Houston Region 2014 Baseball World Series Breakdown
Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, George Mason
Rice is a perennial power in college baseball. The Owls are coached by the legendary Wayne Graham and he has this team performing at a high level. Rice hasn’t made it to the College World Series since 2008, but this year’s team has the makings to do so. The Owls are led by their pitching staff, which sports a team ERA of 2.54, good for 14th in the nation. Sophomore Blake Fox is the ace of a staff with a 12-0 record and a 1.38 ERA in 14 starts. Another sophomore, Matt Ditman, has been solid at the back end of the bullpen, saving nine games while maintaining a 1.72 ERA. Rice backs up their pitchers with a solid defense that has a team fielding percentage of .980. The lineup also packs a powerful punch with a trio of big bats in the middle of the order. Last seasons College Home Run Derby Champ Michael Aquino is hitting .232 with seven home runs and 44 RBI’s, while juniors Skylar Ewing and John Clay Reeves have stat lines of .330 BA/8HR/46 RBI and .316/6HR/38RBI, respectively.
Rice is not going to have an easy path if they are going to make it to Omaha, as they are hosting arguably the toughest regional. Powerhouses Texas and Texas A&M are the 2 and 3 seeds and both are capable of winning a regional. Texas returns to a regional after missing the postseason last year and the Longhorns are a led by a deep pitching staff. Six of the Longhorns top eight pitchers have an ERA under 3.00, led by Nathan Thornhill, who is 6-2 with a 1.51 ERA and a pair of saves. Texas A&M was one of the last four teams into the tournament, but have plenty of talent. Junior Cole Lankford hit .333 with four home run and 42 RBI’s while junior Logan Nottebrok has added eight home runs. On the mound, the Aggies have a duo that should give them a chance to win any game in Daniel Mengden and Grayson Long. Texas and Texas A&M will renew their rivalry as they square off on Friday. George Mason is the fourth team in this regional and they feature a pair of good arms in Jared Gaynor and Anthony Montefusco, who are 8-4 with a 1.67 ERA and 9-3 with a 1.96 ERA, respectively, which could keep them in games. With three Texas powerhouses paired up, this regional should be action packed.
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