University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis Baseball Hosts Houston in C-USA Clash
Apr 16, 2009 | Baseball
April 16, 2009
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Riding the momentum of its first midweek sweep of the year, the University of Memphis baseball team will jump back into Conference USA action this weekend with a three-game set versus Houston at Millington's USA Stadium. The Tigers and Cougars are scheduled to play at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Pitching Matchups
Friday, April 17, 2009 • 6:30 p.m.
Memphis - Jr., LHP, Brennon Martin (5-1, 3.38 ERA)
Houston - So., RHP, Jared Ray (1-2, 6.33 ERA)
Saturday, April 18, 2009 • 2 p.m.
Memphis - Fr., RHP, Heith Hatfield (1-3, 4.74 ERA)
Houston - Fr., RHP, Michael Goodnight (4-2, 3.63 ERA)
Sunday, April 20, 2009 • 1 p.m.
Memphis - Jr., LHP, Brach Davis (1-4, 5.67 ERA)
Houston - Jr., LHP, Wes Musick (3-5, 6.18 ERA)
Scouting the Tigers
Winners of four of its last five, Memphis currently clings to the eighth and final spot for the C-USA Tournament to be held in Hattiesburg, Miss., with four league series remaining. Memphis is 8-4 at home.
The weekend has been kind to Memphis. The Tigers are 13-10 on the weekend, and 7-1 on Friday night. Brennon Martin leads the Tigers pitching staff with a 5-1 record and a 3.38 ERA in eight starts. His five wins are tied for the second-most in the C-USA and ties for 39th in the nation. He leads the league with 56 innings pitched and is fifth with 45 strikeouts. He has issued just six walks and ranks 12th nationally in walks per nine innings. The Memphis bullpen has been stellar over the last five games. Five Tiger relievers have combined to go 2-0 with three saves, 19 strikeouts and an electric 0.50 ERA. In the last five contests, senior Duke Williams has shined, collecting a win and a save, while fanning seven.
The Tiger offense comes into the weekend rated eighth in hitting with a .273 team batting average. Freshman Drew Martinez leads the way, batting .339. Martinez had a career night against Austin Peay on Wednesday. He went 4-for-4 and was intentionally walked twice in a 13-inning Tiger win. Martinez leads the club with 41 hits and 12 multi-hit performances. Junior Shawn Ablett is the only other Memphis player hitting .300. He checks in at .311. Redshirt freshman Adam McClain is currently working on a career-long 11-game hit streak that has seen his average jump up to .291. Freshman Jacob Wilson hits just .242, but is tied for sixth in C-USA with a team-high 11 doubles. Junior Tyler Huelsing in ninth in the league with 10 stolen bases.
Last Time Out
Memphis 5, Austin Peay 4 (13)
Austin Peay (15-21) 101 001 010 000 0 - 4 9 0 Memphis (16-20) 000 020 200 000 1 - 5 10 3JACKSON, Tenn.--Freshman Drew Martinez had a career night with four hits, but it was Adam McClain's one-out single in the bottom of the 13th inning that plated Jacob Wilson with the game-winning run that gave Memphis a 5-4 win over Austin Peay Wednesday evening at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn. The Tigers sweep midweek play for the first time this year and improve to 16-20 with its fourth win in the last five games. APSU falls to 15-21.
Wilson walked to lead off the inning and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Newsom. The Govs elected to intentionally walk Martinez for the second consecutive at-bat to face McClain. McClain, who had a chance to end the game earlier, came through with the game-winning single.
Dane Sharp picked up the win after tossing one scoreless inning of relief.
Scouting the Cougars
Houston is 15-20 overall and sits in fourth in the C-USA standings with a 5-4 mark. The Cougars fell to Sam Houston State, 11-2, in their only midweek contest of the week. They dropped last week's league series to Southern Miss, 2-1.UH was picked to finish fifth in the C-USA preseason poll.
