Last Wednesday, before going into work for ABF Freight, I found two really cool Houston baseball experiences to check out. The first was MacGregor Park, home of the Texas Southern University Tigers baseball team. The second was just a few lefts and rights from MacGregor Park – the University of Houston. After navigating through the busy campus streets of U of H, I found a public parking lot across from the Cougars Baseball Field and crossed the street to check out what I could find about the field and its history.

The University of Houston Cougars play at Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park to be exact. The baseball field sits in a row of stadiums properly labeled (via a very useful street map) as the Athletic District. All displayed in the signature Red and White school colors of the University of Houston. Included in this District are the softball stadium, football stadium, baseball complex, tennis facility, the Carl Lewis Track & Field and Soccer Complex – I could go on and on with the athletic facilities located in this spot. Plus a huge Alumni Hall, tons of cool banners and signage, what a great first impression of the school’s athletic prowess.

Using this handy dandy street map, I quickly located the baseball field and complex and headed over towards it. I wasn’t expecting the gates to be open nor any access to the field at that point, so I just took photos of what I could from the sidewalk outside the park. I was able to read a few of the plaques notating MLB players who called U of Houston home at one point in their baseball journey. And a few MVP and All-American player plaques were really cool to read as well.

I walked around the perimeter of the park towards left field and noticed a baseball office/building that connected to the field. I assumed it was locked and closed to the public, until I went over to the front door and it was unlocked. I walked in and looked around for someone to speak to, but there was nobody around. My policy, as I have stated 1000 times on this blog is not to jump fences or break in to get a baseball photo or story. In this case, the door was unlocked, I opened it, I went in, and the rest is what I saw.

Inside this baseball office/building was a massive tribute to the University of Houston baseball program. It had former players stats and plaques on the walls, it had the former home plate of their previous field (appropriately named Cougar Field), there was a pro shop with uniforms and gloves and bats, and at the tail of one of the hallways – a set of double doors leading out to the field. Once again, I figured, ‘probably locked,’ and once again I was wrong. I turned the door handle on the left door and it opened to the baseball field.

At this point, I figured I would definitely run into some in the park – a maintenance person, press agent, player, maybe a coach. So, I diligently worked my way from left field over to the backstop and took a few photos with some expediency. By the way, it is a gorgeous baseball park. The red offsetting the greens and dirt colors were just spectacular. I got all the way over to the press box area of seating and grabbed these photos along the way.

As I walked back the way I came in, through the double doors, passed the University of Houston memorabilia, passed the University of Houston Cougars baseball greats on the wall, into the foyer of the baseball building, and then out onto the sidewalk area where I started, I started to giggle a little bit. Being mischievous and supporting my baseball experience habit can be exhilarating at times, and one of those times was walking into the baseball building at the University of Houston. Again, I don’t jump fences, I don’t pick locks to open gates, and I don’t break into fields that clearly do not intend to be broken into. I have taken a ton of photos from the perimeter of fields and been just fine with that. I have to admit though, this was a really fun adventure with a very happy ending.

By the way, the University of Houston has quite the baseball program history. Doug Drabek, current Red Sox C Connor Wong, Michael Bourn, Woody Williams, just to name a few who have had good to great Major League baseball careers after attending the University of Houston. Plus, two Rhode Island High School baseball stars can also claim U of H as a stepping stone in their baseball journeys – current KC Royals minor leaguer Ben Sears and current Houston Cougar C Cole Carbone from Cranston West High School.

After a very exciting walk around Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park, then into and through the baseball office/pro shop/alumni room, then onto the field itself, I decided I had had enough excitement for one morning. I took a few more mental photos of the field and the complex and the grounds of the University of Houston baseball stadium before heading back to my rental car. It was so cool reading up on all the famous U of U Cougars, many of who I recognized as having good to prolific Major League baseball careers. The baseball field was incredible and I was so psyched that I had an opportunity to witness it first hand up close and personal. Along with my trip to MacGregor Park, this University of Houston baseball visit completed a very full day of baseball experiences – and it was just 10am in the morning. Phew, what a day so far. Overall, these two parks provided so many awesome memories and photos. Truly, it was a wonderful morning of Houston baseball experiences, culminating with a spirited walk through and into Schroeder Park, home of the University of Houston Cougars Baseball program.