Otto tournament MVP
Other Owls on all-tournament team were Myers, Warren and Canterino.

You could make a case for DiCaprio and Gray deserving it too, but actually the one I think who deserved it the most who wasn't on the all-tournament team was Wunderlich. I think he was 5x11 in the tournament and had that huge defensive gem where he robbed the ODU batter of the homer (and while it was a tough defensive play, he also caught the 9th inning out today that almost everyone else in the park thought was a homer).

Seems to me that there are some rough comparisons between this team and the CSF team that won the CWS in I think 2005. They were around .500 half way through the season and turned it around.

I don't know Fresno State's regular season record in 2008, but it could not have been too good - they were a fourth seed. Yet they won the CWS.

I realize USM was tired after five games, but you just can't bet against Coach Graham.

How many HOF coaches are still actively coaching?

(05-28-2017 05:19 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  I'm very happy with just hosting a regional. Been too long (2003).

There are a lot of things that have been too long since 2003.

(05-28-2017 08:33 PM)Ranger Wrote:  I don't know Fresno State's regular season record in 2008, but it could not have been too good - they were a fourth seed. Yet they won the CWS.

33-27. But their RPI was lower due to their schedule. Pre-tourney, their RPI was 89 (but they had won both the conference season and tournament championships). By the end of the tourney, after going 10-4 against teams that all had higher RPIs, their final RPI was still only 46. When you're hot, you're hot... regardless of what a season of numbers say.

(05-28-2017 04:53 PM)4GOwls Wrote:  Woo hoo!!!! Well done Ryan Chandler!!!

That ball would have been an out against a standard defensive set, but USM had the outfielders pulled in to cut off the run at the plate on a ground ball or line drive single. The old saying about a drawn in infield adding 50 points to your batting average also applies to a drawn in outfield, I guess.

(05-28-2017 05:19 PM)gsloth Wrote:  Also, some Rice fan high in the right-field stands (down the line) got some good face time on TV celebrating that winning run. Producers used your reaction to sum it up - standing with arms raised while the rest of the stands was sitting silently. Went back a couple of times. You seemed to be pretty near that camera. Any chance it was anyone on this board?

Ford Proctor's dad according to his tweet.

Looking over the box score - every Owl hitter had a hit. Warren had 2, Chandler 3.

(05-28-2017 10:33 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 05:19 PM)gsloth Wrote:  Also, some Rice fan high in the right-field stands (down the line) got some good face time on TV celebrating that winning run. Producers used your reaction to sum it up - standing with arms raised while the rest of the stands was sitting silently. Went back a couple of times. You seemed to be pretty near that camera. Any chance it was anyone on this board?

Ford Proctor's dad according to his tweet.

Yes, it was definitely Jay Proctor. Great tweet also with a pic of Ryan hugging his mom in the stands immediately after the dog pile.

BTW, I've never seen Glenn Otto so fired up and emotional after the win. He is usually so stoic and cool as a cucumber.

(05-28-2017 10:34 PM)Old Sammy Wrote:  Looking over the box score - every Owl hitter had a hit. Warren had 2, Chandler 3.

Warren and Wunderlich could not have picked a better time to finally come out of the season-long slump. Both are now over .250. It makes our lineup that much more potent. No easy out top to bottom. I wish we'd show more patience and plate discipline, but the offense if finally living up the preseason hype that many of us-- and many of the pundits-- felt was warranted.

(05-28-2017 10:18 PM)Old Sammy Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 04:53 PM)4GOwls Wrote:  Woo hoo!!!! Well done Ryan Chandler!!!

That ball would have been an out against a standard defensive set, but USM had the outfielders pulled in to cut off the run at the plate on a ground ball or line drive single. The old saying about a drawn in infield adding 50 points to your batting average also applies to a drawn in outfield, I guess.

Maybe yes, maybe not... but it was well hit and the USM pitcher started walking off the field (without looking) as soon as it was hit.

He was playing about 30 ft in from a normal set and almost got to it. It's a catch against normal defense.

If grandma had nuts she'd be grandpa....

