https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/artic...rting-nine

Hmm- it's nice to get the publicity but you have to wonder about some of their picks. They are picking 9 players total so that's why you have just 1 SP (and no relievers).

The obvious picks are Berkman at 1B, Jose Cruz Jr. in the OF and Anthony Rendon at 3B (and Wayne Graham as coach). The others are tougher selections. But here is who they came up with....

2B - Donald Allen (BTW I'm not even sure Donald played a majority of games at 2B. I know he played some in CF too)
OF - Bubba Crosby and Jay Knoblauh
SS - Damon Thames
C - Jerry Sims (the only pre '80's player in there)
SP - Kenny Baugh

I'll have to think about who I might have picked instead of some of the ones they picked.

Unrelated but perhaps someone can help me.. In Cruz’s bio, they mention a school called “Austin State.” I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about Texas schools but don’t know of any school that is named that or ever was named that (in the sense that East Texas St is now A&M Commerce)... Are they referring to UT, SFA, or ACC?

Wow, lots of competition for that SP slot! I might take Niemann, but Niemann really had that 1 elite year while Baugh had 2 elite years. Then you have Ryan Berry, whose early years were better than Baugh’s, but he probably wasn’t quite as good as Baugh’s best year

I’m not familiar with donald Allen, but Rice had a lot of good 2B (or SS that could be shifted over).

(01-16-2019 08:57 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Unrelated but perhaps someone can help me.. In Cruz’s bio, they mention a school called “Austin State.” I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about Texas schools but don’t know of any school that is named that or ever was named that (in the sense that East Texas St is now A&M Commerce)... Are they referring to UT, SFA, or ACC?

My hunch would be that it's a non-Texan's non-idiomatic rendering of SFA (whose full name of course is Stephen F. Austin State University).

Speaking of historic names for Texas universities, I think Texas School of Mines was a cool name -- and it's cool that the same school under its current name is the Miners.

And speaking of history-referencing nicknames (or missed opportunities thereof), it is NOT cool that Sam Houston State is the Bearkats, when it could easily and should rightfully have been the Ravens. :(

I'll offer a suggestion of Alan Ramirez for SP.

I'd go with Brock Holt at 2B and Mark Quinn in the OF although he mainly played 3B at Rice.

(01-16-2019 09:07 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  And speaking of history-referencing nicknames (or missed opportunities thereof), it is NOT cool that Sam Houston State is the Bearkats, when it could easily and should rightfully have been the Ravens. :(

You'll have to help me out here George...

(01-16-2019 09:16 PM)Barney Wrote:  

(01-16-2019 09:07 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  And speaking of history-referencing nicknames (or missed opportunities thereof), it is NOT cool that Sam Houston State is the Bearkats, when it could easily and should rightfully have been the Ravens. :(

You'll have to help me out here George...

Sam Houston was nicknamed "The Raven" during his time living with the Cherokees.

(01-16-2019 09:18 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(01-16-2019 09:16 PM)Barney Wrote:  

(01-16-2019 09:07 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  And speaking of history-referencing nicknames (or missed opportunities thereof), it is NOT cool that Sam Houston State is the Bearkats, when it could easily and should rightfully have been the Ravens. :(

You'll have to help me out here George...

Sam Houston was nicknamed "The Raven" during his time living with the Cherokees.

Their tagline towards their opponents could be "go eat crow".

Their 25(0) would be crow-nies...

baseball reference lists Pete Runnels (16 yrs, .291 BA) I could not find a roster but 1948 Thresher reports a Pete Runnels playing football. His grandson was on the 2008 team.

SABR (https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/4c82b649) reports he attended one semester then went pro in baseball.

(01-16-2019 09:15 PM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  I'd go with Brock Holt at 2B and Mark Quinn in the OF although he mainly played 3B at Rice.

I’m a big Sox fan and really like Holt but IMO one year is not enough to earn your place on any kind of Rice “all-time” list. Especially considering that the team he was on was unremarkable.

(01-16-2019 09:15 PM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  I'd go with Brock Holt at 2B and Mark Quinn in the OF although he mainly played 3B at Rice.

Brock Holt only played 1 year at Rice. I don't think that's enough time to qualify for an all-time starting 9 spot.

(01-16-2019 08:57 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Unrelated but perhaps someone can help me.. In Cruz’s bio, they mention a school called “Austin State.” I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about Texas schools but don’t know of any school that is named that or ever was named that (in the sense that East Texas St is now A&M Commerce)... Are they referring to UT, SFA, or ACC?

Which Cruz and which bio are you referring to?

(01-16-2019 09:33 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(01-16-2019 08:57 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Unrelated but perhaps someone can help me.. In Cruz’s bio, they mention a school called “Austin State.” I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about Texas schools but don’t know of any school that is named that or ever was named that (in the sense that East Texas St is now A&M Commerce)... Are they referring to UT, SFA, or ACC?

Which Cruz and which bio are you referring to?

The link you posted.....

Oops. Sorry. It was definitely SFA. I was probably at both games.

(01-16-2019 08:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Wow, lots of competition for that SP slot! I might take Niemann, but Niemann really had that 1 elite year while Baugh had 2 elite years. Then you have Ryan Berry, whose early years were better than Baugh’s, but he probably wasn’t quite as good as Baugh’s best year

I’m not familiar with donald Allen, but Rice had a lot of good 2B (or SS that could be shifted over).

No Rice pitcher has ever put back-to-back seasons together as Wade Townsend did in '03 and '04. He was arguably the second best pitcher in college baseball both years-- first behind his roomy and then behind Weaver of Long Beach State.

Any greatest list really needs 3 starting pitchers, and one closer, and IMO, CSC wins the closer role hands down.

(01-16-2019 09:33 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(01-16-2019 09:15 PM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  I'd go with Brock Holt at 2B and Mark Quinn in the OF although he mainly played 3B at Rice.

Brock Holt only played 1 year at Rice. I don't think that's enough time to qualify for an all-time starting 9 spot.

I would have gone with Buchanon at 2B.

I agree with Barney - Allan Ramirez as SP.

(01-16-2019 09:13 PM)Barney Wrote:  I'll offer a suggestion of Alan Ramirez for SP.

X2

I hated swinging against him in the short time I got to.

Kenny Baugh pitched the first game Rice ever won in Omaha. Being there for that game is very high on the list of my favorite Rice sports moments ever.