Hat finds home in Owls dugout

It was Rice’s opening game of the College World Series on Sunday, but it was so much more to Tracy Kuhlman.

She made the trip from Houston as a tribute to her grandfather, who died just a few weeks before his beloved Owls competed in Omaha. It was a trip the two planned to make together before George “Poppie” Thomen — Rice, class of 1941 — passed away May 28 at age 89.

“It’s such an honor to be sitting here today,” Tracy said. “My grandfather would have gotten such a kick out of this.”

George wasn’t at the game, but his spirit certainly was. His Rice baseball cap was in the team dugout in hopes of bringing the team good luck.

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