Who cares???!!!!!

He tried to glove it on the first bounce and fumbled it. I wonder if he had gloved it cleanly and fired to the infield if there might have been a play at the plate. He was moving away from home so maybe it would have taken too long to turn and fire.

I agree with OS that if he had been playing normally, it would have been an out. But that's the risk you take with certain strategies - you give up something to gain something. If the third baseman had not been playing "no doubles" we may not have even had a runner n base.

(05-29-2017 08:06 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  He tried to glove it on the first bounce and fumbled it. I wonder if he had gloved it cleanly and fired to the infield if there might have been a play at the plate. He was moving away from home so maybe it would have taken too long to turn and fire.

I agree with OS that if he had been playing normally, it would have been an out. But that's the risk you take with certain strategies - you give up something to gain something. If the third baseman had not been playing "no doubles" we may not have even had a runner n base.

Yes, and had the infield not been playing in at the time, Wunderlich would have surely scored the winning run in the 7th. As to your question, there's not a chance in hell the CF had any chance of throwing out Jefferies at the plate had he fielded the ball cleanly. Runner on 2B, with a hit just shy of the warning track, and the CFers momentum going the wrong way? No play at the plate whatsoever, even with Kendall holding up (and rightfully so) at 2B to make sure the ball was not caught.

(05-29-2017 08:16 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-29-2017 08:06 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  He tried to glove it on the first bounce and fumbled it. I wonder if he had gloved it cleanly and fired to the infield if there might have been a play at the plate. He was moving away from home so maybe it would have taken too long to turn and fire.

I agree with OS that if he had been playing normally, it would have been an out. But that's the risk you take with certain strategies - you give up something to gain something. If the third baseman had not been playing "no doubles" we may not have even had a runner n base.

Yes, and had the infield not been playing in at the time, Wunderlich would have surely scored the winning run in the 7th. As to your question, there's not a chance in hell the CF had any chance of throwing out Jefferies at the plate had he fielded the ball cleanly. Runner on 2B, with a hit just shy of the warning track, and the CFers momentum going the wrong way? No play at the plate whatsoever, even with Kendall holding up (and rightfully so) at 2B to make sure the ball was not caught.

At most it would have be a close play, and would have required a perfect throw and relay, but i was watching Kendall on the recording, and he did not take off until it was certain the CF would not reach it. The CF took off immediately at full speed and was only a few feet from the ball when it landed. Just a smidgen of doubt in my mind. A smidgen, no more. But the extra bounces and fumbling took that smidgen away.

so many times this season we have said 'what if'. Glad it is somebody else's turn.

(05-29-2017 08:21 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  At most it would have be a close play, and would have required a perfect throw and relay, but i was watching Kendall on the recording, and he did not take off until it was certain the CF would not reach it. The CF took off immediately at full speed and was only a few feet from the ball when it landed. Just a smidgen of doubt in my mind. A smidgen, no more. But the extra bounces and fumbling took that smidgen away.
so many times this season we have said 'what if'. Glad it is somebody else's turn.

At this point, I'll gladly trade the what-ifs that went against us for the one that went our way. Now we can just hope the change of fortune is permanent. If so, see you in Omaha.

(05-29-2017 08:29 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(05-29-2017 08:21 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  At most it would have be a close play, and would have required a perfect throw and relay, but i was watching Kendall on the recording, and he did not take off until it was certain the CF would not reach it. The CF took off immediately at full speed and was only a few feet from the ball when it landed. Just a smidgen of doubt in my mind. A smidgen, no more. But the extra bounces and fumbling took that smidgen away.
so many times this season we have said 'what if'. Glad it is somebody else's turn.

At this point, I'll gladly trade the what-ifs that went against us for the one that went our way. Now we can just hope the change of fortune is permanent. If so, see you in Omaha.

Unfortunately, I went ahead and scheduled something else in mid-June. I used to make my hotel reservations in Omaha in March, and hold mid-June open, but 8 straight years of not going sapped my faith. If they get to the bracket finals or the Championship series, I may get there. But if they go to Omaha, I will certainly miss the opening games, the first Rice games in Omaha I will have ever missed.

