The 1996 Rice baseball season is a hard act to follow. Last year, in a storybook finish, the Owls went from last place in the Southwest Conference to win the SWC Championship tournament, the final event in the league's history. The win propelled Rice to the NCAA Midwest Regional, where the Owls placed second, one spot away from the College World Series in Omaha. Get to Omaha.
Rice is certainly on the right track.
The Owls entered the 1997 campaign with a level of fanfare to which Rice teams are unaccustomed. Two preseason polls ranked Rice 4th and 10th in the nation. While these rankings certainly create high expectations, Graham is not worried. It may make us pay attention earlier to every game. Moreover, preseason ratings can pay dividends in postseason play.