Reckling Park
Encyclopedia
Reckling Park is the baseball
stadium at Rice University
in Houston, Texas
, USA. It serves as the home field of the Rice Owls baseball
team. The stadium was built on the site of Cameron Field, Rice's home from 1978-99, in time for the 2000 season. The Owls have hosted eight NCAA
regional and five super regional tournaments at Reckling Park, including one of each in their national championship season of 2003 and in the years of other College World Series appearances, 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The stadium was named for its principal donor, former Rice player Tommy Reckling.
The nearby Texas Medical Center
can be seen from the outfield.
beat Rice 6-2 on February 8, 2000. Since then, Rice has been very successful in its seven seasons at Reckling Park. Under head coach Wayne Graham, the Owls are 219-46 at Reckling Park, an .826 winning percentage. Rice won three consecutive NCAA regionals at Reckling Park from 2001-03 and advanced to the College World Series
by winning back-to-back NCAA super regionals at home in 2002 and 2003.
The Owls have made late-inning rallies traditional at Reckling Park, starting with the 2001 season. On February 10, 2001, Rice beat top-ranked Georgia Tech
5-4 after trailing 4-3 with two outs and no runners on base in the ninth inning. The Owls used similar drama to win the 2001 NCAA regional in its decisive seventh game. Rice trailed 4-2 entering the ninth inning against Baylor
but rallied to win 5-4.
Rice won several games in its last at-bat in 2002, and the home season culminated with 6-0 and 3-0 shutouts of LSU
at Reckling Park in the NCAA super regionals, the only time in the seven-year history of the super regionals a team has been shut out in both games.
The 2003 season was the culmination of an 11-year building process for head coach Wayne Graham, and Rice won a school-record 30 consecutive games in February, March, and April, including 22 wins at Reckling Park, en route to a 58-12 record. The streak was highlighted by a 2-1, 10-inning win against defending national champion Texas
March 11. In the postseason, Rice rallied from a first-game defeat against crosstown rival Houston to again win the super regional at Reckling Park. In the 2003 College World Series
, Rice beat Southwest Missouri State
, rival Texas twice, and Stanford
two-games-to-one to capture its first national championship in any team sport.
The stadium was also the site of the biggest upset in NCAA baseball postseason history, when Texas Southern
upset Rice 4-3 in the opening game of the 2004 NCAA tournament. The Tigers entered the tournament with an 18-33 record. Rice avenged the loss the following night but was eliminated by Texas A&M
in the final game of the regional.http://www.collegebaseballinsider.com/houston64.htm
Rice joined Conference USA
in 2005-06, and the next C-USA baseball tournament was held at Reckling Park in May 2006. With eight teams on hand, Rice (the regular-season champion) won its 11th consecutive conference title with an 11-5 championship game win over crosstown rival Houston. Continuing the postseason at home, the Owls beat Baylor for the regional title and Oklahoma
in the super regional to advance to the 2006 College World Series
.
In 2007, Rice went 33-3 at Reckling Park and extended its streak of consecutive home series wins (at least 2-games-to-1) to 39 series, dating back to 2001. In June, Rice hosted its sixth regional in its seven years at Reckling Park, beating TCU
twice to advance to the super regional. Rice improved to 4-0 in super regionals held at Reckling Park by sweeping Texas A&M
in two hard-fought games, advancing to the 2007 College World Series
.
In 2008, Rice's streak of consecutive home series wins ended after 40 series and almost seven years when Rice lost two of three against Southern Miss in March. The Owls hosted their seventh regional in eight years and beat Sam Houston State, St. John's, and rival Texas to advance to the super regional, where Rice swept Texas A&M for the second straight year. Rice finished the year with a 28-5 home record.
As the Rice baseball program and its following has grown, so has the stadium. The seating area was expanded during the 2004 season, making the grandstand symmetrical and enlarging capacity in time for the 2004 postseason.
The stadium record for single-game attendance has risen from 4,117 for the stadium's first game (2000) to 4,615 for the NCAA super regional against LSU
(2002) to 5,227, set against Texas
in 2005, to the current record of 5,368, set against Texas A&M
on back-to-back days during the 2008 super regional.
