2009 Rice Baseball Preview

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 19, 2009) There never seems to be a shortage of optimism regarding Rice baseball, and with good reason. Under head coach Wayne Graham, now entering his 18th season at the helm of the program, the Owls have now been to NCAA Regionals 14 years in a row, won or shared a regular season conference championship for 13-straight years, and been to the College World Series in Omaha seven times in the last dozen years.

This year's Owls team has something a little different. The team has a distinct mix of confidence and motivation.

The confidence comes from the fall training sessions of 2008 where the team played and won four exhibitions against Division I opponents. As a team Rice hit a composite .348 and averaged 15 runs per exhibition. The Owl pitchers meanwhile maintained a 2.21 ERA and held the Division I foes to a .210 batting average. It was hard not be confident because even with some major position changes and newcomers in key roles, Rice looked like it deserved a high preseason ranking for 2009.

The confidence is not a factor and neither is motivation. Rice has now gone to the College World Series three-straight years, but no Owl team has been to Omaha four-straight years. It goes without saying the Blue & Gray would not be content merely making the trip.

Catchers
When looking at the offense and defense for 2009, the place to start is behind the plate. Diego Seastrunk, who was named to the all-College World Series Team as a freshman third baseman in 2007, moved from third base to catcher during the 2008 fall training period and started behind the plate in the Owls' scheduled exhibitions. The good news is the coaches were pleased with his progress in making the change and how he handled the pitching staff. The better news is that Seastrunk is still the same switch-hitter who batted a team-leading .353 with 19 doubles a year ago. The opposing coaches in C-USA are so convinced of his hitting the last two years that the group named Seastrunk its 2009 preseason all-conference catcher before the junior from Channelview, Tex., had ever played a game at that position.





The physical demands on a catcher's body means that no matter how well Seastrunk hits or fields his new position, it's rare that any Division I player could start every single game behind the plate. The Owls have some solid options. Senior Jess Buenger along with a trio of promising young stars including sophomore Nick DeBiasse and freshmen Craig Manuel and Dave Peterson, are all viable options. Peterson is a 6-foot-0 rookie from Villa Park, Calif., who caught the coaches attention in the fall with his versatility. Manuel is a 6-foot-2 prep standout from Satellite Beach, Fla., who could have a role based on his left-handed hitting. DeBiasse worked his way into six games as a true freshman last season. The 6-foot-3 Lawrence, Kan., native did not see game-action behind the plate, but he is a competitor with potential to hit. Don't rule out Buenger possibly making a contribution as a catcher. He trained for the role last season, but his ability to bat equally well from both sides of the plate helped steer him to playing time as the designated hitter.

Infielders
Any questions Rice may have had about the infield were answered loud and clear in the fall. The pairing of newcomers Anthony Rendon and Brock Holt, with veterans Rick Hague and Jimmy Comerota, could prove to be another Rice super-group. Like Seastrunk moving to catcher, the Owls made another big off-season switch to keep an eye-on.

Comerota made 51 starts in the middle infield (48 at second base), but the junior from Hightower High School in Missouri City, Tex., will begin 2009 at first base. Though he may not be the game's typical first baseman, stealing 12 bases to go along with a .291 average in 2008, Comerota showed in the fall that he is one of the team's steadiest defenders. He also showed he has become a pretty tough player to get out, batting a composite .519 in the team's four Division I fall exhibitions.

Hague is a sophomore infield returnee who worked his way into 59 starts at shortstop as a true freshman. A year ago the Spring, Tex., standout hit .348 with eight home runs and 19 doubles to earn Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball. Hague is also an exceptional defensive player who turned or started 44 of the Owls' 63 double plays.

There will be new faces in the infield on Hague's left and right. Junior transfer Brock Holt won the job at second base with a sensational fall. The Stephenville, Tex., native was a shortstop at Navarro College but is versatile enough to start at second base with no drop in defensive range. He hit .474 with a .579 slugging percentage in the exhibitions and simply could not be taken out of the lineup.

Having a player talented enough even to consider moving an all-conference player like Seastrunk out of his familiar spot at third base is certainly a lot to ask, but the Owls found it by signing one of the best high school stars in the city of Houston in freshman Anthony Rendon. Not only did Rendon hit .435 in the fall exhibitions, he had a .522 slugging percentage and he was third on the team in RBI.

Rice has some infield depth to give the group some rest if it needs any. In addition to having Seastrunk available to play third, Holt at short and Comerota able to play anywhere in the infield, the Owls also have DeBiasse and Peterson to possibly see action at first base.

Sophomore Trey Crain redshirted a year at Rice in 2007, gained some valuable experience playing at Weatherford College in 2008, and is back with the Blue & Gray in 2009. Crain has potential to hit for power and diverse defensive skills. Six-foot-six, 220-pound freshman Luke Willson played football for the Owls in the fall, but the Ontario native also has elite international baseball experience after playing first base for Team Canada last summer. Willson bats from the left side with tremendous home run potential.

Outfielders
Rice is very happy with its infield prospects and the same can be said of the outfielders. Sophomore Chad Mozingo started 58 games as a rookie last season and he is the team's No. 3 returning hitter (.301 avg.) from a year ago. The right fielder from Spring caught fire late in the year, highlighted by a .417 average in the Owls' run through the NCAA Tournament. Mozingo then carried that over into the summer where he led the California Collegiate League in hitting (.470). He is an improved hitter with outstanding speed and a strong arm.

