The good guys are..

[BoomerJack]

.. in Houston this weekend for the Coca-Cola Classic hosted by Rice Univ. and playing in beautiful Reckling Park

This is from the Rice athletic website:


HOUSTON - Owls Host Elite Tournament With Annual Coca-Cola Classic
The second-ranked Rice baseball team (4-1) hosts an elite group of teams this weekend with the annual Coca-Cola Classic tournament Feb. 17-19 (Fri.-Sat.) at Reckling Park. The Owls welcome 11th-ranked Long Beach State (4-3), Oklahoma (5-1) and Lamar (4-2) in round-robin action. Tickets to the event are available at the Rice Ticket Office or may be purchased on-line at RiceOwls.com. The full tournament schedule is as follows.

2006 Coca-Cola Classic
Fri., Feb. 17
Lamar vs. Long Beach State, 1 pm
Rice vs. Oklahoma, 4:30 pm


Sat., Feb. 18
Long Beach State vs. Rice, 1 pm
Oklahoma vs. Lamar, 4:30 pm


Sun., Feb. 19
Long Beach State vs. Oklahoma, noon
Lamar vs. Rice, 3:30 pm


By playing two highly ranked teams, we may be able to have a better picture as to how good the Sooners are and/or will fare the next three months come Sunday evening.

[suncoastsooner7]

Rice has one of their best pitchers on the mound against us today. Not a good sign for the emerging Sooner bats.

[BoomerJack]

Rice has one of their best pitchers on the mound against us today. Not a good sign for the emerging Sooner bats.

I think you're referring to Joe Savery a sophomore. I saw him pitch against Okla. State last spring in the tournament that the Houston Astros have every spring. It was decent outing but only for about 3 or 4 innings. The Pokes were able to get a couple of runs off him. He did very well the rest of the season though. On top of his pitching, he's a very good hitter as well.

[suncoastsooner7]

I think you're referring to Joe Savery a sophomore. I saw him pitch against Okla. State last spring in the tournament that the Houston Astros have every spring. It was decent outing but only for about 3 or 4 innings. The Pokes were able to get a couple of runs off him. He did very well the rest of the season though. On top of his pitching, he's a very good hitter as well.

Nope. I was talking about Eddie Deggerman who is slated to start this afternoon against us. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox. He averages more than 10 1/2 strike outs a game over tha last three seasons as a starter. He was also only one strikeout away from tying the strikeouts in a game record at Rice aginst La. Tech last season.

Joe Savery is an occasional starter for Rice and will probably never pitch a game again after college. I would expect to se him at 1B this evenning where he is already being drooled at by MLB scouts. He pitches because he enjoys it and because the Rice pitching staff suffered some deblitating injuries on staff down the stretch that garnered him more time on the mound but his real threat is at the plate. Don't let his showing on the mound fool you about his talent either as a baseball player. He was the freshman of the year last year according to both Baseball America's and Collegiate Baseball's publications. He was also the only Freshman to make any of the three All American teams named by Baseball America.

[GoOwls]

Game starts in half an hour! I'll be there. This one of the only times I'll ever be rooting against the Sooners.

Eddie is one helluva pitcher, and a great guy, really has a good head on his shoulders. I lived next door to him my freshman year, and I got him to throw a frozen orange down the hall and nail a far wall. The explosion of orange was tremendous. He throws this 12-6 curveball that is nearly impossible to hit, righty or lefty.

Savery is good enough to be an elite pitcher at the college level, but that's not where he'll be at the next level. That kid can hit like few I've ever seen.

[AustinTXHorn]

Degerman is absolutely nasty, but he tends to wear down pretty fast. First time through the lineup, he's a sure bet to mow you down. Second time, he's still pretty tough. After that, he's still good but not great.

Good test for both teams today though.

[GoOwls]

Hey ATH, you guys ruined my weekend at Minute Maid last weekend. I was being very, very obnoxious towards everyone burnt orange following the top of the 9th. That walk-off tore my heart out.

It was a great game all around, but man... That was brutal.

[AustinTXHorn]

Hey ATH, you guys ruined my weekend at Minute Maid last weekend. I was being very, very obnoxious towards everyone burnt orange following the top of the 9th. That walk-off tore my heart out.

It was a great game all around, but man... That was brutal.

Yeah...I don't think any Texas fans thought we had a shot at winning. We hadn't been anywhere close to hitting Cox before that.

With 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, the Rice fan next to me goes "ITS OVER". Then with two outs, he left. Wish I could have seen the look on his face as he was walking out.

The Texas/Rice games over the past 4 years or so have been amazing. Not sure how they're going to top that one next time. Best rivalry in college baseball.

[AustinTXHorn]

McCutchen off to a very rough start. Gave up a 390+ foot solo blast to Buchanan and now hit Luna in the knee. Bases are loaded in the first for Rice.

Friday flew out to right but Rodriguez scores on the sac fly. 2-0 Rice with 2 outs in the bottom of the first.

[AustinTXHorn]

2-0 Rice through 1.

[AustinTXHorn]

2-0 through 2.

[AustinTXHorn]

2-0 through 3.

[AustinTXHorn]

Buchanan sac fly scores Lembeck. 3-0 Rice through 4.

[suncoastsooner7]

Degerman is absolutely nasty, but he tends to wear down pretty fast. First time through the lineup, he's a sure bet to mow you down. Second time, he's still pretty tough. After that, he's still good but not great.

Good test for both teams today though.

Anyone who averages 7.2 innings a game as a starter and only gives up a run every three innings, in college, is a pretty darn good pitcher in my book for this level of play.

Not everyone can have the texass staff

[AustinTXHorn]

Anyone who averages 7.2 innings a game as a starter and only gives up a run every three innings, in college, is a pretty darn good pitcher in my book for this level of play.

Not everyone can have the texass staff

Huh?

I didn't say Degerman wasn't good. I'm probably one of his biggest fans. But it's no secret that he wears down because of his delivery. Have you ever seen it? Why do you think a guy who was as dominating as he was last year was only a 42nd round draft pick?

[suncoastsooner7]

Huh?

I didn't say Degerman wasn't good. I'm probably one of his biggest fans. But it's no secret that he wears down because of his delivery. Have you ever seen it? Why do you think a guy who was as dominating as he was last year was only a 42nd round draft pick?

I didn't say you called him a bad pitcher but do you know what I would do to have a pitcher on our staff who could give us five good innings much less seven to nine like Degerman can?

[AustinTXHorn]

I didn't say you called him a bad pitcher but do you know what I would do to have a pitcher on our staff who could give us five good innings much less seven to nine like Degerman can?

That makes sense...but following up my post by saying that he's good and then taking a random shot at Texas didn't make sense...at least to me.

OU gets on the board. 8-2 in the 8th. Kyle Gunderson coming on for Rice.

[suncoastsooner7]

That makes sense...but following up my post by saying that he's good and then taking a random shot at Texas didn't make sense...at least to me.

OU gets on the board. 8-2 in the 8th. Kyle Gunderson coming on for Rice.

I didn't take a shot. Texass' staff has been something to be envious of the last couple of years for Sooners, unfortunatly.

[AustinTXHorn]

I didn't take a shot. Texass' staff has been something to be envious of the last couple of years for Sooners, unfortunatly.

Guess I'm just too used to taking everything said about Texas on here in a negative light. Sorry about that.

OU has a chance to get back into this here. Rice's pitcher is in his first collegiate game.

[AustinTXHorn]

Rohlinger doubles. 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs for Smith.

Smith flies out. 8-2 to the bottom of the 8th.