Houston Cougars baseball
Houston Cougars | |
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Founded: 1947 | |
2015 Houston Cougars baseball team | |
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University | University of Houston |
Conference | The American |
Location | Houston, TX |
Head coach | Todd Whitting (5th year) |
Home stadium |
Schroeder Park (Capacity: 5,000) |
Nickname | Cougars |
Colors |
Scarlet and Albino[1] |
College World Series Runner-up | |
1967 | |
College World Series appearances | |
1953, 1967 | |
NCAA Regional Champions | |
1953, 1967, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2014 | |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
1951, 1953, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2015 | |
Conference tournament champions | |
1951, 1997, 2000, 2008, 2014 | |
Conference champions | |
1950, 1951, 1953, 1960, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2015 |
The Houston Cougars baseball team is the college baseball team of the University of Houston. Along with the university's other athletic teams, the baseball team is a member of the American Athletic Conference as a Division I team. They play their home games at Schroeder Park. In addition to numerous NCAA Tournament appearances, the Cougars have made two College World Series appearances. Houston has been led by head coach Todd Whitting since 2011.
History
Early years and Lovette Hill era
The University of Houston's baseball program started in 1947. Head coach Ned Thompson was hired from Pasadena High School, and became the first baseball coach for 1947, backfield coach in football from 1946-1948 for the University of Houston. He also served as associate athletic director in charge of business finances from 1946-1976. Among the players for his 1947 baseball team was pitcher Bill Henry who had been a forward on Thompson's state high school championship basketball team the year prior.[2] Following his 1947 efforts for Houston, Henry went on to become Houston's first player to play Major League Baseball, where he enjoyed a seventeen-year career.
During the first few years of the baseball team's existence, head coaches came and went, and after the third season, the team had already been through three. Houston's fourth head baseball coach, Lovette Hill broke this trend when taking over for the 1950 season. A year after Hill became coach, the Houston Cougars appeared in their first NCAA Regional. The 1953 season was one of the team's most historic and winningest years as they made their first College World Series appearance. Continuing with Lovette Hill, the Cougars appeared in several more NCAA Regionals throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Appearing in the 1967 College World Series against the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Cougars won runner-up and finished with a #2 national ranking. The team began by playing their home games at nearby Buffalo Stadium, before moving into an on-campus facility.
Walton era
After a 24-year tenure with the Cougars, Lovette Hill retired, and Rolan Walton took over as head coach. Walton had previously served with the Cougars in the early years under Hill as a player.[3] He later played as a shortstop for the Victoria Rosebuds, a Texas League team, before leaving in 1954. During Walton's time as coach, the Cougars appeared in two more NCAA Regionals throughout the 1980s. Also during this time, the University of Houston discontinued their stint as being independent from any college athletic conference, and joined the now defunct Southwest Conference in 1976.
Stockton era
In 1987, the University of Houston hired Bragg Stockton[4] as head coach, and appeared in another NCAA Regional the same year. Before Stockton retired after the 1993 season, the Cougars made one more appearance. Playing under Stockton were several standout players including Rayner Noble. After a brief stint of playing in Minor League Baseball, Noble returned to the University of Houston as an assistant coach under Stockton. In 1994, following Bragg Stockton's retirement, Rayner Noble was named head coach of the Cougars. Stockton however, was not completely done with the team, and returned for the 2002 season as a volunteer coach. Working with Noble for only a year, Stockton died.
Noble era
After becoming head coach of the Cougars in 1994, Rayner Noble launched the Cougars to more NCAA Regional appearances than any other coach in the team's history. In addition to eight of such appearances, the Cougars have appeared in three NCAA Super Regionals. In 1995, the Cougars baseball team received a newly constructed Cougar Field that seated 5,000. The following year was the last for the Southwest Conference, and in 1997 the Cougars joined Conference USA. In 2004, the Cougars played San Diego State at Petco Park in front of 40,106, the largest college baseball crowd to date.[5]
In 2006, pitcher Brad Lincoln won the Dick Howser Trophy. Lincoln was the first to receive this award in the program's history, and in Conference USA. He also received the Brooks Wallace Award that year among other honors.
In Conference USA, the Cougars appeared in every Conference USA Baseball Tournament, and held the second most amount of tournament titles (behind Tulane).