But now, the way they are playing, I think there is a chance. i think we need to stay in the winners brackets where applicable, but there is a chance.

(05-28-2017 04:59 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 04:54 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  Payback.

How did we win only 16 games in this conference?

Slow to warm up.. fast to finish!!

When I saw we didn't get any first team all conference (regular season) selections... I figured we'd get a few in the tourney.

1996(?), 6th seed in the tourney ("barely" got in) then a 4-0 sweep to win the auto bid. Just like the old days folks...

Being the last year of the Southwest Conference, in 1996 all seven conference baseball teams participated in the postseason tournament instead of just the top four. Rice and Houston tied for sixth and seventh (and last) places, but the Owls got the #6 seed on the tiebreaker. The 4-0 sweep in the tournament was notable for two reasons: the last two wins were against Texas, which swept four games from the Owls during the regular season, and it was the very last championship event in Southwest Conference history, making Rice the eternal Southwest Conference champion.

(05-29-2017 11:57 PM)Jonathan Sadow Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 04:59 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 04:54 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  Payback.

How did we win only 16 games in this conference?

Slow to warm up.. fast to finish!!

When I saw we didn't get any first team all conference (regular season) selections... I figured we'd get a few in the tourney.

1996(?), 6th seed in the tourney ("barely" got in) then a 4-0 sweep to win the auto bid. Just like the old days folks...

Being the last year of the Southwest Conference, in 1996 all seven conference baseball teams participated in the postseason tournament instead of just the top four. Rice and Houston tied for sixth and seventh (and last) places, but the Owls got the #6 seed on the tiebreaker. The 4-0 sweep in the tournament was notable for two reasons: the last two wins were against Texas, which swept four games from the Owls during the regular season, and it was the very last championship event in Southwest Conference history, making Rice the eternal Southwest Conference champion.

I still have my Rice Baseball SWC Champions 1996 t-shirt.

(Can someone please update the Rice Wikipedia sites? It is the fount of (all) knowledge, but anything but accurate at present.)

(05-29-2017 08:21 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2017 08:16 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-29-2017 08:06 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  He tried to glove it on the first bounce and fumbled it. I wonder if he had gloved it cleanly and fired to the infield if there might have been a play at the plate. He was moving away from home so maybe it would have taken too long to turn and fire.

I agree with OS that if he had been playing normally, it would have been an out. But that's the risk you take with certain strategies - you give up something to gain something. If the third baseman had not been playing "no doubles" we may not have even had a runner n base.

Yes, and had the infield not been playing in at the time, Wunderlich would have surely scored the winning run in the 7th. As to your question, there's not a chance in hell the CF had any chance of throwing out Jefferies at the plate had he fielded the ball cleanly. Runner on 2B, with a hit just shy of the warning track, and the CFers momentum going the wrong way? No play at the plate whatsoever, even with Kendall holding up (and rightfully so) at 2B to make sure the ball was not caught.

At most it would have be a close play, and would have required a perfect throw and relay, but i was watching Kendall on the recording, and he did not take off until it was certain the CF would not reach it. The CF took off immediately at full speed and was only a few feet from the ball when it landed. Just a smidgen of doubt in my mind. A smidgen, no more. But the extra bounces and fumbling took that smidgen away.

so many times this season we have said 'what if'. Glad it is somebody else's turn.

I was in right center field just to the left of the scoreboard and from my vantage point (and my opinion too) I believe your runner at 2nd could've possibly scored even if our guy had caught it. He was running full speed away from the infield so had he caught it, it would've taken him several steps to stop, plant and throw back to the cutoff man.....and with all the rain that morning as well as during the 4th inning there's no guarantee he could've kept his footing. Not sure if your 3rd base coach is the same as last year so maybe he would've have a flashback to last year's final play but to me as the play was happening and our CF kept running I was thinking "even if he catches this near the track he'll never get it back to the cutoff man in time to keep the runner from scoring"