University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Houston Regional: Preview Of The Field
5/27/2015 10:48:00 AM | Baseball
After it's dramatic win in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Ragin' Cajuns will head to Houston this week to take part in their third consecutive NCAA Regional. The No. 3-seed Cajuns will take on No. 2 Rice in the opening round, while No. 1 Houston will battle No. 4 Houston Baptist.
Here is a look at each of the Cajuns possible opponents this weekend:
No. 1 Houston
Record: 42-18
American Athletic Conference Record: 16-8
NCAA Appearances: 20
Head Coach (record/years): Todd Whitting (171-125-1/5th season)
UL Record vs Houston: 12-38-1
The Cougars are hosting just the program's third NCAA Regional, and first since 2001 after being named a host site following winning the American Athletic Conference's regular season title – their first regular season conference title since 2002. Houston posted its second-straight 40-win season under head coach Todd Whitting, despite falling to East Carolina in the AAC Tournament title game last week.
UH has been red hot since the calendar turned to May, posting a 12-3 record in the month while outscoring their opponents 86-37 in that span. They are one of three NCAA Tournament teams the Cajuns have faced off against this season, falling 6-5 on April 7 at "The Tigue" on a walk-off RBI single by Brian Mills to cap a three-run ninth inning rally for Louisiana.
The Cougars will be looking to move onto Super Regional play for the second straight season after having claimed the Baton Rouge Regional a year ago before falling to Texas in Austin for a chance to advance to the College World Series.
Houston put seven players on the AAC's all-conference team, including AAC Rookie of the Year Seth Romero, the third straight Cougar to garner a league freshman/rookie of the year honor. Kyle Survance earned first team honors after hitting .301 and swiping 30 bases in 38 tries, while Chris Iriart is the top power threat in the lineup with 14 home runs and 39 RBI.
Romero picked up seven of UH's 15 saves on the season with 84 strikeouts in just 75.1 innings pitched, while Andrew Lantrip was a second team choice after going 8-3 with a 2.15 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 104.1 innings for a Cougar staff with a 2.99 team ERA.
No. 2 Rice
Record: 35-20
Conference USA Record: 22-8
NCAA Appearances: 21
Head Coach (record/years): Wayne Graham (1,074-440/24th season)
UL Record vs Rice: 6-17
Rice has become a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament during Wayne Graham's tenure as head coach, making their 21st consecutive appearance in the tournament – a mark that is the fourth-longest active streak in the country behind only Miami (43), Florida State (38) and Cal State Fullerton (24).
The Owls claimed the Conference USA regular season title and placed seven players on the all-conference squad before being bounced in the CUSA Tournament in two straight one-run losses to eventual champion FIU and Middle Tennessee.
Graham's club is hitting at a .300 clip for the season and averaging 5.7 runs per game, while posting a 3.22 ERA and .243 opponent's batting average on the mound. Six Owls are hitting .300 or better, led by Kirby Taylor (.339) and Ford Stainback (.336), while John Clay Reeves leads Rice with eight home runs and 55 RBI. Friday starter Jordan Stephens has posted a 6-4 record with a 3.12 ERA while closer Matt Ditman has 10 saves and a 2.85 ERA in anchoring the Owls' bullpen.
No. 4 Houston Baptist
Record: 28-25
Southland Conference Record: 14-13
NCAA Appearances: 1
Head Coach (record/years): Jared Moon (281-281-2/10th season)
UL Record vs HBU: 10-0
The Huskies caught fire in last week's Southland Conference Tournament, sweeping their way to the tournament to qualify for the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament in just their second season as a member of the SLC.
Playing in Sugar Land, Texas – just a short drive from its campus – HBU entered the tournament with an overall record below .500 as the No. 7 seed in the tournament, but had four starting pitchers hurl complete games to claim the title and will come into the NCAA Tournament having won six of their last seven games overall.
Head coach Jared Moon's team comes into the weekend hitting at .289 with five players hitting .300 or better, with leadoff man Zach Nehrir pacing the team in both batting average (.333) and RBI (43). Samm Wiggins leads the Huskies with five home runs, while Thomas Clay is a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen bases.
But it was the pitching staff that pushed HBU into the tournament, and the staff enters with a 3.30 team ERA after posting a 0.25 ERA in four wins at the SLC Tournament. Lefty Matthew McCollough and righties Taylor Wright and Ross Kennell each tossed complete games before handing it over to dual-threat Curtis Jones in the championship game before Jones was named the tournament's MVP.
