top of the fourth inning. the rice owls leading 2-0. and now joins us down in the rice owls. coach graham. your shortstop tonight made quite a play there. nice move to put him at shortstop. >> he is going to give you everything you got. he has a great play. joined that one. >> you shown a better arm tonight than i expected deep in the hole right there. we know he's going to make the routine plays to get am spectacular play. to help wall out right there is fine. >> he has a nice arm right there. certainly the will. >> coach thanks a lot for being with us. do appreciate it. all right graham the head coach of the rice owls for 19 seasons. none better than the business

than wayne graham going for his 845th victory tonight as the owls head coach is is cokinos steps up. >> steve: world series title the one point. a phenomenal person. real gentleman. accommodating to everyone around the program. rice is lucky to have him. . >> four time national of the year. hits it right at the center fielder rathjen. here in the top of the fourth inning. they have won more games here at rice the 18th r plus seasons than they did in the past 77 years since baseball was out. >> steve: that says a little something. even the staff the rest of the staff those guys do a great

job. tireless workers. >> matt: morehouse goes after the first pitch. comerota backs up and gets him out. two down here in the fourth. >> steve: with each play it seems to for his confidence keeps growing a little bit. looks comfortable. he said you know what i'm not going out this way he let it fly. >> matt: quick two outs in the top half of the fourth inning. makes a strike. and 0-1. back to what wayne graham has done here. they have been to seven college world series since 1997 was the last 13 years. seven trips to omaha. won the national championship. 0-2 pitch.

& presley goes down swinging. taylor ball records his tz.c and steve back

with you at houston park. so far a well pitched game. >> steve: goodnight has great stuff. wall looks like he is come swag

great prove groove here. see what goodnight does this next inning. >> matt: this is game number one of the conference series and game two of the silver glove series as we move to the bottom of the fourth inning. five hits so far for the rice owls. only one hit for the cougars. abe gonzales batting for the second time. got a walk the first time. >> steve: for the fist three- hundredthings he's thrown 62 pitches. this is going to be a good inning. >> matt: gonzales a junior. out of houston. >> steve: you would love to see that starting pitcher in the first game of the three game series go deep. >> matt: 2-0 pitch to gonzales. popped up out of the play.

it's interesting the dynamic of this rivalry. they are cross town schools but also these kids played against or with guys on the other team. they know each other very well. >> steve: houston is a great area for high school baseball. a lot of guys love to go to colleges around here because the weather is so good. anywhere down south a lot of ballplayers around the country want to go play where the weather is nice for baseball. these are two of the best school in the country. >> matt: 3-1 pitch. fouled off the catchers mask. 3-26789 i was

bit there. but i think it was coach graham that says we recruit a lot of two sport attelets for that haven't. guys play too much baseball down here. they get very -- get very fundamental and good. baseball is a sport probably at a younger age don't want to play year around. i'll be honest there is a lot

of talented guys. >> matt: chad mozingo at the plate. >> steve: he is really heating upright now. >> matt: they got him back in the leadoff spot. ratterree had been batting in the leadsoff spot. mozingo is the guy that is the leadoff hitter. we elaborated on the injuries he's had that limited his live baseball. we said that was the summertime and fall. it plays a role in being ready for the start of the season. remember these college kinds don't have the six week spring training to get ready for the season. like the major leaguers are going through right now. >> steve: it's go time. as soon as the first pitch is thrown. those numbers count. mozingo showed everything last year about how tough of a guy he was. he literally could not take

batting practice last year because of all the ankle and the injuries and things like that. he would take it and get a shot and play in the games. and end up performing very well. >> matt: great visit by rayner noble we sang the praises of the great coach of the rice owls. and rayner did a tremendous job himself. and now his 16th season of the cougars head coach. going for win 539 tonight. he has been to eight nca axle regionals. won three regular championships. and first three years that wayne graham was the head coach at rice rayner noble was on his staffment >> steve: i'm sure he picked up a few things on communication skills and things like that. rayner is a sharp baseball guy.

i played baseball with roger clemons. and played in the astros organization for enough years to develop into a great college baseball coach. i wouldn't be surprised to see him doing this for a long time. >> steve: two balls and two strikes. goodnight from walking three batters. there is active in the cougars bull pen. we are not able to see who it is. i can else tell somebody is throwing down there. ball is hit in the hole. by the shortstop kelso. two aboard for the owls here to start this fourth inning. that is hit number six

baseball players there. here is michael fuda who is 0- 2. and behind 0-1 in the count. you get the count the rice owls have been on the verge of having a big inning. goodnight at a point of no return. he gets the job done here or going to the bull pen. rice is threatening with 2-3-4.