The team has a new center fielder in Steven Sultzbaugh, an experienced veteran from Weatherford College. Sultzbaugh was the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference player of the year in 2008, setting new school records for batting average (.514), RBI (65), runs scored (53) and slugging percentage (.850). The 6-foot-3, 200-pound, Austin native was drafted by the Florida Marlins in 2006 after an outstanding prep career at Westwood High School.

The starting left-fielder's spot may begin with two or more players getting a chance to shine. At the end of the fall sophomore Michael Fuda and freshman Jeremy Rathjen and were at the top of the list. Rathjen is another of the Owls' highly-decorated local players from the high school ranks. The 6-foot-5 Houston native from Memorial High School caught the coaches' attention with a .333 average in the fall and sound defensive skills. Fuda is a former two-sport varsity athlete at Rice (also played football) who quickly ascended to a possible starting role once he focused solely on baseball. After seeing action at second base last year, his speed and strength may be better utilized in the outfield.

Fuda may have hung up the football pads for the last time but a second Owl (along with Luke Willson) is making a run at two-sport status in 2009. Owl quarterback Ryan Lewis is a left-handed hitting freshman who could see playing time in the outfield. Daniel Gonzales-Luna had a standout high school career at nearby Lamar High School and is likewise making a serious push for game-action. Sophomore Nick Natale returns for the Blue & Gray after working his way into four appearances last season. His superior speed makes him equally valuable as a defensive or base-running option.

Pitchers
With five former Owls pitching in the major leagues last year and another seven selected in the 2008 major league draft, it's easy to see pitching has long been a cornerstone of Rice teams in the Wayne Graham era. The pitching forecast for 2009: more premium performers.

There are a total of 10 returning pitchers from a year ago, highlighted by two experienced starters. The veteran duo are right-handed juniors Ryan Berry and Mike Ojala. Berry has been the opening starter of a weekend series, the "Friday pitcher," for each of the last two years. No matter where the Owl ace has pitched, Berry has made the most of his outings. The Humble, Tex., native has compiled 19 career wins, a 3.30 ERA and more than 200 strikeouts in his first two seasons.

Ojala's improvement from his freshman year, where he pitched in middle relief, earned him a promotion to mid-week starter as a sophomore last season. He continued to improve over the course of last season, working into the sixth inning four times late in the year and holding opponents to a composite .239 batting average in his last seven starts. In addition to an undefeated record in his college career (7-0), the standout from Kingwood averaged 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings and he had the second-best strikeouts-to-walks ratio (3.2-to-1) on the staff.

Two true freshmen have emerged to the fore-front for two open spots as regular starters. Taylor Wall is left-hander from nearby Westside High School. He was named the All-Greater Houston pitcher of the year after finishing with a 14-1 record and 0.64 ERA. Anthony Fazio is a rookie right-hander from Beaumont who caught the coaches' attention in the fall workouts. He led the staff in strikeouts and maintained a 1.50 ERA in the exhibitions.

There are almost a dozen more pitchers capable of making a significant contribution this season so expect plenty of competition for innings. Sophomore left-hander Matt Evers has the most Division I experience (42 innings) of the remaining pitching candidates. He could be the team's new closer in 2009, but he's versatile enough to succeed in various situations. Evers held opposing hitters to a .232 average and fanned 11.6 batters per nine innings as a freshman.

Keep an eye on a number of talented right-handers who could see action. Senior Jordan Rogers is a disciplined veteran who could start or relieve after a solid fall. Junior Jared Rogers (no relation) is a transfer from Navarro College in his first season at the Division I level. He went 8-1 with a 2.48 ERA for the Bulldogs last season. Mark Haynes is a junior who worked 13.0 innings on the mound for the Owls last season. He held opponents to a composite .220 batting average. Zack Harwood is a sophomore right-hander and another pleasant surprise from the fall. The redshirt from Groves, Tex., has been sidelined for most of the last two seasons and is anxious to make a bigger contribution. Travis Wright is another redshirt sophomore who showed potential with extensive work in the fall.

The coaches certainly like what they have seen of freshmen right-handers Andrew Benak and Matthew Reckling. Benak is a 6-foot-5 Houston native who played different positions at Langham Creek High School. He continues to improve while focusing only on pitching. Reckling, who stands 6-foot-4, was third on the staff in innings in the fall. Both young right-handers have potential.

That's a wealth of talented pitching, but it's only the right-handers. Sophomores Abe Gonzales and Doug Simmons along with redshirt freshman Andy Hamilton could have an immediate impact for the Owls working from the left side. Gonzales played some first base for the team last season before getting sidelined in the second half of the year. He is projected to contribute as a left-handed reliever with spot duty as a potential left-handed hitter. It's almost the identical scenario for Simmons, who made 15 starts as a left-handed designated hitter as a rookie in 2008. The 2009 campaign has him possibly taking the mound for the first time. Hamilton is an imposing 6-foot-8, 280-pound, southpaw who was sidelined during his freshman season a year ago. His taking the mound for the first time in 2009 could give the team a lift.