Hunter Pence for NL Rookie of the Year

By Robert H. Kelly

Houston Astros' center fielder Hunter Pence is certainly making a name for himself.

Having watched ball players all of my life, I find him a breath of fresh air in the hurricane that is Major League Baseball.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I really like this kid. He has the look of an athlete. He doesn't seem stuck on himself, and he looks as if he is playing the game just because he loves it.

I know that sounds cliches; like a line from an old time movie, but he could very well be the future of the Astros franchise.

Look at his stats since he was called up on April 28: 23 games, 88 at bats, 30 hits,11 runs, 4 home runs, and 16 RBIs. His batting average is .341.

If this kid is not a serious candidate for National League Rookie of the Year, then many are not keeping track of him.

TexSport Publications is starting a blog to keep up with Pence and incredible rookie season.

Click here to go the the "Hunter Pence for NL Rookie of the Year" blog.

Marquez, Ronaldinho Join Free Kick Masters in Houston

(From Free Kick Masters Press Release)

International football all-stars and fans from around the globe will converge on Houston, Texas on December 22 to compete head-to-head for top honors at the Free Kick Masters 2007.

Players include Ronaldinho Gaucho and Rafael Marquez. The Free Kick Masters organizers expect record crowds with the dramatic upswing of soccer in the US and high-profile players, like David Beckham coming to live and play in the states.

Those unable to attend the event will be able to view it on Pay-Per-View stations around the world and the first thousand users to register with the site will get exclusive access to any footage shot at the event which is not broadcast via pay-per-view.

Bay Area Toros Go 1-1 in Exhibition Play

By Robert H. Kelly

(Houston, TX, May 19, 2007) In their second game of their exhibition season the Toros lost 5-1 loss to the Northwest Wildcats.

Looking to work out their roster for their upcoming inaugural season was the major goal of manager Jim Bolt.

The Toros pitching gave up a total of 11 walks, along with a three run home. The one shining moment on defense was a diving catch in the 8th inning by second baseman Josh Odell.

On offense, all the Toros could manage was a single run in the bottom on a single RBI by Joseph Mandile. They also accounted for fifteen strikeouts from the superior pitching of the Wildcats. Right handed pitcher Albert Carmona was credited with the loss.

The Toros showed improvement in play in all positions, however Manager Jim Bolt was quoted in saying, “The team cannot have that many strikeouts. Our pitchers need to bear down on their strike zones. The Wildcats should have been held to one run, if you took away all the walks.”

The Toros pre-season record is now at 1-1 after their first game 8-4 victory over the Friendswood Bengals.

The Toros will take to the field for their third exhibition game at the Pre-Season Challenge Series at Killeen High School in Killeen, Texas. They will face the Texas Heat in a 2:00pm game on Sunday, May 20, 2007. They will follow then play their final exhibition game with a home game tune up on May 23 against the Houston Apollos at Clear Creek High School Wildcat Stadium. Game time will be 7:00pm. The game will be free to the public.

Bode Miller Leaves USA Ski Team

By Robert H. Kelly

Former Olympic medalist and World Cup champion Bode Miller is leaving the U.S. National Sli Team.

The 29-year-old Miller won two silver medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but was shut out at the 2006 Turin Games despite being a favorite in nearly every Alpine discipline. He was criticized for spending too much time in local clubs.

From a journalist's viewpoint, I can't say this was something I didn't expect.

This past summer, I was on assignment covering the World Scholar-Athlete Games in Rhode Island. Bode was invited to speak to the athletes competing at the Games.

When he did show up, late, in walked in wearing blue jeans and a orange Nile t-shirt.

He spoke for a a few minutes and opened up the floor for questions. Many of the athletes posed questions, and his responses were typical of a self-centered, egotistical athlete that had become.

He is a classic example of an athlete that is in it for himself, and could care less what others think.

He fits in with other athletes this publication has come to question in the past, such as Shane Davis, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clements.

Good riddance to Bode, He will be missed by almost no one.

