Hoffman Deals in Sunday Win over Alabama

Sunday, March 1

Riders Field, Frisco, Texas

3 p.m.

University of Houston

7-4

Alabama

9-3

Houston

Alabama

3/1/2026 7:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Hoffman tossed 7.2 innings while Fields, Maxcey drive Cougar offense

FRISCO, Texas – Behind a dominant showing on the mound from sophomore Kendall Hoffman as well as stellar days at the plate for freshman Blake Fields and senior Dylan Maxcey, Houston Baseball closed its time at the Frisco Classic with an 8-2 win over Alabama at Riders Field on Sunday afternoon.

Hoffman (1-0) drew the start against the Crimson Tide (9-3), which entered the game as the only 2-0 team at the Frisco Classic. He went on to toss 7.2 innings where he allowed just two runs while striking out five against an offense that had scored 20 runs across its previous two games. Houston (7-4) handed the loss to Myles Upchurch (2-1), collecting two runs on four hits and two walks in 3.2 innings against the Alabama starter.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS

Blake Fields: 4-5, 3 R
Dylan Maxcey: 2-4, 3 RBI, BB
Xavier Perez: 2-4, 2B, SH, 2 R
Kendall Hoffman: 7.2 IP, W, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Tyler Bryan: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

NOTABLES

With the win, Houston has beaten a team from each of the other Power 4 conferences.
Fields, Maxcey and senior Carsten Sabathia III were voted to the Frisco Classic All-Tournament team.
Maxcey recorded his 25^th career multi-hit game.
Redshirt sophomore Xavier Perez and Fields both registered multi-hit games, bringing their totals to a team-leading four each.
Houston out-hit each of its three opponents this weekend.
Hoffman posted new career-bests in innings pitched, batters faced (30) and pitches thrown (109).

KEY INNINGS
3^rd | Houston claimed the first lead of the game with a pair of runs in the third. A leadoff walk from freshman McClane Helton and a single from Fields put two runners on for Perez, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them into scoring position. Maxcey drove both Cougars home as he laced a single through the left side to put Houston up, 2-0.

5^th | The Cougars added to their advantage in the fifth. Three straight singles plated Fields and Houston capitalized on an error off the bat of Sabathia to score another run. Senior Antonelli Savattere pushed Houston's third run of the inning across with a sac-fly to extend the lead to five.

Alabama got on the board in the bottom of the frame, as a single followed by a double off the bat of Bryce Fowler allowed a run to score, cutting the lead to 5-1.

8^th | The teams traded a run in the eighth. Houston picked up its sixth run of the game as redshirt senior Irvin Weems III singled up the middle to score freshman Peyton Dickens.

The Crimson Tide kept its deficit at four after the inning as Justin Lebron homered to left field.

9^th | The Cougars tacked another two runs onto its advantage in the ninth. Fields singled to start the rally while Perez moved him into scoring position with a double to left-center. Alabama intentionally walked Maxcey to load the bases, and senior Cade Climie capitalized with a single to right that scored Fields. Dickens drove home his first career RBI later in the inning to give Houston an 8-2 win.

UP NEXT
Houston returns to Schroeder Park to go for the series win in the Don Sanders Cup as it hosts Sam Houston at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday. Fans can buy tickets or watch the game on ESPN+.

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– UHCougars.com –