2003 Rice Owls baseball team

Last updated

2003 Rice Owls baseball
Rice Owls logo.svg
Conference Western Athletic Conference
Record58–12 (25–5 WAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • David Pierce (1st year)
  • Mike Taylor (3rd year)
  • Zane Curry (4th year)
Home stadium Reckling Park
Uniform
Rice Baseball Uniforms 2021.png
Seasons
← 2002
2004 →

The 2003 Rice Owls baseball team represented Rice University in the 2003 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Owls played their home games at Reckling Park. The team was coached by Wayne Graham in his 12th season at Rice.

Contents

The Owls won 30 consecutive games to open the season 33–1 and won the Western Athletic Conference championship. Rice went on to win the College World Series, defeating the Stanford Cardinal in the championship series. It was the first national title that Rice had ever won in a team sport in the school's 91-year history.

Roster

2003 Rice Owls roster
 

Pitchers

 

  • *Injured reserve
  • **not on postseason roster
 

Infielders

  • 1 Sean Hirsch – Junior
  • 5 Drew Skaggs* – Senior
  • 11 Paul Janish – Sophomore
  • 13 Enrique Cruz – Junior
  • 15 Matt Moake – Sophomore
  • 22 Matt Ueckert – Freshman
  • 23 Craig Stansberry – Junior
  • 27 Vincent Sinisi – Junior
 

Outfielders

  • 2 Matt Emerson – Freshman
  • 3 Matt Cavanaugh – Freshman
  • 4 Jeff Jorgenson – Sophomore
  • 7 Chris Kolkhorst – Junior
  • 9 Austin Davis – Sophomore
  • 16 Dane Bubela – Senior

Catchers

  • 12 Jeff Blackinton – Junior
  • 19 Justin Ruchti – Senior
  • 29 Jon Gillespie – Sophomore
  • 35 Lyndon Duplessis – Freshman

