How many games does it take for trends to emerge?
Well, after four games some possible trends may have emerged for the Cougars:
The Good
• Freshman Price Jacobs has been stellar at the plate for the Cougars. Jacobs leads the team in RBI with nine and is tied for the lead in runs scored with five.
He is also second in several categories including: batting average (.400), hits (six) and slugging percentage (.667).
• Production from the bottom of the lineup has also been phenomenal. Through Tuesday’s game, the bottom of the lineup produced 11 runs, 11 RBI and 14 hits, including seven extra-base hits — three doubles, one triple and one home run.
• Pitching has also been a bright spot for the Cougars. The weekend starters — Jared Ray, Jordan Lewis and Aaron Garza — combined to throw 17-2/3 innings, allowing only two runs, one earned and striking out nine.
• Although he’s only seen one inning of action, Mo Wiley looks poised to be a force as a closer. In his lone save opportunity, he struck out two of the three batters he faced and the third hit a lazy fly ball to center.
The Bad
• In two out of their four games, the Cougars have had problems with starting pitchers that establish a low fastball early in the game, according to head coach Todd Whitting.
• In the season opener, Delaware starting pitcher Eric Young confounded the UH batters, going seven strong innings while shutting the Cougars out and limiting them to just two hits.
Tuesday’s game was a repeat of the same as Texas A&M-CC starting pitcher Daniel Minor blanked the Cougars in his six innings of work.
UH managed no runs and five hits while Minor was on the mound.
• Another area that may be of concern is the defense. Last season the Cougars were second in Conference USA with 91 errors. Thus far, the team has seven errors.
• In Tuesday’s 3-2 loss, two of Corpus Christi’s three runs came as results from two Cougar errors.
Yes, it is still early in the season, and these may just turn out to be beginning-season kinks, but it’ll be interesting to watch and see if these really are emerging trends, or if others emerge.
