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Sports

UH adds one solid win to a long season

Silent Assassin

Ronnie Turner

After getting their rears handed to them by Arizona State in a three-game sweep over the weekend, the UH baseball team needed something to take its mind off of its recent troubles. The Cougars needed something to remind them their entire season wasn't going to be a myriad of futility.

On Wednesday night, the Cougars needed to beat the tar out of Northwestern State University. They needed a serious pick-me-up, and this team from the Southland Conference was going to provide it. The Cougars got their wish by way of a 12-3 victory over the Demons at Cougar Field. 

"(The Arizona State series) really left a bad taste in our mouths, coming out of there with nothing," head coach Rayner Noble said. "I think our mindset is pointed in the right direction because we really got after it tonight."

For UH (4-5), it was a textbook win. The Cougars did everything right that had been missing from their previous games: they put men on base, they got those runners home, the pitchers mowed down the other team's batters and most importantly, they closed out the game without the unnecessary drama that has become a growing tradition with many UH sports teams. 

In short, the Cougars got a much-needed win and looked good doing it.

As a fan, were you impressed by the victory? If you were, you had every right to be. And now, you should also forget it ever happened. Wednesday's win was simply no more than a meaningless non-conference game. It's still early in the season, and UH has yet to face any meaningful challenges. NSU was just a minor speed bump in the road for the Cougars, who have much bigger roadblocks to deal with.

When UH gets into Conference USA play, they'll have to lock horns with powerhouses Rice, Tulane and Southern Miss, among several other teams. On their path to an NCAA tournament berth, they'll have to find a way to knock off these teams. 

But for right now, UH is still trying to figure out exactly what it has in its fold. Naturally, over their first nine games, the Cougars have seen some things they like and some they don't. 

The evaluation process will continue this weekend when they face off against Monmouth in a three-game series starting on Friday. Monmouth, who finished 30-24 last season and came up one win short of an NCAA berth, should provide another good test.

"We got a chance to see a lot of bodies out there tonight, and we're still in the process of figuring out who can play where and who needs to hit where in the lineup," Noble said. "The picture is clearing up pretty quick."

In the Monmouth series opener, junior right-hander Brad Lincoln will take the mound for the Cougars. Lincoln has given Houston good production so far this season, both on the mound and at the plate; he's UH's top starter with a 1-1 record and 2.60 ERA and ranks among the top batters with a .343 average and 11 RBIs. 

One area of concern for UH is the bullpen, which has struggled tremendously at times this season. Finding the right mix of relievers will be key.

This question, and others, will have to be answered over the course of a the season. It takes more than one game to clear all that up.
 

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