Baseball

Cougars look to tie up their loose ends

The start of this year’s baseball season is days away, and the Cougars will take the field with a lot of expectations. The program is looking to make an NCAA tournament run for the first time since 2008.

Head coach Todd Whitting has almost every question answered: the lineup will be a commodity with several returners, but the pitching remains one of the final questions.

Last season UH dominated the mound when Austin Pruitt was penciled in as a starter. Now with Pruitt making his name in the MLB, it has left a void as to who will become the ace.

Whitting has his rotation set for opening weekend. Junior Aaron Garza will be the opening day starter. Sophomore Jake Lemoine will throw Saturday, and sophomore Jared West will take the mound Sunday. However, Whitting said the rotation won’t be permanent for the entire season.

“We’re going to mix and match with Garza and Lemoine this season,” Whitting said. “Depending on what we see throughout the weeks, that combination could change.”

The bullpen has a familiar face with senior Chase Wellbrock, who recorded a team-high 11 saves last year and allowed only one run after the seventh inning last year. But uncertainty still remains as to who will be the bridge from the starting rotation to Wellbrock.

The early candidates in the bullpen Russian roulette are names familiar and new. Tyler Ford will be seen a lot this season, because of his dependability and left-handedness. Newcomers like sophomore Bubba Maxwell and junior Taylor Cobb — both junior college transfers — could find themselves in the relief, mid-week role.

Whitting spoke highly of Cobb and Robinson.

“When you add guys like (them) to the mix, along with numerous others, it’ll help. This pitching staff has a lot more depth than it has in the past,” Whitting said. “We’ve had to string this pitching staff together in the past couple of years due to injuries and the MLB draft. I think we have a good weekend rotation, but we have options in the middle this year.”

For the Cougars to reach their goal of making the NCAA tournament, they will need everyone to step up. UH is comfortable on offense, but the pitching staff must go out each night and perform at a high level. If it does, the team can expect to be in a NCAA regional in May.

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