Houston Opens Grambling Series with 17-5 Win

Cade Climie bats Friday against Grambling at Schroeder Park.

Houston rolled over Grambling 17-5 on Friday night at Schroeder Park to open the final non-conference weekend series of the season.

In keeping with a recent trend, the Houston offense started fast in the first inning on Friday night . . . With one out, Kenneth Jimenez and Connor McGinnis took consecutive walks to get things started . . . Carsten Sabathia singled past the Tigers shortstop into center field to drive in Jimenez, and Houston was just getting started . . . Xavier Perez was walked to load the bases and Aaron Lugo followed with a one run-scoring single.

Cade Climie then hammered a 2-1 pitch to left-center field, the ball cleared the wall near the Houston Baseball billboard for a grand slam and a 6-0 first inning lead.

Still 6-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Sabathia led off the inning with a walk and Perez immediately followed . . . Lugo (2-for-4) sent a ball over the left field wall for a three-run tally and the Cougars led 9-0.

Houston led 9-1 going to the bottom of the fourth inning when another offensive explosion took place . . . McGinnis doubled to lead off the inning and he scored one out later when a bouncer by Perez for an error at third base . . . With two outs, three consecutive walks to Climie, Riley Jackson, and Tyler Cox loaded the bases for the Cougars once again . . . Tre Broussard was swinging at the first pitch he saw and sliced it the opposite way toward the left field corner . . . When the ball cleared the wall, Broussard had the second Houston grand slam of the night, and the Cougars had a 15-1 lead.

This was the first time Houston as a team hit two grand slams in a game since Jake Stewart did it himself in 2008.

Houston starter Paul Schmitz was done after five innings having allowed just one run on three hits . . . Schmitz opened the game by retiring the first seven batters her faced and he improved to 3-1 this season with the win.

Reliever Chris Scinta followed Schmitz on the mound and threw a scoreless frame, getting a timely double play ball to second base to end the inning . . . Andres Perez faced one batter and recorded a strikeout.

Climie, batting in the seven spot Friday night, led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his second home run of the game, his first multi-home run game in a Houston uniform and he finished the game 2-for-2.

The Tigers added two runs in the top of the seventh inning when back-to-back leadoff walks by the Houston bullpen eventually came in to score.

Connor Osier and Nick Moten both made their first appearances of the season out of the Cougars bullpen.

The Cougars improve to 9-4 this season with the victory . . . The 17 runs scored on Friday night marked the fourth double-digit scoring effort in the last five games by the Houston offense . . . Over the last five games the Cougars have scored 73 total runs.

The Cougars and the Tigers will face-off in the middle game of the weekend on Saturday once again at Schroeder Park . . . Graysen Drezek will be on the bump for Houston and he will toss the first pitch at 6:30pm.

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Houston Pummels Rice 18-1, Opens Silver Glove Series Strong

Xavier Perez stops at second base Tuesday night, he was 4-for-5 in victory.

Houston crushed Rice 18-1 at Reckling Park in seven innings via run-rule in game one of this season’s Silver Glove Series Wednesday night.

Four Houston pitchers took part in the victory on Wednesday, with freshman right-hander Kendall Hoffman doing the bulk of the work . . . Hoffman led 4-0 by the time he even took the mound in the first inning and he deftly handled the Owls over the first four innings of the game, all of them scoreless . . . Hoffman struck out seven Rice batters, including four in a row at one point, and he allowed just three base hits, all singles.

Xavier Perez continued his recent surge by leading the Houston offense on Wednesday night . . . Perez was 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, a single, and a total of eight RBI . . . The home run by Perez was a moon shot in the top of the seventh inning, a three-run blast with two outs in the inning.

Cade Climie (2-for-4), batting in the eight spot against the Owls, also added a seventh inning home run, his was a two-run shot and pushed the Houston advantage to 18-1.

Tre Broussard singled to lead off the game, and in the second inning he put a ball in play good for an inside-the-park home run as the Rice right-fielder could not make the play on the ball hit down the first base line . . . The home run counted as Broussard’s second of the season on a 2-for-3 night.

In their last three victories, the Cougars have scored 12, 21, and 18 runs.

Houston is off on Thursday and will open a three game set with the Grambling Tigers on Friday at Schroeder Park . . . This will be the final non-conference weekend series for the Cougars . . . The Cougars and the Tigers get underway at 6:30pm.

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Jean Shines, Cougars Dealt Midweek Loss in Ninth Inning Rally

Ryan Dollar made the Tuesday start against UTRGV at Schroeder Park

Houston was dealt a midweek loss on Tuesday night as UT Rio Grande Valley made a late inning comeback and left Schroeder Park 9-5 winners.

Kenneth Jimenez was hit by a pitch with one out in the Cougars half of the first inning . . . A walk to Connor McGinnis put two runners on base with one out.

Carsten Sabathia drove a low line drive to the right-center field gap, the ball going all the way to the wall allowing Jimenez and McGinnis to score for a 2-0 Houston lead.

The Cougars trailed 3-2 when Riley Jackson was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning . . . A single by Broussard brought Jimenez to the plate with one out . . . Jimenez singled in front of the catcher, who fielded the ball and in an attempt to throw to first base, threw the ball up the line in foul territory . . . The play scored Jackson and tied the game at three.

Still knotted at three after the seventh inning stretch, Tre Broussard led off with a single and then stole second base . . . One out later, Connor McGinnis sliced a ball into the gap left-center field which found its way to the wall, easily scoring Broussard as McGinnis took his spot on second base.

Xavier Perez followed with a double to the right field wall allowing McGinnis to cross the plate and Houston took a 5-3 lead into the eighth inning.

Left-hander Antoine Jean took the mound with one out in the top of the fourth inning and was outstanding over 4 2/3 scoreless innings . . . Jean allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out seven Vaqueros batters in what was perhaps his best outing in a Houston uniform.

The Cougars went to the bullpen to open the ninth inning when things caved in on Houston . . . When the frame ended, the Vaqueros had plated five runs on two relievers and led 9-5 going to the bottom of the ninth inning.

Houston got the first two batters on in the bottom of the ninth inning, both via walk but a swinging strikeout and a ground ball double play ended the game and the Cougars were dealt their first midweek loss of the season in a 9-5 defeat.

Jimenez reached base in his first three plate appearances before recording an out . . . Over the last three games dating back to Friday night in Arlington, Jimenez reached base in 11 consecutive plate appearances including a perfect 7-for-7 on Sunday.

For the Cougars, the Tuesday night affair was the first of five games to be played over the next six days.

Houston travels to Rice on Wednesday to face the Owls in game one of the 2025 Silver Glove Series . . . The game at Reckling Park is set to get underway at 6:35pm.

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Houston Romps 21-8 at UT Arlington, Claims Third Series Win

The Houston Cougars prep to face UT Arlington.

Houston dominated UT Arlington on Sunday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark in a marathon game that lasted nearly four hours before the Cougars prevailed 21-8 to take the road series.

The series win was the third straight for Houston to open the 2025 season while the Cougars also improved their record to 7-3.

The Houston offense pounded out 20 base hits and took advantage of eight walks and five batters hit by pitch to score 21 runs . . . The Cougars scored three or more runs in five of the first six innings to build a 19-8 lead.

For the third straight day, Tre Broussard led the game off by reaching base, on Sunday it was on a single to left field . . . The Cougars took a 3-0 first inning lead, but it was quickly reversed with a four-run Mavericks bottom of the first inning and Houston trailed 4-3.

Kenneth Jimenez, batting second in the order on Sunday, was hit by a pitch in each of his first two at-bats on Sunday afternoon . . . Jimenez managed to reach base in all seven of his plate appearances in the game, hitting four singles and taking one walk, while also crossing the plate five times and being stranded on third base in the top of the ninth inning.

Aaron Lugo was 4-for-5 with six RBI and Carsten Sabathia was 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Cougars offense . . . Xavier Perez also had two hits, a one RBI double and a two-run home run over the wall in right-center field, and he drove in a third run on a fielder’s choice.

Five Houston hurlers shutout the Mavericks offense from the fifth inning on . . . Malachi Lott pitched two scoreless innings and four of his six recorded outs were via strikeout on his way to improving his record to 2-0 this season . . . Harrison Boushele, Kendall Hoffman, Chris Scinta, and Michael Benzor each threw a scoreless frame to close out the victory.

The Cougars outscored the Mavericks 33-14 in the final two games of the weekend after dropping the Friday opener.

Houston returns home Sunday night for a busy week in which the Cougars play five games over the next seven days . . . Houston will host UT Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday night at Schroeder Park, first pitch is set for 6:30pm.

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Houston Evens Series at UTA in a 12-6 Rout

Houston preps for UT Arlington before Saturday’s middle game.

Houston used two big innings to cruise to a 12-6 victory over UT Arlington at Clay Gould Ballpark on Saturday afternoon to even their weekend road series.

Tre Broussard led off the game with a triple to left-center field . . . The Cougars took a quick 1-0 lead when Cade Climie grounded out on the infield to score Broussard.

Still 1-0 in the top of the third inning, Catcher Riley Jackson led off with a home run to left-center field, his first collegiate home run and the first run of a five-run Houston inning . . . Tyler Cox singled and stole second base before Broussard doubled him home, the third consecutive hit to open the inning.

Connor McGinnis doubled with one out to score Broussard and advanced to third base on a wild pitch where he was when Carsten Sabathia launched his second home run of the season, this one deep to left field for a 6-0 Houston lead as the Mavericks went to the bullpen.

The Mavericks picked up two runs in the bottom half of the third inning, one of them unearned because of a fielding error behind starter Paul Schmitz, but Houston still led 6-2.

There the score remained until the bottom of the seventh inning when UT Arlington plated three runs against the Cougars bullpen, Houston clung to a 6-5 lead.

Xavier Perez, who was a mid-game replacement for Cade Climie, led off the top of the eighth inning with a home run to center field to offer the Cougars a little more breathing room and a 7-5 lead, but the Houston offense still had plenty of fire left.

McGinnis followed with a single and later scored on a wild pitch . . . With the bases loaded, Riley Jackson was hit by a pitch to score a run before an error on the infield on a ball hit by Tyler Cox forced another Houston run across . . . Houston led 10-5 after their half of the eighth inning.

In the top of the ninth inning, Sabathia hit a one out double and he was brought across the plate on a Lugo double . . . Brandon Bishop put a ball in play with two outs and a defensive error allowed Lugo to score and the Cougars lead was 12-5.

A solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning was the final run of the game as Roman put the finishing touches on a three inning save . . . Roman allowed just two hits and struck out five in earning his sixth save . . . Roman has saved all six of the Cougars victories this season . . . Schmitz (2-1) earned the win with his five innings pitched in which he allowed no walks and only one earned run.

Four Houston batters had multiple hits in the Saturday afternoon contest as the Cougars pounded out twelve hits.

The Cougars and the Mavericks will decide their weekend series on Sunday in Arlington . . . Graysen Drezek will take the mound for Houston . . . The game is set to get underway at 1pm.

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Early Lead Erased, Houston Drops Opener at UT Arlington

Connor McGinnis waits to bat in the first inning Friday during a mound visit.

A big first inning advantage for Houston was not enough to outlast UT Arlington at Clay Gould Ballpark Friday afternoon as the Cougars dropped the game 7-4.

The game opened with great promise as a Tre Broussard walk was followed by a walk to Cade Climie . . . Connor McGinnis got the scoring started with a single that plated Broussard and kept the line moving for the Cougars offense . . . With one out, Carsten Sabathia emptied the bases with a double to the left field wall and the Mavericks went to the bullpen trailing 3-0.

UT Arlington quickly returned the favor and scored three runs to tie the game and force Houston to its bullpen in the first inning as well . . . Andres Perez took the mound with the bases loaded and one out and got a swinging strikeout and a pop-up on the infield to prevent further damage.

The Mavericks took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the second inning . . . That score remained until the top of the fourth inning when the Cougars scored their final run of the afternoon.

Sabathia (2-for-4) led off the frame with a single, which was followed by an Aaron Lugo single . . . After a Malachi Lott sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position, catcher Riley Jackson lifted a fly ball to left field which allowed Sabathia to cross the plate and get Houston to within a run, 5-4.

The Mavericks added a run in the fourth inning and another in the sixth inning to eventually walk away winners in game one of the weekend series.

Sabathia and Lugo accounted for four of the eight Houston hits in the game, both players went 2-for-4 . . . The Cougars used four pitchers in relief on Friday, the four had to carry the game for the final 8 2/3 innings.

The season is young and the coaches do want to get a look at some of the equally young pitchers on the staff, perhaps some who have not seen action yet this season . . . Paul Schmitz and Graysen Drezek will start the next two game, respectively, and both have proven that when effective, they can give the Cougars sone distance into a game, they might need to do that to avoid depleting the bullpen, especially with back-to-back midweek games ahead this next week

The Cougars will get right back to work on Saturday when they continue the series in Arlington with a first pitch set for 2pm . . . As already referenced, right-hander Schmitz will be on the mound for Houston.

