May 5, 2008

HOUSTON - For the second time in an eight-day span, the University of Houston baseball team will face Lamar in a non-conference game, beginning at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at the friendly confines of Cougar Field

A week ago, the Cougars used Bryan Tully's one-out single and a Lamar outfield miscue in the eighth inning to break a tie on the way to a 3-2 win at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont. On Tuesday, UH looks to sweep the regular-season series and grab their fifth straight win against the Cardinals.

Tuesday's game is a make-up contest from March 18 when heavy rain in the Houston area forced the Cougars' lone postponement to date.

The Cougars come into the game on the heels of an impressive three-game sweep of Conference USA rival Memphis. That sweep pushed the Cougars into a three-way tie with No. 23 East Carolina and Southern Miss for third place in the latest C-USA standings

Fans can hear Cougar Baseball games live at UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the play-by-play action while former letterwinner Pat Cauley provides color analysis.

Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the Gametracker link.

Freshman righthander Jared Ray makes his 10th start when he takes the hill against Lamar on Tuesday. This season, the Waco native has compiled a 2-1 record with 48 strikeouts and a 6.88 ERA in 52.1 innings. He ranks third among all UH hurlers in strikeouts, ERA and innings pitched and is only three outs away from tying teammate and fellow freshman Ty Stuckey for the second most innings by a Cougar pitcher.

Ray also comes into Tuesday's game on a career-high two-game winning streak with home victories over Southland Conference foes Sam Houston State (April 16) and McNeese State (April 22).

In his last start, Ray allowed five runs off seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in four innings against UTSA on April 30 at Cougar Field. However, he did not collect a decision as the game went back-and-forth between the two teams until the Roadrunners claimed an 11-9 win in 12 innings.

Tuesday's game will be Ray's first career appearance against the Cardinals.

Senior infielder Bryan Pounds leads the Cougars with a .377 batting average and 50 RBIs, while senior outfielder Jake Stewart is tops with 13 home runs. Senior second baseman Ryan Lormand leads the Cougars with 25 stolen bases in 27 attempts and joins freshman shortstop Blake Kelso as the only players to start all 48 games to date.

The Cougars own a 47-22 (.681) lead in the all-time series, which began in 1952 and has been played at least twice every year since 2006. The Cougars bring a four-game winning streak into Tuesday's game and have not lost to the Cardinals since a 5-4 decision on Beaumont on April 28, 2006.

The Cougars have posted a 25-9 (.735) all-time record against the Cardinals in Houston and enter Tuesday's game on an eight-game home winning streak.

UH has not lost at home to the Cardinals since an 11-10 setback on April 28, 1992. However, the Cougars' winning streak has been a tight affair with four of those wins coming by three runs or less.

Lamar (28-19, 16-8 Southland) comes into the game after winning two of three games against Southland Conference rival Southeastern Louisiana in Beaumont last weekend. Steven Tucker paces the Cardinals with a .352 batting average and 39 RBIs, while David Moore is tops with six home runs.

Head coach Jim Gilligan had not announced his probable starter as of press time.