With solid bats and strong arms, baseball is back

By Meghan Hall     2/19/09 6:00pm

It is funny how quickly members of the Rice community get greedy. Though the memories of the Owls winning the College World Series in 2003 - Rice's only national championship in any sport-are still relatively fresh, this team is itching to reach the CWS for the fourth year in a row and end what seems like an eternal five-year championship drought. Though fall ball numbers can be deceptive, they have been nevertheless encouraging for the 2009 season. After four exhibition games, the Owls emerged with a clean slate. They opened the fall season with an 8-4 win over Texas State University, then beat the fourth-ranked University of Texas 13-6 twice and capped off the preseason with a 21-2 trumping of McNeese State University.

The USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll, Collegiate Baseball Magazine, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association all ranked the Owls third in the nation, while Baseball America listed them as seventh. But after 18 years at the helm of Rice baseball and thirteen consecutive conference championships, head coach Wayne Graham has learned the limitations of polls.

"It's kind of odd - it really is," Graham said. "I think that it is almost an aberration due to the fact that we played so well in the fall, beat Texas a couple of times, and looked real good. I'm not saying we don't have a good team, because we do, but I think that high ranking is a result of that. The original thoughts, before we played those games, said we were going to be ranked somewhere between 10 and 15."

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Graham may not dispute all of the accolades the team has already received. Junior right-hander Ryan Berry was named the 2009 Greater Houston Preseason College Player of the Year at the 2009 Houston Area Baseball Awards Dinner. He is the fourth consecutive Owl to win the award, following Joe Savery (Hanszen '08), Cole St.Clair (Sid Richardson '08) and Aaron Luna. Berry was also named a 2009 Preseason All- America selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Berry's name was also mentioned among the 204 players on College Baseball Hall of Fame's watch list for its 2009 Wallace Award, which goes to the nation's top collegiate baseball player. Sophomore infielder Rick Hague, junior pitcher Mike Ojala and junior catcher Diego Seastrunk were also on the list. With four players on the list, a pair of pitchers and a pair of hitters, Rice's well-rounded talent is evident.

The starting guns

In keeping with a long-standing tradition of strength and leadership on the mound, Berry has been touted as one of the nation's best pitchers since his arrival two years ago. He was named National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and C-USA Freshman of the Year. Since then, he has appeared on the Conference USA First Team in 2007 and 2008.

Graham said the awards were doled out appropriately, despite the fact that Berry has struggled in his two College World Series appearances.

"Ryan has been a quality starter here for two years," Graham said. "He seems in good physical condition and in a great mental state. I think he's ready to have a good year. Those preseason honors are justified. He's a quality starter."

Berry's cumulative record over the last two years is 19-8 with a 3.30 ERA. He also competed in the summer of 2007 with the USA Collegiate National Team and posted a 1.88 ERA in seven appearances.

Joining Berry as another weekend starter is Ojala, who has started a total of five games against the Longhorns and the Aggies in his career. With an ERA of 4.86, the right-hander boasts an undefeated college career (7-0) and a team-leading strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.21. In 2008, he gained valuable big-game experience, throwing the clinching game in the Super Regional against Texas A&M.

The final weekend starter most likely will be freshman Taylor Wall. A graduate of Westside High School in Houston, Wall was an all-state selection in 2008 by the Texas Sports Writers' Association. The Houston Chronicle named him the All-Greater Houston pitcher of the year after a senior season in which he posted a 14-1 record and a 0.64 ERA.

Other pitchers who may start during the season include freshmen Anthony Fazio and Andrew Benak, who will likely see action in midweek games. Fazio, who also earned all-state honors while playing football in Beaumont, Tex., pitched well in the fall exhibitions with a 1.80 ERA. However, he has been having some preseason arm troubles, and it remains to be seen how soon he will be able to work into the rotation. Benak, who at 6'5" is the tallest true freshman pitcher, led Langham Creek High School to a top-15 national ranking in 2008.

The men in the 'pen

The bullpen has been a major focus for the coaches during the preseason. The loss of St.Clair and fellow reliever Bryan Price to the 2008 MLB draft leaves a gaping hole at the back of the bullpen, though the team has confidence in sophomore Matt Evers.

