As the season’s first weekend nears, UH, Rice, Texas and A&M are previewed.
The University of Houston has positioned itself in the national discussion by reaching a super regional and hosting a regional the past two seasons and is the favorite to repeat in the American Athletic Conference.
UH hasn’t made three straight NCAA appearances since making five in a row from 1999-2003. How far can the Cougars go this year? “The goal is always Omaha,” coach Todd Whitting said.
Projected lineup: C Connor Wong 1B Joe Davis 2B Josh Vidales 3B Justin Montemayor SS Connor Hollis LF Corey Julks CF Zac Taylor RF Clay Casey DH Jacob Campbell
Top pitchers: RHP Andrew Lantrip LHP John King RHP Mitch Ullom RP Bubba Maxwell
Coach: Todd Whitting (172-127-1 in five seasons at Houston). 2015 record: 43-20. Conference: American
Athletic. Preseason ranking (Baseball America): 12. Projected AAC finish:
First. Last postseason appearance: 2015, Houston
Regional.
Key additions: 1B Joe Davis, SS Jose Reyes, LHP John King, RHP Mitch Ullom.
Key losses: 1B Chris Iriart, RF Kyle Survance, RHP Kyle Dowdy.
Player to watch: LF Corey Julks was the Cougars’ hottest hitter down the stretch a year ago, batting .379 with all five of his home runs and 21 RBIs in the last 15 games.
Newcomer to watch: Davis, one of the top prep hitters in Texas, will start immediately as a true freshman and look to provide some of the power in the middle of the batting order.
Stat that matters: The Cougars have 91 wins since 2014, the best two-year total in school history. Three story lines to keep an eye on:
1. Where will the power come from? After Iriart (15), no UH player had more than six home runs last year. Whitting says the Cougars are better suited for power across the board this season.
2. How to replace Seth Romero? Romero, the AAC preseason pitcher of the year, was suspended indefinitely Tuesday for conduct detrimental to the team. With Andrew Lantrip set for Fridays, either true freshman Ullom or juniorcollege transfers King and Marshall Kasowski will fill the final two weekend rotation spots.
3. How quickly can new faces adjust? The everyday lineup could feature three new players — Reyes, Davis and right fielder Clay Casey — and Connor Wong makes the move from shortstop to catcher. The one constant
is Josh Vidales, whom Whitting calls “the best defensive second baseman” he’s had in 20 years.
Can reach Omaha if: The Cougars can overcome the suspension of Romero and continue to win at newly renamed Schroeder Park, where they have a .773 winning percentage since 2014, helping to secure a second straight regional host bid. No chance of reaching Omaha if: The bullpen — which will be by committee at closer with Bubba Maxwell one year removed from Tommy John surgery — is shaky and the Cougars struggle to hit for power and score runs.