Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Sports

Pitching searches for stride

UH looks to rebound from three consecutive losses 
against struggling Cowboys

by LOUIE VERA
The Daily Cougar

The UH baseball team will try to snap its three-game losing skid against McNeese State at 7 p.m. tonight at Cougar Field.

UH hit well against UC-Irvine, and senior third baseman Dustin Kingsbury said he wants to see that carry over against the Cowboys.

"It's a chance for us to realize that we're going to be OK," Kingsbury said. "Things are going to be all right. We're not always going to make (crucial) errors or give up 14 hits (in a game). Hopefully, we can use the McNeese State game to propel us into the rest of the season.

"We have to let (the three-game sweep by UC-Irvine) go. That series is over and we can sit there and harp on it all we want, but that's not going to change anything."

The Cougars aren't the only ones going through a tough stretch -- MSU head coach Chad Clement resigned from the team Thursday. The Cowboys are struggling and have fallen to 0-7 to start the season and will face a 3-5 Cougar team looking to break a losing streak of its own.

UH head coach Rayner Noble has said all year the key to the team's success is the pitching staff.

"What you need with your starting pitching are guys who have stuff on the ball," Noble said. "That's what we're suffering from right now. We just don't have enough stuff on the ball, and we're nursing too many issues. Hopefully, it'll get better."

Sophomore designated hitter Jimmy Cesario continues to lead the Cougar offense with a .429 batting average. In the RBI department, junior infielder Bryan Pounds is tied with sophomore catcher/pitcher Luis Flores with eight each. Flores has also displayed the most power on the team with three home runs this season.

The Cougars had a similar slow start last year when they were 3-5 but eventually found their rhythm and finished 39-22. 

That's a trend Kingsbury hopes UH can replicate in 2007.

"Last year it was the same thing with a slow start," Kingsbury said. "Things were going bad, but we turned it around. Hopefully, this team will realize what last year's team realized and we can do the exact same thing and turn out and have a great season."

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu