Cougars catcher Anthony Tulimero was named to the Honor Roll in The America for his play last week.
The American stated in its weekly press release announcing the honor:
Tulimero hit .556 (10-18) with seven runs scored, two home runs and eight RBI. He hit both home runs and drove in four against Rice on Tuesday.
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The Cougars now stand at 117 in RPI+, a ranking method created by College Baseball Nation (see description of RPI+ below). Houston was at 149 at the beginning of last week. Here is where Houston’s opponents they have faced this season fall within the ranking system:
19 East Carolina
39 Texas A&M
43 UTSA
82 Oklahoma
85 Rice (Houston and Rice play two more times this season)
92 Sam Houston (Houston and Sam Houston play two more times this season, including one game this week)
99 California
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.
Houston took the series win on Saturday at Wichita State
Houston clinched a series win on the road against Wichita State on Saturday in a decisive 17-3 run-rule victory.
Zach Arnold was bit by a pitch with one out in the top of the first inning . . . Arnold then moved to third base on a two-out single to left field by Brandon Uhse (2-for-3) . . . After a steal of second base by Uhse, Anthony Tulimero (3-for-5) doubled to left field to drive in both runners on base . . . Justin Murray followed with a single to right-center field to score Tulimero and give Houston a 3-0 lead in the opening frame.
The score remained 3-0 until the top of the fifth inning when Ian McMillan led off the inning with a single before he stole second base to reach scoring position with one out . . . Malachi Lott (3-for-5) then drove a single the opposite way into left field to plate McMillan and extend the Cougars lead.
Cade Citelli made the Saturday start for Houston and was really good in his outing . . . Citelli pitched five complete innings before being removed in the top of the sixth inning . . . Citelli allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out eight and was in line for the win if the Cougars held on the rest of the way.
Leading 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, Brandon Burckel was hit by a pitch to reach base before he stole second base ahead of a Drew Bianco infield single to put runners on the corners with no one out, forcing Wichita State to their bullpen once again . . . Arnold then drove a ball to the wall in left field for a two-run double . . . Alex Lopez immediately followed with a single into right field to score Arnold, but Houston was not done in the inning.
A walk to Uhse was followed by a RBI single by Tulimero setting the stage for a Murray three-run home run deep to left field . . . Burckel was hit by a pitch for the second time in the same inning ahead of walks to McMillan and Bianco to load the bases . . . Lott then drove a ball deep the opposite way off the top of the wall just about a foot or two from the foul pole for a bases clearing double.
Still in the top of the seventh inning, Arnold was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game . . . Cary Arbolida pinch-hit for Lopez and promptly drove the third pitch of his at-bat over the wall in center field for a three-run home run and a 17-3 Cougars lead heading to the seventh inning stretch.
The Cougars scored 13 runs in the seventh inning, all of them with two outs . . . Houston also sent 17 batters to the plate in the inning.
Owen Woodward took the mound for the bottom of the seventh inning and struck out all three batters that he faced to close out the victory.
After some travel woes caused the delay of the start of the weekend series and forced a doubleheader to be played on Saturday, Cougars head coach Todd Whitting had good reason to wonder what his team would do with three games to play in just over 24 hours.
“I thought the team was tough and grinded all weekend,” Whitting said. “After delays, we didn’t get to the hotel until 6am on Thursday, I thought fatigue caught up with us in game two [Friday] but we came out today ready to play from the first pitch.”
In all three games this weekend, the Cougars got five or more innings from their starting pitchers and had minimal need for the bullpen in what could have been a difficult short-term situation with both fatigue and over-use real possibilities.
“I have said all along we have a talented pitching staff and it would take us some time to get roles established,” Whitting said after Saturday’s win. “With LaCalameto and Phelps out, and Torrealba out until this past weekend . . . it took a little longer than we wanted.”
Lott and Murray each had four RBI in the Saturday win, while Tulimero and Arbolida each had three RBI.
