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Rice Baseball 2019 Season Review: Defensive improvements crystal clear

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Rice baseball saw unbelievable improvement in the field, cutting down errors and making adjustments as the season progressed.

The 2019 Rice baseball season began with a series win over Rhode Island — and seven errors. The next stretch wouldn’t get any better. The Owls committed 17 errors over their next five games, including a season-high eight miscues in a 16-5 loss to Arizona. There were one or two additional plays in that dismal Arizona defeat which could have been ruled errors as well had the scorekeeper been in a different mood.

It took Rice 11 games before they completed their first error-free contest. Discipline in the field was abysmal and a real detriment to this team’s chances of finding any sustainable success. Fortunately for the Owls, that would represent rock bottom of the defense in 2019.

See Also | Season Review: Erratic offense full of highs and lows

Rice finished the year with a .965 fielding percentage, ninth best in Conference USA, committing 75 errors in 59 games. As bad as that was, the splits between non-conference play and the Owls final 30 conference games couldn’t have been any more disparate.

The Owls committed 50 errors in their 25 non-conference games, a rate of 2.0 errors per game. Once Rice moved past the bulk of their non-conference games and reached the latter portion of their schedule the defense tightened up considerably. The team committed 25 errors in 30 conference games, the third-fewest in CUSA and a rate of .83 errors per game.

See Also | Season Review: Starting pitching shines

Coach Bragga new his team was capable of cleaning things up, but it’s hard to envision an improvement of that magnitude. Rice capped off their season with a robust .986 fielding percentage in the Conference USA Tournament. That tied Old Dominion for the best fielding rate in the tournament. Rice registered twice as many putouts in their four games (109) compared to Old Dominion’s two (51).

As the season reached a new marker, the defense got better, bordering on great with some web gems from Trei Cruz in the infield and Aaron Beaulaurier in the outfield. The team as a whole had its’ issues, but this was something which could be fixed, and fixed during the season. Going from worst to first in the span of three months, though, that’s nothing short of spectacular.

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Rice Baseball 2019 Season Review: Erratic offense full of highs and lows

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The offense prohibited Rice baseball from taking earnest strides in 2018. Here’s a rundown on the final numbers and a synopsis on how each bat performed.

The Rice offense faded to a .260/.360/.400 slash line by the end of the regular season, finishing eighth or worse in Conference USA in each metric while leading the conference with 534 strikeouts. The offense as a whole was top heavy, failing to get consistent production from the bottom half of the lineup and leading toward the discouraging final numbers.

But a few accurate macro-level numbers don’t fully encapsulate what the Rice offense was in 2019. There were individuals who put together solid, if not superb, season. It was the lack of an ability to string those good games and good days together which did this team in. Here’s a closer look at the final lines for some of the Owls’ most important hitters.

Cade Edwards

Games – 59 | AVG .308 | OBP .360 | SLG .498 | 2B – 16 | 3B – 4 | HR – 6 | BB – 17 | K – 46

A JUCO transfer who has been on campus for less than a year, Edwards finished with a team-best .308 batting average. His approach at the plate was consistent as he quickly became the best pure contact hitter on the team. Edwards was one of two players to start all 59 of the Owls games this season.

Trei Cruz

Games – 58 | AVG .305 | OBP .393 | SLG .519 | 2B – 11 | 3B – 6 | HR – 9 | BB – 35 | K – 54

Trei started the season with a bang with his 9-RBI day against Rhode Island in February. He never really slowed down, finishing second on the team in RBI despite batting out of the leadoff spot for the first half of the season. He finished tied for the longest hitting streak of the season (nine games) and was one of the most productive hitters on the team from start to finish.

Andrew Dunlap

Games – 57 | AVG .302 | OBP .419 | SLG .559 | 2B – 9 | 3B – 2 | HR – 13 | BB – 23 | K – 49

One of the most feel-good stories on the team this season, senior Andrew Dunlap became a fixture in the Rice lineup following a 5-for-6, 7-RBI outing against Prairie View A&M. Dunlap led the team with a gaudy .342 batting average in conference play with nine home runs and a 1.075 OPS in 30 games.

Braden Comeaux

Games – 53 | AVG .299 | OBP .388 | SLG .421 | 2B – 16 | 3B – 1 | HR – 3 | BB – 16 | K – 32

The junior infielder was a tremendous table setter for an offense in need of a spark. Comeaux finished second to Trei Cruz in runs (46) and tied with Cade Edwards for the team lead in doubles (16). Whether it was one of his 17 hit by pitches or 66 hits, he found ways to get on base.

Bradley Gneiting

Games – 59 | AVG .295 | OBP .366 | SLG .378 | 2B – 12 | 3B – 0 | HR – 3 | BB – 25 | K – 51

A versatile option in the field by necessity, Gneiting’s defensive assignment for the day never seemed to bother his production at the plate. An early member of a wide-open outfield platoon, Gneiting solidified his spot in the lineup and delivered some key strokes at the top of the order.

Justin Collins

Games – 58 | AVG .260 | OBP .387 | SLG .425 | 2B – 12 | 3B – 0 | HR – 7 | BB – 41 | K – 53

A modest season given the offseason hopes, Collins battled through a hand injury to finish his first season as the Owls’ full-time catcher. Collins led the team with 41 walks and finished third with seven home runs. He’s got work to do before he moves closer to the cleanup spot many thought he’d be able to take this season, but his ability to extend innings and get on base cannot be undervalued.

