Houston uses Casey's three-run homer to shutout George Washington

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 24, 2016) The No. 16 Houston Cougars used seven hits and a three-run home run by Clay Casey to shut out the visiting George Washington Colonials by the score of 5-0 at Darryl and Lori Schroeder Park on the campus of the University of Houston on Thursday, March 24, 2016. The win raised the Cougars’ home record to 11-3 and their season record to 14-7.

Houston first got on the scoreboard on a RBI single by catcher Conner Wong, sending centerfield Corey Julks home from third base. Julks connected for a single as the leadoff batter in the inning and promptly stole second base. He reached third base when an unassisted out at first base on designated hitter Grayson Padgett allowed him to advance. They added three more runs in the third inning when Casey swung on a 1-1 pitch from Bobby LeWarne, sending the ball over the right-center field for his fifth home run of the season. The three-RBI homer also scored Josh Vidales and Julks, who were on second and first, respectively.

Third baseman Justin Montemayor added to the Cougar scoring assault when he singled to right field on a 2-2 pitch to score Wong from second base for Houston’s fifth run of the game. It was his sixteenth RBI of the season. At that point, Colonial head coach Gregg Ritchie decided Jordan Sheinkop had had enough and sent relief pitcher Randy Dalrymple to the mount. Sheinkop lasted one-third of an inning in relief. Right-hander starter Mitch Ullom, throwing eight complete innings, received the win, his third of the season, while LeWarne received the loss, his second of the season. Both teams will continue the Easter weekend series with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday, March 25, 2016.

Houston falls to Rice 7-4 in first game of Silver Glove Series

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 22, 2016) The No. 16 Houston Cougars and the Rice Owls took to the grass inside Darryl and Lori Schroeder Field on the campus of the University of Houston on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 for the first game of their annual Silver Glove Series. After playing an intense nine innings, Houston dropped a 7-4 decision to the Owls.

Rice jumped out to an early two-run lead in the first inning and extended their lead to 4-0 after the second inning. The Cougars responded in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs to cut the Owls’ lead back to two. Rice tallied their fifth run in the fifth inning, with Houston responding the keep the Owls’ two run advantage intact heading into the final four innings of the game. Houston, after a momentous seventh innings which saw their bats explode for four hits and one run. With one out in the ninth inning, Rice capitalized on two Houston errors to add two additional runs to their total to close out the scoring.

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

The second game of the Silver Glove series will a May 10 matchup at Reckling Park on the Rice University campus. The third meeting between these two cross-town rivals, and the possible rubber game of the series, will take place at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas on May 17. Both games have a scheduled 6:30 p.m. first-pitch.

Next up for the Cougars is a three-game home series against the George Washington Colonialsbeginning on Thursday, March 23 with a 6:30 p.m. start. They will continue the series on Friday, March 24 with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch and finish it up on Saturday, March 25 with a 1 p.m. start. George Washington brings an 8-13 record into the weekend series, while the Cougars post a 13-7 mark.

Rice will host Conference USA opponent Old Dominion on Friday, March 25; followed by a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday, March 26. They will close out their three-game series with a noon meeting on Sunday, March 27.

Grand Canyon Lopes fall to bats of Houston Cougars 5-0

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 19, 2016) The No. 19 Houston Cougars took the first game of a Saturday, March 19, 2016 doubleheader over the Grand Canyon Lopes by the score of 5-0 at Darryl and Lori Schroeder Park in Houston, Texas. The game was moved to Saturday due to excessive rain and hail in the Houston area on Friday evening, March 18.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Houston’s Conner Hollis scampered home on a passed ball by Lopes’ starting pitcher Jorge Perez. The second baseman scored from third base after reaching base on a triple down the right field line, as the second batter of the inning. The Cougars then unleashed the bats in the seventh inning, scoring four runs off four hits and one Grand Canyon error for the win.

