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Rice Baseball 2023: Owls edge SHSU at home

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Rice Baseball posted an impressive low-scoring win against Sam Houston on Wednesday, silencing a powerful Sam Houston offense at Reckling Park.

Connor Walsh took advantage of his promotion to the top of the lineup on Wednesday evening, lifting a 2-1 pitch to left center and racing around the infield for a leadoff triple. He came in to score two batters later, courtesy of a single to right field by Jack Riedel, giving Rice an early 1-0 lead.

Last Time Out : Rice Baseball steals finale in series loss to Louisiana

That 1-0 lead would hold for some time thanks to some fantastic pitching performances from the Rice side. Mauricio Rodriguez got the start and went 3.1 innings of scoreless action, striking out three while allowing three hits and no walks. Krishna Raj came in to relieve him in the fourth, finishing that frame and the next inning without allowing a run. He would give way to JD McCracken, who worked around a double to keep Sam Houston off the board in the sixth.

McCracken had more magic in store in the seventh. After he overthrew first base and allowed the first SHSU hitter to reach via error he would come back and gun that same runner down at the plate two batters later. Then, after loading the bases on a single and hit-by-pitch, he would escape again, coaxing a soft groundout to second.

Rice was finally able to exhale ever so slightly when Guy Garibay blasted this opposite-field home run in the eighth, putting the home team up 3-0. Sam Houston would get their only run in the ninth inning, but Garibay’s cushion would be enough to keep Rice ahead.

What it means | Pitchers not named Smith

Parker Smith delivered a quality start on Friday night against Louisiana. The Owls’ No. 1 arm had a No.1 type performance, far and away the biggest pitching performance the Owls had on opening weekend. Smith isn’t infallible. He will have some rough outings, everyone does. But what’s most important for Rice baseball right now is to find the guys *not* named Parker Smith who can deliver quality outings.

Names to Know : Under the radar Rice Baseball players for the 2023 season

They might have found some answers on Wednesday night. Rodriguez, Raj and McCracken were all excellent in relief, bouncing back from lesser performances on opening weekend with a strong showing in the midweek game. These were three of the more high-profile transfers added to the roster this season. They’ve been penciled in as key contributors for months now. Seeing them live up to the billing was important, for them personally and the coaching staff.

To do what they did against Sam Houston was particularly impressive. The Bearkats had just put up 43 runs in their last 16 innings. They scored once in nine innings against Rice, and neither Smith nor ace reliever Matthew Linskey threw a pitch.

ON DECK | at Stanford (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball: Under the radar players? — February Patreon Q&A

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There are a lot of new names on the 2023 Rice baseball roster. Which ones are going to make the biggest impact on the diamond this year?

There was a lot of activity surrounding Rice baseball over the offseason. The playing surface and Reckling Park was redone and a compliment of new players was added to the team, several of which have received buzz during the fall and the leadup to the 2023 season. Which of those anticipated debuts will bring with it the biggest boom? We dig into that question in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

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Rice Baseball works through opening weekend jitters in series loss to Louisiana

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Rice Baseball worked through some early season growing pains against Louisiana, salvaging the Sunday finale and learning a lot along the way.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball loses the series 2-1

Rice baseball came tantalizingly close to a win on Opening Day, but couldn’t hold on late against Louisiana, who pushed their winning streak over Rice to 11 games with a second win on Saturday. The Owls finally got their footing on Sunday, rallying from a 5-0 deficit to take the finale and build some momentum as they head into their first midweek contest against Sam Houston. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. The new kids are alright

Improving the roster was one of the top priorities for head coach Jose Cruz Jr. this offseason and there was plenty of anticipation when those fresh faces finally got the chance to step onto the diamond this weekend. It didn’t take long for several of them to impress in their early action.

On opening night, three hitters made their Rice debut (Max Johnson, Drew Holderbach and Ben Royo) and all three contributed to the go-ahead two-run rally in the sixth. Holderbach singled. Royo drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Johnson walked, loading the bases for the go-ahead walk a batter later.

More: Expectations rise for Rice Baseball, Cruz Jr. in Year 2

Immediately afterward, newcomer Krisha Raj struck out the side in the top of the seventh, his Rice debut. Raj wasn’t perfect — he surrendered the go-ahead run in the next inning — but the collection of newcomers, on the whole, was positive.

