riceowlsbaseball: March 2008

Matt Langwell retired nine of the last ten hitters he faced, and looked great in this start against Winthrop.

Coach Hudak makes his point while Galloway does not seem persuaded.

Now Galloway makes his point to Hudak. . . .but you can see Hudak was not in the buying mood.

After Hudak turned to return to the dugout, Galloway said something to Hudak that got his ear.

Rick Hague Makes a Leaping Catch of This Wicked Grounder

The Flip To Second

Nice Turn of the DP

HIT PARADE

Luna singles to right early in the game.

Gayhart singles up the middle on this swing.

Jimmy Baseball had a great swing here.

Zornes nailed this one for a hit.

Hague doubled in the seventh on this pitch.

MYERS SPARKS OWLS IN 4th

Myers took a good swing on this 2-0 pitch, and hit a three-run homer.

Myers watches the ball take flight.

The congratulatory handshake at third by Coach Graham.

Myer's teammates greet him as he arrives at home plate.

MYERS SPARKS FOURTH INNING RALLY, LEADS OWLS TO 12-2 WIN

Langwell Sharp; 6 Owls Have Two (or More) Hits

By Mark Anderson

When Hamilton Bennent took the mound Saturday, his strategy was obvious from the very start: keep the Owls off-balance with off-speed pitches. Two things were missing in that strategy: you can’t throw too many off-speed pitches, and you have to get the pitches down to be effective.

Hamilton did neither, and he was not effective.

Rice opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when, with two outs, Adam Zornes doubled to left and Aaron Luna drove him in with a single to right. Padron walked, but Hague ended the inning on a grounder to first to put Rice up, 1-0.

Winthrop tied the game up in the top of the second when Henderson worked a walk off of Langwell, and Rohan followed that up with a single. Brunetti reached on an error by Zornes on a sacrifice bunt to load the bases. Jordan’s double play grounder brought in Henderson, tying the score at 1-1. Mc Bride ended the inning on a drag bunt attempt that failed, but the game was tied 1-1.

An Easter Bunny Sighting
In the top of the third, Bonomi opened the frame with a sinking liner to left that Derek Myers caught. The Eagles thought they had better eyes, and the debate involving Winthrop head coach Joe Hudak and third base umpire Rodney Galloway was on. Hudak turned to go to first base when Galloway said something to him. Hudak put his finger to his ear, and Galloway was about to be transformed into the Easter Bunny. “Are you the head coach or is someone else?” Galloway asked. He then told Hudak, “I’ve had enough—go sit down.” Hudak turned and was walking to do just that—and Galloway had turned his back as well—when a fan in the stands shouted, “Ump, you can take your paycheck and eat it.” Galloway turned around and again told the Winthrop dugout that was enough, earning him the Rabbit Ears Umpire of the Game Award.

“I saw it was a soft liner coming in, and I was determined right off the bat to go and catch that ball,” Myers told the Blog afterwards. “I went in and slid, and I did catch it. It was at the end of my glove, but I did catch it,” Derek explained.

Rice added their second run of the day in the bottom of the inning when Gayhart singled up the middle, moved to second on a wild pitch by Bennett, and scored on an Adam Zornes single. Luna was walked, but Padron and Hague both struck out to end the threat.

In the top of the fourth, Winthrop scored their second—and what would turn out to be their last run of the day—when Eddie Rohan took a Matt Langwell pitch out of the park to bring the Eagles and the Owls even.

It would be the last time Winthrop would score.

MYERS GETS A 2-0 PITCH--CHA CHING!
In the fourth inning, Jordan Dodson led off with a single. Seastrunk followed with another single. Comerota laid down a sacrifice bunt, and third baseman Henderson bungled it, allowing Dodson to score on the play. That brought up Derek Myers, who got a 2-0 fastball and turned on it, drivingit out to left for a homerun and three RBIs.

“Well it was a 2-0 piptch, it was right down the middle, and runners on first and third, and I was looking for a pitch I could drive,” Myers told the Blog afterwards. “Luckily, it was right down the middle and I made great contact.”

That contact ignited the Owl offense. Instead of being tied by the Eagles, they began soaring over them by a score of 6-2.

Meanwhile, Matt Langwell hit cruise control, retiring nine of the last ten batters he faced beginning in the fifth inning. The only blemish against him in that time was a walk to Rohan in the sixth.

The Owls almost added injury to insult when a high J.P. Padron pop-up had three Eagles circling around it—only to hit the face of Hamilton Bennett flush in foul territory. Perhaps Hamilton Bennett had not gotten the unwritten memo that pitchers are to stay clear of pop-ups for a reason. There’s no doubt he got it after that play.

HANDOSOME RICK HAGUE HAD THREE HITS. . . .THE LAST TWO WERE HUGE
In the seventh, Rick Hague led off against Mike Ritson with a hustling double to left. Jordan Dodson doubled to left and brought Hague in. That brought a change of pitchers, but not a change in result, as Seastrunk singled through the left side, but Dodson had to hold at third. Comerota then hit an RBI fielder’s choice to increase the Owls’ lead to 10-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Aaron Luna led off with a walk, and Rick Hague stepped to the plate against Cam Walters. Hague drove a pitch deep over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer to close out the scoring for Rice.

