Baseball to Begin Fall Practice on Tuesday
10/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 4, 2004
HOUSTON - The University of Houston baseball team begins more than two weeks of fall practice Tuesday with an afternoon workout at Cougar Field.
The team will likely practice three days a week and hold intrasquad scrimmages three days a week. Fall drills continue through Oct 23.
Head coach Rayner Noble begins his 11th season at the helm of his alma mater in 2004 and needs only 18 wins to move past Lovette Hill as the winningest coach in school history. With a young team in 2005, Noble and his coaching staff will be watching fall drills closely to see what players step up in key situations.
"We need to see guys in game situations and start getting acclimated to what we are going to be able to do in games," Noble said. "We need to use the fall as a realistic preview of what we have on our hands and what we have to do in the spring."
The players have been working with Noble and assistant coaches Kirk Blount, Sean Allen and Rommie Maxey, both individually and in small groups, since school started in late August. The start of fall practice marks the first time, according to NCAA regulations, that the team can come together as a group and work out on the field.
"My attitude going in is to have an open mind and to be aware of guys that can play," Noble said. "We're looking for guys who stand out, play the game hard and play it right."
The fall practice schedule wraps up with the Red and White World Series, slated for Oct. 21-23. A year ago, assistant coach Kirk Blount's intrasquad team swept assistant coach Sean Allen's team in a three-game series.
Fourteen letterwinners return from last year's team which finished with a 30-29 overall record and tied for fourth in Conference USA. However, the Cougars will be looking to return to the NCAA postseason after missing out on the NCAA Regionals a year ago. That absence snapped a five-year streak for the Cougars.
Leading the way is junior utility player Kevin Roberts who topped the Cougars with a .374 batting average and finished second on the team with six home runs and 30 RBIs. The Pearland, Texas, native also was the Cougars' lone selection to the 2004 C-USA All-Tournament Team.
Outfielder Travis Tully returns for his junior season after batting .308 a year ago and posting a UH season-best 21-game hitting streak, the fourth-longest streak in school history.
On the mound, sophomore Brad Lincoln is expected to anchor a young Cougar pitching staff. In 2004, Lincoln posted a 3-2 record with 35 strikeouts and a 4.29 ERA in 56.2 innings of work.
In addition to the returning players, the Cougars will be boosted by the addition of 22 newcomers in 2004, including 19 freshmen. One of the largest recruiting classes in recent history, the group was recently ranked at No. 38 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper in a poll.
The weekly schedule of practices and scrimmages will be adjusted according to the weather. For daily practice plans, please call the Cougar Baseball Office at (713) 743-9396.
UH opens its 2005 season at the Minute Maid Park College Classic. There, the Cougars will face Baylor at 3 p.m., Feb. 11, Oklahoma State at 11 a.m., Feb. 12 and Texas A&M at 6 p.m., Feb. 13.
2004 HOUSTON COUGAR BASEBALL FALL EVENT/PRACTICE SCHEDULE (KEY DATES)
Note: All fall practices begin around 2:30 p.m. CT, Cougar Field and are subject to change.
Tue., Oct. 5 - Official Practice Begins, 3 p.m.
Thur., Oct. 21 - Red & White World Series Begins, Game 1, 2 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 22 - Red & White World Series Begins, Game 2, 2 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 23 - Red & White World Series Begins, Game 3, 2 p.m.
End of Fall Drills