Rice Baseball 2011: Stepping up to the plate

By Ryan Glassman     2/17/11 6:00pm

With five of eight position players eligible for the draft this summer, the team knows now is the time to end the two-year Omaha drought

You may also see the complete Rice Baseball 2011 preview insert as a pdf.

With a simple Google search for Rice's junior Anthony Rendon, it doesn't take long to get caught up in the build up surrounding the Owls third baseman.

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ESPN's head of MLB scouting Keith Law lists Rendon as the "early favorite" to be the top pick in June's MLB Amateur Draft. Buster Olney predicts that he will be in the majors within one year of the draft, an outstandingly accelerated rate for an MLB prospect. Major League scouts compare Rendon to phenom Bryce Harper, the 2010 top pick and No. 2 prospect in all of baseball according to Scouts, Inc. Through pages and pages of praise from talent evaluators at the next level, it's easy to see why the 2010 Baseball America Player of the Year and Dick Howser Trophy recipient is widely considered the best college baseball player in the country.

But in spite of all of the hype, the very first search result does not bring you to an ESPN scouting report or a 2011 MLB Mock Draft with Rendon's name at the top. Instead, it goes to the Rice Official Athletic Site, where Head Coach Wayne Graham's acclaim of his superstar is short and sweet. "The complete player," Graham's evaluation of Rendon reads, concisely listed before the overwhelming list of accolades and honors that the third baseman has already garnered. With a player of the caliber of Anthony Rendon, the on-field performance simply speaks for itself.

But even with perhaps the best player in baseball on the roster, questions remain for the Rice Owls with the first pitch of the season coming this afternoon at Reckling Park. After seven Owls were taken in the 2010 draft, the opening day lineup will feature new starters in at least five positions. Freshman pitchers will occupy two of the three weekend rotation spots to start the season, including this afternoon's season debut against Stanford. Yet another challenging schedule awaits, with out-of-conference games slated against six teams in Baseball America's preseason top 25.

The combination of returning players and a stellar recruiting class leaves little doubt that the Rice baseball roster has the talent to make it to the College World Series. But if a trip to Omaha is indeed in the cards for the Owls, Coach Graham's team will have to overcome some inexperience and get consistent contributions from the promising group of players new to the starting lineup.

Men on the Mound

Like last year, the starting pitching remains a relative uncertainty for the Owls as the season begins. But it is an almost entirely new group slated to get starts for Rice in 2011, with Jared Rogers (Baker '10) and Mike Ojala (Martel '10) among the 2010 draftees. Among this crop are two freshmen, John Simms and Austin Kubitza, who have earned the trust of Coach Graham and will both get starts this weekend against Stanford.

"If you've got guys that can start in the big leagues at 18 and 19, then why can't these guys start now?" Graham said in an interview with the Rice Thresher.

"We recruited them knowing that we wanted to make them into weekend starters eventually."

Simms, who pitched well for the USA 18 & Under national team this summer, will start tonight, while Kubitza will get the nod Sunday. Returning with an increased role in the rotation this year is junior Matthew Reckling, who will start tomorrow against a Stanford lineup dominated by right-handed hitters. Reckling was one of the best pitchers for the Owls in the fall and led the team in pre-season spring ball in strikeouts. Junior Taylor Wall, the most experienced starter on the team, will not start this weekend due to matchups but will be in the starting rotation this season. The second team C-USA player from a year ago returns after leading the team in starts and strikeouts in 2010 and looks to replicate his success on the mound this year. Another name in the mix for Rice is sophomore Chase McDowell, who made tremendous strides in the Alaskan Summer League and will be in the weekend rotation this spring. Tony Cingrani, a transfer from a year ago and now a senior, also had a strong fall and is likely to receive some starts as the season progresses.

Call to the Bullpen

To open the season, the closer position will be split between sophomores Tyler Duffey and J.T. Chargois. Duffey, who saw more appearances last year than any other freshman pitcher while leading the team in saves, has added control to a very powerful arm in the offseason and looks to get a lot of late game work. Chargois has come on late after a solid spring and will also see time in the eighth and ninth innings for Rice.

"J.T. [Chargois] is throwing as well or better than anyone we've got, but he'll be a one-inning guy because of him playing first," Graham said of his team's late inning pitching.

"Duffey will be our stopper/closer and probably pitch the eighth and maybe ninth, and J.T. will be a pure closer and only pitch one inning with the ninth."

After seeing much action out of the bullpen in 2010, seniors Abe Gonzales and Boogie Anagnostou will anchor the middle relief for Rice and provide a lot of experience for the unit. Joining that group is senior lefty Doug Simmons, who is coming off of a strong fall and will continue to get situational work this season. Sophomores Tyler Spurlin and Jeremy Fant pitched well in the fall and are likely to see appearances in long relief for Rice this year. Redshirt sophomores Andrew Benak and Anthony Fazio saw time last year and will contribute as they both battle back from injury.

Web Gem Wonders

One of the biggest stories of the early spring for the baseball team has been the competition at shortstop to replace Rick Hague (Lovett '10), the 2nd round draft pick of the Nationals last June. Freshmen Derek Hamilton and Shane Hoelscher have battled for the starting spot all spring, but Coach Graham has decided to go with the defensive-minded Hamilton to start off the season.

"He hasn't made any mistakes," Graham noted of Hamilton, who has impressed the coaches with his glove when given the opportunity.

"Hoelscher is definitely in the hunt, but we're just starting with Hamilton at [shortstop] because he's been as good as anyone we've had at [shortstop]."

