Another Member of the All-Name Team

One of the members of the Cleveland Indians American League baseball team is named Asdrubal Cabrera, a rookie shortstop/second baseman from Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. He is a member of the all-name team not just because Asdrubal is an unusual name but also because it must ultimately derive from Hasdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, and Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War. Carthage controlled extensive territory on the Iberian peninsula, and Hasdrubal both commanded armies there and served as proconsul there while his brother was campaigning in Italy. Perhaps this experience in Iberia in the late 3rd Century BC is the ultimate reason why a baseball player from Venezuela was named after him. I don't know, but the name still is cool.

We Wuz Robbed!

Well, not really. The Rice Owls lost to UNC 7-4 this evening, eliminating them from the College World Series. Alas. Maybe next year.

Sammy Leads the Way

The Rice Owls baseball team defeated Louisville 15-10 today in an opening-round game in the College World Series in Omaha, overcoming deficits of 5-0 and 10-4 with a 6-run 8th inning. Baseball is the only sport that Rice has been consistently excellent at, appearing several times in the College World Series and winning the NCAA championship in 2003. Last year's CWS was excruciating for Rice: they were the #2 national seed and won their opening game but were shut out in back-to-back games by Oregon State, the eventual champions. Let's hope that this year will be better.

Rice's next game will be Sunday at 6 PM against the winner of tonight's Mississippi State-North Carolina game. Go Owls!