The Cougars got the season off to a slow start, at 7-17, but have since won eight of their last 11. They are led by Preseason All-C-USA pitchers Chase Dempsay and Wes Musick. Dempsay garnered Preseason All-American Third Team recognition from Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, College Baseball Insider and the NCBWA. He was also placed on the College baseball Foundation's Wallace Watch List, as well as being tabbed a member of the Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List. Dempsay has not had the success he did as a freshman and comes into the weekend 1-0 with a 6.31 ERA and two saves. He has hit six batters and opponents hit .306 against him. Musick has struggled to a 3-5 mark, with a 6.18 ERA. Michael Goodnight and Donnie Joseph have been the prime performers on the UH staff. Goodnight ranks fifth in C-USA with a .229 opponent's batting average and ninth with a 3.63 ERA. C-USA `s Pitcher of the Week award winner on March 23, Joseph has a team-best four saves to go with 46 strikeouts out of the Houston bullpen. Opposing hitters bat just .191 against him.
Houston is much like Memphis offensively, The Cougars rank seventh in C-USA with a .286 batting average and ninth in runs scored (189), RBI (173) and home runs (17). Six Cougs hit .300 or higher, led by Caleb Ramsey's .333 clip. Ramsey is the team leader with 30 RBI and nine stolen bases. Blake Kelso, a member of the 2008 C-USA All-Freshman Team, hits .327 and leads the squad in hits. Dempsay has legged out a team-best 10 doubles, while Chris Wallace has six home runs.
All-Time Series vs. Houston
In a series that began in 1997, Memphis is 7-31 all-time versus Houston. The Cougs swept the 2008 season series in Houston. The Tigers and Cougars split four games in the 2007 season. The Tigers avenged a 2-1 regular series loss by sending the Cougars to the elimination round via a first-round victory in the C-USA Championships. That game was the "coming out" party for Tiger junior Brennon Martin. Martin, then a redshirt freshman, scattered nine hits in a 12-4 complete-game victory.
Six of the U of M's seven wins over Houston have come at home, where they have posted a 6-12 all-time mark against UH. Memphis' only series win over Houston was in 2003 when it sandwiched a pair of wins, in the opener and finale, around a loss in game two. Memphis has dropped 18 straight games (sweeps in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008) to the Cougars in Houston. UH has handed Memphis losses in each of the last regular season series. The 2006 series showcased one of the longest games in Memphis baseball history. The Tigers and Cougars tangled up for a 16-inning tilt in the Sunday series Finale. Houston came away with the 8-7 win.
Last Time vs. Houston
Houston 5, Memphis 4
Memphis (16-31, 4-13 C-USA) 200 002 000 - 4 10 5 Houston (30-18, 11-7 C-USA) 000 120 02X - 5 4 0HOUSTON--Memphis pitchers held Houston to just four hits, while its offense banged out 10. However, five errors and a pair of eighth-inning wild pitches allowed the Cougars to claw past the Tigers, 5-4, in Sunday's series finale at Cougar Field. Memphis has now been swept in three consecutive weekend series.
The Tigers carried a 4-3 lead into the bottom the eighth inning, but were unable to hold on to the lead as Jake Stewart started a two-run rally with a single to shallow right centerfield. A sacrifice bunt by Bryan Pounds moved him over to second and Memphis elected to walk Jimmy Cesario to keep the double play in order. Memphis closer Matt Yokley induced a fielder's choice out by Ryan Lormand, but then unleashed a pair of sliders that both skipped away from catcher Chris Kirkland. Stewart scored the game-tying run on the first, and Lormand came in with the game-winner on the second.
Brach Davis was strong in 4.2 innings of work. He held Houston hitless for four innings and struck out six. Marc Ashley was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs--one earned--on two hits in 2.2 innings.
UH closer Chase Dempsey benefitted from the late rally to claim the win.
On Deck
Next week the Tigers will look to avenge a pair of early-season losses to Murray State and UT-Martin. Memphis will make the trip to Murray for a 3 p.m. tilt on Tues., April 21, before returning to Jackson, Tenn. to take on UT-Martin at, 5 p.m., on Wed. April 22.
