Photos From Sunday at ECU

If you have not already found this link, this one contains some post-game interviews as well as pictures of Aaron Luna receiving the MVP trophy and a team picture of the C-USA champions. Gollow this link:

http://community.webshots.com/slideshow/559202843UfaryT

Photo link from C-USA Tournament 3

The hits just keep coming. . . this link shows pics from the UCF-Rice game at the C-USA tournament:

http://sports.webshots.com/album/559157596dcezem?start=0

Photo link from C-USA Tournament 2

For three days I couldn't find a single picture online. . . now they're all here. This link features Tulane and East Carolina fpr the most part--no Rice photos to be found, but bet you'll find them here tomorrow:
http://www.reflector.com/sports/content/sports/slideshows/cusatournament/

Photo link from C-USA Tournament

Below you will find a link for Saturday's early game with Memphis:

http://community.webshots.com/slideshow/559189618cSDZQS?mediaPosition=6&track_pagetag=/page/photo/goodtimes/friendsfun&track_action=/ActionsBox/Slideshow

Here's a link that will show more of C-USA baseball tournament action:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/559189618cSDZQS?start=12

INTERVIEWS AFTER SATURDAY'S WIN AGAINST MEMPHIS

Listen to interviews from last Saturday's win against Memphis and hear from Coach Graham, Brian Friday on his big day, Jared Gayhart, Joe Savery, Aaron Luna, and Bryan Price by clicking here:

http://www.ricefootball.net/memphis5-19.wav

Also, want to wish a very happy birthday on this day to my niece Kristi in California. Hope you have a great birthday!

INTERVIEWS AFTER FRIDAY'S GAME AGAINST MEMPHIS

The post-game comments from Friday's game are now available. Hear from Danny Lehmann, Aaron Luna, Cole St. Clair, Ryne Tacker, Jess "The Bellville Banger" Buenger, and Brian Friday as they comment on their perspectives of that game by clicking here:

http://www.ricefootball.net/memphis5-18.wav

More Sights From Saturday's win against Memphis

Top to bottom: Joe Savery delivers a pitch Saturday afternoon; the Bellville Banger bangs another one; this pitch was a little to close to Jordan's head for his own comfort; Bryan Price delivers in the eighth inning; and Joe Savery and friends relax in the bullpen watching Price pitch.

Brian's Trip Around The Bases, Part I

Bottom to Top: It all began with this swing and follow-through (first three pictures) ; you can hear Brian's Little League coach yelling, "Run, Brian, run!" in the fourth one; and the ball and Friday arrive at about the same time, but both are going in different directions.

Brian's Trip Around The Bases, Part II

Bottom to Top: Friday takes off for third; the ball and Brian arrive at the same time, and both are going to keep going; Run, Brian, run!; The ball and Brian arrived at the same time, but the catcher was unable to make the tag, and when the dust cleared, Brian was safe at home!

Owls Close Out Regular Season With 18th Win in a Row

Friday Sparks Win With HR, 2 Doubles

By Mark Anderson

Brian Friday sparked the Owl offense today with three hits, including a home run, and two doubles to lead the Owls to a 7-4 win to close out the regular season.

For the Owls, this was win number eighteen in a row. Granted, that doesn’t compare to the thirty in a row that Rice won in 2003 as they win the national title—at least now. But the Owls, since being 19-10, have gone 26-1.

Joe Savery pitched well in his last regular season start, giving up only three hits, while walking three and striking out seven. In the third, Savery scrambled to get out of the way of a shot by Alex Fennell, then threw a wild pitch before walking Chalmers and giving up a sacrifice fly to Murray to put Memphis in a tie, 1-1.

But Brian Friday led off the third with a double, and centerfielder Chalmers overthrew third. Friday got up and slid home to put the Owls back on top by a 2-1 count.

