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Thursday, May 29, 1997

Owls pitchers put team in College World Series

HOUSTON (AP) - Rice baseball coach Wayne Graham made a decision three years ago that helped the Owls reach the College World Series for the first time this year.

The Owls will play defending champion Louisiana State on Friday in a first-round game because three freshmen pitchers, Jeff Nichols, Mario Ramos and Marc Gwyn, picked up the slack when No. 1 pitcher Stephen Bess was lost in February with a forearm injury.

"We recruited all three because we made a decision three years ago to recruit pitchers who could throw strikes," Rice coach Wayne Graham said. "About midseason, it became evident that they were going to be able to carry the things we knew they could do."

Nichols (10-1, 3.44 ERA) and Ramos (9-3, 4.98 ERA) have carried the brunt of the starting load, but the Owls also have benefited from Matt Anderson (10-1, 1.82 ERA), who also has nine saves.

Anderson, a top pro prospect, has struck out 97 and allowed one home run in 74.1 innings this season.

Nichols is a good example of what Graham has tried to accomplish with his pitching staff.

"He makes a lot of use out of a moving fastball, and he knows how to change speeds," Graham said of Nichols. "Plus, he has only 28 walks in 102 innings."

Ramos has control problems with his breaking pitches.

"At times, he has (control) and at times he doesn't," Graham said. "When he gets control of his breaking ball, he will dominate."

The Owls carry a 47-14 record into the World Series. They have won 21 of their last 22 games and ripped through the Midwest Regional at Lubbock in four straight victories, scoring 53 runs.

"There is no question that this is my best team ever," Graham said. "The key to this team was that we had freshmen pitchers come through. We wanted a high rating at the beginning of the year, but we were real concerned that we were going to try to make it with freshmen pitching.

"But those guys have come through and now Stephen is back just in the nick of time."

The Owls get plenty of offense from switch-hitting first baseman Lance Berkman, who leads the nation with 41 home runs and 134 RBIs. The Owls have hit 119 homers as a team.

Berkman is hitting .438 and was a freshman in 1994 when the Owls beat the Tigers two times in the South Regional.

The Owls have a possible future major leaguer in center fielder Bubba Crosby. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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