Cougars best Islanders in mid-week contest, Cooper earns first career quality start

Houston baseball’s freshman right-hander Caden Cooper glided to his first-career quality start, steadying a 10-1 rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Tuesday at Schroeder Park. 

Cooper pitched a career-high 6.2 innings of one-run ball while striking out seven batters and allowing three hits to help put distance between the two squads.

“I’ve been taught preparation creates confidence,” Cooper said on his approach to the game. “Just doing everything I can prior to the start to just be ready to come out here and compete.”

He became the second Cougar to record a quality start in 2026, joining sophomore right-hander Kendall Hoffman, who pitched three.

“Kendall’s a great example of someone you can learn from and how he’s able to go so far into the game,” Cooper said.

As Cooper kept the Islanders at bay, Houston grew its lead to 8-1 by scoring four runs in the sixth inning. 

Freshman infielder Blake Fields clubbed the second home run of his career for the first two runs of the inning. 

Sophomore infielder Jackson LaLima scored off a wild pitch. Junior outfielder Tre Broussard followed by scoring senior infielder Tyler Cox on an RBI groundout.

Houston added two more runs in the seventh off two wild pitches from junior right-hander John Paul Buckner.

Senior infielder Cade Climie led the team with three RBIs, including his ninth home run of the season in the fifth inning, after the Islanders scored their lone run on junior infielder Max Towchik’s solo home run at the top of the frame.

Houston jumped out to an early lead in the first off Climie’s first RBI of the day, a double to left that scored Broussard. 

Redshirt sophomore infielder Xavier Perez brought home Cox on a 6-4-3 double play to put Houston up 2-0 in the third.

Junior right-hander Pierre-Luc Jacques was handed the loss after he pitched two innings and allowed one run off three hits.

Up next, the Cougars, at 20-28 overall, will travel to Tuscon, Ariz. for a crucial weekend series against Arizona at Hi Corbett Field beginning Friday, May 8 at 8 p.m. CST. Houston currently stands three games back of the Wildcats in the conference standings and outside of the final spot for the Big 12 tournament, with elimination magic number down to four.