Rice University Athletics
Owls Picked Fifth In Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll
12/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 26, 2005
TUCSON, Ariz. -
Official Collegiate Baseball website
Led by the return of preseason all-America selections Josh Rodriguez and Joe Savery, as well as senior pitcher Eddie Degerman and a total of 20 lettermen from the 45-19 team of a year ago, the 2006 Rice baseball team has been picked fifth in Collegiate Baseball's annual preseason poll for the upcoming season.
Collegiate Baseball ranked Rice 16th in the nation in its final poll of the 2005 season after a young team of mostly freshmen and sophomores won the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional and came within four outs of reaching the College World Series. The preseason ranking is the Owls' highest in two years when the 2004 team was coming off its national championship season of 2003.
Rodriguez and Savery, a junior infielder and sophomore pitcher/first baseman respectively, were tabbed as preseason all-America picks after selection to the United States national team last summer. Degerman, a veteran right-hander who went 8-1 with a 3.28 ERA a year ago, opted to return for his senior season in 2006 despite being selected by the defending world champion Boston Red Sox in the 2005 major league draft. The trio highlight a talented group of returning players under head coach Wayne Graham, now in his 15th season at the helm of the Rice baseball program. Graham has six starters returning to the regular lineup as well as two-thirds of the team's starting pitching staff back in 2006. The newcomers making their Rice debut in 2006 were tabbed as one of the best recruiting classes in the country by a host of baseball publications.
The Owls face another challenging schedule in 2006. Rice is scheduled to play 25 games against 13 teams in Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll. The Blue and Gray gets the 2006 season underway with its biennial Varsity-Alumni Game at home at Reckling Park on Jan. 28. The team's first official game is Feb. 4 at home against Central Missouri State.
Rice baseball has won 10-consecutive conference championships spanning two different leagues. The Owls compete in Conference USA for the first time in 2006. Rice is scheduled to host the C-USA postseason tournament May 24-28. Collegiate Baseball's full 2006 preseason poll can be viewed at the links listed above.
