JUST OUT OF REACH

National Title Hopes Dashed

By Mark Anderson

Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha--In the end, it brought Wayne Graham to tears. Forget the saying, “There’s no crying in baseball.” When you get this close, there is.

Thursday’s game was the end of the line for several members of the freshman class of 2005. For Joe Savery and Brian Friday, it would be the last time to wear a Rice uniform in a game that mattered (hopefully, we’ll see them at the alumni game in January). It may be the end of the line for Cole St. Clair, Bobby Bramhall, Danny Lehmann, Tyler Henley, and a few others as well.

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

What had been Rice’s trademark all season—outstanding pitching—betrayed them when it counted the most. But to be fair, things weren’t the same here in Omaha as they had been the entire year.

Take for example, the batter’s box. According to Danny Lehmann, “It was two inches from home plate.” Lehmann complained about it to home plate umpire David Buck, who acknowledged Danny was right, but “”We’ll fix it in the next set of games.”

That didn’t help Rice pitching at all. It enabled North Carolina hitters to hang out over the home plate like vultures. That’s why Rice pitching gave up four home runs in the final game of the season. Rice had not given up three home runs in any game until they reached Omaha. If you’re wondering how they suddenly became batting practice pitchers with all the home runs, look no further than what Danny Lehmann had to say (by the way--they didn't fix it--and Wayne Graham thought North Carolina had the best pitching next to Rice--but look st Saturday's results--not any different than what we endured).

One thing that didn’t help matters was Matt Langwell tweaked his back before the game. He thought he could pitch through it. It was only when Coach Graham was alerted to the situation that a change was made. But that was two home runs after the fact, and the tone of the game had been set by then. Ackley absolutely parked Langwell's homer over the batter's backdrop in centerfield--and that takes a shot of monster proportions to hit something that far.

Yes, Rice scored to bring the game back to 3-2. But once Langwell was pulled in favor of Bobby Bramhall, things went downhill in a hurry. Bobby had a phenomenal year for Rice, but gave up the same number of home runs in the game (2) as he had all season. And this isn't blaming Bramhall--he simply could not adjust to the new conditions of a closer batter's box. In Bramhall's defense, there weren't many in this series that could or did.

But perhaps the cruelest fate of all fell on Joe Savery in the seventh inning. Joe took what was a pitch six inches off the plate for a called third strike, and you could see by Joe's reaction--during the game and afterwards--that he felt robbed.

"That pitch was six inches outside,"Joe said afterwards, "and then they showed it up on the scoreboard for God and everyone to see."

Now it's time for one question.

Did the Owls choke?

No.

Go back and look at games three and four. The Owls were hitting the ball hard in both games. A line drive by Lehmann in game three was an atom ball at the third baseman. Another line drive was speared for a double play. The Owls were not striking out--they had only a handful in game four, including two at critical points.

This team played with heart.

There was no quit on this team or on the bench.

It simply wasn't meant to be this year.

That's the hard facts that are tough to swallow.

A SEASON TO BE PROUD OF

2007 should go down in history as one of the finest in Owl history for several reasons. Let's look at a few.

First--they finally overcame the stigma of not being able to beat Texas. Joe Savery believed this was the turning point of the season. Before that, they were only 19-10. Look at their record today. They lost only one game in April. They lost one in May. They lost only two in June. That says a lot about this team right there.

I was told after the Texas game--and it's here on the blog--that the goal was not to lose another game this year. That sounded like a bold statement then. But they actually came close to pulling that off.

Second--they overcame injuries. Cole St. Clair, Bobby Bell, and others were injured during the year. At the end of the season, they lost their number two starter in Ryne Tacker. Others like Aaron Luna played hurt virtually the entire season. It was a far more difficult road to Omaha than last year because of those injuries.

Third--this team was a true team. They were like the Three Musketeers--all for one and one for all. There was no selfishness on this team as others got more playing time. Role players like Jess Buenger, Jared Gayhart, and others began emerging out of the shadows and played important roles in how well Rice played. Did you expect Gayhart to hit around the .350 mark this year for the most part? Enough said.

Fourth--this team should be nicknamed "The Die-Hards." Who can ever forget that win against the Aggies in the tenth inning? I don't think Joe Savery, Danny Lehmann, or Jordan Dodson will. They played hard to the last out. Every game.

Every pitch.

That's what Rice baseball was in 2007. I know that I'm supposed to be unbiased. I can't be when it comes to this team. To all the Rice players, coaches, and Coach Graham--thanks for a wonderful 2007 season. It won't be forgotten here--I hope that you won't forget it anytime soon either. Also--thanks to all the parents who have shown their support in this venture. It's been great to get to know many of you.

To the players not returning and going pro--I wish you all nothing but the very best (yes, even when you come and play the Astros).

To the returning players and staff--looking forward to 2008 and seeing what unfolds in that new season.