turning a 2-0 ball game into a much more sizable lead. >> steve: i think he's willing some of these outs. right now he needs a punchout right here to be honest with you. this is a guy that strikes out a lot for rice. expect a slider right now in the dirt see if fuda can do anything with it. goodnight has been teeters on the edge for awhile now. >> matt: here is the 0-2 pitch. slider in the dirt. he didn't bite at it though. it's 1-2. >> steve: might be tempted to throw another one here. >> matt: absolutely with a strike zone discipline. instead of change up. it's 2-2. >> steve: got under that one a little bit. he has great stuff. you can see it in his eyes he wants to stay in this game.

he knows his pitch count is getting up. >> matt: 2-2 pitch. fast ball. rocketed down the foul side. count 2-2 to fuda. graham talking about the 37 strikeouts. yet 42 hits on the season for michael fuda. said the numbers make no sense. the guys in the dugout figured out when fuda makes contact with the baseball he is hitting .600. >> steve: nothing sums up michael fuda. game one five hits. game two six. a lot of upside to it this guy is going to be a good baseball player. >> matt: he came to rice weighing 165 pounds. now at 205. wayne graham says it's the numbers we've been talking about here makes any sense he is really strong.

and a plus, plus runner. he's been able to overcome the large number of strikeouts because of strength and ability to get down the baseline. two aboard. 2-2 pitch to fuda. >> steve: trying to take a little bit off that breaking ball. i like goodnight he is a competitor out there. big frame out there. strikeouts has been for fuda. >> steve: goodnight comes

odni >> steve: kind of a tough night for go guys

a run. s >> nice job by ratterree. 1-1 count. ratterree trying to stay ahead in the count. he took it ahead rbi's and frequented. >> matt: it means good night for michael. good night. he is done. >> steve: you were waiting to

say that. >> there are so many things you can do with his name. the possibilities are endless. not so much with taylor hammack. goodnight is done here in the b

he is allowed only 21 hits. 21 hits are the second fewest among qualifiers in conference usa. opponents hitting only .241

against him. >> steve: obviously one of rayner nobles go to guys here. the only thing that scares you is that walk total. obviously has good stuff. he has tall orders right here facing anthony rendon. >> matt: the bases loaded with the rice owls or the corners loaded. ratterree down another first. and the run in. the walks that's probably been the biggest problem this houston cougars pitching staff the entire season. came in with 143 worst in the conference. he had five here tonight. >> steve: it's one of the things that is driving rayner noble crazy. attack the strike zone. there is a good changeup to get ahead that. is a good pitch.

>> matt: rendon is 1-2. rayner believes his pitching staff has the talent. it's the consistency that is killing him. he believes they might have some of the best arms in the entire state of texas. we're talking about a state that has great college baseball programs. not to mention the university of texas. not to mention texas state, sam houston state. >> steve: there are a lot of -- tcu. there are a lot of colleges in this state. >> matt: 0-2 to rendon. just missed. 1-2. these two teams meeting for

total 29. sixth best total in the conference. >> steve: he does a great job right here. he look for a pitch to be elevated a little bit. only thing you want to stay out of in that situation is a ground ball up the middle with you = turn a double play. >> matt: going to first. taking back ratterree.

he was not going anywhere on that sack fly. rice leads the all time series 83-69. they have not won the series -- the only time they have won in the 12 years of this silver glove trophy series which began to be awarded to the winner of the season series. last year rice won fife five of the six indianaings. ground ball hit to kelso. the inning does come to a close. not before the rice owls punch in two more runs. we completed four.

>> matt: top of the fifth inning here in houston texas. the owls lead the cougars by 4-1. down in the houston cougars dugout rayner noble. taylor wall making things difficult for you tonight. 15 of the last 18 pitches he has thrown has been strikes. >> steve: it's a far cry from what we're doing. he's pitching a nice game. >> reporter: he is throwing three pitches for strikes right now. what do you think about goodnight felt like he had a little trouble commanding the the fast ball. felber hind.

kind of willed through those. what did you think about him

solid delivery. 15 of the 18 pitches was strikes. the last two innings is picking off where he left off. >> matt: taylor wall is getting back to where he was in the post season a year ago. in 2009 he was sparkling at 2.05 e.r.a.. opponents hit .167 against him.

most outstanding player. had a three hit shutout in

go. he