Owls fans flock to Omaha

Owls fans flock to Omaha

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News Staff

Baseball fans from across the country have come to the College World Series, filling the streets of the usually subdued Omaha, Neb. The only place more packed than Old Market, the town’s main drag, Thursday was Rosenblatt Stadium — particularly the autograph line for the Rice Owls.

In a line that stretched from the third-base concession stand to the first-base stand, eager fans waited for their chance to have posters, balls, T-shirts — even souvenir baseball helmets — signed by the Owls.  To accommodate such a crowd, the Owls opened their line early and stayed late. Despite the pressure to keep the line moving quickly, the players took time to greet their fans, especially the young ballplayers.

“What’s your name? What position do you play?” the Owls asked the younger ballplayers. “Maybe we should be getting your autograph.”

The Owls’ autograph session brought together an eclectic group of fans — some of which supported other teams. They wore yellow and purple, orange and white, red and a vast array of major league ball team jerseys. Diverse as they were, they all recognized something special in the Owls and wanted a piece of it for themselves.

However, an overwhelming majority of the fans sported R’s on their hats and the proud blue of the Owls, even if they had never set foot on the Rice campus. For some the College World Series is not just part of the national pastime, it’s a personal tradition rooted at home in Omaha.

Kortney and Leighton Kaluza, ages 12 and 8, respectively, of Omaha have been coming to the College World Series since they were small boys. The Kaluza boys are both Rice fans.

“I really became a Rice fan when they beat Texas (in 2003), and Leighton did too,” Kortney Kaluza said. “You see, my mom is a Texas fan, so we had to tease her.”

Four years later Kaluza still teases his mom about the game that sealed his fate as a Rice fan. He waves his Rice hat, which he had signed last year by all the players. The Owls’ loss last year in the semifinals to Oregon State has not deterred Kaluza.

“Rice is going to win it all this year,” said Kaluza. “They’re awesome.”

Many others share Kaluza’s opinion. At the team’s batting practice before the autograph session, fans were cheering and shouting out to the team. One group of boys sitting in left field yelled for the Owls to toss a few balls their way.

They too wanted a piece of history out of the glove or off the bat of one of this game’s current and future greats.

For more stories about the College World Series, visit http://media.rice.edu/media/2007_College_World_Series.asp.

For the College World Series photo gallery, visit http://riceowls.cstv.com/genrel/gallery_index_sports.html.