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.
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
21 Philip Humber - Sophomore
33 Jeff Niemann - Sophomore
30 Wade Townsend - Sophomore
20 Josh Baker - Junior
14 David Aardsma - Junior
24 Colin Matheny - Freshman
34 Steven Herce - Senior
10 Lance Pendleton - Freshman
17 Justin Farris* - Senior
8 Marcos Ramos* - Sophomore
*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
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
WAC Record
February 11
Texas-San Antonio
Reckling Park
6-4
Baker (W; 1-0)
2,432
1-0
–
February 14
Texas A&M
Minute Maid Park
10-5
Niemann (W; 1-0)
8,405
2-0
–
February 15
Baylor
Minute Maid Park
4-3
Humber (W; 1-0)
14,484
3-0
–
February 16
Alabama
Minute Maid Park
5-6
Ueckert (L; 1-0)
10,416
3-1
–
February 18
at Houston
Cougar Field
3-0
Townsend (W; 1-0)
1,116
4-1
–
February 19
at Southwest Texas State
Bobcat Baseball Stadium
6-0
Matheny (W; 1-0)
1,608
5-1
–
February 22
Stetson
Reckling Park
11-6
Humber (W; 2-0)
2,323
6-1
–
February 22
Mississippi
Reckling Park
6-0
Niemann (W; 2-0)
2,562
7-1
–
February 23
Texas–Arlington
Reckling Park
1-0 (10)
Aardsma (W; 1-0)
2,657
8-1
–
February 28
Southwest Texas State
Reckling Park
8-3
Niemann (W; 3-0)
2,054
9-1
–
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
WAC Record
March 1
Southwest Texas State
Reckling Park
7-5
Baker (W; 2-0)
2,317
10-1
–
March 2
Southwest Texas State
Reckling Park
10-4
Humber (W; 3-0)
2,275
11-1
–
March 4
Houston
Reckling Park
4-3
Aardsma (W; 2-0)
2,618
12-1
–
March 7
at Louisiana Tech
J.C. Love Field
4-3
Niemann (W; 4-0)
529
13–1
1–0
March 8
at Louisiana Tech
J.C. Love Field
5-3
Humber (W; 4-0)
1,011
14–1
2–0
March 9
at Louisiana Tech
J.C. Love Field
12-0
Baker (W; 3-0)
827
15–1
3–0
March 11
Texas
Reckling Park
2-1 (10)
Aardsma (W; 3-0)
4,525
16–1
–
March 14
at Hawaii
Les Murakami Stadium
9-4
Niemann (W; 5-0)
2,919
17–1
4–0
March 15
at Hawaii
Les Murakami Stadium
9-2
Humber (W; 5-0)
3,426
18–1
5–0
March 16
at Hawaii
Les Murakami Stadium
11-1
Baker (W; 4-0)
2,271
19–1
6–0
March 18
Nebraska
Reckling Park
4-1
Townsend (W; 2-0)
3,359
20–1
–
March 19
at Houston
Cougar Field
7-6 (11)
Aardsma (W; 4-0)
2,271
21-1
–
March 21
Liberty
Reckling Park
20-1
Humber (W; 6-0)
2,851
22–1
–
March 22
Liberty
Reckling Park
10-4
Baker (W; 5-0)
2,412
23–1
–
March 23
Liberty
Reckling Park
5-4
Niemann (W; 6-0)
2,348
24–1
–
March 25
Baylor
Reckling Park
4-3
Townsend (W; 3-0)
3,683
25–1
–
March 28
San Jose State
Reckling Park
12-2
Humber (W; 7-0)
2,180
26–1
7–0
March 29
San Jose State
Reckling Park
21-1
Niemann (W; 7-0)
2,837
27–1
8–0
March 30
San Jose State
Reckling Park
8-1
Baker (W; 6-0)
3,118
28–1
9–0
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
WAC Record
April 1
Houston
Reckling Park
11-0
Townsend (W; 4-0)
3,320
29-1
–
April 4
Hawaii
Reckling Park
11-0
Humber (W; 8-0)
3,215
30–1
10–0
April 5
Hawaii
Reckling Park
2-0
Niemann (W; 8-0)
2,835
31–1
11–0
April 6
Hawaii
Reckling Park
8-1
Baker (W; 7-0)
2,614
32–1
12–0
April 8
Texas A&M
Reckling Park
8-0
Townsend (W; 5-0)
4,414
33–1
–
April 9
Lamar
Reckling Park
5-7
Aardsma (L; 4-1)
2,417
33–2
–
April 11
at Fresno State
Pete Beiden Field
3-7
Humber (L; 8-1)
2,727
33–3
12–1
April 12
at Fresno State
Pete Beiden Field
9-2
Niemann (W; 9-0)
2,724
34–3
13–1
April 13
at Fresno State
Pete Beiden Field