Corpus Christi Spoil Ruff Riders Debut 70-54

(Katy, Texas-April 14, 2007) The Corpus Christi Hammerheads (1-0) scored early and often and spoiled the Katy Ruff Riders (0-1) inaugural home game by invading the Merrell Center for a 70-54 victory on Saturday afternoon in Katy.

In what was a typical high-flying, Intense Football League contest, Hammerheads quarterback Wes Cooper threw for 197 yards and five touchdowns and the Ruff Riders found it difficult to stop Corpus Christi running back Fred Wallace. The bruising 300-pound runner racked up 117 yards on 21 carries and scored four times to lead the Hammerheads offense.

Corpus Christi took a 21-7 lead midway through the first quarter, and never trailed as they found the end zone on all nine of their first half possessions. The Ruff Riders contributed to their demise by turning the ball over three times, including a pass that was intercepted by Corpus Christi’s Carl Greenwood on the very first offensive possession of the game. Corpus Christi led 61-41 at the half, but both sides stepped up their defense in the second half, as the scoring slowed down.

“I thought that for our first real game action, we looked pretty good at times,” said Ruff Riders Head Coach Donald Hollas. “We struggled a bit in the first half on defense, because we tried to do a little bit too much. But we toned that down and held them pretty well in the second half. But it’s tough to play at any level of football, when you turn the ball over and give the other team a short field. The best sign I saw was that our team fought back, didn’t quit, and made some adjustments we needed to make. I was very pleased with that.”

Katy quarterback Albert Higgs completed 16 of 29 attempts for 191 yards and four touchdowns and wideout Darrick Wallace found the end zone four times as well for the Ruff Riders, including a pair of kickoff returns for scores. Sammy Knight added two TD’s for the Ruff Riders, while Se’e Poumele and Carlos Alsup each posted TD runs.

RED BULL FLUGTAG IS RETURNING TO TEXAS

(Santa Monica-April 10, 2007) This August 25, Red Bull Flugtag, the outrageous human-powered flying competition, will make its triumphant return to Austin’s Auditorium Shores after four long years away. Santa’s sleigh, Oompa Loompas, and many a flying Elvis have
graced the U.S. skyline over the years, but Flugtag is coming back to see what the Lone Star state can offer.

Flugtag, or “flying day” in German, dares creative individuals to pilot their homemade flying machines off a 22-foot high ramp and into the wild blue yonder – or, as is more often the case, directly into the waters below. Thirty teams of up to five members each will be chosen to soar
over Austin’s shores this summer. All those who think they’ve got what it takes should apply to fly online at www.redbullflugtagusa.com by June15 – don’t miss your chance!

Since the first Red Bull Flugtag held in Vienna, Austria, in 1991, more than 35 Flugtags have been held around the world, attracting up to 300,000 spectators for a single event. The record for the farthest flight-to-date currently stands at 195 feet and was set at Red Bull Flugtag
Austria in 2000. A new U.S. record was set just last year at Red Bull Flugtag Baltimore with a flight of 81 feet.

Don’t expect to see any ho-hum helicopters or commercial aircraft replicas flying above Auditorium Shores this August. Instead, perhaps a stack of pancakes or a two-story puffin will soar through the air. In short, the more flamboyant, the better because teams aren’t judged solely on whether or not they’ll go the distance. Just ask one of the 50,000 spectators who crowded Auditorium Shores and screamed at the shenanigans at Red Bull Flugtag Texas in 2003!

Teams are judged on three criteria: distance, creativity and showmanship. Distance means exactly what you think: how far can you fly? Creativity, well, keeps it interesting. The aesthetically pleasing and eye catching crafts score best here. For the showmanship portion, each team will be given one minute on the flight deck before they launch their craft. This minute can be filled with dancing, skits, and general tom foolery to get the crowd roaring. The sky’s literally the limit here – so get inspired, brainstorm the implausible and sketch something
outrageous!

What would a contest be without a few rules? First off, all flying machines must be entirely human-powered (no external energy sources or stored power so forget about the slingshots, catapults or anything other than your brute strength). Secondly, all crafts must be less than 30
feet wide. And finally, no matter what they say, size does matter – all crafts must weigh no more than 450 lbs (including the pilot).

