PopTop
02-01-2003, 10:18 AM
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=540&xlc=936375
Baseball gives Texans reason to stand tall
By Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News 31 Jan 03
The stereotype of the bragging Texan always has infuriated much of the rest of the country.
But in terms of college baseball, smugness about the state's strength appears to be justified this year.
College baseball's national championship returned to Lone Star State for the first time in 19 years last season when Texas won the College World Series. The title might remain in the state again this year, even if the Longhorns don't repeat.
Four Texas teams are ranked among the top 11 in Baseball America's preseason poll. Defending national champion Texas was ranked as the top team in three of the four major preseason polls, and Rice was among the top four teams in all four. Houston was no worse than 11th in any of the polls, and Baylor was no lower than 17th.
The season kicks off this afternoon, as Texas begins defense of its fifth national championship at San Diego and Texas Tech plays host to New Mexico.
"I've never seen the strength across Texas like it is this year," veteran Rice coach Wayne Graham said. "The state is as strong as any in baseball. And before it's over, Texas will become the national capital as far as college baseball."
Graham credits good weather, strong coaching at both the high school and college levels, improving facilities and renewed commitments to baseball at most schools as reasons for the recent success.
The latest schools to benefit from a new facility boom will be Texas-Arlington and TCU. UTA's Allan Saxe Stadium will re-open in March after $1.5 million in renovations, and TCU will dedicate $7 million Lupton Stadium next month.
Another factor that has helped explain the Lone Star emergence is the dissolution of the Southwest Conference, which broke up in 1996 after an 80-year history. Baseball is a sport in which former SWC schools Rice, TCU and Houston have all become powers in their new conferences.
"I think the breakup of the conference has helped us all from a national standpoint to get recognition," Houston coach Rayner Noble said. "You have some schools who have really gotten serious about baseball over the last few years. The Southland Conference has gotten a lot better and then you've got what Rice has done. It's helped us all."
Texas Tech coach Larry Hays could see the improvement beginning during the latter stages of the Southwest Conference.
"At one time, it was just Texas and A&M," Hays said. "They used the rest of the league to help them get better. But at the end, the Southwest Conference was getting pretty competitive.
"When we split up, it gave teams like Rice and Houston a chance to get into new conferences where they were at the top in terms of facilities. Then, you've had schools like TCU build new parks. They've gotten better and it's forced us all to get better."
Five Texas teams qualified for the NCAA championships last year, trailing only Florida (nine) and California (seven). Three Texas teams — Texas, Houston and Rice — qualified for the Super Regionals, and the Owls and Longhorns made the College World Series.
"I think you can argue that we have one of the toughest regions in the country, along with Florida and Southern California," Texas A&M coach Mark Johnson said. "We don't play an easy team because there is none around here. Our competition, even in the non-conference games with the other Texas teams, is just tremendous."
wgriffin@express-news.net
Baseball gives Texans reason to stand tall
By Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News 31 Jan 03
The stereotype of the bragging Texan always has infuriated much of the rest of the country.
But in terms of college baseball, smugness about the state's strength appears to be justified this year.
College baseball's national championship returned to Lone Star State for the first time in 19 years last season when Texas won the College World Series. The title might remain in the state again this year, even if the Longhorns don't repeat.
Four Texas teams are ranked among the top 11 in Baseball America's preseason poll. Defending national champion Texas was ranked as the top team in three of the four major preseason polls, and Rice was among the top four teams in all four. Houston was no worse than 11th in any of the polls, and Baylor was no lower than 17th.
The season kicks off this afternoon, as Texas begins defense of its fifth national championship at San Diego and Texas Tech plays host to New Mexico.
"I've never seen the strength across Texas like it is this year," veteran Rice coach Wayne Graham said. "The state is as strong as any in baseball. And before it's over, Texas will become the national capital as far as college baseball."
Graham credits good weather, strong coaching at both the high school and college levels, improving facilities and renewed commitments to baseball at most schools as reasons for the recent success.
The latest schools to benefit from a new facility boom will be Texas-Arlington and TCU. UTA's Allan Saxe Stadium will re-open in March after $1.5 million in renovations, and TCU will dedicate $7 million Lupton Stadium next month.
Another factor that has helped explain the Lone Star emergence is the dissolution of the Southwest Conference, which broke up in 1996 after an 80-year history. Baseball is a sport in which former SWC schools Rice, TCU and Houston have all become powers in their new conferences.
"I think the breakup of the conference has helped us all from a national standpoint to get recognition," Houston coach Rayner Noble said. "You have some schools who have really gotten serious about baseball over the last few years. The Southland Conference has gotten a lot better and then you've got what Rice has done. It's helped us all."
Texas Tech coach Larry Hays could see the improvement beginning during the latter stages of the Southwest Conference.
"At one time, it was just Texas and A&M," Hays said. "They used the rest of the league to help them get better. But at the end, the Southwest Conference was getting pretty competitive.
"When we split up, it gave teams like Rice and Houston a chance to get into new conferences where they were at the top in terms of facilities. Then, you've had schools like TCU build new parks. They've gotten better and it's forced us all to get better."
Five Texas teams qualified for the NCAA championships last year, trailing only Florida (nine) and California (seven). Three Texas teams — Texas, Houston and Rice — qualified for the Super Regionals, and the Owls and Longhorns made the College World Series.
"I think you can argue that we have one of the toughest regions in the country, along with Florida and Southern California," Texas A&M coach Mark Johnson said. "We don't play an easy team because there is none around here. Our competition, even in the non-conference games with the other Texas teams, is just tremendous."
wgriffin@express-news.net