11/12/2009 12:08:00 AM CHS BASEBALL: Rice officially signs with Vanderbilt CHS senior pitcher signs letter of intent to play for Commodores
Photo provided by Whitey Reath
Crawfordsville senior Steven Rice (center) signs his letter of intent to pitch at NCAA Division I Vanderbilt University. Also pictured are his parents Gary and Terri Rice (sitting) and Crawfordsville baseball coaches John Froedge, Rhett Welliever and Brett Motz.
Crawfordsville High School senior baseball player Steven Rice still couldn't believe how quickly a few months breezed past him.
Back in August, the left-handed pitcher gave a verbal commitment to NCAA Division I Vanderbilt University.
Nearly three months later, he officially signed to pitch for the Commodores in 2010.
"It went by quick. It feels like I gave my verbal commitment not too long ago and now I'm signing," said Rice, who went 14-0 last season, had a 0.74 E.R.A. and finished with the eighth-highest total of strikeouts in state history (198). "I always wanted to play Division I baseball. It was just a matter of how much time to put into it and how much effort."
Rice becomes the second Crawfordsville pitcher in the last two years to sign with an NCAA Division I team. Cameron Hobson, a 2008 graduate, is in his sophomore season with the University of Dayton this year. Rice will receive a partial athletic scholarship.
Rice led Crawfordsville to a 29-3 record last season and helped them earn their fourth-consecutive Indiana High School Athletic Association sectional title and reach the IHSAA Mount Vernon (Fortville) Regional championship game. Class 3A No. 8 Brebeuf Jesuit defeated the Athenians 2-1 in the title game.
Rice still hasn't lost a start (he's 24-0 during his three years) in his career and has a 0.92 E.R.A. in 175 1/3 total innings pitched.
Vanderbilt went 37-27 (12-17 in the SEC Eastern Division) last year and reached the NCAA Regionals, losing to Louisville.
Rice visited Vanderbilt earlier this fall in September. He went up there the weekend of Sept. 19, watched the Commodores lose to Mississippi State and stayed with players overnight.
He said baseball coaches have told him they'll start him out as a left-handed specialist and they'll decide on his role as he develops.
After playing soccer this fall, Rice won't play a sport in the winter. Instead, he'll focus on improving his pitches.
Rice said he still needs to work on a few fundamentals before spring comes.
"I need to try to get more movement on my pitches and develop my pitches to get better," Rice said. "Hopefully, I can get some velocity, too. But if that doesn't come, that's allright. Mainly I need to work on my command and movement."
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