"Evers was good last year, and we think he will be this year," Graham said. "If we had to choose [a closer] now, it would be Evers."

Successful as a rookie reliever in 2008, Evers finished with a 4-1 record and a 3.00 ERA in 29 appearances. But his past success does not make the southpaw the only late-inning option.

"Benak could pitch out there, [senior] Jordan Rogers has looked good; he should pitch some, [and sophomore Doug] Simmons has come on to look pretty good as a pitcher," Graham said. "It could be any number of guys. We're going to be really looking at that hard in the early going."

Rogers, who formerly pitched at San Jacinto Junior College, enters his senior campaign with just one year of Rice experience under his belt. In 2008, the right-hander made four appearances for the Owls, and will be looked to for potential long relief as well.

Simmons is a redshirt sophomore who served as a designated hitter last year, hitting .237 in 23 games before converting to pitcher last fall to give the Owls another left-handed option.

Behind the plate

The 2008 draft left holes in the lineup and field, as well. The San Diego Padres took veteran catcher Adam Zornes and forced the Owls to reconsider its options at the post. After playing third base for most of last season, Seastrunk volunteered to move to catcher.

Seastrunk, who played in every game last year and started all but one, was an All-C-USA First Team selection in 2008. He hit well in big games, contributing six hits and seven RBIs in NCAA Tournament games, as well as in clutch situations - he had a .405 average with runners in scoring position. He finished 2008 with a cumulative .353 average, six home runs and 61 RBIs, which led the team.

In addition to Seastrunk, freshman Craig Manuel will be Rice's back-up battery-mate. Manuel has plenty of experience behind the plate, having caught every inning in both his junior and senior year campaigns at his Satellite Beach, Fla., high school.

Around the diamond

Changes abound for the infield in 2009, with two new starters in junior Brock Holt and freshman Anthony Rendon, both native Texans.

Rendon will set up shop at the hot corner, playing third base for Rice. As a high school senior at Lamar High School in 2008, Rendon was a First-Team 5A All-State shortstop and hit .570 with eight home runs and 56 RBI.

"He had an outstanding fall, and he's looked very good in the early practices," Graham said. "Rendon's a joy to work with because he loves to play, [and] he loves to work out."

The freshman, who ended high school as a stalwart shortstop, said he was not worried about his position shift or the pressure of playing for a top-ranked Division I program.

"I've actually been playing a lot stronger with good conditioning and good weight training," Rendon said. "I'm feeling good . I played [third base] during high school, so I know a lot about it."

Joining Rendon as a new player in the infield is Holt, a transfer from Navarro College, who will man second.

"He did everything well in the fall," Graham said. "He's everything we hoped he'd be, a good fielder [and a] good hitter."

At Navarro, Holt was a two-time first team All-Texas Eastern Athletic Conference shortstop, and he hit .405 with 14 doubles and 20 stolen bases in 2008. As a transfer, Holt is playing with a major collegiate baseball program for the first time and is adjusting to Rice's baseball and academic programs.

"You get the best of both worlds academically and athletically [at Rice]," Holt said. "It's a good place to be. I am looking forward to [the season]. It's going to be new to me, but I'm looking forward to getting started and doing all the traveling and playing big-time ball. I'm not used to it yet."

Hague holds his position at shortshop after a successful 2008 debut that earned Freshman All- American honors. Hague hit .348 last season with 19 doubles, tied for the team lead, and 54 RBIs. His eight home runs in 2008 are the most among returning players, and he also led the team with a .549 slugging percentage.

Rounding out the infield will be junior Jimmy Comerota, who shifts from second base to first base following a breakout year in which he started 51 games, more than his previous two years combined. Comerota also hit especially well near the end of the season last year, becoming Rice's leading hitter in the regional round and accumulating a .429 average in the College World Series in addition to his team-leading 12 stolen bases.

Headed for the fences

Following what seems to be an overarching theme for Rice baseball, the Owls' outfield will need to rebuild during the 2009 campaign. Fortunately, the outfielders will be anchored by a familiar face: sophomore Chad Mozingo. It appears that Mozingo's days as a center fielder are over, for the left-hander will be starting the season in right field. Mozingo had a successful debut in 2008, starting 58 games and finishing with a .301 batting average, including a .417 clip in the NCAA Tournament.