On Saturday Freshman catcher Paul Smith walked four times and collected his first collegiate RBI on Saturday. Then Holderbach found his groove on Sunday, mashing a go-ahead home run, the Owls’ first longball of the season.

2. Clutch hitting remains key

Without disclosing which games were which, here are the Owls’ outputs with runners in scoring position in each of the three games this weekend: 5-for-12 (.417), 1-for-7 (.143), 0-for-10 (.000).  Guess which game the Owls won?

One stat does not a game make, but the Owls’ lack of timely hitting in the first two contests (.000 on Friday and .143 on Saturday) made it hard to win, even with their solid pitching performance on opening day and a combined 17 walks issued to them in those first two contests. There were a lot of base runners, but not nearly enough runs.

“I’m happy for them because now it’s like a relief for the guys to be able to break through with bases loaded and guys on base,” head coach Jose Cruz Jr. said. “Hopefully moving forward they know they can do it and we get more of it.”

Getting 12 runs a game is a luxury few teams have. Expecting that on a daily basis would be pushing it, but getting past the four-run mark is going to have to be something Rice finds a way to do consistently if they’re going to find ways to win more than once on any given weekend.

3. Pitching depth goes under the microscope again

It was a mixed bag on the mound for Rice baseball this weekend. The first tip of the cap goes to Parker Smith for a quality start on Friday night, far surpassing the underwhelming performances from the starters on Saturday and Sunday. Cruz Jr will likely give both guys another shot or two on the weekend before making changes, but it’s safe to say neither Justin Long nor JD McCracken was thrilled with their less-than-two-inning outings.

As for the relief corps, Matthew Linskey remains the gold standard, but Rice got strong showings from Garrett Zaskoda, Blake Brogdon and a few others. Freshman Ryland Urbanczyk had an encouraging debut as did Texas Tech transfer Tyler Hamilton.

The bullpen might have actually been more effective than a cursory look might convey. On Saturday and Sunday combined, Rice relievers were charged with nine runs in 15 innings, an ERA of 5.40. That’s quite the contrast from the starters on those days who gave up 10 runs in 3.0 innings, an ERA of 30.00.

While 5.40 from the pen might not quite be good enough, it’s certainly good enough to keep you in most games, provide your starter went a reasonable distance and pitched well enough. Nevertheless, there’s a lot more work that’s needed to be done here before Rice feels confident in who they’re going to deploy in those key situations.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Louisiana 5 – Rice 4

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Guy Garibay reached base and Manny Gazra doubled him home. That proved to be one of only a handful of key two-out hits on the night for the Owls, who got on base plenty but watched the big hit evade their grasp.

Louisiana would break through with a three-spot against Rice starter Parker smith in the third, who delivered a quality start with that lone hiccup interspersed. A two-run homerun off reliever Krishna Raj was the only other blemish against the Owls’ pitching staff, but the lack of clutch hitting allowed that to be enough. Rice walked eight times but stranded 11 in a close Friday night loss.

SATURDAY | Louisiana 11 – Rice 2

Converted catcher Justin Long drew the Saturday start for Rice baseball and things did not go well in his her outing on the other side of the battery. Long was tattooed for six runs (five earned) in 1.2 innings pitched, walking two, hitting two and allowing three hits. Louisiana would nickel and dime the relief corps for five more runs over the next 7.1 innings, but the initial onslaught proved to be too much.

Rice was held to nine hits and two runs with Jack Riedel and designated hitter Paul Smith earning the lone RBIs for the home team. Again, Rice had base runners, walking nine times. The Owls just could not drive them in going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 4-for-20 with runners on at all.

SUNDAY | Rice 12 – Louisiana 8

For the second straight day, Rice baseball was making a pitching change before the sixth out was recorded. Tennessee transfer JD McCracken was roughed up with a five-spot in the second inning, giving way to Garrett Zaskoda. He was able to stabilize things, and with a little run support, enabled the home team to creep back into the game.

Zaskoda handed the baton to Matthew Linskey, who was nothing short of phenomenal, striking out eight in 2.2 innings. Then, with the game tied, Drew Holderbach blasted the go-ahead home run in the fifth. Louisiana would draw the score level again before Rice put a four-spot up in the eighth inning, connecting on multiple hits with runners in scoring position, setting the stage for Blake Brogdon to close out the game on the mound in the ninth.