In the fourth, Aaron Luna led off with a walk, and Joe Savery doubled deep into the corner in left to give the Owls a 3-1 lead. Diego Seastrunk then followed Savery with a single to score Savery and put the Owls up 4-1. But Adam Zornes grounded into a double play, and J.P. Padron was out at first on a very close play at first to end the inning.

In the fifth inning, the Tigers finally got Friday out on a deep drive to center. But Jared Gayhart stepped up and he didn’t miss, homering to right center to increase the lead to 5-1.

The Tigers clawed back in the sixth when shortstop Michael Murray homered off Joe Savery to make the score 5-2. But the Tigers couldn’t muster anything after that, and the score remained decidedly in the Owls’ favor.

In the bottom of the sixth, Joe Savery was pinch-hit for by Dodson, who earned a walk. After Seastrunk popped out to the catcher in foul ground, Zornes doubled to left to put runners on second and third. That ended Schenk’s afternoon, who had replaced Hudgens with one out in the fifth. Matt Yokley was summoned to pitch, and Padron laid down a perfect suicide squeeze to bring in Dodson. After Friday had struck out, Gayhart singled to drive in Zornes and give the Owls a 7-2 lead.

In the eighth, Bryan Price, who has looked great late in the season, got an opportunity with a runner on first and second. The first pitch Price threw went back to the backstop, advancing the runners a base. Amar dumped a seeing eye single into short right, and Norrid did the same. Now the score was 7-4, and the pressure was on Bryan. But the Price was right as he induced a fly out and a groundout to end the inning. He then finished the ninth by earning his first save, striking out two in the final inning.

The Owls travel to Greenville to play in the C-USA tournament next week. While I cannot be there personally, I’ll do all I can to get you updates. I’ll be back if Rice hosts the regionals.

OTHER ACTION FROM FRIDAY'S GAME AGAINST MEMPHIS

TOP TO BOTTOM: Tacker opens the game with the first pitch; Henley drills a ball in the first inning; Seastrunk has a Tiger by the tail; Jordan Dodson makes a catch in the outfiled; and Cole St. Clair threw this pitch in the top of the eighth to get a double play.

OWLS COME BACK IN 6th TO TAKE LEAD

TOP TO BOTTOM: Luna's double in the 6th brings in Friday with the tying run; Jess Buenger's single brings in both Savery, who was walked intentionally, and Luna with the lead runs. Savery greets Luna at home, then is greeted by and chest bumps Cole St. Clair.

Pics Against Memphis: The Almost Great Play of the Night

Friday fielded this ball past second base, then tried in vain to race back to second to get the lead runner before throwing to first. All runners were safe.

OWLS PULL FAST ONE ON MEMPHIS, WIN 17th Straight

Luna’s Double, Buenger’s Single Give Owls the Win

By Mark Anderson

The Owls and Tigers acted like they were in a hurry to get somewhere this evening, playing the fastest game of the year to date. But it was the Owls who ended up pulling the fast one on Memphis in the sixth with a three run outburst that put Ryne Tacker in the win column for the ninth time this season, winning over Memphis by a score of 4-2.

The Owls were the first out of the sprinter’s box and onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when Brian Friday tripled off Scott McGregor to open the ballgame. Gayhart’s groundout to short brought Friday home and gave the Owls an early lead at 1-0.

The game started just as quickly for the Memphis Tigers, when, with one out in the second, Kyle Norrid took a Tacker delivery and kept it fair long enough for a home run to give the Tigers a 1-1 tie game.

