 Tulane win.

But Rice didnit get the No. 1 ranking by just standing around. Its hitters have been blazing this season, with all starters hitting more than .300, including Enrique Cruz (.370, 6, 36), who blasted a two-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Owls a 3-2 win over Fresno on Sunday.

Tonightis game will showcase the cityis best, but it will also serve as a prelude to this weekendis C-USA series between the Cougars and Saint Louis at Cougar Field. After that series, UH takes on Southwest Texas on Tuesday.

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