Rice University Athletics
Owls Continue Homestand Tuesday vs. Dallas Baptist
2/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 19, 2007
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Owls Continue Homestand Tuesday vs. Dallas Baptist
The Rice baseball team (5-4) continues its current homestand on Tuesday, Feb. 20, with a contest against Dallas Baptist. First pitch with the Patriots (4-2) is slated for 4 pm at Reckling Park... The Owls conclude the homestand by hosting the annual Rice Invitational Presented by Academy Sports Feb. 23-25 at Reckling Park. This year's tournament field includes Nebraska, Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. There are two tournament games every day in the round-robin format. Tickets for all home games are available at the Rice Ticket Office or may be purchased on-line at the above link.
Broadcast Information
Every Rice baseball game is broadcast around the world on the Internet. A direct link to the audio feed is provided above and on the baseball schedule page. Veteran broadcasters Matt McCabe, Dan Perez are mike-side for the Owls' baseball action this season.
National Ranking Update • Rice In Top Eight
The Owls began the year with a preseason ranking of number one in the nation. The team is fourth in its highest ranking heading into the Dallas Baptist game. This week's ranking roll call is as follows....
Rivals.com: 4th
Baseball America: 6th
Collegiate Baseball: 6th
National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA): 8th
The Owls had the preseason No. 1 ranking on the strength of seven starters returning to the regular lineup as well 11 experienced pitchers back in 2007. The newcomers making their Rice debut in 2007 were tabbed as among the best recruiting classes in the country by a host of baseball publications.
Head Coach Wayne Graham
Three-time national coach of the year and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Graham (Texas, 1970) is in his 16th season at Rice. He is 689-274 with the Owls (425-94 at home, 204-142 in road games and 60-38 at neutral sites). His overall winning percentage is .715, the best in school history. Another way of looking at Graham's .715 win percentage is that it is the equivalent of a major league team winning 116 games in a single year... Graham's record against Dallas Baptist is 11-1 (11-1 home)... His record against the teams in the upcoming Rice Invitational presented by Academy Sports is 0-0 vs. Florida Atlantic, 7-4 vs. Nebraska ( 7-1 home, 0-2 road, 0-1 neutral) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is 4-0 (2-0 home, 2-0 road)... Under Graham, the Owls clinched another automatic postseason bid in 2006, making 12-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. He added the C-USA tournament championship in 2006 and advanced into the NCAA tournament in 1995-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-03-04-05-06... Graham was named the WAC coach of the year in 1998, '99, '02 and the co-coach of the year in '03. He was named the Keith LeClair C-USA Coach of the Year in 2006, his first year in the league... Rice has made five appearances in the NCAA College World Series under Graham (1997, '99, `02, `03, `06)... 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), three weeks in 2004 and 12 weeks in 2006... 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; seventh year), David Pierce (Houston, 1988; fifth year), Patrick Hallmark (Rice, 1995; second year)... Graham will coach at third base. Taylor will be at first base.
1,264 Career Wins For Graham
Wayne Graham owns 689 career wins at Rice, but he also has 1,264 victories when including his 11 years at San Jacinto North College where he won five national championships. Graham's career record is 1,264-387 in a 26-year career that began in 1981.
Probable Starting Pitcher
Wayne Graham announced the probable starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against Dallas Baptist as Scott Lonergan (Sr., Tr.). Longergan (0-0, 0.00) made his Rice debut on Feb. 6 on the road at Texas State. He worked one inning in relief without allowing any runs. The Poway, Calif., native joined the Owls a year ago but did not appear in any games. He played two seasons at Santa Clara University where he compiled a 3-1 collegiate record.
Previous Game • Owls Take Weekend Series From No. 20 Long Beach State With 2-1 Win Sunday
The Rice pitching tandem of junior Joe Savery and senior Ryne Tacker held 20th-ranked Long Beach State in check before finishing with some late-game drama on the way to a 2-1 victory over the Dirtbags in the finale of a three-game weekend series Sunday afternoon at Reckling Park... With the victory the Owls clinched the three-game series over LBSU two games to one. Rice has now won 33-consecutive home weekend series, including both regular season and NCAA super regionals, at Reckling Park... Rice opened the scoring with single run in the third inning. Junior third baseman J.P. Padron led off with a hustling double to right field and he advanced to third on a fly out. Derek Myers laced a clutch two-out RBI single to center to score Padron for a 1-0 lead... Long Beach State came right back and tied the game in the top of the fourth. Jason Corder doubled to left and he came home when Danny Espinosa followed with one-out single down the left field line... The Blue & Gray answered with a run in their half of the fourth. Sophomore Aaron Luna drew a one-out walk and he moved into scoring position on a balk. Sophomore Adam Zornes singled him to third and an RBI ground-out put the Owls back in front, 2-1... That would be all the room the Rice pitchers would need in the game. Savery started on the mound and left after four innings in a predetermined amount of work. The Houston native from nearby Lamar High School surrendered four hits without any walks and struck out four to improve his record to 2-0. For the second time in as many outings Tacker was solid in relief to earn his second save of the season. He scattered just two hits without allowing any runs over the final five innings, walking two and striking out five... The Dirtbags had the tying run in scoring position in the top of the eighth, but Tacker worked out of the jam with ground out and strikeout. In the ninth the Owls used a defensive play to win the game. LBSU pinch-hitter T.J. Mittlelstaedt drew a two-out walk and then tried to score from first base on a hit to center by Allen Woods. Rice centerfielder Tyler Henley wasn't able to make the catch on Wood's bloop hit, but he was able to corral the ball and deliver the game-saving throw from the outfield to retire the runner at home plate... The Owls improved to 5-4 for the season with their third win the last four games. Long Beach State fell to 5-4 overall. The Dirtbags won the series-opener on Friday, 4-3 in 11 innings. The Blue & Gray slugged their way to an 11-2 win Saturday and pitched to the on-run victory Sunday.