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Cougars Rally in the Eighth, Top Sam Houston 4-3

Kendall Hoffman made the midweek start to open the Don Sanders Cup Series.

Houston used a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning to take game one of the Don Sanders Cup Series over Sam Houston on Tuesday night at Schroeder Park.

The Bearkats plated runs in each of the first two innings to build an early lead on Houston starter Kendall Hoffman who was making his first start in a Houston uniform . . . The first run was unearned, the result of a one-out error that later came around to score.

Malachi Lott got Houston on the board with a home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, it was Lott’s first home run of the season, this one coming against his team of just a year ago.

Connor McGinnis turned the same feat as Lott an inning later when he led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run over the right field . . . McGinnis has homered in back-to-back games.

Still trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Tre Broussard reached base when a fly ball to the left field corner was dropped, and Broussard ended up at second base on the error . . . Cade Climie batted next and walked to put two runners on base with no outs . . . With two outs, Carsten Sabathia doubled to left-center field to plate two runs and the Cougars held their first lead of the night, 4-3.

Richie Roman took the mound in the top of the ninth inning holding a one-run lead . . . Roman worked around two singles, striking out two on the way to closing out the victory . . . Roman earned the Save, his fifth of the season, he has earned the Save in all five of the Houston wins this season.

Hoffman pitched three innings to open the game and retired the final six batters he faced . . . Left-hander Chris Perez pitched a scoreless sixth inning in relief, striking out the side and working around an error behind him.

Defensively, Aaron Lugo made two outstanding plays at second base, one in the fourth inning and another in the fifth inning.

Houston (5-2) has a day off prior to traveling north to Arlington on Thursday before opening a weekend series against UT Arlington on Friday . . . First pitch from Arlington is set for 4pm.

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Houston Takes Road Series at Cal, Wins Sunday 7-4

Houston closed out its weekend road trip at Cal on Sunday with a win.

Houston is leaving Berkeley with a series win after topping California 7-4 on Sunday afternoon at Stu Gordon Stadium to close out their first road trip of the season.

With the game still scoreless, center fielder Tre Broussard led off the top of the third inning by hitting his first home run in a Houston uniform, this one to right field.

The Golden Bears got a run right back in their half of the third inning when an error at shortstop led to an unearned run against Cougars starter Graysen Drezek to tie the game.

Still squared at one in the top of the fifth inning, Tyler Cox, batting in the nine spot, got the inning started with a single up the middle . . . A single by Broussard moved Cox to third base and Cal went to their bullpen . . . Broussard promptly stole second base after the pitching change before Cade Climie homered over the left field wall, the three-run blast gave Houston a 4-1 lead.

A walk to Connor McGinnis followed by a throwing error by the pitcher moved him along to third base . . . Carsten Sabathia lifted a fly ball to left field and McGinnis crossed the plate as the fourth run of the inning on the sacrifice fly and Houston pushed its lead to 5-1.

Drezek departed after five innings having allowed just two hits and no earned runs . . . Drezek faced the minimum in three of his five innings pitched.

“Drez is reaping the benefits of a kid who works extremely hard and deserves success,” head coach Todd Whitting said after the game about the starting effort by his big right-hander. 

“I’m proud of him for giving us a chance to take the series over Cal.”

Antoine Jean took the mound in relief of Drezek to start the bottom of the sixth inning and he worked with ease through the Golden Bears order retiring the first ten batters he faced, getting the game into the ninth inning.

Still leading by four runs in the top of the ninth inning, Broussard (3-for-5) doubled to lead off the frame, his third hit in as many at-bats . . . Broussard was at third base having stolen his way there, when one out later McGinnis (3-for-4) homered to right field, his second blast of the season, and the Cougars possessed a 7-1 lead.

After retiring the first ten batters he faced, Jean walked two consecutive batters with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Cougars went to the bullpen . . . After a three-run home run to center field cut the Cougars lead to 7-4, Richie Roman took the mound, still with just one out . . . Roman struck out two Cal batters to bring the game to a close, thus securing the game and the series win . . . Roman earned the Save, his fourth of the season, he has picked up the Save in every Houston win to open the season . . . Drezek is 1-0 on the year after the victory.

