Schmitz, Fields Lead Baseball to Upset Win against #21 Wake Forest

Friday, February 13

Ponce, Puerto Rico

8 a.m. CT

University of Houston

1-0

Wake Forest

0-1

Wake Forest

Houston

Schmitz, Fields Lead Baseball to Upset Win against #21 Wake Forest

2/13/2026 2:35:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Schmitz throws 4.0 shutout innings, Fields shines in collegiate debut against #21 Wake Forest

PONCE, Puerto Rico – Houston Baseball started its season with a bang, upsetting #21 Wake Forest, 8-2, in the first game of the NCAA Division I Baseball season on Friday morning at Estadio Paquito Montaner. The win marked Houston's first against a ranked opponent since April 2, 2023, against #8 East Carolina.

Houston (1-0) capitalized on opportunities on offense while senior Paul Schmitz (1-0) started the game with 4.0 shutout innings to secure the win. Senior Chris Scinta picked up the save after tossing 4.0 shutout innings of his own. The Demon Deacons' (0-1) Blake Morningstar (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing five runs in three innings.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Schmitz: 4.0 IP, W, GS, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Chris Scinta: 4.0 IP, Sv, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Blake Fields: 1-2, 2 R, SF, 1 RBI
Jackson LaLima: 2-3, 3 R, 2B

NOTABLES

Senior Antonelli Savattere posted his fifth career multi-RBI game, driving home a pair.
Scinta picked up his 46^th career scoreless appearance.
Houston remains undefeated against Wake Forest, moving to 3-0 all-time. All three wins have come under Head Coach Todd Whitting.
Scinta recorded his first career save.
Junior Riley Jackson turned an unassisted double-play, snagging a line drive before diving to tag a runner retreating to first.

KEY INNINGS
3^rd | Houston broke the game open in the third. With freshman Blake Fields (single) and sophomore Jackson LaLima (hit-by-pitch) reaching to start the inning, senior Tyler Cox dropped a sacrifice bunt down that forced an errant throw, plating both Fields and LaLima to put the Cougars in front. Junior Tre Broussard walked to put runners on the corners with a wild pitch advancing him to second and pushing Cox cross the plate.

After a single from redshirt sophomore Xavier Perez put Broussard on third, Savattere drove him home with a single through the right side to secure a 4-0 lead after three.

5^th | LaLima scored to put Houston up by five in the fourth while a sacrifice fly from Fields plated senior Dylan Maxcey to push the score to 6-0.

8^th | While the Demon Deacons cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, Houston answered with another two in the eighth. A hit-by-pitch, single and walk loaded the bases for the Cougars, with Broussard picking up his first RBI of the season with a sac-fly that narrowly missed being a grand slam to plate Fields.

Two batters later, Savattere used a ground out to score LaLima, giving Houston an 8-2 win.

UP NEXT
Houston continues play at the Puerto Rico Challenge with a noon CT, Saturday, tilt against another ACC team in Boston College.

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