33-Series Wins In A Row
With the series win over Long Beach State last weekend, Rice has now won 33-consecutive home series at Reckling Park. The streak, which includes both regular season and NCAA super regionals, dates back to April of 2001... Twenty of the 33 series wins have been 3-0 sweeps. The Owls have also won 24-straight home conference series, including four in C-USA last year and 16 by a three-games-to-none margin... The last time Rice lost a three-game regular season series at home was a Western Athletic Conference set against Nevada in April of 2001, two-games-to-one... Overall Rice has won 17-consecutive conference series dating back to Mar 20, 2005, the first weekend of league play in the WAC that year.
Rice Pitchers On Fire
The Rice pitchers have looked sharp in the opening weeks. Through nine games the staff has two shut outs and an ERA is 1.87. The Owls hurlers have held 291 opposing hitters to a combined .220 batting average. Rice has struck out 80 in 81.2 innings, including a season-high 13 in a win over Texas-San Antonio (Feb. 13). The Owls have averaged just 2.9 walks per nine innings.
Henley Streaking In Centerfield
Junior centerfielder Tyler Henley has been a fixture in the starting lineup the past two years for one of the top collegiate teams in the country. With nine starts this season, Henley has now made 139-consecutive starts and 126 of those have been as the Owls' leadoff hitter (90.6 percent). When leading off an inning over the last two years, the standout from Colleyville, Tex., has reached base an eye-opening 45.2 percent of the time. That is not a good way for the opposing defense to start an inning. Henley has scored 149 runs during his 139-game starting streak.
All-America Owls
A number of Owls have been piling up individual honors in the preseason. The Rice junior foursome of Cole St.Clair, Joe Savery, Brian Friday and Tyler Henley have appeared on the major preseason all-America listings.
• St.Clair, a left-handed relief pitcher, was named a first team preseason all-America by Collegiate Baseball, Rivals.com and the NCBWA. He is a third team preseason all-America by Baseball America. In 2006 St.Clair 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 the college season he 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.
• Savery, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman, was tabbed as a first team preseason all-America selection by Baseball America and second team honoree by Collegiate Baseball, Rivals.com and the NCBWA. 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.
• Friday was named a second team preseason all-America at shortstop by Rivals.com and third team honoree by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. 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.
• Henley led Conference USA in runs (74), doubles (26), triples (7) and total bases (156) and he finished among the C-USA leaders in hits (92), RBI (54), at bats (274), hit-by-pitch (20). He batted .385 in 10 games played in the NCAA Tournament, going 15-for-39 with six doubles and a home run for a postseason slugging percentage of .615.
The C-USA Favorites
With the junior tandem of pitcher/first baseman Joe Savery and pitcher Cole St.Clair selected as the 2007 preseason Conference USA player and pitcher of the year (respectively) the Rice baseball team has been picked as the unanimous C-USA favorite in the annual preseason coaches' poll... The Owls garnered all nine first place votes from the league's nine head coaches. The Blue & Gray placed a league-high five members on the preseason all-conference team. In addition to Savery and St. Clair, shortstop Brian Friday and outfielders Tyler Henley and Aaron Luna earned All-C-USA recognition. The top five predicted order of finish in the conference was...
Rice (9)
Tulane
Houston
Southern Miss
East Carolina
(first place votes in parentheses)
Player of the Year
Joe Savery, Rice (Jr., p/1b)
Pitcher of the Year
Cole St.Clair, Rice (Jr., p)
Preseason All-Conference USA Team
P: Ricky Hargrove, Jr., Houston
P: Sean Morgan, Jr., Tulane
P: Joe Savery, Jr., Rice
P: Cole St.Clair, Jr., Rice
RP: Daniel Latham, Sr., Tulane
C: Luis Flores, So., Houston
IF: Adam Amar, Sr., Memphis
IF: Brad Emaus, Jr., Tulane
IF: Brian Friday, Jr., Rice
IF: Trey Sutton, Jr., Southern Miss
OF: K.K. Chalmers, Jr., Memphis
OF: Tyler Henley, Jr., Rice
OF: Aaron Luna, So., Rice
OF: Warren McFadden, So., Tulane
DH/UT: Brendan Murphy, Sr., Marshall
Cooled By A Draft
Five Rice players were selected in the first 11 rounds of the 2006 Major League Baseball amateur draft, and seven Owls were drafted overall. The top five signed and joined the professional ranks but two, senior Ryne Tacker and junior Tyler Henley, returned for the 2007 season. Tacker was selected in the 49th round by the Seattle Mariners even though he did not pitch last year. Henley was selected in the 50th round by the Houston Astros even though he was just a sophomore. Josh Rodriguez (57th pick overall, Cleveland Indians), Bryce Cox (third round, Boston) Eddie Degerman (fourth, St. Louis), Greg Buchanan (ninth, Houston) and Craig Crow (11th, Texas) were the five draftees who signed.
Quick On The Opposition
Dallas Baptist is 4-2 heading into Tuesday's game against the Owls. The Patriots hit .288 as a team and already have 13 doubles and four home runs in six outings. DBU was 33-23 a year ago.