The payoff can be sweet for those who play fair. The first place prize is a pilot’s training course (cash value $7,500), second place gets skydiving lessons (cash value $3,000) and third place can learn to paraglide (cash value $1,500). There is also a special prize awarded for the People’s Choice which will be decided day of by spectators’ SMS voting.

Red Bull Flugtag Texas is free and open to the public

NEWS FLASH: Wheeler Replaces Lidge As Closer for Astros

By Chris Price

(CHICAGO, IL-April 9, 2007) Manager Phil Garner announced to the media in Chicago that Brad Lidge will be replaced by Dan Wheeler as the closing pitcher for the Astros.

He further stated Lidge would pitch earlier in games, possibly in the sixth or seventh inning.

This is a smart move for the Astros. This will give Lidge a chance to get his act together.

If he can't, perhaps a move to Round Rock might give him the "motivation" to start earning that high dollar paycheck instead of just showing up and giving opposing batters a chance to pad their averages.

Bay Area Toros To Play Professional Baseball In Clear Lake

By Robert H. Kelly

(League City, TX-April 8, 2007) Professional baseball will be come to the Clear Lake/League City area in May in the name of the Bay Area Toros.

Ron Baron, President and CEO of the Continental Baseball League (CBL) has announced that League City, Texas has been awarded one of the four franchises for the inaugural season in the independent league.

The Toros will play a 12 week, 60 game schedule, with the first game occurring on May 27, 2007. They will play their games at Clear Creek High School and will be managed by local coaching legend Jim Bolt.

The Toros roster, in addition to the other teams in the league will consist of 20-25 players, with many of them coming from the local college ranks, along with other young professional players from independent and Class A minor league teams.

The league will held tryouts in Dallas on March 30-31, with the Toros holding tryout locally on April 15, 22, and 29.

Other teams in the league are the Tarrant County Blue Thunder, the Lewisville Lizards, and Dallas based Texas Heat.

The CBA, which is striving to be fan friendly, will offer tickets from $5.00 to $10.00 and will and have complementary parking at each ballpark.

TexSport Publications will stay on top of this new league and will provide further information as opening day approaches.

Lidge Gives Up 5 Runs in Astros 10-1 Loss To Cardinals

By Robert H. Kelly

(Houston, TX-April 8, 2007) Houston Astros manager Phil Garner has stated pitcher Brad Lidge is his relief pitcher. Some have questioned that statement but I for one, think it is not in the best interest of reporting to second guess a manager. He knows more about the team than someone sitting in front of a computer screen.

Writers have the luxury of being able to sit back and analyse a manager's decisions. A writer can only guess the intensity of the pressure that any baseball manager feels when he makes player decisions.

With that being said, I didn't write anything about Lidge sub-par performance on opening day. After today's disaster in 2/3 of the ninth inning, I feel it is my job as a writer to look at the facts and make some observations.

Today, Lidge was tagged for five runs, two of those earned, on a three-run double by Scott Rolen and a two-run double by Yadier Molina. He also walked two batters and raised his ERA to 16.20.

Combine that with his performance on opening day, where he pitched one inning, giving up two hits, one run (earned), a homerun and a walk, while striking out only a single batter and it seems to me this guy is not earning his paycheck.

He is making $5,350,000 this season. One would think that he would out a bit more effort into a performance. I realize he is playing to his ability, but to receive that kind if money and to play as he has in his past two outings is nothing short of criminal.

If he doesn't get his act together, he needs to load his gear on the train and get Junction Jack to haul his "sub-par" butt to Round Rock, Corpus Christi, or some other minor league team.

I don't think he is trade material, because what Major League team would want him? He has a one year contract with the Astros and that may be one year too much.

He needs to "shape up or ship out." Garner and the fans will not wait much longer for him to find his groove and start earning that 5.35 million dollar paycheck.

Craig Biggio 3000 Hit Watch

TexSport Publications will post a seperate blog on the historic run of Houston Astros second baseman Craig Biggio's quest towards 3000 career hits.

We will be posting game by game updates along with interesting commentary and other pertinate data as he approachs this memorable milestone.

