Baseball 2010: The Climb

By Ryan Glassman     2/18/10 6:00pm

When evaluating the legacy of legendary Rice University baseball coach Wayne Graham, it is easy to pinpoint a few accomplishments as the most telling of the coach's career. Under Graham's guidance in 1995, the Owls qualified for their first NCAA Tournament in school history, the first of 15 straight NCAA appearances for Rice. In 2003, Rice captured its first-ever National Championship in the most successful, storied season in the program's entire history.But a date that flies under the radar in defining Graham's legacy is June 7, 2004, the date of the Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft. On that day, Rice alums Philip Humber (third selection overall), Jeff Niemann (fourth) and Wade Townsend (eighth) made MLB draft history by becoming the first trio of college teammates to be selected within the first 10 picks of the draft. That record still stands and is as good a testament as any to the baseball acumen Graham holds.

If anything can be concluded from this feat, it is that Graham's calling card at Rice has been putting together some of the nation's most dominant pitching staffs. For the last two decades, Graham has built a consistently successful program at Rice on the grounds of elite pitching: The Owls have made it to the College World Series in seven of the last 12 years behind the arms of such studs as Jeff Niemann (drafted fourth overall in 2004) and Ryan Berry (drafted 266th overall in 2009).

Still, while the 2010 pitching staff boasts obvious depth and talent, it is the offense that looks to be the strength of this year's team. On paper, the Owls' lineup, anchored by numerous veterans and preseason Conference USA All-Conference selections, matches up with any in the nation. Sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon, the 2009 NCAA Freshman of the Year and 2010 C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, will team up with junior shortstop Rick Hague, a 2008 NCAA Freshman All-American and preseason 2010 C-USA All-Conference selection, to form arguably the best left side of the infield in the nation while filling the heart of the batting order.

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Meanwhile, senior catcher Diego Seastrunk and senior center fielder Steven Sultzbaugh, both studs with the bat, turned down MLB contracts to return for their senior seasons and bring their veteran experience and aluminum savvy back with them.

At the team's Media Day on Feb. 9, Graham made his thoughts about the offense's potential known.

"In order to be successful, we're going to have to be consistently offensive," Graham said. "We're going to have to have quality at-bats, because I think this is a team that can be shut out for four innings and then explode."

But it wasn't just a day about the bats - Graham also had thoughts on the team's pitching staff.

"Pitching is going to be the question," Graham said. "I don't think we have to have great pitching to make it to Omaha, but we will definitely need good pitching."

Whether it is the pitching or the offense that carries the team, there is no doubt that the Owls, ranked fifth by Baseball America, will be tested throughout the season. Rice's non-conference schedule includes USA Today No. 25 Stanford University, Baseball America No. 11 Texas Christian University and No. 19 University of San Diego, not to mention a trio of games against the University of Texas, Rice's archrival and Baseball America's preseason-No. 1.

If the non-conference schedule were not challenging enough, C-USA looks the strongest it has been in years, with three teams featured in Baseball America's Preseason Top 25, including Rice, 21st-ranked University of Southern Mississippi and 18th-ranked East Carolina University.

Although Graham has received some criticism from sportswriters about the difficulty of the season's schedule, he has no reservations about the selected opponents.

"We like to challenge ourselves because that's the way to get better, and you don't go to the ballpark bored," Graham said. "You go to the ballpark with your game face on if you know you're playing someone pretty good."

That bullishness is going to be needed this season, more so than most. After failing to make it to Omaha for the first time in three years, Rice is going to be looking at its biggest question marks - the starting rotation - to lead them back to the top.

Starting on the hill

Berry, ace extraordinaire for the last three seasons, was plucked by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009's MLB draft, leaving the Owls without a proven commodity at the top of the hill. However, that's not to say Graham won't have options.

Leading the rotation for Rice will be sophomore southpaw Taylor Wall, who was recently one of four Owls named to the 2010 Preseason C-USA first team. As a freshman in 2009, Wall led Rice in starts (15), innings pitched (94.1) and strikeouts (77) while posting a 3.72 ERA. Boasting four quality pitches from the left side, Wall will look to improve on his stellar freshman campaign and continue to emerge as the ace of the staff.

Following Wall in expected contribution will be the Sunday starter, junior southpaw Tony Cingrani, who caught Graham's eye in the preseason.

"Cingrani is the pitcher that has been pitching better than anyone lately," Graham said in praise of the lefty transfer from South Suburban College in South Holland, Ill.

