Cougars Fall to Kansas State in Big 12 Opener

Friday, March 13

Houston, Texas

6:30 p.m.

University of Houston

11-6, 0-1

Kansas State

14-4, 1-0

Kansas State

Houston

Antonelli Savattere throwing a baseball.

3/13/2026 11:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Teams combined for 28 runs in the first of three games this weekend

HOUSTON – The Houston Baseball team dropped its Big 12 Conference opener to Kansas State, 20-8, in eight innings on Friday night at Don Sanders Field at Darryl and Lori Schroeder Park.

James Guyette (3-1) picked up the win for Kansas State (14-4, 1-0 Big 12), throwing 5.1 innings in which he allowed six runs on four hits and six walks. Senior Chris Scinta (1-3) took the loss for Houston (11-6, 0-1 Big 12) after ceding four runs on four hits in 2.2 innings.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS

Tre Broussard: 2-3, RBI, R, BB
Xavier Perez: 1-4, RBI, 2 R, SB
Jackson LaLima: 1-4, 3B, R

NOTABLES

Senior Dylan Maxcey caught two runners stealing.
Sophomore Jackson LaLima hit his first career triple.
Houston drew seven walks in the game.
Senior Carsten Sabathia III has reached base safely in 10 straight games.

KEY INNINGS
1^st | Houston struck first. A single followed by four consecutive walks allowed redshirt sophomore Xavier Perez and junior Tre Broussard to score, putting the Cougars up 2-0.

2^nd | The Wildcats tied it in the top of the second. A double off the bat of Bear Madliak pushed two runs across to even the score.

Houston reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning as sophomore McClane Helton scored on a balk to take a 3-2 lead.

5^th | After Kansas State again tied the game in the third, the Wildcats took their first lead of the game with four runs in the fifth. With runners on first and second, Nick English hit a two-run double to center field to put the visitors up 5-3. Another run came across on a sacrifice fly while a fourth run scored on a single later in the inning to solidify Kansas State's lead.

6^th | The Wildcats added to their lead with a three-run homer in the top of the sixth, but Houston answered in the bottom of the inning. Two wild pitches after the Cougars loaded the bases allowed Maxcey and freshman Blake Fields to score, cutting the deficit to 10-5. A fielder's choice off the bat of Perez scored another while Broussard laced a single down the left-field line to plate a fourth, pushing the score to 10-7.

8^th | Following two runs in the seventh, Kansas State rallied for an eight-run inning in the eighth. Houston added a run to its tally in the bottom of the inning, but it was not enough to avoid the run-rule loss.

UP NEXT
Houston continues its series against Kansas State at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, before a 1 p.m. Sunday conclusion.

SUPPORT THE COUGARS
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STAY CONNECTED
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– UHCougars.com –

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Mar 14 (Sat)

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Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Guyette, James (3-1)

L: Scinta, Chris (1-3)

Kansas State

Batting:

2B: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Karl, Cadyn 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Vasquez, Carlos 1 ; Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Gallagher, Grant 1 ; English, Nick 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1 ; Kendrick, Micah 1

HR: Inoue, Shintaro 1

RBI: Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Karl, Cadyn 2 ; Madliak, Bear 3 ; Vasquez, Carlos 1 ; Inoue, Shintaro 6 ; Evasco, AJ 1 ; English, Nick 2 ; Lodice, Kyan 1 ; Kendrick, Micah 1 ; Smolinski, Ty 1

SF: Madliak, Bear 1 ; Smolinski, Ty 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Karl, Cadyn 1 ; Madliak, Bear 2 ; Vasquez, Carlos 2 ; Inoue, Shintaro 4 ; Gallagher, Grant 5 ; Evasco, AJ 2 ; English, Nick 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1 ; Kendrick, Micah 1