Schedule

2003 Rice Owls baseball game log
Regular season
February
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
February 11 Texas-San Antonio Reckling Park 6–4Baker (W; 1–0)2,4321–0–
February 14 Texas A&M Minute Maid Park 10–5Niemann (W; 1–0)8,4052–0–
February 15 Baylor Minute Maid Park4–3Humber (W; 1–0)14,4843–0–
February 16 Alabama Minute Maid Park5–6Ueckert (L; 1–0)10,4163–1–
February 18at Houston Cougar Field 3–0Townsend (W; 1–0)1,1164–1–
February 19at Southwest Texas State Bobcat Baseball Stadium 6–0Matheny (W; 1–0)1,6085–1–
February 22 Stetson Reckling Park11–6Humber (W; 2–0)2,3236–1–
February 22 Mississippi Reckling Park6–0Niemann (W; 2–0)2,5627–1–
February 23 Texas–Arlington Reckling Park1–0 (10)Aardsma (W; 1–0)2,6578–1–
February 28Southwest Texas StateReckling Park8–3Niemann (W; 3–0)2,0549–1–
March
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
March 1Southwest Texas StateReckling Park7–5Baker (W; 2–0)2,31710–1–
March 2Southwest Texas StateReckling Park10–4Humber (W; 3–0)2,27511–1–
March 4HoustonReckling Park4–3Aardsma (W; 2–0)2,61812–1–
March 7at Louisiana Tech J.C. Love Field 4–3Niemann (W; 4–0)52913–11–0
March 8at Louisiana TechJ.C. Love Field5–3Humber (W; 4–0)1,01114–12–0
March 9at Louisiana TechJ.C. Love Field12–0Baker (W; 3–0)82715–13–0
March 11 Texas Reckling Park2–1 (10)Aardsma (W; 3–0)4,52516–1–
March 14at Hawaii Les Murakami Stadium 9–4Niemann (W; 5–0)2,91917–14–0
March 15at HawaiiLes Murakami Stadium9–2Humber (W; 5–0)3,42618–15–0
March 16at HawaiiLes Murakami Stadium11–1Baker (W; 4–0)2,27119–16–0
March 18 Nebraska Reckling Park4–1Townsend (W; 2–0)3,35920–1–
March 19at HoustonCougar Field7–6 (11)Aardsma (W; 4–0)2,27121–1–
March 21 Liberty Reckling Park20–1Humber (W; 6–0)2,85122–1–
March 22LibertyReckling Park10–4Baker (W; 5–0)2,41223–1–
March 23LibertyReckling Park5–4Niemann (W; 6–0)2,34824–1–
March 25 Baylor Reckling Park4–3Townsend (W; 3–0)3,68325–1–
March 28 San Jose State Reckling Park12–2Humber (W; 7–0)2,18026–17–0
March 29San Jose StateReckling Park21–1Niemann (W; 7–0)2,83727–18–0
March 30San Jose StateReckling Park8–1Baker (W; 6–0)3,11828–19–0
April
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
April 1HoustonReckling Park11–0Townsend (W; 4–0)3,32029–1–
April 4HawaiiReckling Park11–0Humber (W; 8–0)3,21530–110–0
April 5HawaiiReckling Park2–0Niemann (W; 8–0)2,83531–111–0
April 6HawaiiReckling Park8–1Baker (W; 7–0)2,61432–112–0
April 8Texas A&MReckling Park8–0Townsend (W; 5–0)4,41433–1–
April 9 Lamar Reckling Park5–7Aardsma (L; 4–1)2,41733–2–
April 11at Fresno State Pete Beiden Field 3–7Humber (L; 8–1)2,72733–312–1
April 12at Fresno StatePete Beiden Field9–2Niemann (W; 9–0)2,72434–313–1
April 13at Fresno StatePete Beiden Field3–2Townsend (W; 6–0)2,56435–314–1
April 15at Sam Houston State Don Sanders Stadium 1–8Aardsma (L; 4–2)48135–4–
April 16at HoustonCougar Field1–5Herce (L; 0–1)1,67235–5–
April 18 Nevada Reckling Park10–5Matheny (W; 2–0)3,10336–515–1
April 19NevadaReckling Park3–0Niemann (W; 10–0)3,31437–516–1
April 20NevadaReckling Park5–6Herce (L; 0–2)2,31337–616–2
April 22at Lamar Vincent–Beck Stadium 5–9Matheny (L; 2–1)1,40637–7–
April 24Louisiana TechReckling Park2–1Humber (W; 9–1)2,71538–717–2
April 25Louisiana TechReckling Park13–3Niemannn (W; 11–0)3,15639–718–2
April 26Louisiana TechReckling Park8–2Baker (W; 8–0)3,04440–719–2
May
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
May 7Sam Houston StateReckling Park10–5Herce (W; 1–2)2,82041–7–
May 9at Nevada William Peccole Park 13–11Humber (W; 10–1)1,20642–720–2
May 10at NevadaWilliam Peccole Park7–4Niemann (W; 12–0)1,63643–721–2
May 11at NevadaWilliam Peccole Park7–8 (10)Aardsma (L; 4–3)1,87543–821–3
May 14at Saint Mary's Louis Guisto Field 10–6Matheny (W; 3–1)35644–8–
May 16at San Jose State San Jose Municipal Stadium 12–6Aardsma (W; 5–3)55345–822–3
May 17at San Jose State San Jose Municipal Stadium 11–0Niemann (W; 13–0)61246–823–3
May 17at San Jose StateBlethen Field6–8Townsend (L; 6–1)55346–923–4
May 23Fresno StateReckling Park1–2Humber (L; 10–2)3,01546–1023–5
May 24Fresno StateReckling Park13–2Niemann (W; 14–0)2,93847–1024–5
May 25Fresno StateReckling Park3–2Townsend (W; 7–1)3,10548–1025–5
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall record
May 30vs. McNeese State Reckling Park3–2 (10)Townsend (W; 8–1)4,01449–10
May 31vs. Wichita State Reckling Park10–1Niemann (W; 15–0)3,76950–10
June 1vs. Wichita StateReckling Park5–2Townsend (W; 9–1)3,52851–10
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall record
June 7vs. HoustonReckling Park2–5Humber (L; 10–3)4,42751–11
June 8vs. HoustonReckling Park10–2Niemann (W; 16–0)4,43552–11
June 9vs. HoustonReckling Park5–2Townsend (W; 10–1)4,41753–11
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall record
June 14vs. SW Missouri State Rosenblatt Stadium 4–2Niemann (W; 17–0)23,24854–11
June 16vs. TexasRosenblatt Stadium12–2Townsend (W; 11–1)24,84255–11
June 18vs. TexasRosenblatt Stadium5–4Aardsma (W; 6–1)23,17056–11
June 21vs. Stanford Rosenblatt Stadium4–3 (10)Aardsma (W; 7–3)23,74157–11
June 22vs. StanfordRosenblatt Stadium3–8Townsend (L; 11–2)17,90757–12
June 23vs. StanfordRosenblatt Stadium14–2Humber (W; 11–3)18,49458–12

Awards and honors

Dane Bubela
Enrique Cruz
Austin Davis
Philip Humber
Paul Janish
Jeff Jorgensen
Chris Kolkhorst
Jeff Niemann
Justin Ruchti
Vincent Sinisi
Wade Townsend

Owls in the 2003 MLB Draft

The following members of the Rice Owls baseball program were drafted in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. [3]

PlayerPositionRoundOverallMLB Team
David Aardsma RHP1st22nd San Francisco Giants
Vincent Sinisi1B2nd46th Texas Rangers
Craig Stansberry 3B5th135th Pittsburgh Pirates
Jeff JorgensenOF7th209th Houston Astros
Justin RuchtiC9th266th Seattle Mariners
Enrique CruzSS14th424th New York Yankees
Steven HerceRHP17th495th Pittsburgh Pirates
Dane BubelaOF22nd646th Texas Rangers

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "2012 Rice Baseball Fact Book" (PDF). RiceOwls.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "CWS record Book" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  3. ↑ "2003 Rice University". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
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