Jon Duplantier has a chance to be a first-round pick with a strong 2016 campaign. (Rice)

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Top 25 Breakdown: No. 13 Rice

2014 Record: 42-20. RPI: 13.

Coach (Record at school): Wayne Graham (1,039-420, 18 years).

Postseason History: 20 regionals (active streak: 20), 7 CWS trips (last in 2008), 1 national title (2003).

Rice's Projected Lineup

2015 Lineup Pos. Name, Yr. AVG/OBP/SLG HR RBI SB C John Clay Reeves, Sr. .317/.370/.439 6 41 1 1B Connor Teykl, Jr. .259/.352/.281 0 22 1 2B Ford Stainback, Sr. .258/.325/.297 0 28 2 3B Grayson Lewis Tr.—Navarro (Texas) CC SS Leon Byrd, Jr. .258/.379/.319 0 16 5 LF Tristan Gray, Fr. Fr.—Houston CF Ryan Chandler, Fr. Fr.—Houston RF Charlie Warren, So. .264/.338/.264 0 13 4 DH Kirby Taylor, Sr. .355/.406/.419 0 11 0

Pos. Name, Yr. W-L ERA IP SO BB SV LHP Blake Fox, Jr. 12-0 1.46 104.2 69 27 0 RHP Kevin McCanna, Jr. 8-3 2.69 93.2 65 24 0 RHP Jon Duplantier, So. 2-3 2.29 59 58 38 1 RHP Matt Ditman, Jr. 5-6 1.83 68.2 77 12 9

SEE ALSO: Five Questions With Rice’s Wayne Graham

Hitting: 55. This Rice lineup has plenty of potential entering the season, but there are some question marks. Rice finished last season 31st nationally team batting average, but it must replace four of its top five hitters. That’s certainly not to say the Owls can’t replace those guys—they can, and have the talent—but relying on young players to immediately replace that production is a bold task. Reeves is back and should hit for a good average with power, while everyone expects Byrd to surge and become a more complete hitter after a standout fall. Stainback, who ended 2014 with a .258 average, should be significantly better, while the Owls were very pleased with Teykl’s approach during fall workouts. Teykl hit just .259 in 135 at-bats last year. Taylor could be a real surprise offensively after limited action last year, while the Owls love the outfield with a pair of youngsters in Gray and Chandler joining talented sophomore Warren. Will Rice’s lineup be great in ’15? It would surprise us if that’s the case. But it should be enough, combined with a strong pitching staff, to be a legitimate Omaha contender.

Power: 40. If there’s a major concern about this team, it’s the potential power production. The Owls lost some real key power bats when Skyler Ewing and Michael Aquino departed. In all, the Owls are without 18 of their 24 total homers as a team last season. Reeves is back after smacking six homers last year and should provide some power again, while the Owls are optimistic the compact Byrd will develop more power this spring. Byrd has a strong upper body and changed some mechanical aspects of his swing in the fall that allowed him to drive the ball more. With most of their homers and doubles gone from last season, it’s obvious some guys must step up to make this area of the team a plus.

Speed: 55. The Owls still won’t be an ultra speedy club this spring, but they will be improved in this department. The outfield is worth watching, both defensively and on the basepaths. Gray, who opened some eyes this past summer, is a 6.6 runner in the 60-yard-dash, while fellow youngster Chandler impressed in the fall by running a 6.45. The Owls also like the athleticism and good speed that Warren and Byrd bring to the table, while Stainback is also athletic but is not a standout runner.

Rice’s Leon Byrd (Rice athletics)

Defense: 65. The Rice coaching staff feels good about this team defensively for a good reason. The Owls will have one of the nation’s better middle infielders with sure-handed Stainback at second base, while Byrd had a strong fall at shortstop, his natural position. The Owls also feel confident in junior college transfer Lewis over at third base, while Reeves is a stable backstop. The outfield is the most exciting aspect of this team from a defensive standpoint. There’s a lot of athleticism with this group with Warren, Gray and Chandler, and John Williamson also in the mix. The Owls will be solid in the infield and cover a lot of ground in the outfield.

Starting pitching: 70. The Owls will have one of the better foursomes in the country with the return of several premier arms, such as surging sophomore draft-eligible righty Duplantier, rock-solid lefty Fox, and righties McCanna and Jordan Stephens. Stephens is still on the way back from an injury but was pitching like an All-American before he got hurt and could be a key contributor again by midseason. McCanna had a nice summer in the Cape Cod League, where he sat 88-91 with his fastball, while also showcasing a mid-80s slider and low-80s changeup. Fox is a sturdy lefty who usually sits anywhere from 86-89 with his fastball. But it’s his ability to throw his secondary offerings—particularly his curveball and changeup—consistently for strikes that sets him apart from others. Then there’s the athletic Duplantier. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder sat anywhere from 90-95 mph with his fastball in the California Collegiate League this past summer, while also showcasing a swing-and-miss slider at times. Duplantier has a chance to be a top two-rounds pick come next June if he can continue to throw strikes like he did in the summer.

Bullpen: 60. The Owls likely won’t have an amazing bullpen, but it will be a good, consistent, unit with some key arms returning. Ditman, a strike-thrower with a fastball that reaches 91 and a hammer curve, is back for another season as the anchor, while the Owls have some other very interesting arms to watch. Imposing 6-foot-7, 225-pounder Trevor Teykl is back for another season, while Austin Orewiler, a sophomore righty, could be a big blossoming arm to watch. Orewiler changed his release point during fall workouts and now has a good spike curveball that Graham believes will be a go-to pitch in some big outings this year. The Owls also have high hopes for righty Josh Pettite, who was one of the better arms in the Houston area out of high school. Freshman righty Glenn Otto is one more name to watch. Otto was up to 88-90 out of high school in North Houston and has a projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds.

Experience/Intangibles: 60. The Owls lose some real key players from a leadership and experience standpoint with the departures of righthander Zech Lemond and position players Skyler Ewing, Michael Aquino and Shane Hoelscher, but this team is still in good shape in this department. The Owls welcome back a seasoned pitching staff with Stephens returning from arm surgery, McCanna having another season under his belt, Duplantier having a strong summer, and Fox back in the rotation. There’s also the vital return of Ditman, who logged important innings last year. Rice certainly will need to rely on some younger players in the field, but overall, I like where this team stands.