In the fourth inning, the Tigers pounced again. Moss doubled to lead off the fourth. Amar grounded to second, and Moss took third. Norrid, who had homered in his previous at-bat, struck out. But the ball got away from normally sure-handed Danny Lehmann, and ended up safe at first, because Lehmann had to look Moss back once he had retrieved the ball. The throw to first was just a hair late. Then came the weird play of the night, when Irvin hit a ground ball up the middle. Friday fielded the ball, tried to step on second, but again, because he had passed the bag and had to retreat, was just a hair late. His throw to first was also late, and that scored Moss to make it a 2-1 game.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Owls struck like lightening when Friday led off the inning with a single. Gayhart grounded out to second, but Friday was safe at second when Moss threw out Gayhart. Henley then grounded to Moss again to send Joe Savery to the plate. With a 3-0 count, the Tigers decided to put Savery on and pitch to Luna. Luna responded with the hardest hit ball of the night that went for a double, bringing in Friday and Savery to push the Owls ahead by a 3-2 score. Jess Buenger then singled Luna home, and just like that, the Owls were on top by a score of 4-2.

That was the end of the road for Ryne Tacker, as Coach Graham brought in Matt Langwell to start the seventh inning. Langwell pitched well, striking out two and walking none. But with one out in the eighth, and Norrid on after a Baltimore chop, Coach Graham went to the mound and summoned closer Cole St. Clair. St. Clair threw one pitch—a double play ball from Friday to Buenger to Savery to end the inning. In the ninth, he worked quickly to dispose of the Tigers to give the Owls their seventeenth win in a row, and also make him the all-time leader in saves for the Owls.

Tomorrow is the last regular season game for the Owls before they go to Greenville, North Carolina to play in the C-USA tournament. Joe Savery will take the hill for the final game, with starting time scheduled at 2 pm tomorrow.

BERKMAN PROFILE SUNDAY ON FSN

Former Rice standout and now All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman will be featured on FSN this Sunday, May 19, at 10:00 CDT, in a show called “In My Own Words.”

The interesting thing about this program is that it is not the traditional question and answer format. Lance will tell viewers about how his Dad taught him to switch hit at the age of six, why his days at Rice were the best time he ever had in baseball, how he was surprised the Astros drafted him, and the importance of his own family.

Here are a few excerpts from the show:

On his father: “He taught me how to switch hit when I was six years old. Most Dads don’t have that kind of foresight, but he knew I was a left-handed thrower and a natural right-handed hitter, which is kind of an odd combination. He thought if I could throw left-handed, I should be able to hit left-handed and I’ve been switch hitting as long as I remember.”

On playing for Rice University: “The most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball is when I was at Rice. We just had such a group of guys, we just had so much fun together playing the game. I feel really privileged, I was there right at the beginning of coach (Wayne) Graham’s dynasty. I got to see it go from where we had won nothing to when I left we had gone to a college world series.”

Get those DVRs and VCRs set up!

THE HITS KEPT COMING

Joe Savery singles on this swing--one of four hits and two RBIs.












Savery watches his liner get through the middle.

Seastrunk followed Joe's single with one of his own.




Danny Lehmann had three RBIs against the Bears.
Danny watches this deep sacrifice fly to right.

SMILES. . . .AND NOT SMILING

Coach Graham was smiling and joking with the umpires before the game.

Brian Friday was not so happy with the ump after he got called out at second on an attempted steal in the first inning.
Chris Kelley's smile was evident as he delivered this pitch in the second inning.
Ths Baylor pitcher wasn't smiling after his throw to first failed to catch Comerota in the 6th inning.

INTERVIEWS FROM TUESDAY'S BAYLOR-RICE GAME

The post-game interviews from the Baylor-Rice game last night can be found here:

http://www.ricefootball.net/baylor5-15.wav

Hear from Coach Graham, Chris Kelley, Bryan Price, Jimmy "Baseball" Comerota, Jordan Dodson, Aaron Luna, and others about the 13-0 win and the team chemistry that is developing.

OH MERCY! OWLS FLY HIGH OVER BAYLOR, 13-0

Houdini performance by Kelley, 2 HRS, Power Owls

By Mark Anderson

Starting pitcher Chris Kelley had a “wardrobe malfunction” before the game that forced him to change jersey numbers from 21 to 41. But that number 21 jersey wasn’t the only thing Kelley got out of—he got out of jams in the first three innings, and then found what worked to get the Bears out in critical situations.