Click here or on the title above to be taken to the Craig Biggio 3000 Hits Watch Blog

Pozdniakova, van Katwijk, Shamburger Earn C-USA Swimming and Diving Honors

From University of Houston Press Release

University of Houston divers Anastasia Pozdniakova and Ginni van Katwijk and swimmer Jessica Shamburger received specialty awards from Conference USA, as selected by the conference’s head coaches, on Tuesday.

Pozdniakova was honored as the league’s Diver of the Year, while van Katwijk was recognized as one of two Newcomers of the Year. Shamburger claimed Freshman Swimmer of the Year accolades.

The honors are just the latest for the Cougar Swimming and Diving program, which finished 23rd at the 2007 NCAA Championships, the seventh consecutive season that the Cougars have ranked among the Top 25 team leaders at the nation’s top collegiate meet.

Pozdniakova just finished her sophomore season at UH and compiled numerous honors. In 2006-07, she was named the C-USA Diver of the Week five times during the regular season and was honored as the C-USA Diver of the Meet after winning both the 1- and 3-meter championships.

After winning the 1- and 3-meter championships at the NCAA Zone D meet, Pozdniakova continued her impressive performances at the 2007 NCAA Championships during her first appearance at that meet. She finished as the National Runner-Up on the 3-meter springboard and captured another All-America honor on the 1-meter board after finishing fifth.

Competing in her first season at UH, van Katwijk joined the Cougar diving corps after transferring from Wyoming and made an immediate impact. She joined Pozdniakova as the only divers to finish among the Top Three leaders in all three diving events at the C-USA Championship.

The Grootebroek, Netherlands, native finished second on the platform in the consolation finals of the 2007 NCAA Championship to earn All-America honors.

van Katwijk shared the C-USA postseason honor with SMU’s Angela San Juan Cisneros.

Shamburger captured the C-USA 100-yard backstroke championship during her first collegiate season and was a member of three All-Conference USA relay teams at the C-USA meet. The Spring native’s time in the 100-yard backstroke was the second fastest in school history.

SMU’s Petra Klosova was named the 2007 C-USA Swimmer of the Year.

Durant Named AP Player of the Year

By Robert H. Kelly

University of Texas basketball standout Kevin Durant was named the Associated Press’ college basketball player of the year. He is the first freshman to receive the award.

Durant receives all but two of the 72 votes cast from the national media panel that selected recipient of the award.

He was also selected to the AP’s All American team earlier in the week, averaging 25.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

University of Texas coach Rick Barnes was quoted, "There's no question Kevin deserves every individual accolade that he will receive. But the one thing I respect most about Kevin is that he is the ultimate team player. He really doesn't care about the individual numbers and awards. All he cares about is the success of his team. When you're around a guy like that, it makes coaching him a joy."

The only question in my mind is when will Durant announce he is leaving the college ranks and enter the NBA draft?

This young man has nothing to prove in college anymore. However, I wonder if he is mentally and physically mature enough to handle the NBA?

His skills seem to be of the caliber to handle the talent in the NBA. But will his mental skills be able to handle the stress and strain of the NBA season? There are many distractions that go along with being a professional athlete. I hope he has someone to help him down the road and make the transition from college to the NBA ranks a smooth journey.

There is no doubt in my mind that he will be going to the NBA and forgo his college career at Texas. I just hope he is smart enough to get his education along the way.

When this writer was a student at the University of Texas, I had Earl Campbell in a class. That was his senior year and he missed the class quite frequently. After all, that was his Heisman Trophy year and he was being courted by the NFL. As any sports fan knows, he was drafted by the Houston Oilers and went on to a stellar professions career.

What many don’t know is that Campbell went back to UT and finished his degree afetr he went pro.

I hope Durant has the same good sense. After all, how will he manage his millions and trust those who will be by his side he doesn’t have that education?

Houston’s Szintia Szanto Named to C-USA Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team

From University of Houston Press Release

University of Houston senior Szintia Szanto was one of six swimming and diving student-athletes named to the 2006-07 Conference USA All-Academic Team, as announced by the league office Monday.

