Three Owls Named Preseason All-America For 2007
11/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 14, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Rice junior trio of Cole St.Clair, Joe Savery and Brian Friday earned preseason all-America honors for the upcoming 2007 season by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the organization announced from its headquarters in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.
Rice is one of only three schools in the country with three selections on the NCBWA's preseason all-America list. St.Clair, a left-handed relief pitcher, was named a first team all-America. Savery, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman, was tabbed as a second team all-America selection as a utility player. Friday was named a third team preseason all-America at shortstop. As sophomores a year ago the Owl trio helped lead Rice to a 57-13 record and to the semifinals of the College World Series.
Only a week after being selected as the 2007 Houston Area Preseason College Player of the Year by the Houston Athletic Committee (HAC), St.Clair again has national preseason all-America honors to add to his resume. The Santa Ana, Calif., native was among the NCAA leaders and nearly tied the Rice single season school record with 11 saves. He went 7-2 on the mound and maintained a 1.82 ERA in 74.1 innings of work, holding 258 batters faced to a composite .151 batting average. After earning first team all-America honors from Baseball America in 2006, St.Clair was selected to represent his country and pitch for the United States national team over the summer. He went 4-0 with three saves and he compiled an 0.69 ERA in 26 innings for Team USA against various international opponents who are often professional players back in their native countries.
The versatile Savery posted another sensational season on both sides of the ball in 2006. The standout from nearby Lamar High School was the most valuable player of the C-USA Tournament and an all-regional selection who batted .335 with nine home runs and 66 RBI in 69 games. In 11 starts on the mound Savery posted a 5-1 record and a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings. He held a total of 229 batters faced to a composite .240 batting average.
Rice's man Friday is another first team all-America selection returning from last season. The Houston native from Bellaire Episcopal High School led the Blue & Gray and finished among the C-USA's best in batting average (.353), hits (95), doubles (22), runs scored (66), total bases (150), on-base percentage (.437) and stolen bases (17). He is one of three Owls to start all 70 games and his defense up the middle was just as steady as the 20-game hitting streak he had during the year.
Kentucky and Wichita State are the only other schools with three players on the NCBWA's preseason all-America list. The Owls accounted for half of C-USA's six preseason selections. Rice baseball begins practice in January and officially opens the 2007 season against Central Missouri State on Feb. 3.
