Clay graduate Matea Rice provided a stabilizing force for the school-record setting Owens Express softball team this year.

Last season, Rice was part of an Owens team that finished 31-16 and lost in the regional championship game, one win short of advancing to the national tournament.

So, in the offseason, Rice focused on getting in shape and “dedicated herself to playing” according to head coach Duane Lanham.

Rice said she focused on a variety of workouts, including running, sit ups, push ups, hitting in the cage with assistant coach Kevin Snyder, and fielding drills.

Matea Rice (Press photo by Nick Huenefeld)

“She was in as good of shape as she’s ever been that I know of,” Lanham said.

The work paid off as the sophomore first baseman hit .353 for the Express, who advanced all the way to the national title game before falling to No. 1 LSU-Eunice.

In addition, Rice made several outstanding plays in the national tournament – offensively and defensively – to lead Owens as far as they did.

In the loser’s bracket semifinals against No. 9 South Mountain, with two outs in the fifth inning, Rice moved to her right to field a ground ball. Realizing, she didn’t have enough time to run to the bag, Rice fully extended on a dive to tag the bag with her glove before the runner reached.

The biggest play for Rice offensively came in the loser’s bracket finals against No. 2 Kankakee. With her team up 5-0 in the third inning, she hit a three-run home run to centerfield. Her team eventually won 13-2 and the win advanced them to the championship.

Rice said those two plays, along with her home run at the regional tournament last season, will stick out most when she looks back at her career at Owens.

“My performance in the national tournament meant everything to me. It was going to be my last time out on the ball field, so I wanted to make it a tournament I’d never forget.”

And that she did as it wasn’t just the sporadic outstanding play here and there for Rice in the national tournament. En route to being named to the NJCAA Div. II All National Tournament Team, she hit .400 (8-for-20) with a double, a home run and three RBIs over the seven games. In the field, she made only one error in 59 chances.

“Her defense has always been there, but her batting average just soared this year,” Lanham said.

Last season, Rice had a .211 batting average (15-for-71) with a .280 on base percentage. This season, including the national tournament, Rice hit .353 (36-102) with two doubles, eight runs, 14 RBIs and two home runs.

Out of the sixth spot in the lineup, Lanham said Rice solidified the spot.

“If our four, five hitters didn’t get it done, Matea’s maturity and confidence allowed her to come up with crucial hits and RBIs all season long.”

Lanham said Rice used her height and defensive skills to assist defensively, as well.

“When the throws were high, she got the out. Everybody could feel that stability at first base. She had a great work ethic. While not being the most gifted, whatever she had, she brought.”

Lanham, along with Snyder and assistant coach Mike Murphy, influenced Rice enough this season to entice her to see coaching as a possibility in the future.

“I want to share my love of ball to other athletes and help improve their games. That would mean a lot if I could do that.”

Lanham believes Rice “would do a great job” as a coach.

Aside from her coaching aspirations, Rice has plans of completing her degree in the dental program at Owens.

For the time being, though, she can reflect on a 44-5 season which included a school record 33 game win streak to open the season, a conference championship, a regional championship, a national runner-up finish, a school record for wins as a team, and the first appearance in a national title game for a women’s team in Owens athletic history.

Personally, she was named to the All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference and NJCAA Div. II All National Tournament teams.

Not bad for a player who had only two goals this season - to improve on her batting average and to get a conference honor.

“This season meant the world to me, and it’s one that I’ll never forget. I love each and every girl on this team. We were so close and made some of the best memories of my life.”

Rice’s teammates, Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch) and Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg), earned All-Region honors, and Haubert was named an All-American.

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