Owls Host McNeese State Tuesday
2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 6, 2006
HOUSTON - The fourth-ranked Rice baseball team (1-0) hosts McNeese State on Tuesday (Feb. 7) at Reckling Park. The start time is 4 pm... The Owls looked sharp in defeating Division II power Central Missouri State 9-0 in their season-opener at home on Feb. 4. McNeese State enters the Tuesday contest with a 2-1 record. The Cowboys won a three-game weekend series from Louisiana Tech on the road in Ruston, La.
Broadcast Info.
Every Rice baseball game is broadcast around the world on the Internet at www.KTRU.org. Tuesday's game is Internet-only. A direct link to the audio feed is provided above and on the baseball schedule page of RiceOwls.com. Broadcasters Mike Pede, Matt McCabe and Dan Perez are mike-side for the baseball action this season... A number of home games are scheduled for a live broadcast on OwlVision. OwlVision is a subscription-based service which matches the play-by-play audio with a video feed to create a television-like broadcast on the Internet (either live or in an archived format). The service has proved to be very popular with fans and alumni living throughout the world. Information about the service and prices are available on the OwlVision links. The next OwlsVision game is Feb. 17 on the first day of the Coca-Cola Classic Tournament.
Going Way Downtown This Weekend!
This weekend (Feb. 10-12) the Owls head way downtown for the Houston College Classic tournament held at Minute Maid Park, home of the 2005 World Series participant Houston Astros.
Houston College Classic Schedule
Fri., Feb. 10
TCU vs. Tulane, noon
Rice vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 pm
Houston vs. Texas, 7 pm
Sat., Feb. 11
Texas Tech vs. Tulane, noon
Houston vs. TCU, 3:30 pm
Rice vs. Texas, 7 pm
Sun., Feb. 12
Houston vs. Texas Tech, 11 am
Texas vs. Tulane, 2:30 pm
Rice vs. TCU, 6 pm
National Ranking Update
Rice is second in the nation in the Feb. 6 National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA)poll. The Owls are fourth in the Sports Weekly/ESPN/ABCA coaches poll, fourth in Collegiate Baseball and fifth in Baseball America. The team is number one in the nation according to the Internet site The Rosenblatt Report. Rice is ranked high on the strength of 20 lettermen returning from the 2005 squad that won the Baton Rouge Regional and came within four outs of reaching the College World Series. Polls will continue through June 30, 2006.
Head Coach Wayne Graham
Two-time national coach of the year and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Graham (Texas, 1970) is in his 15th season at Rice. He is 628-257 with the Owls (388-87 at home, 186-138 in road games and 54-32 at neutral sites). His overall winning percentage is .710, the best in school history. Another way of looking at Graham's .710 win percentage is that it is the equivalent of a major league team winning 115 games in a single year... Graham is 13-4 against McNeese State (11-2 home, 2-2 road). He is 15-16 against Texas Tech (6-4 home, 4-8 road, 5-4 neutral), 16-25 against Texas (7-9 home, 4-13 road, 5-3 neutral) and 35-18 against TCU (20-6 home, 12-10 road, 3-2 neutral)... Under Graham, the Owls clinched another automatic postseason bid in 2005, making 11-straight seasons for Rice to earn an NCAA appearance. The 2003 bid culminated with the Owls' first national championship. Rice played in the 1994-95-96 Southwest Conference tournaments (winning the final league title in '96), won the 1997-98-99 WAC tournaments, shared the 2000 WAC title with San Jose State before winning the 2001-02-03-04-05 titles outright, and advanced into the NCAA tournament in 1995-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-03-04-05... Graham was named the WAC coach of the year in 1998, '99, '02 and the co-coach of the year in '03... Rice has made four appearances in the NCAA College World Series under Graham (1997, '99, '02, '03)... Graham has led the Owls to number-one rankings for seven weeks during the 1999 season, for six weeks during the '01 campaign, two weeks in '02, six weeks in 2003 (the last of which established some staying power) and three weeks in 2004... Graham's San Jacinto Gators dominated the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., in the 1980s, winning five national titles in six years (1985-86-87, 89-90)... The Austin American-Statesman named Graham its SWC coach of the year in '95 after he led the Owls to their first NCAA tournament appearance... Collegiate Baseball was especially cognizant of Graham's efforts at San Jac. He was named the newspaper's coach of the decade for all levels in the 1980s after winning those five junior college national titles, and CB tabbed him the NJCAA coach of the century... One of the few current collegiate coaches to have played in the major leagues (N.Y. Mets in 1963, Philadelphia in 1964), Graham is aided by assistant coaches Mike Taylor (Prairie View A&M, 1997; sixth year), David Pierce (Houston, 1988; fourth year), Patrick Hallmark (Rice, 1995; first year)... Graham will coach at third base. Taylor will be at first base.