Kelley pitched 6 innings, giving up only 4 hits, along with three walks and one hit batter, but Baylor couldn’t get it done in the clutch, and Kelley wiggled free time and time again.

In the fourth, the Owls got on the board against Willie Kempf when, with one out, Henley singled to center and went to second on a misplayed ball by centerfielder Chase Gerdes. Savery followed with a single to center to score Henley and put the Owls on the board, 1-0. Seastrunk followed Savery with a single to left, moving Savery up to second. Luna then walked to load the bases, still with only one out. Lehmann hit a deep fly to right that scored Savery and moved Seastrunk to third. Dodson ended the inning by popping out. But Jordan would be heard from later—loud and clear—but the score remained 2-0.

In the sixth, Springston replaced Kempf, and it opened the door for the Owl offense. Henley led off with a single, and Savery singled on a hard hot ball to the left side to put runners on first and second with no outs. Coach Graham lifted DH Diego Seastrunk for Jimmy “Baseball” Comerota, who laid down a bunt towards third base that Springston fielded cleanly. The throw to first was not as clean, pulling the Baylor first baseman off the bag to load the bases with no outs. Luna followed that with a single to center that scored Henley and Savery. Danny Lehmann then hit a deep fly to right to score Comerota. Dodson followed with a walk, but Padron lined out hard to Campbell. At this point, Steve Smith chose to change pitchers, and brought in Weghorst, who struck out Friday to end the inning. The Owls were clearly in the driver’s seat with a 5-0 lead.

In the seventh, the wheels fell off, and the horse ran away from the Baylor Bears. Lembeck, pinch-hitting for Gayhart, doubled to open the inning off new pitcher William Draper. It seemed that Baylor would get some sort of reprieve when Henley popped out to third on a bunt attempt. But then Draper unleashed a wild pitch that moved Lembeck to third. Savery followed that with another single and his second RBI of the game. Jimmy Comerota followed with a single that sent Savery to second and Draper to the shower. New pitcher Tim Matthews was greeted rather rudely as Luna singled to left to load the bases and bring up Danny Lehmann, who singled to left-center to drive in two more runs.

Just when it seemed it could not get any worse for Baylor, it did. Jordan Dodson, Tim Matthew’s teammate in the Cape Cod league last summer, learned from watching Matthews what to expect, and launched a 3-2 pitch from him deep over the leftfield wall for a three run homer. Padron followed with a double to left, and Friday moved him to third on a 4-3 grounder. Lembeck, who led off the inning, flied out to mercifully end it, with the score 11-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, new pitcher Drew Jeffcoat made a throwing error on Tyler Henley’s grounder to put him on second with no outs. Comerota then laid down the sacrifice bunt to move Henley to third and bring up Aaron Luna. If there was any doubt that Luna had lost any power, those thoughts were vanquished when Luna took a Jeffcoat pitch and sent it halfway to the Medical Center for a no doubter homer to make it 13-0.

The next game for the Owls will be Thursday against Memphis. Probable starting pitcher for Rice is Ry-an Ber-ry, but Coach Graham did not confirm that.

Pictures of tonight's game to follow soon, as well as interviews from Coach Graham, Chris Kelley, Aaron Luna, Jordan Dodson, Bryan Price, Jimmy "Baseball" Comerota, and Joe Savery.

DEFENSE SHOWED OFF TOO

OH, HENRY!!!!! YERRR OUT!
Lehmann cocks his arm to throw to first for the final out.
Ever wonder where our pitchers get their bulldog determination?
The throw to first nailed Simon and the win for the Owls.

YESSSSSSSSS!

DEFENSE STANDS OUT ON SATURDAY

Joe Savery fields a bunt and throws to third.














Diego Seastrunk was waiting for the throw, the Tulane runner clearly out.


Seastunk fires back to first.





Jess Buenger takes the throw in Savery's absence for a slick 3-5-4 double play.

