2003 Rice Owls baseball team

The 2003 Rice Owls baseball team represented Rice University in the 2003 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Owls played their home games at Reckling Park. The team was coached by Wayne Graham in his 12th season at Rice.

2003 Rice Owls baseball
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record58–12 (25–5 WAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • David Pierce (1st year)
  • Mike Taylor (3rd year)
  • Zane Curry (4th year)
Home stadiumReckling Park
Uniform

The Owls won 30 consecutive games to open the season 33–1 and won the Western Athletic Conference championship. Rice went on to win the College World Series, defeating the Stanford Cardinal in the championship series. It was the first national title that Rice had ever won in a team sport in the school's 91-year history.

Roster
2003 Rice Owls roster
 

Pitchers

 

  • *Injured reserve
  • **not on postseason roster
  

Infielders

  • 1 Sean Hirsch – Junior
  • 5 Drew Skaggs* – Senior
  • 11 Paul Janish – Sophomore
  • 13 Enrique Cruz – Junior
  • 15 Matt Moake – Sophomore
  • 22 Matt Ueckert – Freshman
  • 23 Craig Stansberry – Junior
  • 27 Vincent Sinisi – Junior
  

Outfielders

  • 2 Matt Emerson – Freshman
  • 3 Matt Cavanaugh – Freshman
  • 4 Jeff Jorgenson – Sophomore
  • 7 Chris Kolkhorst – Junior
  • 9 Austin Davis – Sophomore
  • 16 Dane Bubela – Senior

Catchers

  • 12 Jeff Blackinton – Junior
  • 19 Justin Ruchti – Senior
  • 29 Jon Gillespie – Sophomore
  • 35 Lyndon Duplessis – Freshman

