Rice University Athletics
Baseball Announces Nine Signees In Early Period
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 18, 2005
HOUSTON - The Rice baseball program has signed nine recruits in the early period who will join the team for the 2007 season announced head coach Wayne Graham on Friday (Nov. 18). The latest Rice baseball class is composed of seven from the high school ranks and two from junior college. All are from Texas and seven are from the greater Houston area.
The signees include right-handed pitcher Ryan Berry of Humble, third baseman/outfielder Trey Crain of Corpus Christi, left-handed pitcher/first baseman Abel Gonzales of Houston, right-handed pitcher Zach Harwood of Groves, right-handed pitcher Mike Ojala and outfielder/first baseman Doug Simmons of Kingwood, middle infielder/right-handed pitcher Diego Seastrunk of Channelview, and right-handed pitcher Chris Kelley and left-handed pitcher Jonathan Runnels of San Jacinto Junior College.
Ryan Berry is a 6-foot-0 right-handed pitcher from nearby Humble High School. He earned all-District 22-5A for the Wildcats as a junior in 2005. Trey Crain is a 6-foot-2 third baseman/outfielder from Ray High School in Corpus Christi. He was selected to the Texas High School Coaches Association all-state team as a junior last season.
Abel Gonzales is a 6-foot-1 left-handed pitcher from St. Thomas High School in Houston. He was named TAPPS 6A all-state as a junior and sophomore. In 2005 he went 7-0 as a pitcher and batted .468 for the Eagles. Zach Harwood is a 6-foot-1 right-handed pitcher from Port Neches-Groves High School. He was earned all-District 20-4A honors after helping the Indians to a 19-7 record.
The Kingwood High School duo Mike Ojala and Doug Simmons led the Mustangs to the 2005 5A state championship. Ojala is a 6-foot-0 right-handed pitcher and Simmons is a 6-foot-1 left-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder. Baseball America ranked Kingwood eleventh in the nation. Diego Seastrunk joins the Owls from Channelview High School where he was a 4A all-state selection by the Texas Sports Writers Association. He hit .350 as a junior in 2005 to earn back-to-back District 23-4A most valuable player honors.
Chris Kelley and Jonathan Runnels are a pair of experienced pitchers from San Jacinto who were both selected in the 2005 major league draft after playing in the Texas Junior College All-Star Game. Kelley, a 6-foot-0 right-hander and former standout at Kempner High School in Sugar Land, was selected in the 21st round by the Minnesota Twins. Runnels is 6-foot-0 left-hander who played at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena. He was selected in the 36th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks and is the grandson of former major league player Pete Runnels, a member of the Houston Astros in 1963-64.
The signees officially enroll at Rice in the fall of 2006. Their first baseball season with the Owls would be in the spring of 2007.
The Rice baseball team opens its 2006 season with its bi-annual alumni game on Jan. 28. The team's first official game is against Central Missouri State on Feb. 4.
| Name, pos | B/T | Ht.-Wt. | Hometown (Previous School) |
| Ryan Berry, p | R/R | 6-0, 195 | Humble (High) |
| Trey Cain, 3b/of | R/R | 6-2, 195 | Corpus Christi (Ray) |
| Abel Gonzales, p/1b | L/L | 6-1, 180 | Houston (St. Thomas) |
| Zachary Harwood, p | R/R | 6-1, 170 | Groves (Port Neches-Groves) |
| Chris Kelly, p | R/R | 6-0, 180 | Sugar Land (San Jacinto Junior College) |
| Mike Ojala, p | R/R | 6-0, 185 | Kingwood (High) |
| Jonathan Runnels, p | L/L | 6-0, 170 | Pasadena (San Jacinto Junior College) |
| Diego Seastrunk, if/p | B/R | 5-10, 180 | Channelview (High) |
| Doug Simmons, of/1b | L/L | 6-1, 205 | Kingwood (High) |