INTERVIEWS FROM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY'S WINS AGAINST TULANE

Interviews from Friday and Saturday are now available. Listen to Friday's interviews after the 8-0 win and hear comments from Coach Wayne Graham, Ryan Berry, a very pleased Bryan Price, and Danny Lehmann on his by clicking here:

http://www.ricefootball.net/tulanefriday.wav


Interviews from Saturday's 8-3 game are also up for your listening pleasure. Hear from Ryne Tacker, Bobby Bramhall, Cole St. Clair, Brian Friday, and from Tyler Henley about his game tying and momentum changing home run in the sixth inning by clicking here:

http://www.ricefootball.net/tulanesaturday.wav

HEADED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

Tim Guidry prepares to get a pickoff throw from Shooter Hunt. . .
But the thow goes wide and Guidry can't flag it down
Friday realizes the ball has gone by Guidry

And Guidry and Friday take off in different directions.

A DAY ON THE WILD SIDE
3 HBP, 6 BB Help Owls to Win over Tulane

By Mark Anderson
Last night, Ryan Berry demonstrated what it is like to give up a minimum number of base runners. Apparently, the Tulane pitching staff wasn’t taking notes.

Shooter Hunt started off the game by hitting Brian Friday. As Gayhart struck out, Friday beat Ty Wallace’s throw to second for a stolen base. Henley followed with an RBI double to right center, scoring Friday. Savery followed with an RBI single to center to score Henley and make it 2-0. But the Owls couldn’t get any more across in the first as Buenger lined into a double play to end the inning.

Tulane came back in the third inning when Aja Barto took a Ryne Tacker fastball over the right centerfield fence to get the Green Wave on the scoreboard and make it a 2-1 game.

Shooter Hunt faced Brian Friday in the bottom of the third, and hit him a second time. Hunt tried to pick Friday off, but threw past Tulane first baseman Guidry to send him to second. But he would be stranded there as the Owls couldn’t muster any offense and the score was even at 2-2.

Cal Everett led off the top of the fourth, and Ryne Tacker began losing his usual pinpoint control as he hit Everett with the first pitch. Emaus then walked, putting two runners on and bringing up Guidry. Guidry laid down a bunt but Savery threw out the lead runner. McFadden then grounded into a slick double play from Savery to third baseman Seastrunk, then back across the diamond to Jess Buenger to end the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth, however, the long layoff—and a graduation ceremony in the morning-- caught up to Tacker. With two outs, Henry singled to center, and Wallace followed with a single to right that Gayhart couldn’t play cleanly. His error left runners on second and third, but not for long, as Tacker uncorked a wild pitch to bring home Henry. Wayne Graham decided at that point he had seen enough, and brought in Bobby Bramhall. Bramhall was then called for a balk, which moved Wallace to third. Simon singled, and for the first time in quite a while, the Owls trailed by a score of 3-2.

Shooter Hunt’s walk on the wild side continued in the bottom of the fifth as he hit Travis Reagan with a pitch with one out. Friday laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved pitch runner Derrick Myers to second, but Gayhart struck out again and the Owls still trailed, 3-2.

The bottom of the sixth, however, is when the momentum changed for the Owls. Tyler Henley took a first pitch fastball and drilled it to rightfield for his fourth home run. Savery followed with a single and stole second. Buenger walked and went to second, and Savery to third, on Luna’s sacrifice bunt. Seastrunk grounded out to second, but Savery scored to give the Owls the lead. Buenger scored on a wild pitch from Hunt to make the score 5-3.

Bramhall, meanwhile, continued to close the door on the Green Wave. It wasn’t till Guidry singled and McFadden reached on a Brian Friday error in the eighth that the Green Wave showed any signs of life. But Coach Graham brought in Cole St. Clair, who slammed the door shut, locked it, and threw away the key on his only pitch in the eighth. Seth Henry singled off St. Clair with one out, but decided too late not to challenge for second base. His retreat wasn’t fast enough, and he was a dead duck going back to first. Of course, that baserunnung blunder was followed by a Ty Wallace single. But Simon struck out to end the game and put the Owls in the win column.