Schedule
2003 Rice Owls baseball game log
Regular season
February
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
February 11Texas-San AntonioReckling Park6–4Baker (W; 1–0)2,4321–0–
February 14Texas A&MMinute Maid Park10–5Niemann (W; 1–0)8,4052–0–
February 15BaylorMinute Maid Park4–3Humber (W; 1–0)14,4843–0–
February 16AlabamaMinute Maid Park5–6Ueckert (L; 1–0)10,4163–1–
February 18at HoustonCougar Field3–0Townsend (W; 1–0)1,1164–1–
February 19at Southwest Texas StateBobcat Baseball Stadium6–0Matheny (W; 1–0)1,6085–1–
February 22StetsonReckling Park11–6Humber (W; 2–0)2,3236–1–
February 22MississippiReckling Park6–0Niemann (W; 2–0)2,5627–1–
February 23Texas–ArlingtonReckling Park1–0 (10)Aardsma (W; 1–0)2,6578–1–
February 28Southwest Texas StateReckling Park8–3Niemann (W; 3–0)2,0549–1–
March
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
March 1Southwest Texas StateReckling Park7–5Baker (W; 2–0)2,31710–1–
March 2Southwest Texas StateReckling Park10–4Humber (W; 3–0)2,27511–1–
March 4HoustonReckling Park4–3Aardsma (W; 2–0)2,61812–1–
March 7at Louisiana TechJ.C. Love Field4–3Niemann (W; 4–0)52913–11–0
March 8at Louisiana TechJ.C. Love Field5–3Humber (W; 4–0)1,01114–12–0
March 9at Louisiana TechJ.C. Love Field12–0Baker (W; 3–0)82715–13–0
March 11TexasReckling Park2–1 (10)Aardsma (W; 3–0)4,52516–1–
March 14at HawaiiLes Murakami Stadium9–4Niemann (W; 5–0)2,91917–14–0
March 15at HawaiiLes Murakami Stadium9–2Humber (W; 5–0)3,42618–15–0
March 16at HawaiiLes Murakami Stadium11–1Baker (W; 4–0)2,27119–16–0
March 18NebraskaReckling Park4–1Townsend (W; 2–0)3,35920–1–
March 19at HoustonCougar Field7–6 (11)Aardsma (W; 4–0)2,27121–1–
March 21LibertyReckling Park20–1Humber (W; 6–0)2,85122–1–
March 22LibertyReckling Park10–4Baker (W; 5–0)2,41223–1–
March 23LibertyReckling Park5–4Niemann (W; 6–0)2,34824–1–
March 25BaylorReckling Park4–3Townsend (W; 3–0)3,68325–1–
March 28San Jose StateReckling Park12–2Humber (W; 7–0)2,18026–17–0
March 29San Jose StateReckling Park21–1Niemann (W; 7–0)2,83727–18–0
March 30San Jose StateReckling Park8–1Baker (W; 6–0)3,11828–19–0
April
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
April 1HoustonReckling Park11–0Townsend (W; 4–0)3,32029–1–
April 4HawaiiReckling Park11–0Humber (W; 8–0)3,21530–110–0
April 5HawaiiReckling Park2–0Niemann (W; 8–0)2,83531–111–0
April 6HawaiiReckling Park8–1Baker (W; 7–0)2,61432–112–0
April 8Texas A&MReckling Park8–0Townsend (W; 5–0)4,41433–1–
April 9LamarReckling Park5–7Aardsma (L; 4–1)2,41733–2–
April 11at Fresno StatePete Beiden Field3–7Humber (L; 8–1)2,72733–312–1
April 12at Fresno StatePete Beiden Field9–2Niemann (W; 9–0)2,72434–313–1
April 13at Fresno StatePete Beiden Field3–2Townsend (W; 6–0)2,56435–314–1
April 15at Sam Houston StateDon Sanders Stadium1–8Aardsma (L; 4–2)48135–4–
April 16at HoustonCougar Field1–5Herce (L; 0–1)1,67235–5–
April 18NevadaReckling Park10–5Matheny (W; 2–0)3,10336–515–1
April 19NevadaReckling Park3–0Niemann (W; 10–0)3,31437–516–1
April 20NevadaReckling Park5–6Herce (L; 0–2)2,31337–616–2
April 22at LamarVincent–Beck Stadium5–9Matheny (L; 2–1)1,40637–7–
April 24Louisiana TechReckling Park2–1Humber (W; 9–1)2,71538–717–2
April 25Louisiana TechReckling Park13–3Niemannn (W; 11–0)3,15639–718–2
April 26Louisiana TechReckling Park8–2Baker (W; 8–0)3,04440–719–2
May
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall recordWAC record
May 7Sam Houston StateReckling Park10–5Herce (W; 1–2)2,82041–7–
May 9at NevadaWilliam Peccole Park13–11Humber (W; 10–1)1,20642–720–2
May 10at NevadaWilliam Peccole Park7–4Niemann (W; 12–0)1,63643–721–2
May 11at NevadaWilliam Peccole Park7–8 (10)Aardsma (L; 4–3)1,87543–821–3
May 14at Saint Mary'sLouis Guisto Field10–6Matheny (W; 3–1)35644–8–
May 16at San Jose StateSan Jose Municipal Stadium12–6Aardsma (W; 5–3)55345–822–3
May 17at San Jose StateSan Jose Municipal Stadium11–0Niemann (W; 13–0)61246–823–3
May 17at San Jose StateBlethen Field6–8Townsend (L; 6–1)55346–923–4
May 23Fresno StateReckling Park1–2Humber (L; 10–2)3,01546–1023–5
May 24Fresno StateReckling Park13–2Niemann (W; 14–0)2,93847–1024–5
May 25Fresno StateReckling Park3–2Townsend (W; 7–1)3,10548–1025–5
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall record
May 30vs. McNeese StateReckling Park3–2 (10)Townsend (W; 8–1)4,01449–10
May 31vs. Wichita StateReckling Park10–1Niemann (W; 15–0)3,76950–10
June 1vs. Wichita StateReckling Park5–2Townsend (W; 9–1)3,52851–10
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall record
June 7vs. HoustonReckling Park2–5Humber (L; 10–3)4,42751–11
June 8vs. HoustonReckling Park10–2Niemann (W; 16–0)4,43552–11
June 9vs. HoustonReckling Park5–2Townsend (W; 10–1)4,41753–11
DateOpponentSite/stadiumScoreRice DecisionAttendanceOverall record
June 14vs. SW Missouri StateRosenblatt Stadium4–2Niemann (W; 17–0)23,24854–11
June 16vs. TexasRosenblatt Stadium12–2Townsend (W; 11–1)24,84255–11
June 18vs. TexasRosenblatt Stadium5–4Aardsma (W; 6–1)23,17056–11
June 21vs. StanfordRosenblatt Stadium4–3 (10)Aardsma (W; 7–3)23,74157–11
June 22vs. StanfordRosenblatt Stadium3–8Townsend (L; 11–2)17,90757–12
June 23vs. StanfordRosenblatt Stadium14–2Humber (W; 11–3)18,49458–12

Awards and honors
Dane Bubela
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Enrique Cruz
  • All-America Third Team[1]
  • College World Series All-Tournament Team[2]
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Austin Davis
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Philip Humber
  • All-America Second Team[1]
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Paul Janish
  • All-WAC Second Team[1]
Jeff Jorgensen
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Chris Kolkhorst
  • College World Series All-Tournament Team[2]
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Jeff Niemann
  • All-America First Team[1]
  • College World Series All-Tournament Team[2]
  • WAC Pitcher of the Year[1]
Justin Ruchti
  • All-WAC Second Team[1]
Vincent Sinisi
  • All-WAC First Team[1]
Wade Townsend
  • All-America First Team[1]
  • All-WAC First Team[1]

Owls in the 2003 MLB Draft

The following members of the Rice Owls baseball program were drafted in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft.[3]

Player Position Round Overall MLB Team
David AardsmaRHP1st22ndSan Francisco Giants
Vincent Sinisi1B2nd46thTexas Rangers
Craig Stansberry3B5th135thPittsburgh Pirates
Jeff JorgensenOF7th209thHouston Astros
Justin RuchtiC9th266thSeattle Mariners
Enrique CruzSS14th424thNew York Yankees
Steven HerceRHP17th495thPittsburgh Pirates
Dane BubelaOF22nd646thTexas Rangers

References
  1. "2012 Rice Baseball Fact Book" (PDF). RiceOwls.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  2. "CWS record Book" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  3. "2003 Rice University". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
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