The Cougars will hit the road for tonight’s game against McNeese State, and they’ll have some extra momentum for this trip.
UH (14-7) took two of three games from Conference USA rival and then Baseball America No. 23 East Carolina last weekend in Greenville, N.C. The wins were the Cougars’ first over a ranked opponent this season.
The series victory gave UH head coach Rayner Noble a reason to praise his players.
"The first thing that I told them was that I was proud of them because that’s a tough place to play," Noble said. "Anytime you have to trek across the country like that, make that kind of road trip and win a series, that tells you a little bit about the character of your team."
The Cougars’ next trek will take them to Cowboy Diamond in Lake Charles, La., for a 6:30 p.m. game against McNeese State (6-14). The Cowboys enter tonight’s matchup with some momentum of their own, having swept a three-game series against Nicholls State last weekend.
UH junior right-hander Chris Wright will make his first start of the season. He has a 5.09 ERA and zero decisions after eight appearances.
Wright was tagged for five runs (four earned) over two-thirds of an inning in the Cougars’ 15-4 loss to East Carolina on Saturday, and Noble would like to get him some extra work.
"He just didn’t pitch very well on Saturday, and I think it’s urgent for him to get back out there," Noble said. "We’ve just got to get him more consistent. He’s been too up and down, and maybe getting him out there to get the start will get him going in the right direction."
Sophomore left-hander Taylor Hammack will probably relieve Wright. If either Wright or Hammack falter early, sophomore right-hander John Touchton will be available to chew up some innings.
The Cougars haven’t had superb pitching lately, but have had just enough pitching and offense to win 10 of their last 13 games.
Nevertheless, Noble sees plenty of room for improvement.
"We’re not where we need to be," he said. "We need to pitch the ball a lot better; there’s no doubt about that. I think that if our pitching settles down and becomes more of a strike-throwing staff, then we have a chance to play in the postseason."
