Cougars’ lineup packs considerable clout
Over the summer, Joe Davis and Ron Brown each won national home run derbies. There should be a lot of pop in the Houston lineup this season, which begins Friday with a three-game home series against Northwestern State.
And it’s not just Davis, the school’s all-time home run (35) and RBI leader (166), and Brown who can do damage. The lineup is stacked with quality hitters in a program that has won three regular-season conference titles and two American Athletic Conference tournament championships over the past five years.
“It’s going to be a team that puts up seven to 14 runs a game,” said Davis, entering his fourth season at UH under coach Todd Whitting, who last month signed a contract extension through 2023. “There’s no holes in the lineup. This is the most complete lineup we’ve had.”
After losing pitching stalwarts Trey Cumbie and Aaron Fletcher from last season’s 38-25 team, the rotation is in transition. Whitting however, is high on who eventually will be the starters as well as relievers, stocked with talented returnees and newcomers.
But it’s the explosive lineup, with seven returning starters, that make the Cougars a feared team.
“We’re definitely more of an offense-based team this year, we can really swing it,” said junior Jared Triolo, who hit .344 a year ago and started all 63 games at third base. “We were a good hitting team last year, but we can be even better this year.”
Home runs should multiply
Davis belted 13 home runs in 2018 with 62 RBIs, hitting .318 in the process. He won the National Baseball Congress Home Run Derby at Wichita, Kan., in August. Brown, who failed to hit a home run as a freshman last year in limited at-bats for the Cougars, captured the West Coast League Home Run Derby in July.
“Good things happen when you barrel it up,” Davis said. “We got some guys that can run it out of the yard, and that’s something that can keep us in games in tight situations. It’s definitely a tool we have and that we will be able to use.”
The Cougars, who went 16-8 in the AAC, connected on 37 home runs last year. That number should increase in 2019.
In addition to Davis, outfielder Grayson Padgett begins his fourth year in the program. Padgett batted .264 as a junior.
Returning starters also include juniors Lael Lockhart (.297) and Tyler Bielamowicz (.309, 5 homers). Both lefthanders will pitch as well. Sophomore outfielder Drew Minter is expected to make a bigger impact, as is Brown, who only had 37 at-bats as a first baseman and DH a year ago.
Sorting through the arms
Of the 18 newcomers, eight are junior college transfers, including righthanders Devon Roedahl, coming off a 9-3 year at San Jacinto College, and Sean Bretz, who was 7-1 at Delgado Community College. Of the freshmen, second baseman Brad Burckel adds speed, righthander/infielder Derrick Cherry was a four-time all-district selection at Goose Creek Memorial, righthander Tristan McDonough was rated the No. 2 player in Maryland, and lefthander Cole McMillan was named district pitcher of the year at George Ranch.
“I like our ball club, from an offensive standpoint a lot of experience,” said Whitting, in his ninth year at the helm. “The middle infield is new, but everywhere else we’re solid and have experience with conference championships and NCAA Tournaments. I feel good about that group.”
Starting pitching remains a question mark. There’s plenty of arms available even though roles have yet to be defined. Senior righthander Ryan Randel was last year’s Sunday starter. Also in the mix are Roedahl, redshirt freshman lefthander Clay Aguilar and junior righthander Carter Henry, who last year had five AAC saves.
There’s more pitching depth than in recent years. In 2018, the Cougars were top heavy in the rotation and built for three-game series and not for extended tournament play.
Postseason is what it is all about for college baseball’s elite programs.
“Expect a lot out of us,” Padgett said. “We’re going to perform like we’re expected to, but we want to take it a little further than that. We’re underestimated a lot.
“Making regionals isn’t a goal for us, it’s an expectation. Our goals go much further than that. We want to go to Omaha (College World Series) and win a national championship.”