3-2
Townsend (W; 6-0)
2,564
35–3
14–1
April 15
at Sam Houston State
Don Sanders Stadium
1-8
Aardsma (L; 4-2)
481
35–4
–
April 16
at Houston
Cougar Field
1-5
Herce (L; 0-1)
1,672
35-5
–
April 18
Nevada
Reckling Park
10-5
Matheny (W; 2-0)
3,103
36–5
15–1
April 19
Nevada
Reckling Park
3-0
Niemann (W; 10-0)
3,314
37–5
16–1
April 20
Nevada
Reckling Park
5-6
Herce (L; 0-2)
2,313
37–6
16–2
April 22
at Lamar
Vincent–Beck Stadium
5-9
Matheny (L; 2-1)
1,406
37–7
–
April 24
Louisiana Tech
Reckling Park
2-1
Humber (W; 9-1)
2,715
38–7
17–2
April 25
Louisiana Tech
Reckling Park
13-3
Niemannn (W; 11-0)
3,156
39–7
18–2
April 26
Louisiana Tech
Reckling Park
8-2
Baker (W; 8-0)
3,044
40–7
19–2
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
WAC Record
May 7
Sam Houston State
Reckling Park
10-5
Herce (W; 1-2)
2,820
41–7
–
May 9
at Nevada
William Peccole Park
13-11
Humber (W; 10-1)
1,206
42–7
20–2
May 10
at Nevada
William Peccole Park
7-4
Niemann (W; 12-0)
1,636
43–7
21–2
May 11
at Nevada
William Peccole Park
7-8 (10)
Aardsma (L; 4-3)
1,875
43–8
21–3
May 14
at Saint Mary's
Louis Guisto Field
10-6
Matheny (W; 3-1)
356
44–8
–
May 16
at San Jose State
San Jose Municipal Stadium
12-6
Aardsma (W; 5-3)
553
45–8
22–3
May 17
at San Jose State
San Jose Municipal Stadium
11-0
Niemann (W; 13-0)
612
46–8
23–3
May 17
at San Jose State
Blethen Field
6-8
Townsend (L; 6-1)
553
46–9
23–4
May 23
Fresno State
Reckling Park
1-2
Humber (L; 10-2)
3,015
46–10
23–5
May 24
Fresno State
Reckling Park
13-2
Niemann (W; 14-0)
2,938
47–10
24–5
May 25
Fresno State
Reckling Park
3-2
Townsend (W; 7-1)
3,105
48–10
25–5
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
May 30
vs. McNeese State
Reckling Park
3–2 (10)
Townsend (W; 8-1)
4,014
49–10
May 31
vs. Wichita State
Reckling Park
10–1
Niemann (W; 15-0)
3,769
50–10
June 1
vs. Wichita State
Reckling Park
5–2
Townsend (W; 9-1)
3,528
51–10
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
June 7
vs. Houston
Reckling Park
2–5
Humber (L; 10-3)
4,427
51–11
June 8
vs. Houston
Reckling Park
10–2
Niemann (W; 16-0)
4,435
52–11
June 9
vs. Houston
Reckling Park
5–2
Townsend (W; 10-1)
4,417
53–11
Date
Opponent
Site/Stadium
Score
Rice Decision
Attendance
Overall Record
June 14
vs. SW Missouri State
Rosenblatt Stadium
4–2
Niemann (W; 17-0)
23,248
54–11
June 16
vs. Texas
Rosenblatt Stadium
12–2
Townsend (W; 11-1)
24,842
55–11
June 18
vs. Texas
Rosenblatt Stadium
5–4
Aardsma (W; 6-1)
23,170
56–11
June 21
vs. Stanford
Rosenblatt Stadium
4–3 (10)
Aardsma (W; 7-3)
23,741
57–11
June 22
vs. Stanford
Rosenblatt Stadium
3–8
Townsend (L; 11-2)
17,907
57–12
June 23
vs. Stanford
Rosenblatt Stadium
14–2
Humber (W; 11-3)
18,494
58–12
Awards and honors [ ]
Dane Bubela
Enrique Cruz
All-America Third Team[1]
College World Series All-Tournament Team[2]
All-WAC First Team[1]
Austin Davis
Philip Humber
All-America Second Team[1]
All-WAC First Team[1]
Paul Janish
Jeff Jorgensen
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
Vincent Sinisi
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]
References [ ]
External links [ ]
Rice Owls 2003 College World Series champions
Venue Rivalries & tournaments
Silver Glove Series (Houston)
Houston College Classic
People Seasons National Championships in Bold ; College World Series appearances in italics
NCAA Division I baseball champions