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Sports

UH welcomes Sam Houston State tonight

by RONNIE TURNER
The Daily Cougar

Midweek games are meant to keep teams focused heading into weekend series, but lately, UH is using these midweek contests as opportunities to flex its muscles. In their last three midweek games, the Collegiate Baseball No.-ranked 19 Cougars have beaten their opponents by a margin of nearly six runs, the result of an offense that has obliterated opposing pitching staffs. This could spell trouble for Sam Houston State, who the Cougars will host at Cougar field tonight at 7 p.m.

Senior southpaw Matt Farrington will get the start for UH (28-15, 12-3 Conference USA), looking to keep the momentum going for the Cougars who enter tonight's game taking 16 wins out of their last 20 contests. Farrington (3-4, 4.85 ERA) will see his first action on the mound since pitching in a relief role against Texas A&M last Tuesday. In the 9-6 win, he picked up the victory after going one inning and giving up two runs off three hits. 

"We just need to keep pushing this thing and moving in the right direction," head coach Rayner Noble said. "Hopefully we can get Farrington some quality innings, and get him back on track."

Over the weekend, the Cougars swept Memphis in a three-game series at Cougar Field, but the finale proved to be a brawl between the bullpens. UH carried a 5-3 lead into the top of the ninth, but the Tigers rallied for two runs off junior closer Clayton Boone to tie the game and send it into extra innings. After regulation ended, each bullpen held the other team scoreless for five consecutive innings, before Memphis notched two runs off sophomore Aaron Brown in the top of the 15th to take a 7-5 lead. That margin vanished in the bottom frame after sophomore Bryan Tully tied the game with a two-run double to left field with two outs. The Cougars finally prevailed 8-7 in the bottom of the 16th when senior outfielder Matt Weston drove in the winning run with a fielder's choice grounder with the bases loaded.

Sam Houston State (22-20, 11-10 Southland Conference) will look to get back on track after barely avoiding a sweep at the hands of Texas State-San Marcos with a 7-3 victory in the series finale. In that contest, the Bearkats received quality performances from starter Zach Adkisson and second baseman Jeremy Holzbach. Adkisson picked up the win after tossing eight innings and giving up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts, and Holzback paced the offense with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate with a home run and four RBIs. Holzbach is third on the team in hitting with a .310 batting average to go along with 17 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

Junior reliever Shea Hancock feels the Bearkats will put up a good fight, despite what their record indicates. 

"Sam Houston (fields) a good squad every year, and we're going to treat (this game) just like it's a conference game; we're going out to win," Hancock said. "We're going to use our best guys, and hopefully we can come out with another win." 

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