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The Rice Thresher
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by Jose Luis Cubria thresher editorial staff
Through 28 games, the baseball team has already played one of the hardest schedules in the nation. The top-ranked Owls (22-6, 11-1 Western Athletic Conference) boast seven wins over six different teams ranked in the latest polls. But beginning last weekend, Rice entered what may be the most difficult part of its regular season schedule. Starting with last weekend's three-game series against San Jose State University, the Owls will play 28 games in 37 days. Included in that stretch are six three-game WAC series and 10 non-conference mid-week games, and half of the 28 games are on the road. It's a span that rivals the type of schedule played in professional baseball, especially because Rice doesn't get more than one day off in a row. At one point, the team plays eight games in nine days. Sounds imposing, doesn't it? But the Owls aren't worried. "I think the more you play, the better you get," junior third baseman Hunter Brown said. "It's like the coaches say, it's better to play than to practice. Playing those good teams, it's just going to prepare us better for the end, which is hopefully the College World Series." There are two sides to the predicament. The first is that playing so often will get the Owls prepared, not only by getting them into a routine and keeping them focused, but also by forcing them to take advantage of their depth - especially in their underused bullpen. "It means that kids that normally wouldn't get to pitch will have to," head coach Wayne Graham said. "And they need to pitch. It's not that we don't have the pitching for these games, it's just a question of whether or not they pitch to their potential. But there's plenty of arms." The other side of the coin is that such a grueling stretch will likely wear the team down, especially with three straight weekend road trips. In fact, three of the team's nine days off will be spent traveling to WAC series at Fort Worth, San Jose, Calif., and Reno, Nev. "We're going to be some tired kids, especially after those three straight road trips," sophomore reliever Steven Herce said. "We're definitely going to be into baseball." The mid-season stretch has gone relatively smoothly so far. First, the Owls swept three games from San Jose State, which shared last year's WAC championship with Rice, last weekend. Then they edged 16th-ranked Baylor University in a wild 8-7 ballgame on Tuesday before falling to the University of Houston 4-3 on Wednesday. The four wins in five games have given Rice a bit of momentum. "We couldn't have a better way to start off this period," senior catcher Phillip Ghutzman said. "Hopefully it'll give us some juice and we'll be able to withstand it." If Rice hopes to emerge from this part of its schedule mostly unscathed, the team must play better defense. The Owls have made an error in 14 straight games, including a season-worst five errors against Baylor and two more against UH. "You've just got to believe that they're better than that," Graham said. "It's been unbelievable. But I know we're a better defensive team because we've got guys that have been skilled, always. "Surely, we're at rock bottom now. It's bound to sting their pride, so I'm sure they'll work at it." Injuries are also a slight concern for Rice. Freshman second baseman Jose Enrique Cruz (sprained ankle) and senior pitcher Jon Skaggs (strained abdominal muscle) are bothered by minor injuries, but both should play this weekend. The status of senior infielder Matt Fox (concussion) is still up in the air. Meanwhile, senior Jeff Nichols may be on the verge of completing his comeback from shoulder surgery by making his return to the weekend rotation. Sophomore Jonathan Gonzalez and junior Philip Tribe have manned Rice's third-starter spot all year, but Graham said he may start Nichols in this weekend's series against Fresno State University. All three are pitching well enough to make a case for the starting rotation, which Ghutzman said is a nice problem to have. "I think Jeff's ready," Ghutzman said. "He's throwing with absolutely zero pain, and he's got better stuff every time he goes out there. I don't think there's any doubt he's ready. "But I think Philip Tribe might have an argument, and I think Jonathan Gonzalez might have an argument. But that doesn't cause problems for anyone but the coach. Let those three guys go out there and pitch great every time. It's a good deal. It can't be anything but positive." Senior righthander Kenny Baugh is slated to start tonight's opener at 7 p.m., and Skaggs - barring an unexpected problem with his injury - will start tomorrow's game, which begins at 2 p.m.
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