Cougars Notebook – April 3, 2023

Alex Lopez and Justin Murray have been named to the Honor Roll in The American’s weekly awards.

The American had this to say about both players in its weekly press release:

Murray saw action in three contests last week, throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings. He earned the win against East Carolina on Friday night and picked up the save in Sunday’s victory.

Lopez hit .375 with three runs, a double, a triple, a home run and four RBI. He had the go-ahead 3-run home run in the seventh inning of a series clincher against East Carolina.

. . .

Houston sits at #149 in RPI+ from College Baseball Nation.

Houston opponents that they have already played this season:

96 California

98 Sam Houston State (Houston and Sam Houston play two more games this season)

Upcoming Houston opponents are also ranked:

70 Rice (Houston will face Rice three times this season)

94 South Florida

118 Wichita State

148 Lamar

RPI+ is a modified RPI statistic that factors in conference RPI, conference record, and other factors. RPI+ has been more accurate than RPI in picking at-large teams in each of the last four years. In 2021, RPI+ correctly picked the top eight seeds and 14 of the 16 Regional hosts. Like the RPI, RPI+ becomes more accurate as the season progresses.

​Additional notes: The weights for each component of RPI+ were trained using the NCAA Selection Committee’s picks from the 2018, 2019, and 2022 seasons. RPI+ was formerly known as CBR.

Lopez and Murray Make Honor Roll in The American

Alex Lopez and Justin Murray have been named to the weekly Honor Roll the American Athletic Conference announced today.

From the conference press release:

Alex Lopez, Jr., UTL, Houston

Lopez hit .375 (6-16) with three runs, a double, a triple, a home run and four RBI. He had the go-ahead 3-run home run in the seventh inning of a series clincher against East Carolina.

Justin Murray, Jr., P, Houston

Murray saw action in three contests last week, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings. He earned the win against East Carolina on Friday night and picked up the save in Sunday’s victory.

Houston Defeats No. 8 East Carolina 6-4, Wins Series

Jose Torrealba made the Sunday start for Houston on Sunday at Schroeder Park

Two Houston home runs off the foul pole in left field made the difference on Sunday afternoon as Houston took the series finale 6-4 against No. 8 East Carolina, and the weekend series at the same time.

Jose Torrealba made the Sunday start for Houston, his first appearance since February 26 . . . Torrealba gave Houston a nice start retiring six of the first eight batters he faced and departing after his second inning of work having not allowed a run.

Brandon Burckel (2-for-4) led off the bottom of the third inning with a home run off the foul pole in left field to give Houston a 1-0 lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Malachi Lott grounded to second base for what seemed like the final out of the inning, but a fielding error allowed Lott to reach first base . . . Zach Arnold followed with a towering two-run home run that was just fair and the Cougars led 3-0.

A two-run top of the sixth inning for East Carolina was followed by a two-run top of the seventh inning and the Pirates led 4-3.

Back-to-back singles by Brandon Burckel and Ian McMillan to start the bottom of the seventh inning preceded Alex Lopez hitting a drive the opposite way off the left field foul pole, a three-run home run and the second home run off the same foul pole in the game, and Houston led 6-4.

Justin Murray took the mound for the eighth inning with the task of recording the final six outs for Houston . . . Murray allowed a one-out single in the eighth and set the side down in order in the ninth inning, going through the heart of the East Carolina lineup to secure the 6-4 victory . . . For his efforts, Murray earned the save, his third of the season, and Woodward registered the win.

Houston Head Coach Todd Whitting saw a lot to like about his team this weekend. “Amazing effort and enthusiasm by the team,” Whitting said. “I thought we played with no fear and never let them throw a knock-out punch.”

On Murray’s multiple innings pitched at the end of both series wins, Whitting added, “Murray is a tough veteran player, he has been tremendous closing for us.”

After the two-inning save by Murray on Sunday on short rest, Whitting added, “Gritty performance after an extended outing to win the game Friday.”

With his fifth inning home run, Arnold extended his reached-base streak to 24 games . . . Houston scored six runs in the Sunday contest on just seven hits . . . Burckel was the only Cougars hitter with multiple hits in the game . . . Houston pitching allowed the Pirates just fourteen runs over the entire weekend series

Houston (14-14, 2-1) closes out the current homestand on Tuesday when they play host to Rice for the first game of the 2023 Silver Glove Series . . . First pitch at Schroeder Park will take place at 6:30pm.

Late Heroics Lead Houston to 5-4 Win in 10 Innings

Josh Ekness was on the mound Friday as the Cougars opened conference play

Houston used a rally in both the ninth and tenth innings to rally past No. 8 East Carolina 5-4 in the opening game of conference play on Friday night at Schroeder Park.