Joe Savery takes the hill for the Owls tomorrow in search of a sweep of Tulane. Game time is at noon.

Fireworks

A GREAT ENDING

Bryan Price had pitched only three innings until last night--if he pitches like he did last night, he'll be pitching a lot more of them.

Price strikes out Emaus to end the game and clinch a share of the C-USA title.

















Check out the smile on Bryan's face in these two pictures.
















The Owls celebrate their win Friday night against Tulane.

FIREWORKS AT RECKLING FRIDAY AS OWLS WIN, 8-0
Berry shuts down Green Wave as offense rolls; clinch share of C-USA title

By Mark Anderson

There was a fireworks show planned after the game on Friday, but Tulane could not have anticipated the fireworks during the game that propelled the Owls to an 8-0 victory and a share of the C-USA title. After the game was over, Houston knocked off Memphis by a score of 11-7 to give the Owls the title.

The game started as if it would be the Green Wave shooting off fireworks as Berry opened the game with a base hit to Nate Simon and then hit Cal Everett. Brad Emaus hit a hard shot that went off Berry and straight to Brian Friday, who turned a quick double play. Guidry then flied out to Gayhart to end the top of the first inning.

But the fireworks began in earnest in the bottom of the first. With one out, Gayhart singled off of Tulane pitcher Sean Morgan. Henley followed with a walk, but Savery grounded to second, but the runners moved up. They didn’t stay put long as the Bellville Banger, Jess Buenger, followed with a sharp doubledown the rightfield line to bring home both Gayhart and Henley and make the score 2-0.

In the bottom of the second, Diego Seastrunk led off with a single. After Dodson flied out, Danny Lehmann ripped a double down the left field line that scored Seastrunk. But Friday and Gayhart struck out to end the threat, and put the Owls up, 3-0.

By this point, Ryan Berry was cruising. After giving up a hit and hitting a batter in the first inning, the Green Wave didn’t have a baserunner until McFadden led off the fifth with a single up the middle. Ty Wallace was the only other Tulane player to reach against Berry with a double down the line in left in the sixth.

Hear Ryan Berry’s comments about the game (coming soon) here:

In the fifth inning, Danny Lehmann led off with some fireworks of his own as he homered to left off Morgan to put the Owls up 4-0.

(Hear Lehmann’s comments on the home run and on Ryan Berry here: )

Tulane coach Rick Jones was certainly impressed by Berry. “He carved us up tonight,” Jones said. “He featured more than one breaking ball down early in the count. . .when we did make good contact they made a nice play defensively. We were never able to mount a threat after the first inning.”

Clearly, Sean Morgan struggled in this game, and getting hit by Gayhart and then having the cramps later didn’t help. In the sixth, Buenger led off again with a single, and ended up at second when an errant pickoff attempt at first from Morgan got away from Guidry. After Luna struck out, Seastrunk singled to plate Buenger again, Dodson then hit a Baltimore chopper that he was able to beat out for an infield single. With runners on first and second, Lehmann singled to center to bring home Seastunk and make the score 6-0. Friday then popped up; Gayhart followed with a walk, and then Henley flied out to end the inning.

Mercifully, that was the end of Sean Morgan’s night. It was not, however, the end of the scoring for Rice. IN the seventh inning, Buenger singled with one out and reached second on a wild pitch from new pitcher Matt Goebel. Luna followed with a walk. Seastrunk hit into a fielder’s choice to bring up Dodson, who also drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Lehmann followed with a hard shot to second that was misplayed for an error, scoring Buenger. Although Friday reached on a fielder’s choice, the Owls left the bases loaded, but had a 7-0 lead.

