Houston Cougars Make History With Five Players Selected in 2026 MLB Draft
Although Houston Cougars baseball were the worst team in the Big 12 this past season, that doesn't mean they didn't have MLB talent on the roster. A good record and a strong win column may not have gone the Cougars' way this past season, but there were some standout players with the bat and ball that made it to The Show.
A new era has started at Houston with coach Will Davis after longtime head man of the program, Todd Whitting, was let go. The 2026 team still had some great individual players who caught the attention of MLB scouts and were ultimately selected in the draft this past weekend.
Houston Made a Mark in the MLB Draft
HOU ➡️ CLE
— Houston Baseball (@UHCougarBB) July 11, 2026
Tre was chosen by Cleveland in the third round with the 95th overall pick of the @MLBDraft!@BroussardTre x @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/3PAUKy3mlZ
Five Houston players were taken in the 2026 MLB Draft, which is the most for the Cougars since 2019. It's also the first time five players were taken in the top 20 rounds of the draft since 2017.
The five players drafted from Houston were the second most in the Big 12 and 21st in the country. It's also the first time multiple position players were taken in the same draft since catcher Connor Wong and Joe Davis in 2019.
The first Houston player selected was outfielder Tre Broussard, who was taken in the third round at 95th overall in the draft by the Cleveland Guardians. He was the only Day 1 selection for Houston. Broussard became Houston's earliest draft pick since Robert Gasser was taken in the second round at 71st overall in 2021.
Broussard also became Houston's highest position player drafted since Jared Triolo at 72nd overall in 2019. Broussard was a Houston native and was named an All-Big 12 honorable mention. He was elite on the base pass and hit .321 in conference play, which led the team.
Four UH players were taken on Day 2 of the draft, and it started with pitcher Alex Solis in the 14th round at 418th overall to the San Francisco Giants. Pitcher Ryne Rodriguez was also taken in the 14th round at 433rd overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pitcher Richie Roman was selected in the 17th round by the Kansas City Royals and first baseman Carsten Sabathia III was the last Houston selection in the 20th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Solis and Roman each spent three seasons at Houston while Sabathia III transferred for his last two years of his career.
Rodriguez was arguably Houston's best pitcher after he transferred to the Cougars for his senior season.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.