Cingrani will provide veteran experience to a young staff, and has also been lauded by coaches and teammates for his competitiveness during practice and the exhibition season. Although Cingrani is considered the number-two pitcher in the weekend rotation, Graham will have him pitch Sunday games, which are usually when the number three hurler has his date with the mound, so as not to trot out a left-hander two days in a row.

Perhaps the biggest question mark, however, will be Anthony Fazio, a redshirt freshman, looking to carve his niche in the starting rotation after sitting out the entire 2009 season following Tommy John surgery to his elbow.

"Anthony has recovered remarkably from Tommy John surgery and we're hoping he will fit in as one of the top four starters this spring," Graham said of the righty, who recovered in time for fall practice.

Fazio will presumably look to compete with senior Jared Rogers for the role of third weekend starter. After starting games for the Owls in 2009, Rogers will look to take on a more pronounced role in the starting rotation this season.

Another name to watch will be junior transfer Boogie Anagnostou, who will start in the bullpen but has a good chance to make his way into the rotation as the season progresses.

Aside from Fazio, there is another dark horse on the staff: senior Mike Ojala, who has had a dominant career at Rice and is certainly one of the most talented pitchers in all of Division I. However, Ojala is also returning from Tommy John surgery and will likely not return to action until April, where he will first come out of the bullpen. If Ojala can work his way into the starting rotation by the end of the season, he has a chance to be the impact pitcher down the stretch. Ojala led the team in ERA in 2009 (2.17) and was second in strikeouts (74), despite pitching just 66 innings in an injury-plagued season. If healthy, Ojala can return to form as the ace of staff and rise to the top of the draft class.

'Pen is mightier

Following a season in which he led the team with 32 appearances, junior lefthander Matt Evers figures to be a key contributor to the Owls' bullpen. Joining Evers will be fellow junior Doug Simmons, whose new release point has Graham raving about his potential out of the bullpen.

"Doug was one of our two most-improved players in the fall," Graham said. "With a release change, Doug looked like he is going to be an absolute force out of the bullpen. We are hoping he will."

In addition to Anagnostou, sophomore righthander Matthew Reckling will look to take the next step in his progression, coming off of a freshman season in which he made 20 appearances and showed some effective offerings. Reckling has impressed those around him with the movement on his pitches this fall, as well as his consistent work ethic, and he figures to be a vital component of the Owls' staff.

Finally, a trio of freshmen will look to make names for themselves out of the 'pen, as Tyler Spurlin, Chase McDowell and Tyler Duffey - all righties - have impressed in the fall and should get their fair share of innings on the hill.

Behind the dish

After a transition season in which he moved from third base to catcher, senior Diego Seastrunk looks to finish off his career at Rice by rebounding from a relatively disappointing junior campaign. A preseason C-USA first team member, Seastrunk batted .288 in 2009 and drove in 45 runs while appearing in all 61 games, either as a catcher, designated hitter or reliever.

His numbers may have been low, but Seastrunk was at his best when it mattered most in 2009, hitting well above .300 in the C-USA Tournament and in the team's NCAA Tournament games. After an offseason of hard work with a focus on fine-tuning his skills behind the dish, this year's expectations for Seastrunk are as high as ever.

"Diego has improved behind the plate," Graham said. "He has worked hard on conditioning and we think this could be his best year."

Behind Seastrunk is sophomore Craig Manuel, who will look to build off of what was an extremely productive freshman season. In 2009, Manuel made 24 starts as the team's Saturday catcher, a role in which Manuel hit .292 and committed just one error in his 43 appearances. Manuel will likely see much playing time in 2010 as a designated hitter, a position in which he made another seven starts in '09.

The third catcher is freshman Geoff Perrott, a fine defensive catcher who has already caught the attention of the coaching staff with his strong defensive arm and improved hitting over the fall, though it is unlikely he will see much playing time this season.

Around the horn

The Owls' infield boasts a pair of preseason C-USA first team members and promises to anchor what looks to be a bright offense in 2010. At shortstop, Hague is coming off of a summer in which he played for Team USA's collegiate squad and led the team of college standouts with a .371 batting average over 22 games. Hague started all 61 games for the Owls in 2009, hitting .319 and finishing second on the team in runs batted in.

When asked of his shortstop's stellar offseason, Graham had much to laud about the junior.

"We think he is faster and stronger than he's ever been," Graham said. "We are looking for a big year from him."

