FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
HOUSTON – In addition to holding the team’s first fall practice of 2013 on Monday afternoon (Sept. 30) at Reckling Park, Rice head baseball coach Wayne Graham announced the Owls have finalized the program’s new 2013-2014 schedule.
Now entering his 23rd season at the helm of the Rice program, coach Graham welcomed back 21 returning lettermen from last year’s team that earned a 19th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Owls return six offensive starters in the batting order and ten veteran pitchers who helped lead the 2013 team to a 44-20 record and to both the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles. Seven of ten newcomers on the team are freshmen from the high school ranks and three are joining Rice as transfers.
After a brief period of conditioning and drills, Graham divided the team for a Blue-Gray scrimmage. The Owls have only a short time to train before taking the field for a pair of fall exhibitions that have fast become a fan-favorite of recent schedules.
The new 2013-2014 schedule includes fall exhibitions slated for Oct. 13 & 19 at Reckling Park against longtime rivals Sam Houston State and Lamar, respectively. A challenging slate of 54 regular season games, including 27 at Reckling Park and another five in the greater Houston area, make up the Owls’ 2014 baseball schedule.
Rice opens the 2014 regular season on the road against national powerhouse Stanford with a three-game weekend series Feb. 14-16. Rice has home games against Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, TCU, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, Purdue, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UAB. Additional games to see the Owls in the city of Houston include a sensational lineup of Texas, TCU and Texas Tech at the annual College Classic Tournament held downtown at Minute Maid Park.
The Blue & Gray play a total of three games against crosstown rival Houston where the annual Silver Glove Trophy will be on the line. The first is at Reckling Park on Feb. 19 with a second at U.H. on March 25. The series finale is set for May 13 at Constellation Field, the minor league home of the Sugar Land Skeeters.