Josh Ekness made his first Friday night start on the mound for Houston and was really good against a Pirates offense that can score runs . . . Over 6 2/3 innings, Ekness kept Houston in the game with his power-pitching on full display.

Catcher Anthony Tulimero was the extent of the Houston offense until the late inning comeback . . . Tulimero led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run to left field for the early 1-0 lead . . . A sixth inning one-out walk to Alex Lopez was followed by a two-out Tulimero double to left-center to get Houston to within a run at 3-2.

Justin Murray replaced Ekness on the mound and handled the final 3 2/3 innings of the game without allowing a run and even playing some good defense on the mound, helping his own cause late in the game.

Trailing 4-2, Murray led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single, his only hit in four plate appearances . . . Brandon Burckel (2-for-4) followed with a single of his own . . . Ian McMillan put down a sacrifice bunt to move the tying run to second base with one out . . . Brandon Uhse, in a pinch-hit appearance, grounded out to shortstop, scoring Murray from third base . . . Malachi Lott then sliced an opposite-field double to the wall in left field to tie the game and eventually send it to extra innings.

Lopez led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a double, taking advantage of some sloppy outfield play by East Carolina to alertly wind up on second base . . . Cameron Nickens, the reigning player of the week in The American, then bounced a single between first and second base into right field to allow Lopez to cross the plate as the winning run from second base . . . For Nickens it was his only hit in five plate appearances.

Houston Head Coach Todd Whitting pointed to the tenth inning plate approach by Nickens on a tough night at the plate overall. “Proud of Cam for having a selfless, tough at-bat to win the game,” Whitting said. “A tremendous at-bat against one of best bullpen guys in country.”

Friday night was the first game this season that East Carolina has played a game outside of North Carolina . . . The 5-4 loss was just the Pirates seventh loss of the season in 26 games . . . Murray earned the win, his first of the season, and continues to be impressive on the mound . . . In Murray’s seven relief appearances, he has allowed just a single earned run.

The Cougars (13-13, 1-0) and the Pirates (19-7, 0-1) resume their weekend series on Saturday at Schroeder Park . . . Paul Schmitz will be on the bump for Houston . . . First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.

Cougars Notebook – March 27, 2023

Cameron Nickens has been named Player of the Week in The American.

By the numbers:

.375 average

9 runs scored

2 doubles

5 home runs

9 RBI

“The sophomore had at least one home run in each of Houston’s victories last week. He also had hits in every game and multiple hits in three contests,” added The American via their press release.

Houston Homers Seven Times on Sunday, Wins 18-9

Josh Ekness throws the first pitch Sunday at Schroeder Park

Houston reached double-digit runs for the second day in a row on Sunday defeating UT Arlington 18-9 at Schroeder Park to end the weekend overall with a 2-1 record.

Cameron Nickens led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run to give Houston a 1-0 lead.

One inning later, Ian McMillan (4-for-5) led off with a home run of his own, but the Cougars were not done in the frame . . . A one-out single by Malachi Lott was followed by a Zach Arnold single before Alex Lopez made it three-straight singles, this one scoring Lott for a 3-0 lead.

The Mavericks took a 6-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning off of Houston pitching.

The Cougars responded with a four-run frame capped by a home run by Arnold that soared 428 feet and Houston led by a run, 7-6 . . . Nickens then led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his second home run of the game and his fifth of the past week for a 8-6 Houston advantage.

The Mavericks, who scored 15 runs in Friday’s game, would not go away Sunday afternoon.

Drew Bianco was hit by a pitched ball to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning . . . Lott followed with an infield single, his third hit of the game to that point . . . Arnold then with the opposite way with a home run to right field, his second of the game, a three-run shot to give Houston the lead again at 11-9.

Arnold was not done . . . After Lott led off the seventh inning with a single, Arnold launched another home run over the wall in left-center field and Houston had a seven run lead at 16-9.

Brandon Burckel (2-for-4) hit Houston’s seventh home run of the game with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning . . . Brandon Uhse got a pinch-hit opportunity in the same frame and drove in a run to extend the Cougars lead to 18-9.

Lott was 4-for-5 for the second day in a row in the victory . . . Arnold also had four hits in a 4-for-6 performance.

Kyle Ayers and Braden Forsyth handled the final four innings on the mound for Houston and kept the Mavericks from getting back into the game . . . Ayers picked up his first win of the season and is now 1-0 after three innings of quality pitching.

Three different Houston hitters had four hits in the Sunday contest, part of an offensive outburst that saw the team knock out twenty hits

Having evened their record on the year at 12-12, the Cougars are off Monday before playing a midweek game up in Huntsville on Tuesday before returning home to open conference play next weekend against East Carolina . . . First pitch on Tuesday will be at 6:30pm in Huntsville.

