Rice Bowls Over Stanford for Title

Rice’s first national title in any sport was the most impressive in College World Series history.

Rice scored three runs in the first inning, had a record-tying seven in the sixth, and went on to defeat Stanford, 14-2, Monday night in the College World Series’ most-lopsided championship game.

“There are a lot of passionate people around Rice and they wanted this and needed it,” said 67-year-old Coach Wayne Graham, who won five junior college national championships and completed his 12th season at Rice.

Graham has no thoughts of retiring just yet.

“I feel like I could go 20 more,” Graham said. “I’m not going out. We’re starting to think tomorrow morning about winning another one. We want to come back and do it again.”

It was Rice’s fourth appearance in the College World Series, where the Owls had won only one of seven games before this year.

Philip Humber pitched a five-hitter, Enrique Cruz drove in four runs and Paul Janish knocked in three. Rice (58-12) battered Stanford (51-18) for 14 hits.

“Everyone played his best game, and Phil did a good job,” Graham said. “We were fortunate to have better-rested pitching.”

Stanford (51-18), which overcame a second-round College World Series loss to Cal State Fullerton to reach the best-of-three championship series and then forced a third game against Rice, lost in the title game for the third time in four years.

In its last title-game appearance, Stanford lost to Miami, 12-1, in 2001. That loss tied the previous record for the largest deficit margin in the College World Series championship game.

“We haven’t made much of a game of it the last two times,” Coach Mark Marquess said.

Freshman left-hander Mark Romanczuk (12-2) threw 46 pitches in the first inning, when the Owls sent nine batters to the plate. He walked five and gave up three runs. Five innings and five pitchers later, the Owls led, 11-0.

Humber (11-3) retired the first seven batters he faced before Brian Hall doubled in the third. He then retired 10 of the next 12 before Ryan Garko doubled in the seventh and scored to break up the shutout.

Humber walked two and struck out four in the first championship game complete game since Brett Laxton of Louisiana State beat Wichita State in 1993.

Humber, the Owls’ No. 3 pitcher, worked largely in the shadows of Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend most of the postseason. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings in Rice’s 5-4 victory over Texas on Wednesday.

The Owls, who had six hits and two walks against four pitchers in the sixth, tied a championship-game record with their seven-run inning. It was the biggest outburst since USC had a seven-run inning in an 8-7 victory over Missouri in 1958.

Stanford’s Sam Fuld set the College World Series record for career hits with 24. Teammate John Hudgins, who tied a College World Series record with three victories, was selected the tournament’s most outstanding player.