Hoelscher has displayed a strong bat all spring and figures to get time in the infield. Returning as the starter at second base is sophomore Michael Ratterree, who started every game for Rice last year in route to freshman All-America honors. Ratterree will look to take the next step this year among the nation's top infielders and will bat in the top two spots for Rice. One of the most improved players from a year ago, the aforementioned Chargois will start at first for Rice following a stellar fall season with the bat. Chargois is a switch hitter who provides versatility for the Owls lineup and will also see time out of the bullpen. With the two-time reigning C-USA Player of the Year at third base, the only concern there for Rice will be how Rendon bounces back from a broken ankle suffered last summer while playing for Team USA. Rendon has shown few side effects this spring after a speedy recovery and looks to be near full strength for the start of the season. He will bat third in the lineup, where his unmatched plate discipline should create opportunities for his teammates in the lineup.

Patrolling the Power Alleys

If you're looking for a player to have a breakout year in 2011, it's hard to miss the golden locks of six foot six junior center fielder Jeremy Rathjen. After surging in the second half of the season to earn Second Team C-USA honors, Rathjen enters the season as the team's clean-up hitter behind Rendon. Rathjen led the team in the spring

in batting average, runs, hits, RBIs and home runs and looks poised to take the leap this year as one of the best outfielders in the country.

He plays a great center field and covers a lot of ground with excellent speed and closing ability. For Rice to get to Omaha, Rathjen will need to prove himself as an elite center fielder who will make opponents pay if they so choose to pitch around Rendon.

In left field, the speedy junior Michael Fuda returns as a starter and adds some pop to the lineup along with valuable experience. The former wide receiver may be the quickest player on the team and should be a factor on the bases. Fuda will start most of the season near the top of the order but is in jeopardy of missing the weekend series due to a sprained ankle.

When asked of the status of his left fielder for the weekend, Graham said, "I sure hope he plays, but I'm not positive. He was swollen [on Monday, but he hit and didn't run well. We'll see how it goes."

In right field will be redshirt sophomore Ryan Lewis, a first time starter filling the void left by Chad Mozingo (Lovett '10). The former Owls quarterback missed last season with injury and battled through an injury-plagued fall but won the job after exhibiting a strong bat in the early spring. Lewis hit .364 in 33 plate appearances and provides a powerful left-handed bat for the Rice lineup. Also vying for playing time in the outfield is freshman Keenan Cook, a high school teammate of John Simms and freshman Michael Aquino, who has shown solid speed and is likely to see some starts in the spring. Junior Daniel Gonzales-Luna has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates for his versatility throughout his career and will see plenty of time in the outfield this season.

The Field General

Even with the loss of Diego Seastrunk (Will Rice '10) to the MLB draft, catcher looks to be one of the deepest positions for Rice in 2011. Junior Craig Manuel will be the starter after a superb 2010 season in which he was forced into action due to Seastrunk's injury. Manuel started 26 games as a catcher and did not make an error all season.

He showed a knack for clutch hits in vital situations and has also received admiration from the coaching staff for the work he has done with the young pitching staff.

If Manuel improves at the rate he has already exhibited so far in his Rice career, he should develop as one of the better catchers in the country this season. Behind Manuel is sophomore Geoff Perrott, who showed one of the most improved bats in the fall and is due to see plenty of starts this season. Perrott displays a strong throwing arm and has great defensive skills, making him a candidate to contribute from behind the plate. Freshman Tyler Pearson, a 38th round draft pick of the Indians, projects as one of the top freshman in the class and has impressed coaches with his throwing arm.

Omaha Outlook

People will look at the 2011 Rice baseball team and say that they will have to overcome a lot of the same issues that plagued the squad last year to get to Omaha. Led by Rendon, the offense will be strong and should score plenty of runs. But many folks look at the starting pitching and wonder who the anchors of the staff will be.

While the team does not necessarily return a staff of bona fide aces from 2010, the incoming talent and internal improvement from a year ago provides depth and strong potential at the front end of the rotation. Simms and Kubitza are two power arms that have the chance for immediate impact on the collegiate level. McDowell and Reckling look poised for breakout years, while Wall returns as the best pitcher from a year ago. There are questions with the staff but with the talent and improvement that has been on display in the fall and early spring, you can expect for this unit to be improved from 2010.

Offensively, there are a few players in the lineup that look ready to take the next step as nationally recognized offensive threats. A lot of the team's offensive success will hinge on how Ratterree, Chargois and Rathjen surround Rendon in the lineup. If those two have breakout years and force teams to decide who to pitch to, the offense should pick up where it left off a year ago. Manuel and Fuda are both coming off nice seasons and should also be major offensive contributors.

The bottom line is that while not loaded with returning starters, Rice should be able to compensate with depth and the improvement of their young players. There seems to be an abundance of players on the verge of putting together breakout years. While not built on veteran talent, the Owls are stacked with players poised to take full advantage of the increased responsibilities they are taking on this season. The depth of talent, combined with a coaching staff often regarded as one of the best in the country, bodes well for a team looking to get back to the College World Series for the first time since 2008.

So while 2011 looks to be billed as the Year of Anthony Rendon, don't get caught sleeping on a number of other Owls poised for big seasons in expanded roles. Ranked between 15 and 20 in the majority of preseason polls, Rice looks built for another C-USA title and appears to be a contender for yet another post season berth.

And while the hype surrounding Rice baseball come early June may be a product of the MLB Draft, don't be surprised if it's a late June trip to Omaha that steals the headlines for the Owls in 2011.

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