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 Big 12 Conference as a Division I team. They play their home games at Schroeder Park. In addition to 22 NCAA tournament appearances, the Cougars have made four Super Regional and two College World Series appearances. Houston's head coach will be Will Davis, who was hired in May 2026 and will begin his tenure with the 2027 season. The team was most recently led by Todd Whitting, from 2011 to 2026.
History
Early years and Lovette Hill era
The University of Houston's baseball program started in 1947. Head coach Ned Thompson was hired from Pasadena High School, and became the first baseball coach for 1947, backfield coach in football from 1946 to 1948 for the University of Houston. He also served as associate athletic director in charge of business finances from 1946 to 1976. Among the players for his 1947 baseball team was pitcher Bill Henry who had been a forward on Thompson's state high school championship basketball team the year prior. Following his 1947 efforts for Houston, Henry went on to become Houston's first player to play Major League Baseball, where he enjoyed an 18-year career.
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 Hill, the Cougars appeared in several more NCAA Regionals throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Appearing in the finals of the 1967 College World Series against the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Cougars finished runner-up and with a #2 national ranking. The team also began playing their home games at nearby Buffalo Stadium, before moving into an on-campus facility. 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 1973.
Walton era After a 25-year tenure with the Cougars, Lovette Hill retired, and Rolan Walton took over as head coach. Walton had previously played for the Cougars in the early years under Hill. He later played as a shortstop for the Victoria Rosebuds, a Texas League team, before leaving in 1954. During Walton's time as coach, the Cougars appeared in two more NCAA Regionals throughout the 1980s.
Stockton 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 1994 season, the Cougars made one more NCAA Regional 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 Stockton's retirement, 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 era
After becoming head coach of the Cougars in 1994, Rayner Noble 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. In 2004, the Cougars played San Diego State at Petco Park in front of 40,106, the largest college baseball crowd to date.
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.
In Conference USA, the Cougars appeared in every Conference USA baseball tournament, and held the second most number of tournament titles (behind Tulane).
Despite becoming the program's winningest coach, Noble's 2009 and 2010 records were back-to-back losing seasons, which Houston had not seen since 1974 and 1975.
Whitting era
In 2010, it was announced that Rayner Noble would not return as head coach. Former Houston assistant coach and player Todd Whitting was announced as his replacement. Whitting had served in various positions with TCU, ultimately serving as associate head coach before returning to his alma mater.
In the 2013 season after rebuilding the team for two years, Whitting led the Houston Cougar Baseball team to its best start in 24 seasons. In March 2013, for the first time in seven years, with Whitting at the helm, the Cougars were ranked in the top twenty by Baseball America.
Houston's Cougar Field (now Schroeder Park) received substantial renovations at the end of the 2013 calendar year thanks to major donations from alumni and former players. FieldTurf was installed to replace the natural grass and bullpens were upgraded, giving the stadium a makeover.
In 2014, the Cougars joined the American Athletic Conference for its inaugural season. Riding the momentum of the 2013 season, the Cougars continued their success into 2014 and won the inaugural AAC conference tournament. The Cougars finished the 2014 regular season with a 44–15 record and ranking as high as number 9 nationally. This was also the first season since 1993 that the Cougars swept powerhouse Rice and claimed the Silver Glove Series.
Whitting was not retained after the 2026 season.
Davis era Will Davis was hired as Houston baseball's ninth head coach on May 26, 2026.Will Davis Tabbed 9th Houston Baseball Head Coach. University of Houston, 26 May 2026. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
Conference affiliations Independent (1947) Lone Star Conference (1948) Independent (1949) Gulf Coast Conference (1950) Missouri Valley Conference (1951–1960) Independent (1961–1972) Southwest Conference (1973–1996) Conference USA (1997–2013) American Athletic Conference (2014–2023) Big 12 Conference (2024–present)
Head coaches
1947Ned Thompson– 1948Dalton Albert 1949Bill Lutz– 1950–1974Lovette Hill 5 3 61975–1986Rolan Walton 21987–1994Bragg Stockton 21995–2010Rayner Noble 3 3 82011–2026Todd Whitting 3 2 42027–presentWill Davis Total11822 Notes: Through 2026 season.
NCAA Division I baseball tournament results The Cougars have appeared in 22 NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 43–48–1. They have made two appearances in the College World Series.