Junior Steven Sultzbaugh, a transfer from Weatherford College, will replace Mozingo in center field. In 2008 Sultzbaugh was the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference player of the year with a .514 batting average, 65 RBI and a .850 slugging percentage.

The left field starter is still up in the air, though the options have boiled down to either freshman Jeremy Rathjen or sophomore Michael Fuda. Rathjen is a graduate of nearby Memorial High School and is a two time all-district selection, while Fuda, a former two-sport athlete who also played football, will rely on his speed and fielding prowess to earn a spot in the lineup.

Rounding out the line-up

If there is one glaring hole in the lineup, it comes on the pine. Both the bench and the designated hitter position could be affected by the team's lack of seniors and consequent lack of reserves with extensive experience.

Graham said he sees senior Jess Buenger becoming somewhat of a utility man for the Owls, playing some infield, catching and acting as a designated hitter. When Buenger catches, the Owls could rest Seastrunk from the field, but use his bat at DH.

Buenger played in just 28 games last season because of a foot injury he suffered in April during a game against Texas A&M. He hit .258 last year in only 68 at-bats but posted a .306 average in 2007, when he started 55 games. He contributed 12 doubles, seven home runs and 47 RBI in 2007.

Another option with the stick is redshirt sophomore Trey Crain - the second transfer from Weatherford College - who could see some time at first, third and designated hitter. Graham also mentioned the "very good possibility" that freshman Luke Willson, a reserve tight end for the football team, could get playing time as a designated hitter or first baseman.

Other players who could come off the bench for Rice include sophomore Nick DeBiasse and freshman Daniel Gonzales-Luna. DeBiasse had nine at-bats last year, while Gonzales-Luna is a 2008 graduate of Lamar High School and was named to the all-district team three times.

What's on the slate

After the team's four preseason games, official spring practices did not start until Feb. 1, giving the players just under three weeks to work before today's season opener in San Louis Obispo, Calif., against the University of California-Polytechnic. After a doubleheader tomorrow, the team will come home to Reckling Park, where it will host C-USA rival University of Houston in the home opener on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. This game will be Houston's only regular-season trip to Rice, while the Owls will play four games at Cougar Field on March 18 and May 1-3.

Following that game, the Owls will again participate in the annual Houston College Classic held at Minute Maid Park from Feb. 27-March 1. The other teams that will attend this year are top-ranked Texas A&M, No. 8 Baylor University, No. 9 University of California-Los Angeles, No. 12 University of California-Irvine and Houston. The tournament features an unprecedented five teams that are ranked in the top 12 in the country.

Rice also hosts its annual tournament, The Academy Sports & Outdoors Rice Classic, March 6-8, which will feature Notre Dame University, Washington State University and Oral Roberts University. In mid- March the Owls will host a four-game series against 11th-ranked University of San Diego, followed by a single game against Texas.

After the conference season gets into full swing on March 20 at the University of Southern Mississippi, the Owls will return home to face the Aggies one last time on April 14 before traveling to Austin to play Texas a week later. C-USA play will then resume with the conference championship in Hattiesburg, Miss., on May 20.

Rice's 52-game schedule is purposefully difficult, all in hopes of raising the team's NCAA Ratings Power Index, which comes into play when the NCAA determines the national seeds and which teams host regionals in the spring.

"We've got an outstanding schedule," Graham said. "It's a good schedule from the fan's standpoint; one of the best we've ever had."

Final thoughts

With the Owls, the areas to keep an eye on are left field and the bullpen. The coaches are using the spring practices and early games to figure out who will consistently man left field, which players will be their strongest arms in the bullpen and who will start the midweek game.

And although the team only has two seniors, the coaching staff is not worried about seniority being an issue.

"I don't think [the lack of seniors] is any problem at all," Graham said. "Berry always has been [a leader]. And I think most of our players are fairly quiet and lead by example with hard work."

But their talent, leadership and focus do not erase any sense of intrigue, for there is still a wide landscape of other very capable squads whose desire to reach Omaha is just as great.

"The immediate goal, of course, is to win the conference championship, but we always have a goal of getting to Omaha, no doubt of that," Graham said. "There's about 30 teams that can say we've got a good enough team to go to Omaha now, and we're one of those.

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