Houston Cougars baseball

Infobox College baseball team
name = Houston Cougars
founded = 1947

logo_size = 150
university = University of Houston
conference = Conference USA
conference_short = C-USA
division = West
city = Houston
stateabb = TX
state = Texas
coach = Rayner Noble
tenure =14th
stadium = Cougar Field
capacity = 5,000
nickname = Cougars
color1 = Scarlet
color2 = Albino
color3 =
fontcolor = FFFFFF
hex1 = FF2400
hex2 = FFFFFF
hex3 =
national_champion =
cws = 1953, 1967
ncaa_tourneys = 1951, 1953, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008
conference_tournament = Missouri Valley: 1951
Conference USA: 1997, 2000, 2008
conference_champion = Gulf Coast: 1950
Missouri Valley: 1951, 1953, 1960
Conference USA: 1999, 2000, 2002

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 Conference USA as a Division I team. They play their home games at Cougar Field. In addition to numerous NCAA Tournament appearances, the Cougars have made two College World Series appearances. Since 1994, the Cougars have been led by Rayner Noble, who is the winningest coach in the program's history.

History

Early years and Lovette Hill era

The University of Houston's baseball program started in 1947, a year after the school's football program. Bill Henry, the Cougars' first player to make it to the majors, pitched for the inaugural team. 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. During this time, the Cougars played their home games at Buff Stadium.

Walton era

After a 24 year tenure with the Cougars, Lovette Hill retired, and Rolan Walton took over as head coach. 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.

tockton era

In 1987, the University of Houston hired Bragg Stockton 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 and recent history

Since becoming head coach of the Cougars in 1994, Rayner Noble has 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 where they remain today. 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.

Since joining Conference USA, the Cougars have appeared in every Conference USA Baseball Tournament, and hold the second most amount of tournament titles (behind Tulane).

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-Present, Conference USA

Records

Head coaching records

Recent records

* 2008: 42-24 (14-10 in Conference USA)
* 2007: 28-28 (12-12 in Conference USA)
* 2006: 39-22 (18-6 in Conference USA)
* 2005: 29-30 (16-13 in Conference USA)
* 2004: 30-29 (19-11 in Conference USA)
* 2003: 37-30 (18-12 in Conference USA)
* 2002: 48-17 (22-7 in Conference USA)

Current roster

Past players

The following is a list of former Houston Cougars baseball players that later played Major League Baseball:

"Season(s) in which player played with Cougars is found within parentheses"
* Jeff Banister (1986)
* Matt Beech (1993-1994)
* Michael Bourn (2001-2003)
* Jesse Crain (2002)
* Steve Cummings (1985-1986)
* Steve Decker [http://www.baseball-reference.com/schools/houston.shtml]
* Larry Dierker [http://thebaseballcube.com/teams/alumni/20254.shtml]
* Doug Drabek (1981-1983)
* Vaughn Eshelman (1990-1991)
* Bill Henry (1947)
* Rob Johnson [http://www.baseball-reference.com/schools/houston.shtml]
* Jason McDonald (1993)
* Garrett Mock (2003-2004)
* Shane Nance (1997-2000)
* Tom Paciorek (1966-1968)
* Scott Sheldon (1988-1991)
* Chris Snyder (2000-2002)
* Chris Tremie (1989-1992)
* Glenn Vaughan [http://www.baseball-reference.com/schools/houston.shtml]
* Ryan Wagner (2002-2003)
* Mike Walker (1984-1986)
* Ben Weber (1989-1991)
* Gary Weiss (1977-1978)
* Woody Williams (1987-1988)
* Anthony Young (1986-1987)

External links

* [http://uhcougars.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/hou-m-basebl-body.html Official website]