June 13, 2006

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June 13, 2006

HOUSTON -- Rice senior Eddie Degerman and sophomores Brian Friday and Cole St.Clair were all named by Baseball America magazine as 2006 first team all-America selections the publication announced on June 13, the day before the Owls pack up and head to the College World Series in Omaha.

Degerman backed up his preseason all-America honors with one of the best collegiate seasons in the country. The senior is 13-1 with a 1.81 and new C-USA record 158 strikeouts in 119.2 innings. The standout from Granada Hills, Calif., ranks among the NCAA leaders in ERA, wins and strikeouts per nine innings (11.7 per game). When facing nationally-ranked teams Degerman maintained a 2.11 ERA and held those elite opponents to a composite .178 batting average. He was a first team all-Conference USA selection and earlier this week he was tabbed as a 2006 all-America by the College Baseball Foundation, Collegiate Baseball magazine and a first team Academic all-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Friday's outstanding season as the starting shortstop is a reason the Owls (55-11) are the number one team in the country. The sophomore from Houston led the team and ranks among the C-USA's best in batting average (.365), hits (93), doubles (21), runs scored (65), total bases (147), on-base percentage (.449) and stolen bases (17). He is one of three Owls to start all 66 games and he had two or more hits in a game 24 times. Friday had a 20-game hitting streak during the year but his defense was just as steady up the middle. He registered a .955 fielding percentage and turned or started 38 of the Owls' 58 double plays.

St. Clair followed up freshman all-America accolades a year ago with first team honors in his sophomore campaign. The left-handed pitcher emerged as the team's closer where he has saved 11 of the Owls' games. St.Clair is 6-2 with a 1.82 ERA in 69.1 innings. The Santa Ana, Calif., native is second among the NCAA leaders in strikeouts per nine innings (12.2 pg) and among the best in ERA. He leads C-USA in appearances (34), and opponents' batting average (.144). Earlier in the year he was on the watch list of the Clemens Award and was a finalist for the Stopper of the Year Award.

Rice baseball has had at least one all-America selection in each of the last 13 years. The Owls meet SEC power Georgia in its opening game of the College World Series this weekend at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. Game time with the Bulldogs, which will be televised live by ESPN2 is set for 1 pm.