1,202 Wins For Graham
Wayne Graham owns 627 career wins at Rice, but he also has 1,202 victories in his collegiate coaching career. Graham's career record is 1,202-370 in a 25-year career that began at San Jacinto College in 1981.
Bell To Start Tuesday
Wayne Graham has named freshman Bobby Bell as the Owls' starting pitcher for the McNeese State game. The assignment is Bell's first of the season and the seventh of collegiate career. The right-hander was sound and solid in his inaugural season of Division I baseball in 2005. The Aledo native went 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA last season. He was named to Collegiate Baseball's Freshman all-America team as a reliever.
Owls Win Season-Opener Over Central Missouri, 9-0
True freshman Aaron Luna made the most of his NCAA debut, slugging home runs in each of his first two college at bats, and four Owl pitchers combined for a three-hit shut out to lead the fourth-ranked Rice baseball team to a 9-0 victory over Central Missouri State in the Owls' season-opener... Luna's two blasts ignited a 14-hit Rice attack, highlighted by three home runs, a triple and three doubles. Rice newcomer Chad Lembeck, a sophomore transfer, also connected for an early homer as the Owls built an 8-0 lead through the first four innings. Five Owls collected two or more hits and seven of the nine starters in the batting order hit safely in the 2006 debut... Rice went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run homer by Luna to left field. Lembeck led off the second with a homer to center and Luna did the same in the third. The Owls added a three-run fourth on three hits and another run in the sixth to stretch the margin to 9-0... For as solid as the hitting was the Rice pitching was on-target. Joe Savery, Eddie Degerman, Cole St.Clair and Bryce Cox combined to hold the Mules to no runs on three hits while combining for 12 strikeouts. Savery started and fanned five in four scheduled innings of work. Degerman struck out six in three innings and also worked out of a no-outs, bases-load jam in the sixth... Central Missouri fell to 1-1. The Mules went 57-9 a year ago competing in NCAA Division II.
Sharp In Season-Openers/Home-Openers
Looking sharp out of the gate is nothing new for head coach Wayne Graham. The Owls are now 14-1 in their home-opener and 13-2 in their season-opener under Graham.
Active Streaks
Sophomore outfielder Tyler Henley collected a base hit against Central Missouri to extend his hitting streak to seven games dating back to last season. Sophomore third baseman Brian Friday clubbed three hits to extend his hitting streak to four games. Senior Greg Buchanan saw his eight-game hitting streak snapped against CMSU.
Texas Game Televised By Fox Sports Southwest
Saturday's game against Texas at Minute Maid Park has been selected for a television broadcast by Fox Sports Southwest. The 2004 Rice-Texas game at Minute Maid was also televised by Fox Sports Southwest.
Our New Address In Conference USA
After nine seasons as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, Rice Athletics made the dramatic move to Conference USA for all varsity sports on July 1, 2005. The move has been a success with the Owls posting C-USA championships in soccer and women's cross country... Rice helps make C-USA's highly-regarded baseball league even better. In 2005, four C-USA teams earned NCAA regional bids. Fellow league newcomer Central Florida has averaged 41 wins for the past two years.
C-USA Coaches Pick Rice To Win 2006 League Crown
With Conference USA preseason player of the year selection Joe Savery leading the way, Rice was the unanimous pick of the league's nine head baseball coaches to win the 2006 conference title. Rice baseball competes in C-USA for the first time in 2006 but the Owls' reputation precedes them. The team is ranked as high as fourth in the nation in preseason polls after posting a 45-19 record and NCAA Super Regional appearance. Savery was voted as the C-USA preseason player of the year. Junior righthander Tim Bascom of fellow first-year C-USA member UCF was named as the league's preseason pitcher of the year.
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Rice (nine first place votes)
2. Tulane
3. Southern Miss
4. Houston
5. UCF
6. East Carolina
7. UAB
8. Memphis
9. Marshall
Player of the Year - Joe Savery, Rice (So., p/if)
All-America Candidates
Rice senior Eddie Degerman, junior Josh Rodriguez and sophomore Joe Savery were selected to Collegiate Baseball's 2006 Louisville Slugger preseason all-America teams... Savery was named to the publication's preseason all-America first team as a utility player for his multiple skills as a hitter, first baseman and pitcher. Rodriguez was named second-team all-America at shortstop and Degerman was tabbed as a starting pitcher on the all-America third team. Savery and Rodriguez were also 2006 preseason all-America honorees by the NCBWA... Savery was a consensus all-America pick as a true freshman and the national freshman of the year by Collegiate Baseball. The Houston native from nearby Lamar High School led the Western Athletic Conference in hitting with a .382 average and he was second in the league with a 2.43 ERA in 19 starts on the mound... Rodriguez moved from second base to shortstop midway through the 2005 season with no drop off in play on either side of the ball. The former South Houston High School star batted .345 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 54 RBI in 63 games started. Rodriguez also maintained a .555 slugging percentage with 48 runs scored and nine stolen bases. Defensively, he started or turned 45 of the Owls' 67 double plays... Degerman is a veteran right-hander who went 8-1 with a 3.28 ERA a year ago. The Granada Hills, Calif., native 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. In one start last season, Degerman struck out 16 batters in just 7.1 innings. He averaged 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings of work.