Starter Andrew Lantrip when the distance for the Cougars, giving up two hits while striking out seven. With the win, the right hander raised his season record to 3-2 with a 1.53 ERA. Perez was crediting with the loss, his fourth of the season. The Cougars take a 11-6 mark into the second game of the double header, with left hander Seth Romero scheduled to take the mount for Houston. The sophomore from West Columbia, Texas posts a 1.29 ERA coming into the 6:30 p.m. game with a 2-0 record for 2016.

Grand Canyon will counter with left hander Ethan Evanko, who is 2-1 for the season with a 5.19 ERA. Both teams will close out the weekend series with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, March 20, 2016. Left handed pitcher Jake Rapavich is scheduled for the start for the Lopes, while Houston head coach Todd Whitting is yet to declare his starter.

HBU beach volleyball comes up short against No. 2 Florida State

Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSportPublications

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (March 19, 2016) The Houston Baptist University beach volleyball team dropped their first match of the 2016 season with a 5-0 loss to the No. 2 Florida State Seminoles in the Fight at the Fort tournament at the TCU Beach Volleyball Courts in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, March 19, 2016. In the best three-out-of-five match, the Huskies dropped all five sets in two games.

Both duos of Guinevere Meyer and Haley Durham and Hailey Erickson and Laura Fox dropped their sets by identical scores of 21-13, 21-14 to their Florida State opponents. Meyer and Durham fell to Eva Torruella and Brooke Kuhlman while Erickson and Fox lost to Katherine Plessy and Ali Eager.

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Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved.

The HBU pair of Madison O’Brien and Bailey Banks dropped a 21-11, 21-12 decision to the Seminoles’ Tori Paranagua and Nona Pelletier. Fellow Huskies Ashlee Vann and Melissa Fuchs came up short in their set by the same score against Nikki Esposito and Haley Luke. In the fifth match, Jessica Wooten and Aeriel Horton lost 21-4, 21-8 to Jace Pardon and Julie Brown.

Florida State finished the 2015 season with a 13-6 record and a tie for seventh finish at the AVCA Sand Volleyball National Championships. 2016 is their fifth year of competition. They will next face the TCU Horned Frogs in the second round of the tournament. Next up for the Huskies is a Saturday afternoon matchup against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Islanders dropped a 5-0 decision to host TCU to go to 0-3 for the season. With the win, the Horned Frogs raised their season record to 5-2.

HBU takes inaugural beach volleyball match 3-2 over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 17, 2016) The Houston Baptist University Huskies kicked off their NCAA beach volleyball season with a 3-2 win over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Third Coast Volleyball Club in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 17, 2016. The Huskies took all three matches in straight sets, with one of their losses going to a deciding third set in the first meeting of the season kickoff double header.

The duo of Haley Durham and Guinevere Meyer took the first sets by the scores of 21-19 and 21-6 over the Islanders’ Mallory Moran and Kirstee McGarva. The Islanders pair kept it close in the first set, with the Husky duo totally dominating the second game for the victory.

The Huskies took two additional set for the overall win. The pair of Ashley Van and Melissa Fuchs downed Corpus Christi’s Morgan Williams and Madeleine Doud in straight games; 21-14, 21-14. Their third win was a 21-8, 21-9 decision by Jessica Wooten and Aeriel Horton over Brianna Brink and Kate Klepetka. The Islanders’ Maddie Woods and Madison Green took a 21-10, 21-19 decision over HBU’s Hailey Erickson and Laura Fox for one of their wins. In the only three-game set of the day, the Corpus Christi’s Kristyn Nicholson and Morgan Carlson downed the HBU pair of Madison O’Brien and Bailey Banks 21-17, 21-23, 19-17.

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Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved.

The Huskies and the Islanders will face off later in the day in the nightcap of the double-header. After the Houston matchup between the two first-year teams, they will both head to Fort Worth to compete in the Fight at the Fort tournament on March 19-20, 2016. The tournament is hosted by TCU and will include No. 2 Florida State.

