Houston Suffers Embarrassing to Kansas State in Big 12 Opener
After run-rule wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and the Rice Owls over the last week, the Houston Cougars looked to be carrying some momentum into Big 12 conference play.
That early season success, however, didn't carry over into Friday night's conference opener, where Kansas State handed Houston a 20-8 run-rule loss. Several crooked innings from the Wildcats in the later half of the game resulted in the lopsided loss for the Cougars.
Last night's game Coog Nation an unsettling level of déjà vu. While Houston certainly showed promise with a solid start to the 2026 college baseball season, the Cougars fell on their face during Big 12 play.
Non‑Conference Growth Meets Big 12 Competition
It's no secret that Houston got off to a hot start to the season, especially on the mound. Just a couple of days ago, three Cougar pitchers were elected to the Pitcher of the Year Watchlist.
Even against ranked opponents, like No. 12 Wake Forest and No. 18 Oregon State, Houston's pitching staff didn't flinch. If anything, they raise their level of play based on their competition — a quality that many talented teams rely on when the lights are brightest.
That narrative changed on Friday night against a lethal Kansas State offense. Paul Schmitz, the starter for the Cougars, was knocked out of the game early after just 2.1 innings of work, where he surrendered three earned runs on five hits and two walks.
Chris Scinta, the veteran left-handed pitcher, didn't slow the Wildcats down allowing four earned runs on four hits and one walk. After the fifth inning, it turned into a bullpen game for Houston. Harrison Boushlee, Caleb Kimble, Cameron Edmonds, Diego Luzardo, and Eric VanValkenburg all made appearances on the mound in just the final three innings.
In their final four innings of work on Friday, the Cougars' bullpen allowed 17 total runs, including an eight-run ninth inning that left Coog Nation speechless.
Make no mistake, Kansas State should probably be ranked inside the top-25. Their lineup has shown that they can go toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the country, and the Wildcats' pitching has historically gotten better as the season goes on.
That being said, based on the out-of-conference pitching performances from the Cougars, many expected a better product on the diamond at the start of conference play.
Turn the Page and Reset
After a conference debut like Friday night's, the goal for the Cougars now is to completely forget about it. While the SEC and ACC may dominate the college baseball scene, the Big 12 doesn't allow teams to dwell on losses either.
Turning the page and resetting is simple in theory, but difficult in execution. The rest of the series now becomes a test of resilience. If Houston can get back to the version of itself that showed up against Wake Forest and Alabama, the Cougars should have no problem getting back imto this series.
Houston will once again face off against the Wildcats on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. at Schroeder Park. Kendall Hoffman is set to start for the Cougars.