McCollough has thrown four complete games for the Huskies this season, posting an 8-2 record with 68 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 99.0 innings, while Wright and Jones have combined for 14 wins of their own. Kennell, primarily a reliever with just two starts in 14 appearances, has posted a 0.23 ERA in 38.2 innings with a .213 opponent's batting average.
Here is a look at each of the Cajuns possible opponents this weekend:
No. 1 Houston
Record: 42-18
American Athletic Conference Record: 16-8
NCAA Appearances: 20
Head Coach (record/years): Todd Whitting (171-125-1/5th season)
UL Record vs Houston: 12-38-1
The Cougars are hosting just the program's third NCAA Regional, and first since 2001 after being named a host site following winning the American Athletic Conference's regular season title – their first regular season conference title since 2002. Houston posted its second-straight 40-win season under head coach Todd Whitting, despite falling to East Carolina in the AAC Tournament title game last week.
UH has been red hot since the calendar turned to May, posting a 12-3 record in the month while outscoring their opponents 86-37 in that span. They are one of three NCAA Tournament teams the Cajuns have faced off against this season, falling 6-5 on April 7 at "The Tigue" on a walk-off RBI single by Brian Mills to cap a three-run ninth inning rally for Louisiana.
The Cougars will be looking to move onto Super Regional play for the second straight season after having claimed the Baton Rouge Regional a year ago before falling to Texas in Austin for a chance to advance to the College World Series.
Houston put seven players on the AAC's all-conference team, including AAC Rookie of the Year Seth Romero, the third straight Cougar to garner a league freshman/rookie of the year honor. Kyle Survance earned first team honors after hitting .301 and swiping 30 bases in 38 tries, while Chris Iriart is the top power threat in the lineup with 14 home runs and 39 RBI.
Romero picked up seven of UH's 15 saves on the season with 84 strikeouts in just 75.1 innings pitched, while Andrew Lantrip was a second team choice after going 8-3 with a 2.15 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 104.1 innings for a Cougar staff with a 2.99 team ERA.
No. 2 Rice
Record: 35-20
Conference USA Record: 22-8
NCAA Appearances: 21
Head Coach (record/years): Wayne Graham (1,074-440/24th season)
UL Record vs Rice: 6-17
Rice has become a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament during Wayne Graham's tenure as head coach, making their 21st consecutive appearance in the tournament – a mark that is the fourth-longest active streak in the country behind only Miami (43), Florida State (38) and Cal State Fullerton (24).
The Owls claimed the Conference USA regular season title and placed seven players on the all-conference squad before being bounced in the CUSA Tournament in two straight one-run losses to eventual champion FIU and Middle Tennessee.
Graham's club is hitting at a .300 clip for the season and averaging 5.7 runs per game, while posting a 3.22 ERA and .243 opponent's batting average on the mound. Six Owls are hitting .300 or better, led by Kirby Taylor (.339) and Ford Stainback (.336), while John Clay Reeves leads Rice with eight home runs and 55 RBI. Friday starter Jordan Stephens has posted a 6-4 record with a 3.12 ERA while closer Matt Ditman has 10 saves and a 2.85 ERA in anchoring the Owls' bullpen.
No. 4 Houston Baptist
Record: 28-25
Southland Conference Record: 14-13
NCAA Appearances: 1
Head Coach (record/years): Jared Moon (281-281-2/10th season)
UL Record vs HBU: 10-0
The Huskies caught fire in last week's Southland Conference Tournament, sweeping their way to the tournament to qualify for the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament in just their second season as a member of the SLC.
Playing in Sugar Land, Texas – just a short drive from its campus – HBU entered the tournament with an overall record below .500 as the No. 7 seed in the tournament, but had four starting pitchers hurl complete games to claim the title and will come into the NCAA Tournament having won six of their last seven games overall.
Head coach Jared Moon's team comes into the weekend hitting at .289 with five players hitting .300 or better, with leadoff man Zach Nehrir pacing the team in both batting average (.333) and RBI (43). Samm Wiggins leads the Huskies with five home runs, while Thomas Clay is a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen bases.
But it was the pitching staff that pushed HBU into the tournament, and the staff enters with a 3.30 team ERA after posting a 0.25 ERA in four wins at the SLC Tournament. Lefty Matthew McCollough and righties Taylor Wright and Ross Kennell each tossed complete games before handing it over to dual-threat Curtis Jones in the championship game before Jones was named the tournament's MVP.
McCollough has thrown four complete games for the Huskies this season, posting an 8-2 record with 68 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 99.0 innings, while Wright and Jones have combined for 14 wins of their own. Kennell, primarily a reliever with just two starts in 14 appearances, has posted a 0.23 ERA in 38.2 innings with a .213 opponent's batting average.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballBSB Drew Markle
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