Completing arguably the strongest left side of the infield in the country is Rendon, who enters the season with expectations as high as any player on the roster. After a season in which he led the Owls in most major offensive statistics and stacked his trophy case with numerous awards, Rendon will be called upon to lead Rice back to prominence. The pressure will certainly mount throughout the season, but as Rendon said, none of it should come from him.

"I try not to put too much pressure on myself," Rendon said at the Owls' media day. "I take the advice that one of my summer league coaches gave me: Just have fun out there and play like you're back in Little League."

Rendon, an early candidate for the Golden Spikes Award as the nation's top player, will likely hit in the three or four spot for the Owls.

At second base for Rice is a player who will look to emulate Rendon's 2009 season as a standout freshman. Mike Ratterree, a true freshman, will start at second base and hit leadoff for Rice this season.

A stellar two-sport athlete at Houston's Memorial High School, Ratterree has emerged as one of the most promising freshmen for this year's squad.

"Ratterree has a chance to be a real good player," Graham said. "He's shown a remarkably good eye for the strike zone as a freshman."

At first base will be senior Jimmy Comerota, an invaluable asset to the team who provides versatility and veteran experience. Noted by the coaches for his outstanding attitude, Comerota had an impressive finish to the 2009 season, hitting .352 in C-USA games and .421 in the NCAA Tournament. Along with his great athleticism and defensive prowess, Comerota brings a disciplined and patient approach to the plate.

"Jimmy is obviously the best utility player on the team," Graham said. "He's gotten better every year, and we will use him where we need him the most."

Junior Abel Gonzales and freshman Tyler Spurlin had very impressive fall seasons and will likely get at-bats in a back-up role at first base. Sophomore Daniel Gonzales-Luna comes off of a great freshman campaign and will provide additional versatility as a starter and bench player.

Beyond the dirt

A unit loaded with talent, the outfield for the 2010 baseball team consists of many players looking to build on productive 2009 seasons. Sultzbaugh is coming off of a season in which he made 57 starts in the outfield, hit .324 and led the conference in triples (6). Poised for a strong senior season, the then-junior finished the season by hitting .382 over the final 30 games.

Additionally, while his offensive production has been excellent, Sultzbaugh has also proven to be one of the better defensive outfielders in the conference.

"Sultzbaugh has been outstanding in center field," Graham said. "He can run, and he's calmed down to the point where he never panics and can catch almost everything."

In right field, junior Chad Mozingo will look to translate preseason accolades into a stellar 2010 for Rice. Mozingo was named to the preseason C-USA first team after making 58 starts in 2009, hitting .319 and finishing third on the team in RBIs (50) and slugging percentage (.532). Mozingo also had a bright defensive season, finishing second on the team in fielding percentage (.991) among starters.

This combination of hitting and defense makes Mozingo a stalwart in the starting lineup, according to Graham.

"Chad's potential is almost unlimited," the coach said. "He plays great defense and he can hit. We are hoping for a banner year from him."

Sophomore Michael Fuda continues Rice's theme of strong hitting and dependable defensive play. The speedy left fielder comes off of a freshman season in which he made 48 starts and was second on the team in batting average, contributing a .359 clip. Fuda, a former football player for the Owls, boasts speed on the basepaths and has displayed good range in the outfield. He also provides great versatility for Rice and will likely make a few appearances in the infield.

Sophomore Jeremy Rathjen started 24 games as a freshman in 2009 and will look to contribute in a starting role as well as off the bench. Rathjen, one of the quickest players on the roster, exhibited an improved plate discipline in the fall and will see a lot of playing time for the Owls this season.

Sophomore Ryan Lewis, after spending some time as a quarterback for the football team in the fall, has decided to focus solely on baseball and will come off the bench as an outfielder and first baseman for Rice, while Gonzales-Luna will make appearances in the outfield as a quick, versatile bench player with a strong bat.

Working to climb back

While the 2010 team has racked up a number of preseason accolades and certainly has no shortage of talent, nothing translates success like wins. Perhaps the Owls' best chance at getting those victories will come from the squad's work ethic.

When asked about the team's mentality, Graham did not hesitate to applaud the focus and effort of his team.

"I would say this year the work ethic of this team is as good as any team I've ever had," Graham said. "They really get after it, and they're self-motivated."

Led by veteran experience and helped by young potential, the team will look to translate its hard work into results on the field. It's time to put up or shut up for the Owls, and as usual, it is "Omaha or Bust" for the team this season. With talent, experience and hard work, the 2010 team has as good a chance as ever to make a run for the national title, and to add another chapter - and another important date - to the legacy of Head Coach Wayne Graham.

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