3 Toughest Teams for Houston Cougars Baseball on 2026 Schedule

Baseball season is getting close.

Before anyone knows it, balls are going to be flying out of the ballpark, and runs are going to be scored.

For Houston baseball, they are not featured in anyone's top 25 rankings, but that could be a call to be one of the top-tier teams in the Big 12 and the entire college baseball landscape.

After finishing last season with a record of 30-25, which wasn’t good enough to make it to the postseason, expectations have been raised since failing to make it any further. The Cougars were picked to finish 11th in the conference by, so maybe earning wins against teams expected to be really good could yield some resume-building victories.

Oregon State

2026 season loading… ⏳ pic.twitter.com/BpHHzjG3YO
— Houston Baseball (@UHCougarBB) January 18, 2026

This game will take place on Friday, February 27, in Frisco, Texas, kicking off an exciting weekend at the Frisco Classic. According to D1Baseball 2026 Preseason rankings, the Beavers are No. 12 in the rankings and are set to be one of the powerhouses this season. Last season, the program finished with an overall record of 48-16-1.

Luckily, this game is not in Corvallis, Oregon, so there shouldn’t be a huge home-field advantage. There are two pitchers that might get the nod for this matchup, depending on what the coach decides. Left-handed pitcher Ethan Kleinschmit and right-handed pitcher Dax Whitney are anticipated to be dominant on the mound and could face a few batters.

In the lineup, there are several hitters who can smash the ball all across the field. An A&M transfer catcher, Jacob Galloway, is expected to contribute in the clubhouse with a .220 average one season ago. Senior 2B AJ Singer is also one of the guys who has been making noise at the plate, where he is very disciplined and knows what he likes and doesn’t like, with 39 RBIs last season. Watch for a couple of surprises that might make a major difference down the line.

Wake Forest

Coming in at No. 21 in D1 Baseball’s Preseason rankings is the Demon Deacons. Does that sound like another tough matchup for the Cougars? Absolutely. There are a lot of them.

A few key returning pitchers for this unit are Blake Morningstar and Matthew Dallas, while two catchers also return by the names of Matt Conte and Jimmy Keenan. Out in the outfield, the star Austin Hawke returned with a .303 batting average last season. The other outfielder catching attention is Luke Costello, who slammed 20 home runs last season. There are a ton of familiar faces in the culture that head coach Tom Walter runs. This is another test for Houston.

TCU

Out of the Big 12, this is a scary series that could give Houston issues. TCU has always been solid in baseball and has always kept its name in the mix throughout the past decade. After wrapping the season up at 39-20, this team was jotted down as the No. 10 team in D1 Baseball’s Preseason rankings.

Conference games are always a little trickier because the coaches are a little more familiar with each program and what they have in the dugout. This is not a 1-game contest; it is a 3-game series, which makes the stakes much higher when evaluated throughout the season.

When the Cougars face the Horned Frogs, there are several hands that will make it troubling to get a hit. There are potential draft picks such as outfielders Sawyer Strosnider and Chase Brunson, along with pitcher Tommy LaPour, that many scouts will be checking out. This might be a series that can be stolen away and turn heads across the league.

Houston's Opening Day begins on February 13 against Wake Forest at 8:30 a.m.