Rice wins C-USA tournament in dramatic fashion

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Rice coach Wayne Graham wasn't going to leave anything to chance.

Before Sunday's 5-4, 11-inning victory over Southern Miss in the Conference USA championship game, the Owls already were a lock to make the NCAA tournament.

But you don't get to keep adding consecutive years to the big championship banner at Reckling Park by playing things safe. Or by not having some luck along the way.

So Graham went to closer Zech Lemond, who set a school single-season record with 14 saves, with one out and the Owls clinging to a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.

Lemond went a career-long 62⁄3 innings, throwing 72 pitches, and Keenan Cook delivered a walk-off RBI single as the Owls overcame a sloppy game to clinch C-USA's automatic bid.

"Believe it or not, playing a game that we didn't play very well and winning means a lot," said Graham, whose team will be making its 19th consecutive NCAA appearance. "It means we can win no matter what."

The Owls are projected as a No. 2 seed when the entire 16-regional, 64-team field is announced at 11 a.m. Monday.

Rice's Keenan Cook, center, celebrates his game winning RBI with the rest of his teammates after beating Southern Mississippi for the Conference USA Baseball Championship Sunday in Reckling Park. Rice's Keenan Cook, center, celebrates his game winning RBI with the rest of his teammates after beating Southern Mississippi for the Conference USA Baseball Championship Sunday in Reckling Park. Photo: Nick De La Torre, Chronicle Photo: Nick De La Torre, Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Rice wins C-USA tournament in dramatic fashion 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

"We certainly deserved a bid regardless (of Sunday's outcome), but I don't like to have to sleep on it and worry about it," Graham said. "I can sleep tonight."

Not so for Houston coach Todd Whitting, who probably spent the night tossing and turning after the Cougars went 1-2 at this week's C-USA tournament to put their postseason chances in jeopardy.

"I'm just happy we have a chance," Whitting said. "I think we deserve it."

The NCAA selection committee will have plenty to consider when it comes to UH as an at-large team. The Cougars went 36-22, an 18-game improvement that was third best in the nation, despite a young roster that included as many as six freshman starters. UH went 5-5 against Top 50 RPI teams and 12-4 against Top 100.

If anything dooms the Cougars, it will be an RPI in the danger zone in the upper 60s.

Bubble teams like UH got some help Sunday when higher-seeded teams like Oklahoma (Big 12), Indiana (Big Ten) and Rice won conference tournaments.

"If the committee looks at our body of work, I think we're a slam dunk," Whitting said. "It depends on how much weight they put on RPI."

UTSA secured an automatic bid by winning the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

The state of Texas could have anywhere from two to three more postseason teams. The most likely are Sam Houston State, the Southland Conference regular-season champion, and Texas A&M, which received a bump in RPI after beating top-ranked Vanderbilt at the Southeastern Conference tournament.

After failing to advance out of the opening round the past three tries, including the last two at home, the Owls will be on the road when regionals begin this week.

"I wouldn't mind if we went somewhere cool," Graham said. "Oregon would be fine. I have my preferences, but anywhere is nice this time of year."