College baseball is full of superstitions, traditions and sometimes odd adopted mascots that teams rally behind. Whether it was Kentucky's memorable cup cap, Texas A&M's ball chant, or Mississippi State's rally banana, there's always a little something giving an extra push.
Houston baseball has turned to the Mighty Thor.
COLLEGE BASEBALL RANKINGS: UCLA on top | Weekend takeaways of top 25 action
The Cougars have slugged 33 home runs this year. And when one leaves the park, they raise Thor's hammer in celebration.
Senior Joe Davis started the trend. His brother made the hammer sometime ago. "At first they were a little hesitant," Davis told Houston Athletics. "I think when the first person hit the home run and the hammer got used, they were instantly hooked. The crowd got into it, and it became a little tradition."
Davis had his memorable hammer moment of the season back on March 10. It was Davis' sixth home run of the season, and it came in walk-off fashion to give the Cougars a victory — and series sweep — over Army. He leads the Cougars with 14 home runs and is second in The American, so he is clearly worthy of lifting the hammer.
Only problem? "When the adrenaline is pumping you don't realize how heavy it is," Davis said. "But when you need to tote it around for a while, you're like, 'man, this thing weighs me down pretty good.'"
It truly is the hammer of Thor. Hear more from Davis and the origins of the hammer and see some of the mighty celebrations below.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES HISTORY: Winningest coaches | Most appearancesAny Houston player who hits a home run is worthy to hoist Thor's hammer.
— Houston Baseball ⚾️ (@UHCougarBB) April 11, 2019
Be sure and catch Houston Baseball Central, Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. on @ATTSportsNetSW. #M64 #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/rPsjtZ8oKJ
