Chase Jensen is the lone preseason All-Conference USA selection for the UH (Michael Paulsen/Chronicle)
If you’re heading out to Cougar Field tonight for the baseball season opener between Houston and Delaware (6:30 p.m. first pitch), here’s a taste of what to expect when the Cougars take the field.
Pitching
Of course, as mentioned in today’s Chronicle, fifth-year senior Jared Ray will be the opening-night starter. Ray will be the Cougars’ regular Friday night starter this season, entering the year fully healthy after battling injuries and a series of arm surgeries over the last two years.
Early in the season, the weekend rotation will look like this:
Friday: RHP Jared Ray, Sr.
Saturday: LHP Jordan Lewis, Sr.
Sunday: RHP Aaron Garza, Fr.
Lewis was the Saturday starter for the Cougars last season, going 5-3 with a 3.75 ERA, the best among UH starters last season. Garza is a true freshman from Galveston Ball, who bypassed signing with the Toronto Blue Jays in order to head to UH. Toronto drafted Garza in the 10th round last summer with the 319th overall pick.
The bullpen will be back-ended by closer Mo Wiley and setup man/closer Jordan Mannisto. UH coach Todd Whitting said he hopes the pair can be a “two-headed monster” for the Cougars. Wiley will make his first foray into being a regular closer at the college level (though he did pitch in relief early in his UH career) but was a regular starter for the Cougars a year ago and threw two complete games. Mannisto became a reliable arm out of the pen and spent time as the closer last year, going 4-4 with a 3.78 ERA and four saves.
Look for veteran Codey Morehouse, who was the Cougars’ opening night starter last year, newcomer Matt Hernandez (Blinn College transfer, originally from Fort Bend Travis) to be in the mix for the mid-week starting job.
Woodlands College Park product and Navarro College transfer Austin Pruitt could also get some short work early in the year.
Infield
C: John Cannon, Sr.
1B: Casey Grayson, Jr.
2B: Taylor White, Jr.
3B: Jake Runte, Sr.
SS: Chase Jensen, Jr.
Cannon, Jensen, White and Runte are all returnees, while Grayson is a newcomer (transfer from Navarro College, originally from Cypress Woods High School locally).
Cannon started 58 games a year ago and hit .284 and will provide plenty of experience behind the plate. Jensen is a preseason All-Conference USA selection after hitting .320 with three homers and 45 RBIs last year. Runte battled injuries last year and played in just 24 games while White redshirted last season.
Those not in the starting lineup who could see some time early this season include third baseman Kendall Stacks (freshman from Seven Lakes), infielder Zack Gibson (freshman from Clear Creek) and catcher Cory Kay (freshman from Arlington Heights, Ill.). Wes Theiss, who will start the season as the designated hitter, could see some time at third base also.
Outfield
LF: Price Jacobs, Fr.
CF: Landon Appling, So.
RF: Jacob Lueneberg, Jr.
Appling is the lone returnee among the starting outfielders and he’ll be the Cougars leadoff hitter once again this year. He led the squad with 22 stolen bases on 24 attempts, was hit-by-pitch 21 times (team-high) and played a solid center field. Jacobs is a freshman from Goose Creek Memorial and Lueneberg is a transfer from Kishwaukee College in Caledonia, Wisc. Look for freshman Keegan Sanford (Westbury Christian) to get some time at one of the corner spots early in the season as well.
As I noted before, Wes Theiss, a Spring High product who transferred to UH from Navarro College, will start the year as the DH.
While there are plenty of new faces on the squad heading into the year (20 total), Whitting is fired up about those that are back from a year ago.
“A lot of the comments and questions I’ve got in the last six months have been about the new guys, but I’m really excited about the returning players,” Whitting said. “I told the kids on day one when I took the job here that those are no longer anybody else’s guys, those are my players….The key for this season is going to be our returners. It’s not an issue of how good the kids are that we’re bringing in, it’s an issue of how well the kids coming back are going to play. That being said, we’ve added some good players to the mix.”
“I’m really anxious to get them going, I know the kids are ready to play and it’s opening day. How can you not be excited?”
