Rice to Honor 2003 College World Series Champions on March 24-25
3/15/2023 3:24:00 PM | Baseball
20-year Reunion Weekend celebration
Rice Athletics will commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Rice Baseball's national championship by hosting a reunion weekend, Friday and Saturday, March 24-25 in conjunction with the Owls' Conference USA weekend series with UTSA.
There will be two reunion events open to members of the Rice community. The weekend opens with a reception honoring the team on Friday, March 24 at 7 p.m. at the Moody Center for the Arts. Admission is $50 per person. To accommodate the evening festivities, the Rice-UTSA game for Friday has been moved up to a 3 p.m. start. To register for the event, please click here.
Prior to Saturday's 2 p.m. game, there will be an R Association Alumni and Friends of Rice baseball pre-game tailgate party honoring the 2003 team, beginning at noon. The pre-game tailgate will take place outside of Reckling Park in the parking lot on the right field side adjacent to the Betty & Bob Bixby Batting Barn and The Roost. To register for the pre-game tailgate, please click here.
Prior to Saturday's first pitch, the members of the 2003 team be introduced and join the current members of the team for the National Anthem.
"We are proud to welcome home our 2003 NCAA National Championship baseball team and recognize their contributions to Rice University," said Joe Karlgaard, Director of Athletics and Lifetime Fitness. Our hope is that they enjoy rekindling the memories of their accomplishments and catching up with one another. This is a special weekend for our baseball program, and everyone associated with Rice Athletics."
Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach Jose Cruz Jr. added; "The 2003 team was the ultimate culmination of what Coach Graham and the teams I played on started in the early 90s. Everyone associated with Rice Baseball is extremely proud of their accomplishment and to have the opportunity to honor them with this special weekend."
The reunion weekend was organized by a committee of Rice Athletics staff, team captains Austin Davis and Chris Kolkhorst, current Rice Baseball Associate Head Coach Paul Janish, and former Director of Baseball Operations Kim McDougall Koehn.
"I am excited to get back together with our 2003 team for our 20-year anniversary commemorating our national championship, "said team captain and centerfielder Austin Davis. "It brings back so many great memories and I can't wait to share the weekend with such a special group. I am proud to be an Owl!"
"The grit and determination we displayed in 2003 shows that Rice Owls can be the best in sports, business, or any challenge that comes our way," added team co-captain Chris Kolkorst. "I want to thank Rice Athletics for organizing this weekend in honor of our national championship and for providing a platform for us to relive some special memories with a special group of people. I also want to thank Coach Graham for his outstanding leadership and for providing us all with the opportunity to attend Rice."
For questions regarding the reunion, please contact Director of the R Association Brian McDevitt at 713-348-3229.
There will be two reunion events open to members of the Rice community. The weekend opens with a reception honoring the team on Friday, March 24 at 7 p.m. at the Moody Center for the Arts. Admission is $50 per person. To accommodate the evening festivities, the Rice-UTSA game for Friday has been moved up to a 3 p.m. start. To register for the event, please click here.
Prior to Saturday's 2 p.m. game, there will be an R Association Alumni and Friends of Rice baseball pre-game tailgate party honoring the 2003 team, beginning at noon. The pre-game tailgate will take place outside of Reckling Park in the parking lot on the right field side adjacent to the Betty & Bob Bixby Batting Barn and The Roost. To register for the pre-game tailgate, please click here.
Prior to Saturday's first pitch, the members of the 2003 team be introduced and join the current members of the team for the National Anthem.
"We are proud to welcome home our 2003 NCAA National Championship baseball team and recognize their contributions to Rice University," said Joe Karlgaard, Director of Athletics and Lifetime Fitness. Our hope is that they enjoy rekindling the memories of their accomplishments and catching up with one another. This is a special weekend for our baseball program, and everyone associated with Rice Athletics."
Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach Jose Cruz Jr. added; "The 2003 team was the ultimate culmination of what Coach Graham and the teams I played on started in the early 90s. Everyone associated with Rice Baseball is extremely proud of their accomplishment and to have the opportunity to honor them with this special weekend."
The reunion weekend was organized by a committee of Rice Athletics staff, team captains Austin Davis and Chris Kolkhorst, current Rice Baseball Associate Head Coach Paul Janish, and former Director of Baseball Operations Kim McDougall Koehn.
"I am excited to get back together with our 2003 team for our 20-year anniversary commemorating our national championship, "said team captain and centerfielder Austin Davis. "It brings back so many great memories and I can't wait to share the weekend with such a special group. I am proud to be an Owl!"
"The grit and determination we displayed in 2003 shows that Rice Owls can be the best in sports, business, or any challenge that comes our way," added team co-captain Chris Kolkorst. "I want to thank Rice Athletics for organizing this weekend in honor of our national championship and for providing a platform for us to relive some special memories with a special group of people. I also want to thank Coach Graham for his outstanding leadership and for providing us all with the opportunity to attend Rice."
For questions regarding the reunion, please contact Director of the R Association Brian McDevitt at 713-348-3229.
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