Houston (17-15, 4-2) returns home after the Saturday contest and will next be in action on Tuesday night at Schroeder Park when the Cougars will host Sam Houston State . . . Houston will be trying to even the three-game Don Sanders Cup series after dropping the first game in Huntsville last month . . . First pitch on Tuesday night is scheduled for 6:30pm.
Josh Ekness got the start in game one Friday at Wichita State
The Cougars and the Wichita State Shockers split a doubleheader on Friday with Houston taking game one 8-6 and losing game two 6-1 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Josh Ekness got the start for Houston in game one and was outstanding over 5 1/3 innings.
Ian McMillan hit a two-run home run to left field in the top of the eighth inning to increase the Houston advantage to 8-5.
Justin Murray closed out the win for the Cougars tossing the final two innings and allowing just two hits and striking out three in earning the save, his fourth of the season.
Paul Schmitz took the mound in game two and was quite good, though the result went against him as his defense let him down a couple of times and the Houston offense was stymied all evening . . . Schmitz tossed 6 1/3 innings allowing the potent Shockers offense five hits and four earned runs.
As alluded to, the defense behind Schmitz was lacking at times in Friday’s second game . . . A potential inning-ending fly ball was dropped on the warning track in deep left-center field allowing the hitter to wind up on third base with a triple while two runs scored.
The Shockers did not score another run until the seventh inning after Schmitz had handed the ball to the Houston bullpen.
A sacrifice fly RBI off the bat of Murray in the top of the eighth inning was the extent of the Houston offense in game two.
The Cougars (16-15, 3-2) and the Shockers (18-12, 3-2) will conclude their Easter weekend series on Saturday at noon in Wichita.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Anthony Tulimero is greeted at home plate by teammates after a fourth inning home run on Friday
The Houston Cougars opened the 2023 Kleburg Bank Classic in Corpus Christi with an offensive explosion at Whataburger Field defeating the Utah Utes 14-5 on Friday afternoon.
After an Alex Lopez single gave Houston a 1-0 first inning lead, catcher Anthony Tulimero tripled to drive him in and the Cougars took a two-run lead before the Utes had even been up to bat.
The Cougars added two runs in the second inning and led 4-2 going into the fourth inning.
Lopez doubled to get the fourth inning scoring started, his third hit in three at-bats at that point . . . One out later, Tulimero followed with a two-run home run to left field and the Cougars took an 8-2 lead . . . It was Tulimero’s first home run of the season.
Brandon Burckel hit a two-out solo home run in the fifth inning . . . Cary Arbolida got a pinch-hit appearance in the seventh inning when Utah went to the bullpen in the middle of a Malachi Lott at-bat . . . Arbolida hit the first pitch he saw for a run-scoring double and the lead was extended to 10-2, the first time this season Houston scored double-digit runs.
Houston starter Cade Citelli was removed from the game during his third inning having allowed two runs and was hampered with five walks in 2 2/3 innings pitched . . . Maddux Miller took the ball to end the inning and stayed in to record 3 1/3 scoreless innings where he also did not allow a hit.
With the Cougars leading 10-5 in the top of the ninth inning, Drew Bianco got his first hit in a Houston uniform, a three-run home run to left field . . . Justin Murray added an RBI and the Cougars took a 14-5 into the bottom of the frame where Owen Woodward closed out the game.
Tulimero went 3-for-4 with a walk in the contest and finished just a double shy of hitting for the cycle . . . Burckel tripled in the ninth inning, the Cougars second three-bagger of the game . . . Houston had hit just one home run in their previous four games, a Brandon Uhse solo home run last weekend against Cal, but the offense accounted for three of them in Friday’s victory
The Cougars return to action Saturday night when they face Texas A&M Corpus Christi . . . Expect to see left-hander Kyle LaCalameto make his second straight Saturday start in the game . . . First pitch in Corpus Christi is scheduled for 7pm.
Houston Cougars Baseball Beat 