Rice drew a season total of more than 100,000 fans for the first time in 2003, with a school-record total of 119,479. After winning the 2003 national championship, average attendance rose to 3,230 per game in 2004. It was the second consecutive year Rice ranked in the nation's top 10 in average attendance.
Rice hosted its first conference tournament in 2006 and drew 18,137 fans to the tournament's seven sessions, averaging 2,591 fans per session. The championship game, featuring intracity rivals Rice and Houston, drew 3,732 fans. The Owls also hosted NCAA regional and super regional tournaments, pushing total attendance to a school-record total of 131,467 and a school-record average of 3,287 fans per game, narrowly outdrawing the 2004 season.
In 2010, the Owls ranked 14th in Division I college baseball
in attendance, averaging 3,374 per home game.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, USA. It serves as the home field of the Rice Owls baseball
Rice Owls baseball
The Rice Owls baseball team is the interscholastic baseball team representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Rice Owls have been a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament, participating in every tournament since 1995 including a victory in the 2003 College World Series, the first national...
team. The stadium was built on the site of Cameron Field, Rice's home from 1978-99, in time for the 2000 season. The Owls have hosted eight NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
regional and five super regional tournaments at Reckling Park, including one of each in their national championship season of 2003 and in the years of other College World Series appearances, 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The stadium was named for its principal donor, former Rice player Tommy Reckling.
The nearby Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
can be seen from the outfield.
On the field
In the first game, the University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
beat Rice 6-2 on February 8, 2000. Since then, Rice has been very successful in its seven seasons at Reckling Park. Under head coach Wayne Graham, the Owls are 219-46 at Reckling Park, an .826 winning percentage. Rice won three consecutive NCAA regionals at Reckling Park from 2001-03 and advanced to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
by winning back-to-back NCAA super regionals at home in 2002 and 2003.
The Owls have made late-inning rallies traditional at Reckling Park, starting with the 2001 season. On February 10, 2001, Rice beat top-ranked Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
5-4 after trailing 4-3 with two outs and no runners on base in the ninth inning. The Owls used similar drama to win the 2001 NCAA regional in its decisive seventh game. Rice trailed 4-2 entering the ninth inning against Baylor
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
but rallied to win 5-4.
Rice won several games in its last at-bat in 2002, and the home season culminated with 6-0 and 3-0 shutouts of LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
at Reckling Park in the NCAA super regionals, the only time in the seven-year history of the super regionals a team has been shut out in both games.
The 2003 season was the culmination of an 11-year building process for head coach Wayne Graham, and Rice won a school-record 30 consecutive games in February, March, and April, including 22 wins at Reckling Park, en route to a 58-12 record. The streak was highlighted by a 2-1, 10-inning win against defending national champion Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
March 11. In the postseason, Rice rallied from a first-game defeat against crosstown rival Houston to again win the super regional at Reckling Park. In the 2003 College World Series
2003 College World Series
The 2003 College World Series was held June 13 through June 23, 2003 in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. In the first best-of-three championship series since 1948, Rice...
, Rice beat Southwest Missouri State
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
, rival Texas twice, and Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
two-games-to-one to capture its first national championship in any team sport.
The stadium was also the site of the biggest upset in NCAA baseball postseason history, when Texas Southern
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
upset Rice 4-3 in the opening game of the 2004 NCAA tournament. The Tigers entered the tournament with an 18-33 record. Rice avenged the loss the following night but was eliminated by Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in the final game of the regional.http://www.collegebaseballinsider.com/houston64.htm
Rice joined Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
in 2005-06, and the next C-USA baseball tournament was held at Reckling Park in May 2006. With eight teams on hand, Rice (the regular-season champion) won its 11th consecutive conference title with an 11-5 championship game win over crosstown rival Houston. Continuing the postseason at home, the Owls beat Baylor for the regional title and Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in the super regional to advance to the 2006 College World Series
2006 College World Series
The 2006 College World Series was held June 16-26 in Omaha, Nebraska; it was the 60th College World Series and the 57th series held in Omaha. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having advanced through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium...
.
