UH started off its Big 12 schedule with a sweep over the Baylor Bears. | Anh Le/The Cougar
The Houston Cougar baseball team opened up the Big 12 era with a resounding three-game series sweep over the Baylor Bears at Schroeder Park.
Game 1
In game 1, UH won a close matchup 4-3 to win its first-ever Big 12 baseball game.
In the first inning, the Cougars went scoreless and the Bears were able to score a run, making the game 1-0. Both teams stalled in the second and third innings, but Houston grabbed momentum in the fourth.
Senior utility Justin Murray, freshman infielder Ace Reese, and sophomore catcher Kenneth Jimenez all scored off runs from three total RBIs by Reese and senior infielder Jake Rainess, pushing the Cougars to a 3-1 lead.
More action continued in the fifth inning.
The Bears added two more runs but UH responded with a run of their own from Murray, his second of the game, making the score 4-3.
Game 2
UH responded in dominant fashion in their second game, beating Baylor 8-0.
In the first inning, Jimenez scored a run off a double hit from Murray, making the score 1-0.
The third inning consisted of an additional run from Houston off a sacrifice fly ball from senior outfielder Tre Jones, helping redshirt senior catcher Jonathan French score, making it 2-0.
In the fourth inning, senior outfielder Jacob Schoenvogel hit a homer to right field while Reese was on base, pushing the Cougars to a 4-0 lead.
After a dry spell in the fifth and sixth innings, UH had a dominant stretch in the seventh. French hit a home run to right center field, making the score 5-0. The remaining three runs came from sophomore infielder Coby DeJesus, Murray and Jimenez, giving the UH a comfortable 8-0 lead.
Game 3
The final game of the series was reminiscent of the first, with UH winning a close game 3-2.
In the first four innings, both teams were unable to shake anything offensively. That changed in the fifth inning when senior utility Alex Lopez doubled through right field, positioning French to score and giving UH the first run of the game.
In the sixth Baylor put together a run of their own, but Houston responded with a home run from senior outfielder Cary Arbolida, and a run from junior outfielder Cameron Nickens, giving the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
The last run of the game came from Baylor in the eighth inning, but UH was able to hold to win.
The Cougars now have an 11-4 record and will look to continue that momentum when they travel to Provo, Utah to take on the BYU Cougars in a series starting March 14.
