#11 |
RICE
owls
(47-15, 21-3)
final 2008 ranking: 8 |
 
Year after year the Rice Owls continue to play solid,
fundamental baseball with a deep pitching staff that
can shut down any opponent. Rice made it to the CWS
for the third year in a row last season and will be
a favorite once again to return to Omaha in 2009. Led
by juniors Ryan Berry (8-5, 3.63) Mike Ojala (5-0, 4.97)
and a steady stream of top recruits, the Owls should
once again post one of the lowest team ERAs in the nation
(3.79 in 2008, good for 10th overall). Leading the charge
offensively will be Diego Seastrunk (.353, 6, 51), the
Owls’ leader in batting average and RBI in 2008,
and sophomore shortstop Rick Hague (.348, 8, 54) who
earned a host of national recognitions for his play
at shortstop. The Owls impressed in four fall games,
outscoring opponents 61-20, which included a pair of
wins over Texas.
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