University of Houston Athletics
Baseball to Hold Scrimmage on Saturday
10/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 18, 2002
HOUSTON - Fans eager to catch a glimpse of the University of Houston baseball team in action will have a chance to do so this weekend.
The Cougars, who finished the 2002 season ranked among the Top 10 leaders in all four national polls, will hold a scrimmage at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Cougar Field. The team will be divided into two squads and compete for about three hours.
A year ago, UH enjoyed one of the finest seasons in school history. The team rolled to a 48-17 record and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional for the second time in the last three seasons. Three players - pitcher Brad Sullivan, catcher Chris Snyder and shortstop/relief pitcher Jesse Crain - received All-America honors.
Seventeen letterwinners return from that team with 13 talented newcomers being added to the mix. Leading the way is junior pitcher Brad Sullivan, who was honored as UH's and Conference USA's first-ever consensus All-America. The Nederland, Texas, native threw to a 13-1 record with a UH single-season record 157 strikeouts and 1.82 ERA.
Offensively, senior first baseman Brett Cooley is expected to lead the way. In 2002, Cooley blasted a team-best 18 home runs, the second-highest total in UH single season history but remained a consistent threat at the plate, as shown by his 22-game hitting streak.
The Cougars open the 2003 season when they compete at the Pepperdine Tournament on Feb. 7-9 in Malibu, Calif. UH faces UC Santa Barbara at 12:30 p.m. (Central) on Feb. 7 in the season opener and meets host Pepperdine at 4 p.m. (Central) Feb. 8. The Cougars conclude their stay when they face Washington at 12:30 p.m. (Central) on Feb. 9.