Coach Whitting was asked about Brousard’s day at the plate, “Tre can be one of the most dynamic players in the country. I am proud of him for how he responded with a big game after a couple of tough ones.”

The Houston offense had six different batters earn hits in the game with the top three in the order all accounting for multiple hits, eight in total.

The Cougars (4-2) return to Houston having won their first road series of the season and both of their first two series to open the season . . . Houston will host Sam Houston on Tuesday night at Schroeder Park for their sole midweek game before hitting the road again next weekend . . . First pitch on Tuesday night in game one of the Don Sanders Cup Series is set for 6:30pm.

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Houston Drops Middle Game at Cal 5-1

The Houston Cougars prep for their Saturday matchup with Cal in Berkeley.

The Houston Cougars had their three-game winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of California at Stu Gordon Stadium in Berkeley.

A pitching duo for the Golden Bears kept the Cougars offense at bay all afternoon . . . California right-handers struck out 10 Houston batters while walking only three.

It took the Cougars until there was one out in the top of the ninth inning before they picked up their first base hit in the game . . . Xavier Perez, pinch-hitting with one out in the inning single into center field on a 2-1 pitch to break up a potential no hitter.

Perez was erased on the basepaths on a fielder’s choice by Connor McGinnis and Evan Haeger was hit by a pitch two put two runners on base for the Cougars . . . Anthony Avalos drove an 0-1 pitch into right field for a two out run-scoring single, the only run for Houston in the 5-1 defeat.

The Cougars and the Golden Bears will decide the series on Sunday afternoon, with a first pitch scheduled for 2pm CT . . . Graysen Drezek will be in the mound for Houston, making his second consecutive Sunday start.

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Cougars, Dollar Top Cal 6-4 to Open Road Series

Houston takes batting practice prior to Friday’s game at Cal.

Houston won its third consecutive game by opening their series against California with a 6-4 victory on Friday night at Stu Gordon Stadium in Berkeley.

After having two midweek games cancelled due to weather during the midweek, the Cougars played their first game since defeating Minnesota on Sunday.

Cougars right-hander Ryan Dollar made his second straight Friday night start and he fared much better than in his first one . . . Dollar faced the minimum through four innings, his only base runner was a walk that was later erased on a ground ball double play.

Riley Jackson and Tyler Cox led off the top of the third inning with back-to-back singles to set up the top of the order . . . The next two Cougars recorded outs and it looked as though Cal might escape the frame unscathed before Connor McGinnis doubled to the wall in right-center field to drive in Jackson and Cox . . . After McGinnis stole third base, Jake Tatom punched a single into left field and Houston held a 3-0 lead.

Cox again singled in the top of the fifth inning to lead off the inning . . . Tre Broussard hit what looked to be a double play to shortstop, but an error put two runners on with no outs for the Cougars . . . Cade Climie followed with a single through the left side to drive in Cox from second base . . . The Cougars led 4-0 and the Golden Bears went to their bullpen for the first time in the game.

McGinnis was then hit by a pitch to keep the inning going . . . Tatom followed with a single in his second consecutive at-bat to drive in two runs and Houston took a 6-0 lead.

The Golden Bears got to Dollar in the bottom of the fifth inning when a leadoff home run was later followed by an error allowing a second run to score . . . The unearned run closed Houston’s lead to 6-2 . . . Dollar recorded two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning before giving way to the Cougars bullpen.

After two walks by the bullpen, Alex Solis entered the game and got a called strikeout to preserve the four-run Houston lead . . . Solis worked a solid 2 1/3 innings allowing one run to score but striking out three batters.

Richie Roman took the mound for the bottom of the ninth inning with a 6-3 lead . . . The Golden Bears picked up an unearned run due to an error at third base but Roman got a fly out to center field to close out the 6-4 Houston victory and pick up his third save in as many games . . . Dollar allowed just three base hits and struck out six Golden Bears over his 5 2/3 innings and he improved to 1-1 on the year with the win . . . Dollar finished having only thrown 70 pitches, a sign of great efficiency in his outing.

“Ryan Dollar was outstanding tonight,” head coach Todd Whitting said after the game. “There is a reason why he started opening night [last Friday] and his outing tonight proved it. I am super proud of how he bounced back after a rough outing last week.”

The Cougars and the Golden Bears will be back in action again on Saturday in Berkeley and first pitch is scheduled for 4pm CT . . . Right-hander Paul Schmitz will be on the mound for Houston.

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