CWS Preview of Rice

The Rice Owls are lead by Wayne Graham who is in his 16th season at the University. Coach Graham has turned the Rice Owls baseball program into one of the most respected in the business. Coach Graham has Rice playing in its 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Rice Owls are in a Super Regional for the seventh time and they have been to the College World Series five times most recently during the ’06 season and winning it all in ’03.

This season Rice has an overall record of 54-12 and a conference record of 22-2. In the last 20 games, the Owls have only lost one game and that came during the conference tournament in Greenville, North Carolina. During the tournaments, the Pitching staff has given up a combine 8 runs total for an average of 1.6 runs a game. Wayne Graham has this Rice Owls playing like a champion. They do the little thing to get the win. They pitch, play defense and move the runners over on offense.

Rice Owls pitching staff is deep and talented as they are led by a group of guys that can get the job done. The key guy is Joe Savery he is 10-1 with an era of 2.78 and has started 17 games for the Rice Owls, he has pitched in 87 innings and the opposing team is batting .239 against him. Next is Ryan Berry who has a record of 11-2 and an era 2.71 and the opposing teams are batting against him is .240. Then there are Matt Langwell and Ryne Tacker as they are a combine 17-2. When these guys get to the late innings, they turn the ball over to Cole St. Clair. When he comes in Cole shuts the door down and finishes the game.

The offense is just has talented as the pitching staff. The same guy who leads the pitching staff also leads the offense, When Savery is not pitching he is playing first base. Savery is batting .360 and has driven in 57 runs. AS a team, the Rice owls are batting .310 and have hit 57 Home Runs. Rice will put the ball in play and force the opposing team defense to make the play.

Wayne Graham has this team focus and peaking at the right time and doing the small things that makes a Championship team. Look for this team to be in the Championship Series and for Rice to bring home the School second National Championship.

Rice Owls Info