1951 District 5 Playoffs Lost 2–5 at OklahomaLost 5–6 at Oklahoma1953 District 5 Playoffs Lost 4–7 at OklahomaWon 8–7 at OklahomaWon 5–3 at Oklahoma College World Series Lost 1–4 vs. Boston CollegeLost 6–7 vs. Stanford 1958 District 6 Playoffs Lost 2–3 vs. Texas 1960 District 6 Playoffs Won 4–2 at TexasLost 3–4 at ArizonaLost 4–6 at Arizona 1966 District 6 Playoffs Tied 4–4 vs. TexasWon 5–4 vs. TexasLost 3–9 vs. TexasLost 5–8 vs. Texas1967 District 6 Playoffs Won 11–8 vs. TexasLost 1–5 at TexasWon 4–3 at Texas College World Series Lost 1–12 vs. StanfordWon 7–6 vs. Ohio StateWon 3–213 vs. Boston CollegeWon 3–0 vs. Arizona StateLost 2–11 vs. Arizona State 1982 West II Regional Lost 3–7 vs. Cal State FullertonWon 13–3 vs. San Diego StateLost 5–9 at Arizona State 1985 Central Regional Won 11–4 vs. LSULost 2–9 at TexasLost 9–10 vs. Lamar 1987 Central Regional Won 10–5 vs. Indiana StateWon 8–4 vs. Sam Houston StateLost 3–15 at TexasWon 4–0 vs. Sam Houston StateLost 4–13 at Texas 1990 South I Regional Won 4–2 vs. Georgia TechLost 11–26 vs. USCWon 15–3 vs. Southern MissLost 4–6 at LSU 1997 South I Regional Lost 6–12 vs. South AlabamaLost 5–9 vs. UNC Greensboro 1999 Houston Regional Won 6–4 vs. Southwest Texas StateLost 3–5 vs. Louisiana–LafayetteWon 8–5 vs. TexasLost 8–19 vs. Louisiana–Lafayette2000 Houston Regional Won 7–6 vs. PrincetonWon 5–2 vs. RiceLost 4–5 vs. RiceWon 9–5 vs. Rice Houston Super Regional Lost 3–5 vs. San Jose StateWon 5–2 vs. San Jose StateLost 2–3 vs. San Jose State 2001 Houston Regional Lost 1–7 vs. BaylorLost 6–7 vs. Texas–Arlington2002 Mesa Regional Won 9–0 vs. New Mexico StateWon 8–4 at Arizona StateWon 8–3 at Arizona State Austin Super Regional Won 2–0 at TexasLost 2–17 at TexasLost 2–5 at Texas2003 College Station Regional Lost 3–9 vs. AlabamaWon 4–2 vs. Oral RobertsWon 16–8 vs. AlabamaWon 7–6 at Texas A&MWon 7–610 at Texas A&M Houston Super Regional Won 5–2 at RiceLost 2–10 at Rice Lost 2–5 at Rice 2006 Norman Regional Lost 1–2 vs. Wichita StateLost 6–8 at Oklahoma 2008 College Station Regional Won 9–5 vs. Dallas BaptistLost 4–22 at Texas A&MWon 14–1110 vs. UICWon 4–3 at Texas A&MLost 5–13 at Texas A&M2014 Baton Rouge Regional Won 3–210 vs. BryantLost 1–5 at LSUWon 9–5 vs. Southeastern LouisianaWon 5–411 at LSUWon 12–2 at LSU Austin Super Regional Lost 2–4 at TexasLost 0–4 at Texas 2015 Houston Regional Won 6–4 vs. Houston BaptistLost 1–2 vs. Louisiana–LafayetteLost 2–320 vs. Rice 2017 Houston Regional Lost 3–6 vs. IowaWon 17–3 vs. BaylorWon 7–5 vs. IowaLost 3–4 vs. Texas A&M 2018 Chapel Hill Regional Won 9–1 vs. PurdueLost 3–4 at North CarolinaWon 8–4 vs. PurdueLost 11–19 at North Carolina
Rivalries Each year, Houston competes in the Silver Glove series against Rice. They also play against Sam Houston State in what has been dubbed the Don Sanders Cup.
Other rivals include former Southwest Conference foes Baylor, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.
Individual awards
National Player award winners
ABCA National Player of the Year Award Brad Lincoln – 2006
Brooks Wallace Award Brad Lincoln – 2006
Dick Howser Trophy Brad Lincoln – 2006
First-team All-Americans
Key
Unanimous selection Consensus selection
ABCA American Baseball Coaches Association D1B D1Baseball.com BA Baseball America NCBWA National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association CBF College Baseball Foundation PG Perfect Game CB Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
1967 Tom Paciorek OF ABCA 1968 Tom Paciorek OF ABCA 1976 Jerry Willeford C ABCA 1983 Rayner Noble UTL ABCA 2000 Kyle Crowell P BA2002 Jesse Crain UTL BABrad Sullivan P ABCA, BA, CB, NCBWA 2003 Ryan Wagner P ABCA, BA, CB 2006 Brad Lincoln UTL ABCA, BA, CB, NCBWA 2017 Trey Cumbie P NCBWA 2025 Antoine Jean P CBF, D1B, PG
Conference Player of the Year 1983 Rayner Noble UTL Southwest 1990† Keith Darter UTL 2017† Jake Scheiner INF The American † co-Player of the Year
Conference Pitcher of the Year 1999 Kyle Crowell C-USA 2000 2002 Brad Sullivan 2006 Brad Lincoln 2017† Trey Cumbie The American 2018 Aaron Fletcher 2025 Antoine Jean Big 12 † co-Pitcher of the Year
Conference Coach of the Year 1976 Rolan Walton Southwest 1982 1999 Rayner Noble C-USA 2000 2018 Todd Whitting The American
Individual honors
National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees The following Houston players and coaches have been enshrined in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. 2016 Tom Paciorek OF 1966–1968
Retired numbers The Cougars have retired three numbers. 6 Rolan Walton SS 1948–1951 16 Doug Drabek P 1981–1983 22 Tom Paciorek OF 1966–1968
See also List of NCAA Division I baseball programs
References
External links