After shutting down No. 30 East Carolina with a complete-game shutout, Southern Miss junior RHP Andrew Pierce has been named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week. Rice freshman SS Ford Stainback, who batted .643 in a series win over UAB, was honored as the Hitter of the Week.
For the second straight year the top two teams in the Conference USA standings will meet on the final weekend to determine the regular season champion. Last year, Rice won two-of-three at Southern Miss to share the title. This year Rice goes to UCF with both teams sporting a 15-6 league mark. The Owls have won at least a share of four of the first five regular season championships since beginning C-USA play in 2006. UCF will be seeking its first conference championship since winning the Atlantic Sun title in 2004.
Houston and UCF repeated their 2011 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship titles at the Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans, La. The Cougars cruised to their fourth consecutive outdoor crown while the Knights won their third-straight.