2008 Baseball Roster
Roster
Andy Rice
- Position:
- OF
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 205
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Amory, MS
- High School/Previous School:
- Amory HS
CAREER:
Veteran Bulldog outfielder with 56 career starts and 97 games played over the past two seasons ? Enters his senior season with a .226 career batting average ? One of five seniors on the 2008 team.
2007:
Started 28 of his 50 games played as a junior, all in right field ? Hit .209 with nine extra-base hits and 18 RBI ? Platooned with Jeff Flagg in right for the first two months of the season, drawing 18 game-opening assignments in the first 20 games ? Legged out a triple in his first at-bat of the season against Murray State (Feb. 23) ? Had six multiple-hit games and four multiple-RBI games ? Doubled, singled and drove in two runs against Mississippi Valley State (Feb. 27) and recorded back-to-back two-hit games against UAB (Mar. 6) and Jacksonville State (Mar. 7) ? Doubled and launched his first home run of the year and JSU ? Lashed a pair of doubles and set a season-high with three hits in a 3-for-4 outing against South Carolina (Mar. 24) ? Credited with three game-winning RBI ? against MVSU (Feb. 27), at Florida (Mar. 18) and against Auburn (May 6) ? Hit game-winning walk-off grand slam in MSU’s 9-5 win in the series finale against Auburn ? Played in 22 SEC games and started 12, hitting .208 with 10 hits, five for extra bases ? Defensive replacement in right field in MSU’s five NCAA Regional/Super Regional games ? Named to the 2007 SEC Baseball Academic Honor Roll.
2006:
Opened the year as MSU’s starting right-fielder (first 17 games) ? Played in 47 games and drew 28 starts to earn his first varsity letter ? Collected hits in seven of his first eight games ? Compiled a .245 batting average with 25 hits, including four doubles, a triple and three home runs ? Also drew 22 walks ? Sidelined by a shoulder injury in the Tennessee series (Mar. 17-18) ? Saw limited playing time in the second half of the season but returned to starting status in five of MSU’s final nine games ? Made his debut as a Diamond Dog against Marist College (Feb. 24) ? Legged out a triple in his third plate appearance to register his first career hit ? Carded the first of four extra-hit games a day later with a pair of singles against Marist College (Feb. 25) ? Drew six walks in his first four games ? Walked three times in a game (team season-high) against Arizona (Mar. 12), at UAB (Mar. 14) and vs. UT-Martin (May 16) ? Tallied four 3-RBI performances ? Plated three runs with his first career home run against Louisiana Tech (M ar. 7) ? Also stroked home runs at UAB (Mar. 14) and at South Carolina (Apr. 28) ? Doubled, singled twice and drove in three runs with a season-best 3-for-5 plate performance at Kentucky (May 14) ? Fielded at a .947 clip and shared (with Joseph Hunter) the team assist lead for outfielders with five ? Hit .250 (10-for-40) with six RBI in 21 SEC games (nine starts).
JUNIOR COLLEGE:
Earned first-team NJCAA All-America honors as an outfielder at Itawamba Community College in 2005 ? Forced by injury to redshirt his initial season with coach Rick Collier’s ICC Indians in 2004 ? Hit .412 with 59 RBI and 36 extra-base hits ? Hit 20 home runs, sharing the NJCAA home run title with ICC teammate Kyle Mills ? Recipient of the Easton Defensive Player of the Year Award as the nation’s top defensive player ? Played error-free defense for the Indians with 10 assists ? Also paced the 11th-ranked Indians with 48 walks and a .575 on-base percentage ? Made four starts on the mound, posting a 1-2 record with a 2.04 ERA and one complete game.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Dual position standout at Amory High School where he was coached by Chad Williams ? Capped his four-year prep career with a solid senior season, earning all-state, all area and all-division honors in 2003 ? Posted a .437 batting average with 56 RBI and a school single-season record 12 home runs ? Registered a 5-1 pitching mark and 2.30 earned run average with the Panthers ? Concluded his junior season with a 4-3 record after totaling 12 wins and three saves and earning team and divisional MVP honors as a sophomore.
DRAFT HISTORY:
Chosen by the New York Yankees in the 48th round of Major League Baseball’s 2005 June draft.
PERSONAL:
Born Andy Bowen Rice on January 6, 1985 in Tigrett, Tenn. ? Son of Terrye Tubb of Amory, Miss. ? Majoring in marketing.
