Houston scored nine unanswered runs on the strength of three home runs and seven extra-base hits overall, as the Cougars buried Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 9-1 on Wednesday night at home.
Xavier Perez led the Cougars with a two-run home run and three extra-base hits overall, as he went 4-for-4 and reached base on all five of his plate appearances. Riley Jackson and Malachi Lott also homered for Houston, and Evan Haeger added a pair of doubles.
Houston showed a mix of both power and speed in beating the Islanders, as the Cougars went 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts. Tre Broussard swiped three bases to reach 20 steals on the season, and is one of four players nationally to steal at least 20 bases without getting caught stealing this year.
The Cougars will visit Baylor for their weekend series beginning Friday.
Read More: Around the Big 12: Thursday, April 3
Cougars Add Midweek Game Against McNeese
Houston made an addition to its schedule on Wednesday, picking up a game on April 9 at home against McNeese State. The Cougars had games against nationally-ranked Texas and Oregon State wiped out in February because of weather, while the Cowboys were supposed to visit Texas A&M before losing that game to weather.
On paper, facing McNeese State is certainly more manageable for the Cougars than either the Longhorns or the Beavers, but the Cowboys are by no means a pushover. At 20-5, McNeese is one of the top teams in the Southland Conference, one of the better mid-major leagues in the nation. The Cowboys reached the Southland final last season, losing to Nicholls State.
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The last-minute addition could also affect West Virginia, as the Cougars will now play two midweek games before hosting the Mountaineers from April 11 to April 13. Houston already scheduled city rival Rice for Tuesday before facing the Mountaineers Friday. The Cougars must now figure out at least seven additional innings before West Virginia comes to Texas. The Mountaineers, conversely, will only play one midweek game next week, that being a Tuesday contest against Penn State.
Wildcats Fight Off Wichita State Comeback
Dee Kennedy homered twice for visiting Kansas State, and the Wildcats outlasted Wichita State in a 13-10 victory that saw the Big 12 leaders nearly throw away an 11-run lead.
The Wildcats appeared to have the Shockers on the canvas going to the bottom of the seventh, carrying a 12-1 lead and needing just three outs to end the game via the 10-run rule. Instead, an error by second baseman Shintaro Inoue changed the game.
Related: West Virginia Handles Ohio State
His mistake allowed the Shockers to score two unearned runs (three total) in the inning, which kept the game alive. Wichita State then struck for five more runs in the eighth, turning what had been a blowout into a nervous finish for the nationally ranked Wildcats.
Donte Lewis and Maximus Martin each had three hits for the Wildcats. Kennedy drove in five runs off his two home runs, his only hits of the game. Kansas State has won 11 of its past 12 and visits struggling Oklahoma State Friday.
Jayhawks Extend Win Streak to Six
Kansas followed a sweep of Oklahoma State with a comfortable 10-7 win over South Dakota State, closing a perfect homestand. The Jayhawks’ 24-6 mark is the program’s best ever through 30 games, and Kansas is 13-2 in Lawrence this season. Kansas has not made the NCAA tournament since 2014, but its record has put that goal in play.
Jackson Hauge and Brady Counsell both homered for Kansas, which scored at least 10 runs for the third consecutive game. Like their in-state rivals, the Jayhawks made things harder than necessary in the late innings. Kansas carried a 9-1 lead into the seventh inning, but the Jackrabbits scored six runs in the frame to pressure the hosts.
Kansas will travel to Central Florida on Friday for its weekend series.
