Rice Baseball has won four in a row, posting a road victory over Lamar days after a home sweep of Harvard.
Two batters in, Rice baseball found itself in a 1-0 hole after Lamar parlayed a leadoff triple into an early lead. Owls’ starter Jeremiah Arnett settled in nicely after that, though, grinding through 4.1 innings of one-run ball before handing the baton to Marco Fuentes in the fifth.
By the time Fuentes took the mound, Rice had the lead, courtesy of a perfectly executed third inning from the offense. Masa Chilcutt got things going with a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single from Colin Robson. Both men advanced on a bunt from JC Davis and came home one batter later on a hard hit double to center field from Paul Smith.
Last Weekend: Rice Baseball bats held in check in sweep by USC
Rice broke things open in the eighth, adding a pair of insurance runs before registering a hit in the inning. Three walks, a sac fly from Davis and an error improved the Owls’ advantage to 4-1 midway through the eighth. Ty Thames collected the next six outs to secure the win.
What it means | Four in a Row!
Four consecutive victories doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a feat Rice baseball never accomplished last season. When a team tallies just 17 wins, stringing a quarter of those together at one time is challenging. And while securing a quartet of positive results this early in the season doesn’t guarantee this team will have the success it seeks, it’s certainly a step in the right direction and suggests the Owls’ are on the ascent.
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The 2026 version of Rice baseball looks more put together and composed than the 2025 club. Head coach David Pierce’s steady hand is evident and the results are beginning to bear that out. We’re still a ways from anointing this program Omaha ready — last week’s hiccup against Houston Christian is a reminder there is work left to be done — but this Rice program is certainly tending up.
Four in a row is a great start. Can they get to five?