In the eighth inning, Jonathon Garrett replaced Goebel, and was greeted by a triple by Gayhart to lead off the eighth. Henley’s sacrifice fly to center on a diving catch by Barto made the score 8-0.

In the ninth, Wayne Graham brought in Bryan Price. Up till this pont in the season, Price had pitched only three innings. But this wasn’t the same Bryan Price. Price brought a 93 mph fastball to the mound with him, along with some reworked mechanics, ala Bryce Cox last year. The sophomore struck out the last two hitters of the game to clinch no less than a tie at that point for the Owls.

Ryne Tacker takes the hill tomorrow for Rice as they face the Green Wave. Game time is 2 pm.

This post office building in New York City has a famous saying on it borrowed from 2,500 years ago.

RAIN OR SHINE, RICE HAS BEEN DELIVERING
Owls Play Through It All This Year—and Look at the Results

By Mark Anderson

The U.S. Post Office in New York City has a slogan engraved all around the building that says, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But that slogan is not original with the Post Office. Historically, it comes from the Greek historian Herodotus. The original saying was actually "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" and was said about the Persian army’s mounted postal couriers whom he observed and held in high esteem some 2500 years ago.

This saying could easily be said of the Rice Owls baseball team this season. They have played in rain (and lots of it, and the possibility of more tonight). They have played in the cold. It’s beginning to heat up here in Houston, and they’ve played in that, too. And they’ve played at night, usually with a combination of rain and/or cold.

What has been the result?

They’ve delivered, baby.

This team has weathered some adversity, and now is on a roll, winning nineteen out of the last twenty, and the last eleven in a row. They’ve played through the adversity of not having All-American Cole St. Clair to close out many games. They battled through early season hitting difficulties. They’ve battled through a variety of injuries and not having players available to them, namely Bobby Bell, recovering from Tommy John surgery. They’ve had to adjust to the loss of such players as Josh Rodriguez, Eddie Degerman, Greg Buchanan, and Craig Crow, now playing in the minor leagues.

Yet take a good look at this team. Ry-an Ber-ry has stepped into the Friday night role held by Degerman last year, and gone 7-2. Joe Savery has battled back from surgery to lead the team in hitting at this point (.349) as well as post a 7-1 record with a gaudy ERA. And what about Ryne Tacker’s courageous comeback from injury to post an 8-1 record?

How about the newcomers’ contributions? I’ve already mentioned Ry-an Ber-ry. But what about the Bellville Banger, Jess Buenger? How about Jared Gayhart’s white-hot bat? How much can be said of the job that Diego Seastrunk has done this year at third replacing Josh Rodriguez? And while Jimmy Commerota is no newcomer to this team, how much can be said of the job he did when he filled in for Brian Friday in the ECU series?

This year’s Owls are a breed apart. They’ve weathered just about everything that could have come their way—a poor start out of the gate, an anemic offense to open the first part of the season, battling injuries to key players both lost for parts or all of the season, as well as key players fighting injuries during the season. Yet they have the opportunity to sew up the C-USA title this weekend and a magic number of two. Any combination of two wins or losses by Rice and Memphis will sew up the crown for this year. They come into this weekend as a consensus number three team in the nation.

Not bad, wouldn’t you say?

Especially not too bad when you look at the last seven games, where Jared Gayhart leads the way with a .500 average, Brian Friday hitting .480, Aaron Luna hitting .474, and J,P. Padron hitting .400. That doesn’t include what Savery has done in his last 53 at bats (20 hits, 2 doubles, a triple, 2 HRs, and a .377 average). And don’t forget how consistent the play of Jordan Dodson, Chad Lembeck, or Danny Lehman has been, either. Each has had key hits and key defensive plays this year.

Simply put, they’ve kept on delivering.

The couriers of Herodotus’ day are remembered by a slogan that is on the New York City Post Office. It will be interesting to see how this team will be remembered long after this season has passed. They have endured it all, or so it would seem, this year. And no matter what the circumstances have been, they have delivered.