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American college baseball season
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.
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
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
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 [ edit ]
The following members of the Rice Owls baseball program were drafted in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft .[ 3]
Venue Rivalries & tournaments People Seasons National Championships in Bold ; College World Series appearances in italics