Houston Baseball Defeats Sam Houston State In First Game Of Don Sanders Cup

Cougars' pitching staff shuts down late Bearkats rally to win 5-4

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The Houston Cougars baseball team defeated the Sam Houston State Bearkats 5-4 in the first game of the annual three-game Don Sanders Cup series. Houston's junior pitcher Alex Solis threw five scoreless innings in relief, striking out six batters, to help the Cougars rally from an early 2-0 deficit. The Cougars scored three runs in the fifth inning and added a two-run homer in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead, but the Bearkats made it close with a two-run homer in the eighth. Houston's senior pitcher Tyler Bryan closed out the game with 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save.

Why it matters

The Don Sanders Cup is an annual three-game baseball series between the Houston Cougars and Sam Houston State Bearkats, two of the top college baseball programs in Texas. This win gives Houston an early advantage in the series as they look to retain the cup for another year.

The details

Houston trailed 2-0 after the Bearkats rallied for two runs in the second inning. But the Cougars' pitching staff, led by Alex Solis, shut down the Bearkats offense the rest of the way. Houston scored three runs in the fifth inning to take the lead, including an RBI single by Xavier Perez and an RBI double by Cade Climie. In the sixth, senior catcher Dylan Maxcey hit a two-run homer to extend the Cougars' lead to 5-2. The Bearkats made it close with a two-run homer in the eighth, but Houston held on for the 5-4 victory.

  • The game was played on Tuesday night in Huntsville, Texas.
  • Houston and Sam Houston State will play two more games this season to determine the winner of the Don Sanders Cup.

The players

Alex Solis

A junior pitcher for the Houston Cougars who threw five scoreless innings in relief, striking out six batters.

Dylan Maxcey

A senior catcher for the Houston Cougars who hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to extend the Cougars' lead.

Tyler Bryan

A senior pitcher for the Houston Cougars who earned the save by throwing 1.1 scoreless innings to close out the game.

Hunter Alford

A junior infielder for the Sam Houston State Bearkats who hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to bring the Bearkats within one run.

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What they’re saying

“Our pitching staff really stepped up tonight and shut down their offense after the early deficit. Alex Solis was outstanding in relief and Tyler Bryan closed it out for us.”

— Brock Holt, Houston Cougars Head Coach (Houston Chronicle)

What’s next

The Cougars will next compete in the Frisco Classic this upcoming Friday-Sunday, where they will face strong non-conference competition.

The takeaway

This win gives the Houston Cougars an early advantage in the annual Don Sanders Cup series against their in-state rival Sam Houston State Bearkats. The Cougars' pitching staff proved to be the difference, shutting down the Bearkats' offense after an early two-run deficit.