Szanto is a three-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient and C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll member during her career. Her 3.89 GPA in communications/advertising is the highest on a Cougar squad that routinely places double-digit numbers on the C-USA Honor Roll.

The Budapest, Hungary, native was a four-time All-Conference USA Second-Team honoree at the 2007 C-USA Championship, held at UH’s own Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.

The All-Academic Team consists of six student-athletes that have earned a 3.20 cumulative grade point average or higher and competed in 75 percent of their team’s scheduled meets.

Three sophomore, two seniors and a junior made up the 2006-07 C-USA All-Academic swimming and diving team. In addition to Szanto, Kim Brewer (East Carolina), Camilla Overup (Marshall), Diane Gu (Rice), Jenny Basel (SMU), Celina Lemmen (SMU) were named to the All-Academic Team.

World Class Motorsports Returns to Houston

By Robert H. Kelly

World class motorsports returns to Houston on April 20-22 when the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston takes to the circuit around Reliant Park. The event will once again feature a spectacular combination of racing with world-class events from the Champ Car World Series and the American Le Mans Series.

The event will be a Friday through Sunday format. This will be a change from the 2006 event, which was a Thursday to Sunday format. The American Le Mans Series event will take place on the evening of Saturday, April 21. The Champ Car race will be held on Sunday afternoon, April 22.

TexSport Publications will be here for up-to-date information on the race weekend and for complete coverage of all the action on race days.

Please visit our dedicated web page at Grand Prix of Houston for complete news and coverage of the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston.

2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Every year, TexSport Publications gets into the mix and makes our predictions on the outcome of the 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

This year is no different. However this year, we will make our predictions after each round instead of the entire tournament at once.

Here are our predictions:

Midwest
Florida
Purdue
Old Dominion
Maryland
Notre Dame
Oregon
Georgia Tech
Wisconsin

West
Kansas
Kentucky
Illinois
Holy Cross
Duke
Pittsburgh
Gonzaga
UCLA

East
North Carolina
Marquette
Southern Cal.
Texas
Vanderbilt
Washington State
Boston College
Georgetown

South
Ohio State
BYU
Tennessee
Virginia
Louisville
Texas A&M
Nevada
Memphis

We will continue this post on our satellite blog http://texsportncaabasketballtournament.blogspot.com/

Skip Kenney Suspended by Stanford University

By Robert H. Kelly

Stanford Univeristy men's swimming coach Skip Kenney was suspended indefinitely by the school Friday in the wake of his admission that he intentionally erased several performances from the team's media guide. As a result, he will not accompany the team to the NCAA Championships this coming week.

Yesterday, athletic director Bob Bowlsby had said that Kenney would be allowed to go with the team to Minneapolis before any "punitive steps'' would be taken against him. By Friday afternoon, Bowlsby decided to take action immediately.

"We take these allegations very seriously,'' Bowlsby said. "We will take the next several weeks to investigate each one thoroughly before coming to a conclusion on any further actions.''

Why would coach of such notoriety internally delete swimmers performance's from the record books is beyond believe.

Some have said he was being vindictive towards swimmers whom had butted head with him.

Regardless of the reason, this is unthinkable and inexcusably. Did he think because he was the "Great Skip Kenney" that he was beyond reproach and could do whatever he wanted?

Only he knows for sure. If it had been any other coach, he would have been out on the street, looking for a new job, with very few prospects.

What is amazing is that, if the truth was to be known, many coaches out there have the same attitude and think they can do what they want. Many more than we think and are willing to admit.

My prediction is that he will be fired and then hired by another university or high profile club team.

After all, most people will forgive anything if they think the coach can win for them.

Houston Swimming and Diving to Host C-USA Championship this Week

From University of Houston Media Relations Office

Some of the nation’s finest collegiate swimmers and divers will visit Houston this week to take part in the 2007 Conference USA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship and Men’s Invitational at UH’s own Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.

The meet opens at 3 p.m., Wednesday with the preliminaries of the men’s 1-meter diving. Finals of the 200-yard medley relay, men’s 1-meter diving and 800-yard freestyle relay are slated to start at 6 p.m.

