Pirates Picked Sixth In Preseason Conference USA Poll
January 18, 2006 | Baseball
Jan. 18, 2006
IRVING, Texas - Perennial national power Rice will be making its debut as a member of Conference USA as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the 2006 Conference USA baseball championship, as chosen by the league's nine head coaches. Owl sophomore pitcher/outfielder Joe Savery, a consensus preseason All-American, was picked as the Preseason C-USA Player of the Year. Junior righthander Tim Bascom of first-year C-USA member UCF was named as the league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
Rice is ranked as high as No. 5 in the preseason polls following a 45-19 season in which it advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Owls return 20 letterwinners and six starters, led by Savery, the fourth consecutive utility player to be named Conference USA preseason Player of the Year. Savery led the Western Athletic Conference in hitting (.382) and finished second in the league in ERA (2.49). He topped the Owls and ranked among the WAC's best in slugging (.559), on-base percentage (.471), hits (76) and walks (35). Savery was second in runs (49) and tied for second in doubles (17). Savery is joined by Rice shortstop Josh Rodriguez (.345, 11 HR, 54 RBI) and pitcher Eddie Degerman (8-1, 3.28 ERA, 117 K's) in earning preseason All-American recognition.
Coming off its second College World Series trip in five years, Tulane was picked to finish second in this year's conference race. The Green Wave recorded the top record in Division I last season at 56-12, winning the regular season and tournament titles in Conference USA. Tulane also has three players that have received preseason All-American recognition. Senior outfielder Nathan Southard (.341, league-high 24 doubles) and sophomore third baseman Brad Emaus (.321, 19 2B, 13 HR, 56 RBI), the 2005 C-USA Freshman of the Year, join junior first baseman Mark Hamilton (.318, 11 HR, 46 RBI) in receiving preseason All-American notoriety.
Southern Miss, which made its school-record third consecutive NCAA appearance last spring, was chosen to place third this year. The Golden Eagles return 20 letterwinners and five starters from last year's team that won 41 games, their third straight season with 40 or more wins. Southern Miss is led by four-year starter Marc Maddox at first base and senior reliever Daniel Best, a preseason All-American. Maddox continues to climb the school's record book charts after batting a team-high .359 last season with 17 doubles, 14 home runs and 59 RBI. Best became the second straight Southern Miss closer to earn All-American honors last year after going 3-0 with 11 saves and a 0.46 ERA in 30 appearances.
Houston, picked fourth, is poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament this season with the help of seven returning starters. Two-way star Brad Lincoln, a preseason All-American, will help the Cougars on the mound and at the plate. Lincoln ended last season with a strikeout total of 106, becoming just the ninth player in UH history to record 100 strikeouts in a season. At the plate, Lincoln hit .337 with 15 doubles and was second on the team with 52 RBI. Senior southpaw Matt Farrington, one of only two three-year letterwinners on the 2006 team, posted an 8-5 record with a 3.24 ERA to lead the pitching staff in both categories. He added 60 strikeouts in 97.1 innings of work on the way to earning All-Conference First Team honors.
UCF, which posted a 42-18 record last season, was picked to finish fifth in its first season in Conference USA. The Golden Knights return one of the nation's top pitching staffs, led by Preseason C-USA Pitcher of the Year Tim Bascom. In 2005, Bascom led UCF with a 10-2 record and a 3.10 ERA in 16 games. He also topped the staff in innings pitched (113.2) and strikeouts (113). The 113 strikeouts ranked sixth in UCF single-season history while his 10 victories tied for sixth in the Golden Knights single-season annals. UCF also welcomes the return of sophomore pitcher Taylor Meier. The 2004 Freshman All-American missed all of 2005 with an arm injury. The 6-6 right-hander was 6-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 2004 with 56 strikeouts in 74 innings.
East Carolina, which has played in seven straight NCAA Tournaments, was selected to place sixth. The Pirates feature the league's lone first-year head coach in Billy Godwin, who won more than 75 percent of his games over the past six seasons at Louisburg (N.C.) College. At ECU, he should have a solid young pitching staff led by sophomore T.J. Hose (7-4, 4.43 ERA, 69 K's) that is welcoming back five redshirt hurlers, including 2004 Freshman All-American Shane Mathews.
UAB, Memphis and Marshall round out this year's poll. The Blazers solid defensive club is looking for their third straight 30-win season and will be led by junior third baseman Zac Ward (14 2B, 48 RBI). The Tigers begin their second season under Daron Schoenrock armed with 23 newcomers, including 12 freshman, seven JUCO transfers and four transfers from four-year colleges. The Thundering Herd will play their first campaign as members of C-USA with 24 returning players, highlighted by senior infielder Adam Frederick.
2006 PRESEASON BASEBALL COACHES POLL
(as selected by C-USA's head coaches)
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
Rice (9)
Tulane
Southern Miss
Houston
UCF
East Carolina
UAB
Memphis
Marshall
(first place votes in parentheses)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joe Savery, Rice (Sophomore, Pitcher/Infielder)
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Tim Bascom, UCF (Junior, Righthander)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
T.J. Hose, Sophomore, Pitcher, East Carolina
Adam Witter, Senior, First Baseman/Designated Hitter, East Carolina
Dustin Kingsbury, Junior, Infielder, Houston
Brad Lincoln, Junior, Pitcher/Infielder, Houston
Adam Frederick, Senior, Infielder, Marshall
Adam Ptacek, Senior, Outfielder, Marshall
Adam Amar, Junior, First Baseman, Memphis
Drew Jaudon, Senior, Pitcher, Memphis
Josh Rodriguez, Junior, Shortstop, Rice
Joe Savery, Sophomore, Pitcher/Infielder, Rice
Daniel Best, Senior, Pitcher, Southern Miss
Marc Maddox, Senior, Infielder, Southern Miss
Mark Hamilton, Junior, Infielder, Tulane
Nathan Southard, Senior, Outfielder, Tulane
Ryan Metcalf, Senior, Shortstop, UAB
Zac Ward, Junior, Third Baseman, UAB
Tim Bascom, Junior, Pitcher, UCF
Matt Ray, Junior, Infielder, UCF