Houston, Schmitz Dominate Northwestern 10-2

Paul Schmitz delivers the first pitch of Saturday’s game against Northwestern

After a miserable Friday night performance, the Cougars rebounded on Saturday against the Northwestern Wildcats behind right-hander Paul Schmitz for a 10-2 victory.

Zach Arnold got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning with a RBI single into left-center for a 1-0 Houston lead.

Cameron Nickens hit his third home run of the week, a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Houston a 5-0 lead . . . Malachi Lott was 4-for-5 in the game with a RBI in both the fifth and seventh innings.

Schmitz has earned his way into the weekend rotation and his Saturday outing was another shining example of his efficiency and effectiveness as a starter . . . Schmitz took the game into the seventh inning, when the Wildcats scored their only runs of the game, getting two outs before giving way to Owen Woodward.

After the seventh inning stretch, Anthony Tulimero hit a three-run home run over the wall in left-field, a ball that traveled 406 feet and the Cougars led 8-2.

Woodward handled the final 2 1.3 innings of word and earned his second save of the season . . . Schmitz (1-1) earned his first win of the season.

The Cougars close out the homestand on Sunday when they will face Friday’s opponent, UT Arlington . . . A properly rested Josh Ekness will get the start for Houston, his second consecutive Sunday start . . . First pitch at Schroeder Park is scheduled for 1pm.

Cougars Top Jaguars in Midweek Madness

Houston continued its winning ways of late by defeating Southern 16-7 at Schroeder Park on Wednesday night.

With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Alex Lopez singled to reach base and ended up on third base after an errant throw to first by the pitcher on a pickoff attempt . . . Cameron Nickens (3-for-6) followed with his second two-run home run in the two days to tie the game at two.

Still tied in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cougars bats came alive . . . Justin Murray led off the frame with a home run to left field to give Houston its first lead of the night . . . One out later, Drew Bianco homered to straight away center field just to the left of the batter’s eye, a two-run shot and the Cougars led 6-2.

RBI singles by Lopez and Anthony Tulimero added to the Houston seven running and Houston led 9-2 going to the fifth inning.

Kyle Ayers made the midweek start for Houston . . . Ayers struggled in the first inning but was throwing hard and stayed in through four innings, striking out nine batters along the way.

A six-run seventh inning padded the Houston lead 16-5.

Despite some mound troubles, Houston closed out the Jaguars by a 16-7 final score, the fifth consecutive win for the Cougars . . . Tommy Egan and Braden Forsyth contributed scoreless frames in the Wednesday victory with Forsyth claiming the win after his solid outing.

Houston has a day off before a weekend series opens at Schroeder Park on Friday . . . The possible weather problems this weekend have altered the Friday first pitch, which is now scheduled for 3pm . . . The Cougars will face UT Arlington on Friday and Sunday, and Northwestern on Saturday night.

Houston Wins at McNeese 9-6, Plays at Home Wednesday

Cameron Nickens homered in the first inning at McNeese on Tuesday

After their three-game sweep in Minnesota, the Cougars returned home late Sunday before traveling to Lake Charles to face McNeese on Tuesday night . . . The Cougars topped the Cowboys 9-6 to make it four victories in a row.

The Cougars got on the board early on Tuesday night and staked starter Cade Citelli to a nice early lead, something Citellie has not been accustomed to in his earlier starts this season.

The second batter in the Houston lineup, Alex Lopez (2-for-3), drew a one-out walk in the top of the first inning . . . Cameron Nickens immediately followed with a home run to left-center field for a 2-0 Houston lead.

Still leading 2-0 in the top of the third inning, Lopez and Nickens hit back-to-back one out singles . . . Catcher Anthony Tulimero (3-for-5) hit a blast off the scoreboard in left-field for a three-run home run to give Citelli a five-run cushion.

In the top of the fifth inning, Justin Murray drove in two runs on a double into the left field corner and Ian McMillan brought him home on a sacrifice fly ball to center field and the Cougars led 8-0.

Citelli was cruising for the most part, striking out eight Cowboys batters over five innings, departing in the top of the sixth inning as he reached 90 pitches in his midweek outing.

The Cowboys got back into the game against the Houston bullpen cutting the Cougars lead to 8-6 late.

Back-to-back one-out singles by Tulimero and Nick Collins in the top of the ninth inning led to a sacrifice fly to right field by McMillan plating Tulimero and the Cougars led 9-6.

Murray took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning and struck out three Cowboys batters to preserve the Houston victory and pick up the save . . . Citelli earned the victory with his excellent start, his first win as a Houston Cougar.

The Cougars (9-11) return home tomorrow to face Southern at Schroeder Park for their final midweek game this week . . . Malachi Lott, who left Tuesday’s game after his at-bat in the first inning due to a possible illness, is likely to start if his health is right . . . First pitch Tuesday will take place at 6:30pm.