FAYETTEVILLE — It would seem the Rice Owls are limping into the postseason after losing to Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA Tournament title game.
Not quite.
The Owls (40-17) are still plenty good, despite the uncharacteristic setback in the conference tournament after winning the regular-season championship. Rice has won at least a share of the regular season title and/or the postseason tournament of every conference it has been in since 1996.
Rice, ranked eighth nationally by Baseball America, gets a chance to prove how good it is when the Owls play fourth-seeded Prairie View A&M in the first round of the Houston Regional at 6 tonight at Reckling Park. It is the Owls’ 18th consecutive regional appearance.
Rice is hosting a regional for the 10th time in the past 12 years and has advanced to the super regionals nine times since 1999. The Owls have made it to the College World Series seven times since 1997.
“I believe we have enough talent, if it gets better, that we could make a run,” said Rice Coach Wayne Graham, who led the Owls to the 2003 national championship. “I believe the potential is there, but we have to step up our game, particularly our hitting.”
Graham said a return home should do wonders for his team, which he believes became worn down toward the end of the regular season and in the conference tournament because of travel. He said the Owls hit poorly in the tournament, a continuation of an average hitting year for the team.
“We had a couple of close games when we didn’t hit well,” said Graham, whose team lost 4-2 to Southern Mississippi in the championship game. “That happens. You have to determine why and correct some things.
“We haven’t hit that well. Hopefully, we will.”
Rice still is hitting .284 with a lineup led by second baseman Christian Stringer, outfielder Jeremy Rathjen and first baseman/reliever J.T. Chargois. Stringer is hitting .348 with 57 runs scored and 36 RBI, while Rathjen is hitting .333 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI.
Chargois, who is 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 8 saves as a pitcher, is batting .333 with 31 RBI. Graham said Chargois, a junior, will be an early round draft pick as a pitcher in June.
“Our second baseman is a really good player,” Graham said. “Shockingly, one of our two closers has hit better than anybody. J.T. has driven in a lot of key runs.”
Chargois’ top value, Graham said, is as a reliever. He and Tyler Duffey (1-1, 1.71, 6 saves) lead a deep Owls bullpen that backs up three starters who have six or more victories each and ERAs under 3.00.
“Our strength has been our bullpen,” Graham said. “Our starting pitching has been adequate. We’ve got good depth. Duffey has been outstanding, and Chargois can go 96 [mph] with a good curve ball.”
Rice’s team ERA of 2.91 ranks ninth nationally and is built on right-handed starters Andrew Benak (7-2, 2.70), Matthew Reckling (8-2, 2.90) and Austin Kubitza (6-4, 2.96).
Kubitza, a sophomore, was a seventh-round selection by Pittsburgh in 2010, and Reckling, a senior, was drafted in the 22nd round by Cleveland last year.
At a glance RICE OWLS SEED No. 1 LOCATION Houston CONFERENCE Conference USA NICKNAME Owls 2012 RECORD 40-17, 17-7 COACH Wayne Graham (953-378 in 21 seasons at Rice) KEY PLAYERS 2B Christian Stringer (.348, 3 HR, 36 RBI), OF Jeremy Rathjen (.333, 9 HR, 41 RBI), 1B/RHP J.T. Chargois (.333, 31 RBI, 4-1, 2.25 ERA, 8 saves), RHP Andrew Benak (7-2, 2.70 ERA), RHP Matthew Recking (8-2, 2.90 ERA) TEAM BATTING AVERAGE .284 TEAM ERA 2.91 LAST NCAA REGIONAL 2011 NOTEWORTHY Rice is making its 18th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Sports, Pages 27 on 06/01/2012