The meet kicks into high gear with preliminaries beginning at 10 a.m., Thursday. Thursday’s schedule includes the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley and 50-yard freestyle. The preliminaries for the women’s 3-meter diving are slated to begin around 1 p.m.

Finals for those events plus the 400-yard medley relay will begin at 6 p.m., Thursday.

In addition to the host Cougars, the meet features both the men’s and women’s teams from SMU and East Carolina and the women’s teams from Rice, East Carolina and Marshall. Hawai’i also will be competing on the men’s side.

Tickets will be available for purchase near the front of the CRWC Natatorium beginning one hour prior to the meet Thursday morning. All-session passes are available for $25 for adults or $10 for students with valid ID. Day tickets can be purchased for $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID. Students from any C-USA school with a valid free will be admitted free to the meet.

There will be no admission price for fans wishing to attend Wednesday’s sessions. Fans attending any session beginning Thursday morning will be charged accordingly.

Fans can buy an official C-USA meet program and that session’s heat sheet for only $5 beginning Thursday morning. Fans who buy a program and present it to sellers prior to each session can purchase additional heat sheets for future sessions for only $3 each.

This marks the fourth straight season that the Cougars have played host to the C-USA Women’s Championship and Men’s Invitational. UH is the only C-USA school to host the annual event at an on-campus site.

In 2006, SMU earned the women’s championship during its first year in the league. The Mustangs, who are ranked No. 12 in the latest CollegeSwimming.com poll, set nine meet records to earn the convincing win.

East Carolina finished second with 587 points a year ago, but the Cougars were a close third with 585 points. Rice, Tulane and Marshall rounded out the rest of the field.

On the men’s side, the Mustangs scored 974 points to sweep both crowns. East Carolina finished second with the Rainbow Warriors coming in third.

This will be the Cougars’ first meet since taking a 46-44 win at New Orleans on Jan. 28. That relay-meet win pushed the Cougars’ overall record in 2006-07 to an impressive 18-6 mark, doubling the previous single-season record win total.

Senior captain Szintia Szanto will take part in her final home meet this weekend after a stellar career at UH. This season, she has posted UH season-best times in the 200-yard butterfly, 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.

The Budapest, Hungary, native already has provisionally qualified for the 2007 NCAA Championships with her time in the 200-yard individual medley but will be looking for even faster times this week.

Sophomore and fellow Hungarian Andrea Pa’lmai leads the Cougars this season in the 1,000-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke and 400-yard individual medley. Fellow sophomore Sasha Schwendwein also has been a steady performer for the Cougars with season-best times in the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle events.

The Cougars, under the leadership of five-time C-USA Diving Coach of the Year Jane Figueiredo, always boast one of the nation’s premier diving programs, and 2006-07 has been no different.

Sophomore Anastasia Pozdniakova, the reigning C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year, has been named C-USA Diver of the Week four times this season and recorded C-USA best marks on both the 1- and 3-meter springboards.

Senior captain Rachel Gitelson, who joins Szanto and swimmer Alejandra Salazar in competing in their final home meet, has posted the league’s best total on the platform, while junior Ginni van Katwijk was most recently honored as the C-USA Diver of the Week.

COUGARS FALL TO ARIZONA STATE 11-1 AT HOUSTON COLLEGE CLASSIC

By Robert H. Kelly

Unable to match the power of the Arizona State bats, the Houston Cougars recorded their second consecutive loss of season, falling 11-1 in the final game for both teams at the 2007 Houston College Classic.

The Cougars were never really in the game, as the Sun Devils, who erupting for a season high 15 hits, took command of the game from the start.

They scored four runs off four hits to start their scoring attack and combined that with a solid defensive effort to overwhelm the Cougars.

The Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the 2nd on a Bryan Pounds homerun to left field to take the score to 4-1.

Arizona State came back with single runs in both the 4th and 6th innings, and tagged two more runs in both the 7th and 8th innings.

The game took its toll on the Houston bullpen, with five pitchers seeing action, allowing for the 11 runs, with 10 of them earned, on 15 hits, with 7 walks.