“It feels good,” Hague told the Blog afterwards. “Me and Coach Hallmark have been working on some things, and I think they’re helping with the swing,” Hague said afterwards. “It feels good.”

QUOTABLE:
AARON LUNA, on what the Owls expected: “Well, he (Bennett) was obviously good and everyone comes out here—it’s going to be a challenging opponent. We were able to stay back on his off-speeds, and see the ball up, and we were able to capitalize when he made mistakes.

(On the off-speed pitches): “That’s what the scouting report was in this guy [Bennett] coming in. So we knew we had to stay back and the results kind of speak for themselves.”

DEREK MYERS, on the contested catch: “Yeah, I did, actually [get a kick out of watching the ump and Coach Hudak debate the catch]. I did like it. He was over there, like coaches, yelling and screaming. But yeah, I did get a little kick out of that.”

JORDAN DODSON, on his good day: “everybody’s been hitting the ball well against these guys. Seems like the pitches we’re getting to hit, we’re making better adjustments and hitting the pitches and we actually get the hits. I think everyone is coming along as a team now.

On the slow speed of Bennett’s curve: “Yeah, someone that slow, his curveball is about 68-72, we’ve got to focus on staying back. Once you do that, it gets a little bit easier, I think. In the third and fourth inning, we started hitting the ball a lot better off that guy. It’s mainly just just keeping your weight back and staying back on those off-speeds.”

Rice Puts Winthrop Away With Berry Minimal Effort

Berry, Owls Cruise; Graham Gets Win #750

by Mark Anderson

The Rice Owls defeated the Winthrop Eagles by a score of 10-4 on Friday at Reckling and gave Coach Graham his 750th win in a Rice uniform.

The Owls jumped out early as they took a 2-0 kead in the second inning as Jimmy Commarota singled with one out. . . .(we'll post the rest of this story later. . . .most of you are ar Beer Bike!)

More Winthrop-Rice pics

Z-Man hit the ball hard all night, but only had one hit to show for it.

Gayhart does triple duty here: he scores a run, high five's Luna, and picks up the bat for the bat boy.

This is NOT the situation Jordan Rogers wanted to find himself in Friday night.

Matt Evers came in and closed the door on Winthrop.

Winthrop Rice pics from Friday continued

Jp. puts a good swing on this pitch. . . .

Gayhart hammered this pitch for a double in the fifth inning.

J.P. can play small ball too, laying down this bunt to move the runner up.

J.P. holds the runner close at first.

How to Field 3b by Diego Seastrunk. . . .No Words Necessary

Winthrop Rice pics from Friday

Ry-an Ber-ry was on his game, allowing only the minimum number of hitters through five innings.

Jimmy Baseball fielded this high hop.

And then he throws out the runner with ease.

Dodson smoked this pitch for an RBI double.

Home plate umpire Rodney Galloway and Coach Graham share a laugh between innings.

Rice vs. Texas Tech at MMC

Matt Langwell struggled early, but got better as the game went along.

Rick Hague throws 'em out at first.

Jimmy Baseball hustles to first on every single ball hit.

Aaron Luna arrives at third.

FACES: Rice vs. Texas Tech at MMC

Aaron was his old expressive self.

Watch the Z-Man--this guy always has a smile.

OK, well, almost.

The home plate umpire had no love to give to the Texas Tech bench late in the game.

Tough Luck: Rice vs. Texas Tech at MMC

"YERRRRR OUT--YESTERDAY!"

Texas Tech IF does some fancy footwork to avoid stepping on Hague.

J.P. Padron made Graham groan on this play at the plate.

Rice vs. Texas Tech at Minute Maid

aaron Luna greeted after crossing the plate by his teammates.

Derek Myers slides in safe at third.

Gonzo took some good cuts.

Diego Seastrunk was outstanding in the three game series.

This catcher must have used Burma Shave because he had a few very close calls with bats in this game.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: OWLS MARCH PAST LONGHORNS

3 HRS, 5 Errors, Doom Horns

By Mark Anderson

(Houston, March 1) The clock read 8:54 pm when the Rice Owls took the field at Minute Maid Park tonight. But for the Owls, the clock struck midnight early, and Rice ended up marching past the Hornsby a score of 10-4.

In last March’s game at Reckling when Rice beat Texas, it was Chris Kelley that took the hill as the starting pitcher, and Cole St. Clair came in to shut the door. Tonight, it was Cole St. Clair that took the hill as a starter. In the first inning, the Horns loaded the bases with one out. First baseman Brandon Belt knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly, but escaped further damage by popping up Kyle Russell to end the top half of the first with the score Horns 1, Rice coming up.

