Rice baseball continues their opening homestand with a rivalry game against in-state foe, Texas on Tuesday night at Reckling Park.
For scheduling purposes, midweek games largely come against in-state opponents affording Rice baseball regular opportunities to match up with some of the other heavyweight programs. In 2019 their first in-state Texas comes against the No. 23 Texas Longhorns in a midweek tilt.
Like Rice, Texas went 2-1 on opening weekend taking a series from Louisiana which included an extra-innings win. The Longhorns and Owls did not meet in 2017. The rivals split a four-game series in Austin in 2017.
When and Where
- Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7:00 p.m. CT
- Watch: CUSA TV
- Listen: Stretch Radio
Pitching matchups
Official starters haven’t been named just yet. Given how early it is in the season there are a host of guys from each team who could get the call, but Addison Moss remains the biggest question mark for either side. Scratched from Saturday’s start, he’d be a tremendous plus in the Owls’ favor if he’s healthy enough to go on Tuesday.
Bragga declined to say anything definitive about who would get the nod against Texas saying “We’ve got a lot of guys available for Tuesday,” and that the staff felt “good with where we’re at” concerning the pitching availability after the weekend.
Names to know
Right fielder Austin Todd and third baseman Ryan Reynolds led the way at the dish for the Longhorns over the weekend. Todd had a team-high six hits, walking twice and striking out just once. Reynolds launched a home run and a double, finishing with a team-best 1.338 OPS. Leadoff man Duke Ellis led the Big 12 in on base percentage last season. He drew a staggering seven walks to go along with three base hits against Louisiana.
Out of the pen the Longhorns will most likely use a handful of arms, as was customary under manager David Pierce in midweek action last year. Nico O’Donnell (0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP) and Matteo Bocchi (0.oo ERA, 3.o IP) both saw some action against the Ragin’ Cajuns and could be options to see a large chunk of innings against the Owls. Mason Bryant (0.00 ERA, 1 IP) will be a late-game option if things are close.