Despite becoming the program's winningest coach, Noble's 2008 and 2009 records were back-to-back losing seasons, which Houston had not seen since 1974 and 1975.[6]
Whitting and modern era
In 2010, it was announced that Rayner Noble would not return as Houston's head coach.[7] Former assistant coach and player for Houston Todd Whitting was announced as his replacement. Whitting had served in various positions with TCU, ultimately serving as associate head coach before returning to his alma mater.[6]
In the 2013 season after rebuilding the team for two years, Whitting has led the Houston Cougar Baseball team to its best start in the last twenty-four seasons. In March 2013, for the first time in seven years, with Todd Whitting at the helm, Houston Cougar Baseball was ranked in the top twenty by Baseball America.
Houston's Cougar Field (now Schroeder Park) received substantial renovations at the end of the 2013 calendar year thanks to major donations from Alumni and former players. FieldTurf was installed to replace the natural grass and bullpens were upgraded giving the stadium a nice makeover.
In 2014 season, the Houston Cougars joined the American Athletic Conference for its inaugural season. Riding the momentum of the 2013 season, the Cougars continued their success into 2014 and won the AAC conference tournament to become the first American Athletic Conference Baseball Champions. The Cougars finished the 2014 regular season with an impressive 44-15 record and ranking as high as number 9 nationally. This was also the first season since 1993 the Cougars have swept baseball powerhouse Rice and claimed the Silver Glove Series.
Conference affiliations
- 1947, Independent
- 1948, Lone Star Conference
- 1949, Independent
- 1950, Gulf Coast Conference
- 1951-1960, Missouri Valley Conference
- 1961-1972, Independent
- 1973-1996, Southwest Conference
- 1997–2013, Conference USA
- 2014-Present, American Athletic Conference
Rivalries
Each year Houston competes in the Silver Glove series against the Rice University Owls.
Records
Head coaching records
Years | Coach | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
1947 | Ned Thompson | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 |
1948 | Dalton Albert | 4 | 7 | 1 | .375 |
1949 | BIll Lutz | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 |
1950–1974 | Lovette Hill | 343 | 325 | 5 | .515 |
1975–1986 | Rolan Walton | 378 | 235 | 5 | .616 |
1987–1994 | Bragg Stockton | 283 | 183 | 4 | .606 |
1995–2010 | Rayner Noble | 454 | 337 | 0 | .573 |
2011–present | Todd Whitting | 172 | 127 | 1 | .575 |
Year-by-year results
MLB Draft history
Bold italics indicates player competed or currently plays in the Major Leagues
#- Active in 2016 ^- Returned to school ()- Indicates overall pick FA - Free agent signee
2015
- #Jake Lemoine Texas 4th TBD Pos. RHP Years at UH 2013-15 2015 Team TBD Organization Texas Rangers
- #Patrick Weigel Atlanta 7th Rookie Pos. RHP Years at UH 2015 2015 Team Danville Organization Atlanta Braves
- #Kyle Survance Los Angeles (AL) 8th Rookie Pos. OF Years at UH 2013-15 2015 Team Orem Organization Los Angeles Angels
- #Chris Iriart Oakland 12th Class A Pos. 1B Years at UH 2015 2015 Team Vermont Organization Oakland Athletics
- #Kyle Dowdy Detroit 12th TBD Pos. RHP Years at UH 2014-15 2015 Team TBD Organization Detroit Tigers
- #Taylor Cobb Los Angeles (AL) 26th Rookie Pos. RHP Years at UH 2014-15 2015 Team AZL Angels Organization Los Angeles Angels
- #Ashford Fulmer San Francisco 28th Class A Pos. OF Years at UH 2012-15 2015 Team Augusta Organization San Francisco Giants