Pitcher Barry Laird recorded the only strikeout of the game for the Cougars, fanning the second baseman Eric Sogard in the in the 4th.

Arizona State’s Josh Satow went the distance for the win, allowing one run on six hits, with 8 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.29.

Wes Musich was given the loss allowing 5 runs on 6 hits with 4 walks and no strikeouts.

The Sun Devils are 5-1 for the season, while the Cougars fell to 2-2.

HOUSTON FALLS TO AGGIES 3-2 AT THE HOUSTON COLLEGE CLASSIC

By Robert H. Kelly

Whether it was early season mistakes, the hot Aggie bats in the sixth inning, or their outstanding pitching, the Houston Cougars could not stay with Texas A&M University, as the Aggies defeated Houston by the score of 3-2 in day two action at the Houston College Classic.

Houston (2-1) got on the scoreboard first with a solo home run by infielder Felix Fanaselle in the first inning on the first pitch from Aggie right-hander Kyle Thebeau

The Aggies came back in the third when outfielder Ben Feltner scored from third off a sacrifice fly by catcher Craig Stinson to tie the score at one all.

Texas A&M then exploded after two outs in the sixth inning, when Darby Brown was sent to the plate to pinch hit for Spencer Jackson. Brown singled to the left side on a 2-1 pitch, followed by a line drive to left field by catcher Josh Stinson. Stinson was safe at first with Brown advancing to second.

Cougars pitcher Donnie Joseph opened the door further for the Aggies, allowing both Brown and Stinson to advance on a wild pitch.

The Cougars fate was sealed when infielder Brody Greene singled to right field, allowing both Brown and Stinson to score.

Later in the inning, the Cougars caught Greene trying to steal third, but the damage was done. The Aggie went up 3-1 and kept the lead until the end.

Infielder Jimmy Cesario came back in the top of the eighth inning with a solo shot to right field to take the score to 3-2.

The winning pitcher was Jordan Chambliss who pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing 1 earned run on one hit, with six strikeouts and an ERA of 1.80.

John Touchton was credited with the loss; pitching 2 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits, with two strikeouts, one walk and an REA of 6.00.

The Cougars (2-1) will take on Arizona State at 11:00am on Sunday in their final game of the Houston College Classic. Texas A&M (2-1) will face Rice in the 6:00pm game on Sunday.

COUGARS UPSET BAYLOR AT HOUSTON COLLEGE CLASSIC

By Robert H. Kelly

On a very cool evening, in the somewhat comfortable confines of Houston’s Minute Maid Park, the Houston Cougars took to the field to face in number 20 Baylor in the first game for both teams at the 2007 Houston College Classic.

Houston (1-0) coming off a 15-4 thumping of Steven F. Austin on Tuesday, were looking to end a streak that has seen them finish with a 1-2 record at the Classic in each of the last four season.

Cougar Aaron Brown took to the mound to face Baylor’s Randall Linebaugh in the first assignment for each of these junior righthanders. Brown held the Bears to only one hit with five strikeouts over five shutout innings to help lead the Cougars to a 4-2 win.

Brown has an opportunity to show more than the glimpses of potential that sporadically appeared during his previous two seasons.

"On a scale of 10, I'd give it a 9.5," Cougar Coach Rayner Noble was quoted on Brown's performance "His command wasn't real great, but the thing is he made the pitches when he needed to make them.

"It's just a matter of him, from one day to the next, being consistent. Not only with his bullpens being sharp but just in his work ethic. When he understands all of the facts, he's got a chance to be very, very good."

Brown was part of a solid pitching performance by the Cougar staff, which did not allow Baylor's second hit until the seventh inning.

The Cougars struck for the game's first run in the first inning. Ryan Lormand was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved into scoring position following Jake Stewart's sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Kingsbury slapped an RBI-single into center field to hand the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

The score remained unchanged until the fifth inning when the Cougars got three runs off four hits.

Cougar pitchers kept the Baylor offense in check until the eighth inning when the Bears struck for a pair of runs.

The Cougars will face Texas A&M at 3:00pm Saturday for the second game for each team in the tournament.