Dotson, Artis file lawsuit against University of Oregon

Daymean Dotson is asking for $10 million in damages
from the University of Oregon.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 15, 2016) It has been reported by ESPN and The Oregonian on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 that University of Houston junior guard Damyean Dotson, along with fellow University of Oregon player Dominic Artis, have filed a lawsuit against the University of Oregon for their dismissal from the university following a sexual assault investigation. The dismissal came in May, 2014 after accusation of the rape of a fellow student at a campus party. Neither player was charged in the matter. The suit is asking for $10 million for both Dotson and Artis. The suit was filed four months after former teammate Brandon Austin initiated his own legal action against the university in the dismissal, asking for $7.5 million in damages.

Subsequent to the dismissal from the University of Oregon, Dotson transferred to the University of Houston, after attending Houston Community College from 2014 to 2015. He started in 31 games for the Cougars in 205-2016, averaging 13.9 points per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. He connected for 62 three-pointers, shooting 36.9% from beyond the arc. In addition, he averaged 6.81 rebounds for the season along with 39 assists six blocked shots and 20 steals.

The Houston native played his high school ball at Jack Yates (Houston) High School, where he was named the 2012 Greater Houston Player of the Year and was selected Class 4A All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors his senior year. As a freshman at Oregon, Dotson was named to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-American Team in 2013 along with being named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. The American Athletic Conference honored Dotson with an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.

Dotson will lead the Houston Cougars in the National Invitational Tournament with a first-round game against Georgia Tech on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 with an 8 p.m. CST tipoff at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia.

HBU Huskies men's basketball extend season; will play in CBI Tournament

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 15, 2016) In the press conference after their loss to the SFA Lumberjacks in the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, Houston Baptist University head basketball coach Ron Cottrell was asked how he could use their semi-final appearance to build for next season. He stated their hope was the season was not over. On Sunday, March 13, 2016, their wish was answered when they were invited to compete in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament.

The Huskies are one of 16 teams selected to play in the single-elimination tournament and will face the University of North Carolina-Greensboro on Wednesday, March 16. The game will be played at Greensboro Coliseum with a 7 p.m. EDT tipoff. The Spartans bring a 14-18 record into game after winning five of their last six games. The Huskies posted a 16-15 record in 2016, including a 10-8 record in Southland Conference play.

This will be their first appearance in the post-season since HBU returned to NCAA Division I in 2007. The Huskies have previous made 11 appearances in the post-season in program history under Cottrell, including 10 consecutive NAIA tournament appearance. HBU will be led by senior Anthony Odunsi, who was named first team All-Southland Conference. The Sugar Land, Texas native played in 32 games for the Huskies, averaging 17.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Sophomore Josh Ibarra lead the conference in field goal percentage, connecting on 63.1% of his attempts while senior Jourdan Stickler held the top mark for three-point percentage with 45.9%. For his play. Ibarra was honored with an honorable mention All-Conference selection.

Houston late comeback falls short in 4-2 loss to Baylor

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography, Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 4, 2016) Catcher Conner Wong connected for his second home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it was not enough to silence the bats of the Baylor Bears as the No. 21 Houston Cougars dropped a 4-2 decision at Darryl and Lori Schroeder Park in Houston, Texas on Friday, March 4, 2016. It was the fifth straight loss of the season for the Cougars.

Baylor scored first when right fielder Richard Cunningham advanced home on a wild pitch by Houston starter Andrew Lantrip. The right hander hurled the ball past Wong allowing Cunningham to score after leading off the fourth inning with a triple to deep right field.

The Bears added their second run when catcher Matt Menard homered to deep left field on a 3-2 pitch by Lantrip to double their score. They added an insurance run in the eighth inning after the Cougars committed back-to-back errors, allowing two runs to get on base after walking leadoff batter Steven McLean. The third baseman scored from third on a sacrifice fly to right field by left fielder Darryn Sheppard.

In the ninth inning, the Bears again took advantage of a Houston wild pitch when shortstop Josh Bissonette score from third when relief pitcher Tanner Lawson lost control of the ball. Wong’s home run also scored Robert Grilli, who was pinch running for shortstop Jose Reyes after he reached first base by being hit by a pitch.

The Cougars will take to field to face the Bears in game two of the three-game of the weekend series at 6:45 p.m. CST on Saturday, March 5, 2016.