- #Ian Rice Chicago (NL) 29th Class A Pos. C Years at UH 2015 2015 Team Eugene Organization Chicago Cubs
2014
- #Casey Grayson St. Louis 20th Class A Pos. 1B Years at UH 2012-14 2015 Team State College Organization St. Louis Cardinals
- #Tyler Ford Tigers 27th Class A Advanced Pos. LHP Years at UH 2013-14 2015 Team Lakeland Organization Detroit Tigers
- ^Aaron Garza Milwaukee 29th
- ^Jared West Cleveland 32nd - Transferred from Houston Cougars Baseball
- Chase Wellbrock Blue Jays 33rd Pos. RHP Years at UH 2011-14
2013
- #Austin Pruitt Tampa Bay 9th Class AA Pos. RHP Years at UH 2012-13 2015 Team Montgomery Organization Tampa Bay Rays
- #Daniel Poncedeleon Chicago (NL) 14th Class A Advanced Pos. RHP Years at UH 2013 2015 Team Palm Beach Organization St. Louis Cardinals
- Matt Hernandez Los Angeles (AL) 23rd Rookie Pos. LHP Years at UH 2012-13
- ^Frankie Ratcliff Arizona 40th
2012
- Mo Wiley Cincinnati 28th Rookie Pos. RP Years at UH 2009-12
- John Cannon Los Angeles 29th Rookie Pos. C Years at UH 2009-12
- Jared Ray Arizona 34th Rookie Pos. RP Years at UH 2009-12
2011
- #Caleb Ramsey Washington 11th Class AAA Pos. OF Years at UH 2008-11 2015 Team Syracuse Organization Washington Nationals
2010
- Blake Kelso Washington 10th Class A Pos. INF Years at UH 2008-10
- Michael Goodnight Cleveland 13th Class A Pos. RP Years at UH 2009-10
- Chris Wallace Houston 16th Pos. C Years at UH 2007-10
- ^Ty Stuckey Cincinnati 26th
- William Kankel Milwaukee 33rd
- ^Jared Ray Minnesota 38th
2009
- Donnie Joseph Cincinnati 3rd Class AAA Pos. RP Years at UH 2007-09 2013 Team Omaha Organization Kansas City Royals
- Wes Musick Colorado 9th Class AAA Pos. LP Years at UH 2007-09 2013 Team Oklahoma City Organization Houston Astros
- Frank Corolla Washington 19th
2008
- ^Wes Musick San Francisco 24th
- Ryan Lormand San Francisco 26th Pos. INF Years at UH 2007-08
- ^Michael Goodnight Cleveland 27th
- Bryan Pounds Detroit 34th Independent Pos. INF Years at UH 2005-08 2013 Team Lincoln Saltdogs League American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
- Jimmy Cesario Colorado 46th Pos. INF Years at UH 2007-08
2007
- Aaron Brown Seattle 9th
2006
- #Brad Lincoln Pi Pittsburgh 1st (No. 4) Major Leagues Pos. SP Years at UH 2004-06 Organization Toronto Blue Jays
- Matt Weston San Francisco 12th
- Brett Logan Washington 31st
- Isa Garcia St. Louis 34th Independent Pos. INF Years at UH 2006 2013 Team Fort Worth League American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
- Matt Farrington San Diego FA
2005
- Kevin Roberts Milwaukee 5th
- Justin Vaclavik Pittsburgh 7th
- Travis Tully Arizona 23rd
- Gene Flores Boston FA
2004
- Garrett Mock Ar Arizona 3rd Major Leagues Pos. SP Years at UH 2003-04
- Rob Johnson Se Seattle 4th Pos. C Years at UH 2004
- Matt Varner San Diego 11th
- Rickey Putman San Diego 20th
- Patrick Breen Tampa Bay 21st
- Brett Cooley St. Louis 36th
- Cole Bruce Los Angeles FA
- Brandon Roznovsky Montreal FA
2003
- Ryan Wagner Cincinnati 1st (No. 14)
- Brad Sullivan Oakland 1st (No. 25)
- #Michael Bourn Ph Philadelphia 4th Major Leagues Pos. OF Years at UH 2001-03 Organization Free Agent (Atlanta Braves 2012) MLB ALL-STARS 2012 - Atlanta Braves 2010 - Houston Astros
- Danny Zell Detroit 5th
- Brian Henderson Tampa Bay 7th
- ^Brett Cooley Montreal 23rd
- Hyung Cho Seattle FA
2002
- #Jesse Crain Mi Minnesota 2nd Major Leagues Pos. RP Years at UH 2002 Organization Chicago White Sox
- Chris Snyder Ar Arizona 2nd Pos. C Years at UH 2000-02
- ^Brett Cooley San Francisco 33rd