Two Owls On Clemens Watch List
Rice senior Eddie Degerman and sophomore Joe Savery are among a list of 40 pitchers who have been named to the initial watch list for the 2006 Roger Clemens Award, which honors the top pitcher in college baseball... The Roger Clemens Award is named after major league great Roger Clemens. As a professional, Clemens has won 341 games (ninth-best in history), fanned 4,502 hitters and been honored with seven Cy Young Awards as the top pitcher in his league. The Roger Clemens Award is the only award of its kind, honoring the finest pitchers in college baseball... Savery, the national freshman of the year in 2005, is a preseason all-America selection for 2006. The left-hander from Houston was 8-5 with a team-best 2.43 ERA in 19 starts last season. Savery, who also starts at first base when not on the mound, posted 129 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 118.2 innings... Degerman is a veteran right-hander who went 8-1 with a 3.28 ERA for the Owls last season. The Granada Hills, Calif., native 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. In one of his starts last season, Degerman fanned 16 batters in just 7.1 innings of work. He averaged 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings... The watch list is comprised of all Division I pitchers who were named as pre-season all-America by either Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball or the NCBWA. Additional pitchers will be added each week when honored as National Pitchers of the Week by the NCBWA and after the NCAA releases its statistical rankings during the college baseball season... The third Clemens Award will be presented to the nation's top college pitcher at the conclusion of a gala dinner in Houston in July. All Division I head baseball coaches will take part in the voting for the honor, in addition to a selected panel of national media... For media information on The Roger Clemens Award, please contact Chuck Pool (832) 244-6476... The Owl trio of Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend and Philip Humber were all nominated for the first award in 2004.
Cox On Stopper Watch List
Senior right-hander Bryce Cox is among a group of 30 closers listed on the preseason watch list for the second annual NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. Cox was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball Draft last June, but chose to return to Rice for his senior season. In 2005, he appeared in 17 games, going 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA and three saves. Cox averaged 11.6 strikeouts-per-nine innings, second-best on the staff and held the 66 batters that he faced to a composite .182 batting average. A total of three C-USA pitchers are on the watch list, tied for the second-most of any league. This will be the second time that the nation's top reliever is honored by the NCBWA.
Family Fun At Reckling Park
An exciting list of home game-day promotions for the Owls' 2006 baseball season have been finalized, Rice associate athletic director Mike Pede' has announced... There are 28 promotions for the Owls' 30 home games at Reckling Park. Some recurring promotional events will overlap over the course of the year, making for days where there are multiple activities and giveaways at the ballpark. Popular events like ice cream sundae Sunday's, kid's cap day, 25 cent hot dog night, the burrito bounce, trading card day and kids takeover the park, have all returned to the Owls' promotional lineup... Some new events, like jersey night, autographed baseball day, a bobblehead giveaway could prove to be new fan favorites. Rice will also have some unique entertainment options in conjunction with games. A show of classic cars from the Houston Cadillac LaSalle Club is on tap for the spring and EA Sports will debut its new video game, 2006 College Baseball, at Reckling Park in late March. The city's civic leaders and elected officials will be on hand for a special patriotic celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner..."We've added a little bit extra for the loyal fans who already know about the great value and family-oriented sporting event that is Rice baseball," Pede' said. "Year-in and year-out, Rice ranks among the national leaders in college baseball attendance and some of our giveaways and promotional events is a way of thanking them for their support." Last season, the Owls were 10th in the nation in total attendance (96,390 fans). Rice averaged more than 3,000 fans per game for its 32 homes dates. A complete list of baseball game-day promotions can be viewed on the web at www.RiceOwls.com.
Back From The Draft
Owls Eddie Degerman and Bryce Cox were selected in the 2005 Major League Baseball draft (June 7-8) but opted to return for their senior season. Two other Rice juniors and two seniors were drafted and signed. A former Owl who was not on the 2005 team, Wade Townsend, was the eighth player taken in the first round. 2005 Rice Draftees Rnd Pick MLB Team
Josh Geer 3rd 98th San Diego
Lance Pendleton 4th 139th New York (A)
Bryce Cox 13th 403rd Los Angeles (A)
Adam Rodgers 25th 770th St. Louis
Eddie Degerman 41st 1245th Boston
Adam Morris 47th 1420th St. Louis
Owls Host Coca-Cola Classic Next Week
Rice hosts the first of its two regular season tournaments Feb. 17-19 with the annual Coca-Cola Classic at Reckling Park. The 2006 field includes Oklahoma, Long Beach State and Lamar in a round-robin format.
