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Sports

Houston to host three-game series

Junior Brad Lincoln to start for UH, bats need to be ready for Monmouth closer Schneider

by RONNIE TURNER
THE Daily Cougar

The UH baseball team is already amid of its evaluation process, but its next opponent, Monmouth, is just getting started with its own. The teams' three-game series begins at 7 p.m. tonight at Cougar Field and will be the first of the season for Monmouth, who has yet to play a game.

"(Monmouth) is a Northern school, and this will be their opener, so we really don't know a whole lot about them," head coach Rayner Noble said. "The thing is, we just (have to) go in there and play our game. I think if we do that, with the kind of mindset that we had (against Northwestern State on Wednesday), we'll be just fine."

Monmouth starts the 2006 season off with unfinished business in mind from last season. The Hawks finished 30-24 and lost to Quinnipiac 7-3 in the 2005 Northeast Conference title game, narrowly missing out on an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. That game marked the sixth time in the last eight years Monmouth had reached the NEC championship game. 

The Hawks will rely heavily on the leadership of their eight returning seniors, including closer Kevin Schneider, who was listed amongst the nation's best closers heading into the season. Last season, Schneider recorded a 3-1 record with eight saves and a team-best 0.74 ERA in 26 appearances, and he could easily give the Cougars some trouble. 

Of course, Monmouth won't have it any easier with UH's pitchers, especially with junior right-hander Brad Lincoln, who will be the series opener for the Cougars (4-5), looking for a reprieve after being roughed up by Arizona State last weekend in an 11-1 loss. Over three starts this season, Lincoln is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA and 24 strikeouts. His work at the plate hasn't been too bad, either: .343 batting average, three home runs and 11 RBIs. It looks that the Hawks will have their hands full.

"We have the 24-hour rule here: You forget about (something) the day after (it happens) and that's what I've done," Lincoln said. "I've put the (ASU) game behind me and I'm going to come at Monmouth like it's a new day. I'm going to give them my best stuff, and we'll see what happens."

Senior southpaw Matt Farrington (0-2, 5.40 ERA) and freshman right-hander Luis Flores (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will start those two games, respectively, for the Cougars.

UH and Monmouth will play again at 7 p.m. Saturday before wrapping up the series at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. 

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