BATTER UP! - Owls Hold First Fall Practice Monday
9/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 26, 2011
HOUSTON -- Rice head baseball coach Wayne Graham welcomed back 22 returning lettermen from last season's team that earned the program's 17th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, and more than a dozen newcomers to the roster, as the Owls held their first fall practice of 2011 on Monday afternoon (Sept. 26) at Reckling Park.
The Owls return eight offensive starters in the batting order and 11 veteran pitchers who helped lead the 2011 team to a 42-21 record, the Conference USA Tournament title and the league's regular season co-championship. Twelve of the newcomers are freshmen from the high school ranks and there is one junior transfer.
After a brief period of conditioning and drills, Graham divided the team for a Blue-Gray intraquad scrimmage. He was pleased with the team's physical condition for the first day of practice and stated that playing time in the spring (2012) could be a direct correlation to a player's performance in the fall.
"We're looking forward to this year so the first practice of the season is always special," coach Graham said. "Everybody is working hard and looks good. A couple of the pitchers have really looked good in our individual workouts, Jordan Stephens and Zech Lemond in particular. We have some athletes and a lot of people back. It seems we have more players back this season then we've ever had before.
"We've seen individual drills but it's so important for us to see them in a game-like setting (scrimmage)," coach Graham explained. "Some people elevate in a game and some go the other way, so it's critical, absolutely critical, to scrimmage as much as we can.
"There are always jobs open," he added. "There's always an opportunity for somebody to beat somebody out. Even though we have a lot of people back off a championship team, we have people will have to show they have improved to stay in the lineup."
Rice's fall baseball practices continue through October 24. Last spring the Blue & Gray advanced to an NCAA Regional for a 17th-straight year and hosted postseason play at home at Reckling Park.
