Houston to Play USA Baseball 18U National Team
9/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HOUSTON -- With the fall season nearing its start, Houston Baseball and seventh-year head coach Todd Whitting have announced it will meet the USA Baseball 18U National Team for a fall contest on Monday, Sept. 26 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.
"Our program is extremely excited to play against the USA National Team on September 26," Whitting said. "Constellation Field is a great venue and we always look forward to competing in that stadium in front of our fans. With 23 new players on this year's roster, this will be a good opportunity for them to experience a live gameday prior to our season this spring. This opportunity will be invaluable to our team and staff in preparations for the 2017 season."
Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the Sugar Land Skeeters Ticket Office will handle all admission. Note: this game will not count towards Houston's win-loss record for the 2017 season.
TICKET INFORMATION
All tickets are general admission, $8 for children and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online at www.SugarLandSkeeters.com, by calling (281) 240-2287 or visiting the Skeeters TDECU Ticket Office located at Constellation Field. Party suites are also available for purchase, call for pricing. The ticket office is open daily Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking for this event is free.
ABOUT THE COUGARS
Houston will enter the 2016-17 season with a roster highlighted by 23 newcomers, 16 of which are true freshmen. The Cougars return 12 from the 2016 season, led by All-American and American Rookie of the Year Joe Davis.
Also back for Houston is junior starting pitcher Seth Romero, junior outfielder Corey Julks, junior catcher Connor Wong, junior infielder Connor Hollis and freshman All-American pitchers from a year ago Mitch Ullom and Trey Cumbie.
A year ago, Houston notched its fourth straight 35+ win season under Whitting and advanced to the American Championship final for the third straight year. The Cougars finished with a record of 36-23 overall and a 23-9 mark at home, while also capturing the Silver Glove Series for the third straight year with a 2-1 record over Rice in 2016.
ABOUT USA BASEBALL
USA Baseball is the National Governing Body for amateur baseball and governs more than 12 million amateur players across the country. The USA Baseball 18U National Team is comprised of the nation's top players ages 16 to 18. The 18U program is the three-time defending WBSC World Champion and will be competing in the COPABE Pan Am "AAA" Championships in Monterrey, Mexico September 30 to October 9. The 18U current 40-man roster was announced at the end of June and includes three Texas players, one being local Cypress native, Shane Baz.
Houston Baseball has had 11 Cougars represent USA Baseball's organization since 1998 with the most recent being Romero - who competed for the Collegiate National Team in 2015. Names like Michael Bourn (2006), Jesse Crain (2003), Shane Nance (1998-99) have competed for Team USA during their time as a Cougar.
ABOUT THE SUGAR LAND SKEETERS
Led by former Major Leaguer Gary Gaetti, the Skeeters play at Constellation Field, a state-of-the-art stadium located at the intersection of State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 90A in Sugar Land. The Skeeters play 140 regular season games in the Atlantic League, which offers an open classification of play, the highest level of professional baseball other than Major League Baseball. Atlantic League players are highly experienced professionals that play to win. Over 800 players from the Atlantic League have signed contracts with big league organizations and over 100 players have been transferred to MLB.
STAY CONNECTED
Stay up to date with all Houston Baseball news and highlights by following us on Twitter @UHCougarBB or on Facebook at /HoustonCougarBaseball. Fans can also follow head coach Todd Whitting @toddwhitting on Twitter.