- Keith Whatley Arizona 41st
- Nathan Mitchell Chicago (NL) FA
2000
- Greg Runser Texas 5th
- Kyle Crowell Oakland 8th
- Shane Nance Los Angeles 11th
- Kris Wilken Baltimore 12th
- Brandon Caraway Philadelphia 12th
- J.P. Woodward San Diego 14th
- Eric Lee Houston 18th
- Aaron Melebeck Kansas City 19th
- Jeremy Swindell Detroit 20th
- Jason Pekar San Francisco 30th
- Jarrod Bitter San Diego 33rd
1999
- Erick Burke Detroit 11th
- Bryan Moore Florida 13th
- ^Brandon Caraway Colorado 18th
- ^Shane Nance Los Angeles 24th
1998
- Shaun Skrehot Pittsburgh 38th
1997
- Goefrey Tomlinson Kansas City 4th
- Dustin Carr Tampa Bay 22nd
- Mark Manbeck Philadelphia 35th
1995
- Jason Farrow Pittsburgh 27th
- Tom Maleski Chicago (N) 32nd
1994
- Shane Buteaux Chicago (A) 6th
- Matt Beech Philadelphia 7th
- Ricky Freeman Chicago (N) 19th
1993
- Jason McDonald Oakland 4th
- Brian Blair Texas 17th
- Matt Beech Detroit 24th
1992
- Jeff Haas Kansas City 5th
- R. D. Long New York (A) 38th
- Chris Tremie Chicago (A) 39th
1991
- Vaughn Eshelman Baltimore 4th
- Scott Sheldon Oakland 8th
- Ben Weber Toronto 20th
- Al Benavides San Francisco 29th
1989
- Ben Pardo Kansas City 23rd
- Mark Cerney Cincinnati 26th
1988
- Mike Rhodes New York (A) 28th
- Woody Williams To Toronto 28th MLB ALL-STARS 2003 - St. Louis Cardinals
- Lane Mallet Chicago (A) 47th
1987
- Jody Supak Detroit 12th
- Omar Brewer Texas 17th
- Larry Coker Detroit 20th
- Lonnie Walker New York (N) 29th
- Anthony Young New York (N) 38th
1986
- Mike Walker Pittsburgh 2nd
- Steve Cummings Toronto 2nd
- Pat Hewes St. Louis 11th
- Mike Basso San Diego 18th
- Jeff Banister Pittsburgh 25th
- Paul Kuzniar Cleveland 2nd
1985
- Stu Stauffacher Montreal 19th
1984
- Riley Epps Texas 10th
- Greg Brinkman Seattle 13th
- Dan Larson Seattle 31st
1983
- Rayner Noble Houston 5th
- Doug Drabek Ch Chicago (A) 11th MLB ALL-STARS 1994 - Pittsburgh Pirates
- Alejandro Garcia Detroit 13th
- ^Greg Brinkman Philadelphia 16th
- Mark Dickman Toronto 20th
- Corky Swindell New York (N) 32nd
1982
- Jeff Jacobson Houston 17th
- Stanley Floyd Milwaukee 24th
1981
- Jeff Achilles Boston 18th
1980
- Terry Byrum Oakland 20th
- Alvin Ruben Montreal 21st
- Tom Lukish Toronto 23rd
- Thomas Penney Toronto 24th
1979
- John Shannon Atlanta 24th
- Terry Byrum New York (N) 35th
1978
- Daniel Lopez Atlanta 16th
- Gary Weiss Los Angeles 19th
1977
- Ralph Wheeler Toronto 13th
- Mark David St. Louis 19th
- Gary Weiss San Diego 23rd
1976
- Jerry Willeford Houston 10th
1969
- James Sparkman Montreal 16th
- Phil Rose California 37th
1968
- Tom Paciorek Lo Los Angeles 5th MLB ALL-STARS 1981 - Seattle Mariners
See also
References
- ↑ 1 second ago. "University of Houston Athletics :: UH Cougars :: Official Athletic Site". UH Cougars. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
- ↑ Avery, Robert (January 11, 2010). "Happy 100th birthday, coach Thompson". Pasadena Citizen. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
- ↑ Lyons, John (1954-06-04). "Roland Walton Leaves Rosebuds". Victoria Advocate. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ↑ Bragg Stockton Baseball Biography
- ↑ "Baseball Falls to San Diego State in Aztec Invitational Opener". March 11, 2004.
- 1 2 Campbell, Steve (2010-07-02). "Whitting returns to Houston dugout". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-07-05.
- ↑ Royal, John (2010-06-08). "Rayner Noble Gone After 16 Years As UH Baseball Coach; Who's Next?". Houston Press. Retrieved 2010-07-05.
External links
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