Aaron Lugo (1) steps up to the plate in an NCAA baseball game on Feb. 16 in Houston, Texas. | Emma Christensen/The Cougar
Houston baseball won back-to-back games after dropping game one to clinch a series win over UT Arlington. Houston outscored the Mavericks, 37-21 across the three games.
With the victory, the Cougars improved to 7-3 on the season and have won their first three series of 2025.
Cougars win the series with season-high 21 runs
Houston baseball scored a season-high 21 runs on 20 hits to defeat UT Arlington 21-8 and win the series over the Mavericks on Sunday, March 2, at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Cougars dominated offensively, scoring in seven innings, including the first six.
Eleven different Cougars recorded a hit in the game, and it was the most scored since April 17, 2024, when Houston defeated Southern University 25-0.
Houston jumped out to an early 3-0 lead until UT Arlington scored four runs in the bottom of the inning, with a home run by senior infielder Tate Bethel.
UH outscored the Mavericks 18-4 after the first inning to claim their seventh win of the season.
Senior infielder Aaron Lugo led Houston with six RBIs and four hits.
Junior catcher Kenneth Jimenez scored a team-high five runs and was on the verge of scoring a school record of six.
The Cougars have now scored double-digit runs in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Mavericks come back to win opener
Houston baseball dropped game one of the three-game series against UT Arlington, 7-4, on Friday, Feb. 28, at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The starting pitchers for both teams were pulled in the first inning after only recording one out and allowing three runs each: junior Ryan Dollar for Houston and senior Jack Hagan for UT Arlington.
The Cougars started strong by scoring three runs in the first inning with RBIs by junior designated hitter Carsten Sabathia III and junior infielder Connor McGinnis.
The Mavericks answered back with a three-run inning of their own, making the most of three walks allowed by junior pitcher Ryan Dollar.
Senior pitcher Joe Steeber replaced the Maverick’s starting pitcher, senior Jack Haga, and was dominant in relief.
Steeber threw 5.2 innings and only allowed one earned run and five hits.
Junior infielder Jake Martinez scored on a sacrifice fly ball in the second inning to take a 4-3 Maverick lead.
Junior infielder Tyce Armstrong singled, and freshman infielder Cade Dodson scored to extend the lead to 5-3.
In the fourth inning, Sabathia III scored on a sacrifice flyball to centerfield hit by catcher Riley Jackson to cut the deficit to one run.
Dodson scored on a fielder’s in the bottom of the inning to go up 6-4.
Junior infielder Xavier Melendez scored on a ground ball to second base in the sixth inning, extending the lead to three runs.
The Cougars had no answers for the Maverick’s relief pitching and dropped game one 7-4.
Houston’s three-homer game evens the series
Houston scored their second-most runs in a game this season, defeating UT Arlington 12-6, and evened the series on Saturday, March 1.
The Cougars scored four runs in the eighth inning and two in the ninth to defeat the Mavericks.
Houston scored one run in the first inning and exploded for five more in the third.
Jackson hit his first collegiate home run, and Sabathia III hit his second to give the Cougars an early 6-0 lead.
UT Arlington responded with a pair of runs in the third inning and came within one run in the fifth.
The Cougars’ offense came alive in the late innings with redshirt sophomore outfielder Xavier Perez’s first career home run to claim their sixth win of the season.
Junior pitcher Paul Schmitz earned his second win by tossing five complete innings while only allowing one run and striking out four.
Next, the Cougars will host UTRGV on Tuesday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. at Schroeder Park in a midweek matchup.