In 2007, Rice went 33-3 at Reckling Park and extended its streak of consecutive home series wins (at least 2-games-to-1) to 39 series, dating back to 2001. In June, Rice hosted its sixth regional in its seven years at Reckling Park, beating TCU
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog". The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs...
twice to advance to the super regional. Rice improved to 4-0 in super regionals held at Reckling Park by sweeping Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
in two hard-fought games, advancing to the 2007 College World Series
2007 College World Series
The 2007 College World Series was held from June 15–24, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met at Rosenblatt Stadium after having played their way through a 64-team bracket. This was the 61st College World Series overall, and the 58th to be held in Omaha.Oregon State...
.
In 2008, Rice's streak of consecutive home series wins ended after 40 series and almost seven years when Rice lost two of three against Southern Miss in March. The Owls hosted their seventh regional in eight years and beat Sam Houston State, St. John's, and rival Texas to advance to the super regional, where Rice swept Texas A&M for the second straight year. Rice finished the year with a 28-5 home record.
In the stands
| Date | Game | Crowd |
| June 8, 2008** | Rice vs. Texas A&M | 5,368 |
| June 7, 2008** | Rice vs. Texas A&M | 5,368 |
| June 9, 2007** | Rice vs. Texas A&M | 5,234 |
| April 20, 2005 | Rice vs. Texas | 5,227 |
| March 7, 2006 | Rice vs. Texas | 5,105 |
| June 4, 2004* | Texas A&M vs. Lamar | 5,076 |
| June 8, 2007** | Rice vs. Texas A&M | 5,074 |
| April 17, 2007 | Rice vs. Texas | 5,003 |
| June 10, 2006** | Rice vs. Oklahoma | 4,975 |
| June 1, 2008* | Rice vs. Texas | 4,895 |
| June 6, 2004* | Rice vs. Texas A&M | 4,841 |
| May 14, 2006 | Rice vs. Houston | 4,817 |
| May 12, 2006 | Rice vs. Houston | 4,793 |
| May 30, 2008* | Rice vs. Sam Houston State | 4,734 |
| June 7, 2002 | Rice vs. LSU** | 4,615 |
| June 8, 2002 | Rice vs. LSU** | 4,615 |
| * NCAA Regional | ||
| ** NCAA Super Regional | ||
| Year | Total | Average |
| 2000 | 70,188 | 2,005 |
| 2001 | 99,574 | 2,620 |
| 2002 | 92,069 | 2,488 |
| 2003 | 119,479 | 3,064 |
| 2004 | 116,269 | 3,230 |
| 2005 | 96,390 | 3,012 |
| 2006 | 131,467 | 3,287 |
| 2007 | 98,932 | 2,909 |
| 2008 | 99,475 | 3,109 |
| Total | 923,843 | 2,860 |
As the Rice baseball program and its following has grown, so has the stadium. The seating area was expanded during the 2004 season, making the grandstand symmetrical and enlarging capacity in time for the 2004 postseason.
The stadium record for single-game attendance has risen from 4,117 for the stadium's first game (2000) to 4,615 for the NCAA super regional against LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(2002) to 5,227, set against Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 2005, to the current record of 5,368, set against Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
on back-to-back days during the 2008 super regional.
Rice drew a season total of more than 100,000 fans for the first time in 2003, with a school-record total of 119,479. After winning the 2003 national championship, average attendance rose to 3,230 per game in 2004. It was the second consecutive year Rice ranked in the nation's top 10 in average attendance.
Rice hosted its first conference tournament in 2006 and drew 18,137 fans to the tournament's seven sessions, averaging 2,591 fans per session. The championship game, featuring intracity rivals Rice and Houston, drew 3,732 fans. The Owls also hosted NCAA regional and super regional tournaments, pushing total attendance to a school-record total of 131,467 and a school-record average of 3,287 fans per game, narrowly outdrawing the 2004 season.
In 2010, the Owls ranked 14th in Division I college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
in attendance, averaging 3,374 per home game.
Regular Season Tournaments
- Cameron Invitational: 1983, 1984
- Rice Classic: 1995-2002
- Rice Invitational: 1995-2007
Postseason Tournaments
- Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Tournament (1): 2006 - NCAA RegionalNCAA Division I Baseball ChampionshipThe NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
(8): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 - NCAA Super RegionalNCAA Division I Baseball ChampionshipThe NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
(5): 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008