Several meaningful games remain on the Cougars’ schedule, but today’s matchup against McNeese State could be just as important as the rest.
McNeese State isn’t ranked and doesn’t have a strong Ratings Percentage Index, but the Cougars desperately need a win to help them rebound from losing two of three games to Conference USA rival University of Alabama-Birmingham last weekend.
The losses dropped the Cougars to 25-14 overall and 8-4 in C-USA play. They also dropped the Cougars’ RPI to 40 (www.boydsworld.com), a sharp contrast from the No. 25 RPI they had on April 15.
The Cougars still have a good shot at reaching the postseason but will have little room for error when they face McNeese State (10-29) at 6:30 p.m. today at Cougar Field.
"It’s a big game for us," UH head coach Rayner Noble said. "We need (freshman right-hander) Jared Ray to go out there and pitch like he’s capable of pitching."
Ray (1-1, 6.54 ERA) will make his eighth start of the season. He started in the Cougars’ 9-6 win over Sam Houston State on Wednesday, giving up six runs on eight hits in five innings.
It was far from Ray’s best outing, but the Cougars backed him with solid run support and relief to help him earn his first collegiate win.
Sophomore right-hander John Touchton would have been in line for today’s start but is unavailable after tossing 3.1 innings of one-run relief in the Cougars’ 9-4 loss to UAB on Saturday. Touchton also started in the Cougars’ 5-0 win over Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday, allowing only four hits and striking out six batters in six innings.
Noble said Touchton, who was named C-USA Pitcher of the Week on Monday, could start in Saturday’s game at Southern Miss.
Given the way McNeese State (10-29) has played lately, the Cougars might not miss Touchton’s pitching. The Cowboys, who were swept in a three-game series by Sam Houston State over the weekend, have lost eight consecutive games and 13 of their last 15 overall. Their last win came against Texas Southern on April 8.
McNeese State’s pitching staff has been feasted upon all season. The Cowboys, who will probably start sophomore right-hander Jonathan Conrad (1-5, 10.55) in today’s game, have a team ERA of 7.96, the highest among all Southland Conference teams.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they’ll have to face a Cougar lineup that continues to swing the bat well. That lineup should be even more potent with senior outfielder Jake Stewart and senior infielder Bryan Pounds having broken out of their mini-slumps. Stewart and Pounds share the team lead in home runs with eight apiece, and Pounds leads the team in batting average (.408), RBIs (47) and slugging percentage (.671).
Stewart batted .636 (7-for-11) in three games against UAB with two doubles, three homers, six runs and six RBIs. Pounds went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the Cougars’ 10-4 win on Sunday.
Prior to the UAB series, Stewart had recorded only two hits in his last 19 at-bats. Pounds had scored only one hit in his previous 14 at-bats before Sunday.
"(Stewart) had a great weekend, and Pounds kind of came out of his little slump a little bit," Noble said. "We need those guys to continue to produce at the top of the lineup."