The bottom of the first had a rather inauspicious beginning when Jared Gayhart struck out swinging. But Gayhart didn’t let failure ruin the night—he had seen something that would change the course of the night—beginning with Chad Mozingo, the very next hitter.

An Important Exchange
“I talked to Jared right after his at-bat on the way to the plate, and he told me he [Kasparek] was pretty flat,” Chad Mozingo said afterwards. “So I went up there ready to jump on the first fastball. I got it up and in, and I just got a pretty good swing on it.”

Mozingo’s homer tied the game at 1-1. But Diego Seastrunck changed that when he stepped up next and homered over the left field scoreboard to put the Owls up, 2-1.

Texas wasn’t ready to roll over and play dead just yet. With two outs, shortstop David Hernandez homered to right to tie the score at 2-2. Tucker then reached when he was hot by St. Clair with a feather, and advanced to third when his pickoff threw when over Padron’s head and down the rightfield line. But Torres grounded out to PAdron to end the inning and leave the score knotted at 2-2.

Texas took what would turn out to be their only—and very short-lived lead of the night in the fourth. Kyle Russell opened the inning with a single past a diving Jimmy Baseball at second. Rupp then doubled to left, with Russell advancing to third. That was the end of St. Clair’s night, and Chris Kelley came on in relief. Moulderhauer pinch-hit for Keyes, and singled through the left side to bring home Russell, but Rupp wisely held up at third. But with no outs, Hernandez then committed the cardinal sin of laying down a suicide squeeze: he bunted the ball too hard and Padron fielded it, and threw home in plenty of time to catch Rupp. Tucker reached on another fielder’s choice when his grounder to third erased Mouldenhauer. Kelly struck out Torres to end what was a very promising, and very pivitol fourth for Texas, with the Horns hanging onto a 4-3 lead.

That lead would be very short-lived.

The Game Changed for Good in the Fourth as Midnight Struck for the Horns
In the bottom of the fourth, Rick Hague stepped to the plate with one out, and drove a pitch to left for his first homer in a Rice uniform. Zornes followed with a single, and went to third when Jimmy Baseball singled to left field. The throw came to try and erase Zornes, but midnight had struck for the Horns as second base was left unattended, and Commerota went to second without a contest.

That’s when Augie had seen enough. He walked up to the umpire and indicated a change was coming—which happened to be shortstop David Hernandez being replaced by Pat McCrory. After Mc Crory had thrown some warn-ups, Augie came back out to change pitchers, inserting Whitmore for Kasparek. Coach Graham countered by pinch-hitting with “The Bellville Banger,” who promptly singled to right, scoring two runs. Gayhart struck out and Derek Myer advanced to second on a pitch that sailed over the catcher’s leaping attempt to lasso it. Mozingo flied out to end the inning, but the damage had been done and the game turned in favor of the Owls., with the score being 5-3.

Rice Wasn’t Finished
But the Rice offense wasn’t finished yet. With Luna on second via a walk and stolen base, with two outs, Hague singled to score Luna. Augie began a pitching tryout camp of sorts at this point, as he would bring in five different relievers, all to no avail. Ruffin came in, only to have Zornes reach on catcher’s interference, and Zornes advanced to second on Ruffin’s error. Jimmy Baseball then singled to right, scoring Zornes, and then stole second. Myers ended the inning by flying out, but the damage had been done and the score was now 8-3 in favor of Rice.

The Owls loaded the bases in the sixth inning, but could only push one run across. Derek Myers, who had pinch run for Gayhart earlier, opened with a single. Mozingo reached on an error by the first baseman. Seastrunk singled to load the bases with no outs. Augie brought in Tackett, who popped up Luna for the first out, got Padron to ground to the first baseman to have Myers score on a fielder’s choice, then Hague flew out to right to end the threat, but increase the lead to 9-3.

"This is Pitching U."
Erstwhile, Chris Kelly was sailing along. Kelly isa great example of what Diego Seastrunk said after the game: “This is Pitching U. So long as we get them runs early, and they get comfortable on the mound, they can go however far we need them to go.” While Kelly was comfortable on the mound, he was making the Texas hitters very uncomfortable with his style of pitching.

“I knew from last year playing them that I had to keep them off-balance with all my pitches, work on throwing strikes, and work ahead of people,” Kelly told the blog afterwards. He sees coming out of the bullpen an advantage for him. “It makes me really focus on just coming out there and throwing strikes,” Kelly explained.

Chris Kelly is obviously in the honors classes at Pitching U. Coach Graham, speaking of Kelly after the game, said, “I believe Kelly is going to have a really good year this year.” Graham explained why he believed that by saying, “He knows how to use his pitches, he’s matured more, his arm is alive, and he’s going to be a really good pitcher.”

Also moving into the honors class is Bryan Price. Price came in, slammed the door shut, locked it, and threw the key away as he dominated the Horns in his 1 1/3 innings. Bryan couldn’t have been happier if he had to have been. “I felt really good about it,” Price told the blog. “We played a great game all around, and hit the ball really well, played great defense. We really put it on them. It felt really good.”