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August 24, 2007 > Sports > Baseball’s run falls short again

Baseball’s run falls short again

Owls lose in CWS semifinals for second consecuive season

By Ben Jedlovec | Thresher staff

After cruising through the Conference USA tournament, NCAA regional bracket, and super regional matchup with Texas A&M University, the baseball team fell to the University of North Carolina in the semifinals of the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Rice finished the season ranked No. 3 by Baseball America and other major polls.

For the second consecutive year, the Owls won their first two CWS games against the University of Louisville and North Carolina, putting themselves one win from the championship series. However, again they fell short, as the Tar Heels quickly rebounded with two straight wins, knocking Rice out of title contention.

The Owls shrugged off their disappointment and reflected on the positives that came from the 2007 season.

“I thought we had a great run,” senior closer Cole St. Clair said. “We played a number of very good teams and really demonstrated that we were one of the best teams in the nation based on our talent and heart. As for the final result — none of us liked to end our season with a loss. But in the big picture, we had a very good year by any standard, and I think that is what should be remembered.”

The C-USA champions again brought home numerous individual accolades in addition to their strong team representation. Freshman third baseman Diego Seastrunk was named to the All-CWS team, becoming the fourth Owl ever to receive that honor and the first since the 2003 national championship year. Additionally, head coach Wayne Graham was named C-USA Coach of the Year for the second time in the two seasons since Rice joined the conference.

Junior Joe Savery was named a first team All-American by Baseball America as the top two-way player in the country. Savery finished with 11 wins and a 2.99 ERA on the mound and a .356 batting average with 6 homeruns and 60 RBI’s at the plate. C-USA also named Savery its Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year.

Fellow pitcher Ryne Tacker was named C-USA Pitcher of the Year, finishing with a 9-1 record, 3.01 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 71.2 innings this season. Tacker, a senior, dominated opposing lineups both out of the bullpen and in the rotation before the unfortunate reappearance of the stress fracture that kept him out of action for the entire 2006 season. He was unavailable to pitch throughout the C-USA and NCAA tournaments, leaving the Owls without their Saturday starter and making their postseason run even more challenging.

Owls ace and Friday night starter Ryan Berry was named C-USA Freshman of the Year in addition to earning a place on Baseball America’s All-Freshman Team. Berry finished with 11 wins, a 3.01 ERA and 125 strikeouts in a team-leading 122.2 innings pitched. He then spent the summer traveling internationally with Team USA, compiling a 1.88 ERA in 38.1 IP against the best players from around the world.

As expected, Rice was hit hard by the Major League Baseball Draft, held June 7-8. 14 Owls were selected in the 50-round draft. As college juniors, several of the players were forced to choose between turning pro and returning to Rice for their senior seasons, including Savery, who was selected 19th overall by the Philidelphia Phillies. Joining Savery in the professional ranks are a number of pitchers and position players, including three junior starters — shortstop Brian Friday, catcher Danny Lehmann and centerfielder Tyler Henley.

“It’s part of the business,” assistant coach Mike Taylor said. “If you’re not losing guys every year you’re probably not winning a lot of games at this level because of the experience they bring and the quality of play. If you don’t bring those guys in, you’re probably not making runs at Omaha.

Despite the amount of talent leaving campus for the professional ranks, plenty of experience and a highly-touted recruiting class will be on display at Reckling Park next season.

Perhaps the biggest name returning for his senior season is St. Clair. After a sophomore season in which he posted a 1.82 ERA, 11 saves and 100 strikeouts in 74 1/3 IP and was named a first team All-American by Baseball America, the lefthander battled back from an off-season shoulder injury to throw only 28 1/3 innings during the 2007 season. Injury concerns dropped a possible first-round talent into the seventh round, where the Cleveland Indians took a chance and drafted him. Ultimately, the August 15th signing deadline arrived, and St. Clair announced his intention to return for the 2007 season.

“My choice to return to Rice for my senior year,” St. Clair said, “was fueled by my great relationship with the coaches, opportunity to finish my degree before concerning myself with the outside world, and really a desire to enjoy being with all the friends I have made in my time here.”

“We’re very excited about Cole St. Clair coming back,” Coach Taylor said. “If he can get his arm back to where it was, he’s got a shot at being the best pitcher in the country.”

Fellow draftees Chris Kelley and Jonathan Runnels will rejoin St. Clair on the Owls staff. Along with starters Berry and Matt Langwell, Bryan Price, Mike Ojala, and four new recruits figure to receive plenty of opportunities. The Owls are also expecting Bobby Bell to return from arm surgery and rejoin a staff the again figures to rank among the nation’s best.

In the field, catcher Adam Zornes turned down the opportunity to play pro ball in favor of rejoining Seastrunk, Aaron Luna, Jess Buenger, and Jared Gayhart as regulars from the 2007 lineup. J.P. Padron and Jimmy Commerota will have opportunities to earn an increased role for 2008, but they might have to compete with highly touted freshman recruits, including Spring, TX natives Chad Mozingo and Rick Hague, speedster Joseph Paylor, and Nick Natale, whose Seton Hall Prep team was one of the best high school teams in the country last season.

“We’re gonna have plenty of competition in the fall,” Coach Taylor said. “There’s going to be plenty of opportunity with us playing five games a week most of the year.”

Reckling Park is undergoing major changes this summer, as the entire playing surface has been dug up to install a state-of-the-art underground drainage system. The construction is expected to be completed soon, and the resulting surface should be able withstand much more water before becoming unplayable.

Reckling isn’t the only prominent figure in Rice baseball that is undergoing off-season renovations. Head coach Wayne Graham underwent knee surgery and has been home-bound recently, but is expected to be back at Reckling in the near future.

Heading into fall practice, much is still up in the air. But the Owls are quick to warn that this North Carolinaertainty should not be mistaken for a lack of talent or a drop-off from two consecutive College World Series appearances.

“These guys have won a lot of games,” Coach Taylor said. “Most of them have played in the super regionals and had a couple of trips to Omaha.”

“We will be welcoming a few new faces but there are still a number of key players from last year’s team that are returning,” St. Clair said. “Once we are able to see where everyone will fit I predict that we will have yet another strong year.”

“We can’t wait,” Coach Taylor said. “We feel there’s no reason we should miss a beat.”

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