ON DECK | vs Sam Houston (Wed),  at Stanford (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Basketball earns season sweep of WKU with home win

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For the first time under head coach Scott Pera, Rice basketball has swept Western Kentucky. The Owls knocked off the Hilltoppers again Saturday, moving to 2-0 this season.

Following an extended stretch of slow starts, Rice basketball came out red-hot against the red-clad Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday night at Tudor Fieldhouse. Quincy Olivari conducted the early onslaught, scoring 20 points in the first half alone on his way to a monster 34-point game, a career-high, along with 12 rebounds, tying a career-best.

With Olivari firing on all cylinders, the Owls were able to hold off every Hilltopper advance. Western Kentucky mounted an 11-0 run late in the first half and an 8-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half. Still, Rice kept and maintained the lead. Every time Western Kentucky got back inside of double-digits, Rice had an answer.

The game wouldn’t really get close until the final 30 seconds when Western Kentucky knocked down three long-range threes in separation mode. It still wouldn’t be enough, however, as Max Fiedler, Cameron Sheffield and Mekhi Mason knocked down enough free throws to secure the win.

The win was significant for Rice basketball for several reasons. First, it secures a winning record, Pera’s second at Rice. Second, it’s already the highest single-season win total of Pera’s tenure with four regular season games still to play. Finally, it clinches a season sweep of Western Kentucky, a first for Pera at Rice.

“It shows where we’ve come and kind of where we are,” Pera said. “It’s not about this huge peak and then Rice crashes again. No, we keep getting better, and better. And slow goes the role, I guess, there’s been no huge jumps. But it keeps improving and that is the goal.”

Final Box | Rice 83 – WKU 78

Key takeaway | Fast starts make all the difference

Against Western Kentucky, Rice baseball was the aggressor. They came out early, dictated how the game was going to be played and made Western Kentucky play catch up. Before the game, Pera stressed exactly that to his team. The Owls led at halftime in three of 15 league games and had a -90 point differential.

“I changed everything up, Pera said, “Shoot around, pregame warmup. And they responded, to their credit, with just a lot of energy and togetherness and you could see it. It was 10-0 out of the game and we’ve had a lot of 10-0’s on the other side.”

With an early lead, Rice basketball had breathing room. The pressure to make every shot didn’t seem to be there and the Owls were able to push Western Kentucky inside and limit the three ball. If the Hilltoppers were going to come back, it was going to require a steam stream of two which they ultimately could not deliver. For Rice, this is the formula for winning basketball.

Up Next: at UAB – Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m.

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Rice Women’s Basketball bounces back emphatically with win over WKU

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Rice women’s basketball recovered quickly from a Thursday night loss, racing past Western Kentucky to close out their road trip with a win.

More than once in the early goings of Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky, it felt like Rice women’s basketball was about to break away. The Owls amassed an early 19-point lead in the first quarter, but weren’t able to stretch their advantage beyond that and allowed the Hilltoppers to recover. That advantage became 11 in the second quarter, but the home team responded with a 10-0 run of their own to bring the game back within one.

Finally, in the third quarter, the dam broke. Western Kentucky was 1-of-14 from the field in the third quarter meanwhile Rice exploded with a 22-2 run to essentially put the game out of reach. Western Kentucky would get back within 17 at the end of the quarter and get as close as 12 in the fourth frame, but there was never any real threat as Rice held the line and walked out of Bowling Green with an important win.

Final Box | Rice 82 – WKU 64

Key takeaway | Have a ball, Bellamy

Rice women’s basketball hasn’t played a game at full strength since the first weekend of February. For two straight weekends, the Owls have been without the services of either Ashlee Austin or Malia Fisher, arguably their most differential players on the roster. They’re 3-1 in that span, thanks in large part to the efforts of India Bellamy.

In her first 16 games of the season, Bellamy averaged 8.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per game, more than serviceable off the bench. But over the last four games, those averages have skyrocketed. Since February 9, Bellamay has been averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. She’s nearly doubled her averages across the board.

There’s no word yet on how long the team will be without Fisher on the court, but regardless of how long Fisher is out, Rice is going to need this version of Bellamy to get to where they want to be. They got it on Saturday with a career-best 27-point game against WKU.

Up Next: vs UAB – Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m.

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