Mutli-game starters

Dominic Cox | Games – 45 | AVG .238 | OBP .382 | SLG .338 | 2B – 7 | 3B – 0 | HR – 2 | BB – 30 | K – 52
Aaron Beaulaurier | Games – 55 | AVG .187 | OBP .297 | SLG .307 | 2B – 11 | 3B – 3 | HR – 1 | BB – 18 | K – 64
Dominic DiCaprio | Games – 21 | AVG .229 | OBP .301 | SLG .265 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 7 | K – 20
Brandt Frazier | Games – 39 | AVG .125 | OBP .261 | SLG .150 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 20 | K – 35

Injuries and inconsistent bats kept these four players from becoming season-long starters for the Owls in 2019. Cox and Beaulaurier won time later in the season as their bats began to wake up, but both were primarily defensive assets with a decent amount of doubles power.

DiCaprio and Frazier were veteran players who never got healthy enough to truly showcase their abilities. DiCaprio was shut down midseason and Frazier left the Conference tournament with an arm injury.

Reserves

Justin Dunlap | Games – 18 | AVG .216 | OBP .396 | SLG .243 | 2B – 1 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 10 | K – 7
Khevin Brewer | Games – 18 | AVG .208 | OBP .259 | SLG .250 | 2B – 1 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 2 | K – 9
Rodrigo Duluc | Games – 30 | AVG .205 | OBP .302 | SLG .349 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 3 | BB – 10 | K – 33
Antonio Cruz | Games – 26 | AVG .167 | OBP .254 | SLG .300 | 2B – 2 | 3B – 0 | HR – 2 | BB – 4 | K – 25

The opportunities off the bench were sporadic for this group. Unlike the prior quartet, inconsitent days at the plate kept any of these four from earning more than the occasional at bat or spot start. The Rice lineup wasn’t deep this year. When your best four reserves are hitting at or below the Mendoza line there wasn’t much more coach Bragga could have done to generate better days at the plate. More work in the cages and a fresh influx of talent should make the bench much more palatable next season.

Daniel Russell

Games – 6 | AVG .429 | OBP .556 | SLG .429 | 2B – 0 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 1 | K – 2

The bullpen catcher brought on for a single season with no intent to play, Russell saw more action than he ever expected. The dugout might have been most excited this season when Russell entered a one-sided 15-3 win over Rhode Island late and delivered an RBI single. He’ll be missed.

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Rice Baseball 2019 Season Review: Starting Pitching shines

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The starting pitching was the crown jewel of the 2019 Rice baseball team, giving the Owls a chance every time they took the diamond.

Coach Matt Bragga’s first season at South Main was filled with highs and lows. Now that the last pitch has been thrown, it’s time to take a closer look at 2019 starting with the starting pitchers, who more than lived up to their lofty early season expectations.

Matt Canterino

6-5 Record | 2.81 ERA | 99.1 innings | 121 strikeouts | 23 walks | .199 batting average against

In every way, Canterino was as advertised this season. As the offense and defense swung from one extreme to another he remained consistent. His bad outings were serviceable and his best outings were the kind of gems noticed by pro scouts. Canterino was the preseason Conference USA Pitcher of the Year and awarded the same honor at the conclusion of the regular season. The junior will be an early round selection in the upcoming MLB Draft, a fitting end to an impressive collegiate career.

Evan Kravetz

6-2 Record | 3.24 ERA | 80.2 innings | 108 strikeouts | 32 walks | .200 batting average against

Addison Moss was meant to be the Saturday night starter this year. Injuries kept that from ever materializing, while at the same time opening the door for Evan Kravetz. The senior southpaw took the opportunity and ran with it, becoming arguably the most unexpected, yet impactful member of the Rice team this season. His numbers are comparable to Canterino’s. That alone is an impressive feat

Jackson Parthasarathy

4-8 Record | 4.32 ERA | 73 innings | 68 strikeouts | 23 walks | .276 batting average against

The Owls’ Sunday starter for most of the season, Parthasarathy excelled when it was his turn on the bump. He threw strikes and got outs while setting career highs across the board. He didn’t come close to the strikeout numbers of Canterino and Kravetz, but he was one of the handful of arms able to consistently go deep into games and battle through a rough patch or too without having things fall apart.

Kel Bordwine

1-3  Record | 4.37 ERA |  45.1 innings | 27 strikeouts | 19 walks | .265 batting average against

The only other member of the Rice pitching staff with more than three starts, sophomore hurler Kel Bordwine settled into the midweek starter role rather early in the season. As he proved his effectiveness in short outings, he was trusted with more. Bordwine’s role will only grow with this team.

Others on the bump

Addison Moss, Drake Greenwood, Garrett Gayle, Dalton Wood

There weren’t many remaining starting opportunities to go around. Only four other Owls’ got starts, to varying degrees of success. Most of the impact of these four came as members of the relief corps, with the exception of Moss who saw his season ended abruptly with injuries.

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Rice Football Stat Pack: Limiting self-inflicted mistakes

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Discipline and structure were a hallmark of Rice football under Mike Bloomgren’s instruction in 2018. Few played penalty-free football like the Owls.

Throughout the offseason we’re going to take a closer look at some numbers. These stats and scores will help tell the story of Rice football, give context, and help us understand the trajectory of the program.

There were growing pains on both sides of the ball in 2018 as the entire team adjusted to new schemes and structures. Even though the players were being inundated with information, their mental lapses seldom drew penalty flags.

On that front, Rice was one of the cleanest teams in the nation. The Owls committed 4.2 penalties per game in 2018, the fewest in Conference USA and the eighth least in the nation.  To put that number in further context, the average FBS team committed six penalties per game. The worst, Florida State, was flagged 9.3 times per contest.

On their worst day, a road loss to North Texas, Rice was flagged eight times for 99 yards. At their best, Rice was flagged zero times against FIU. Not only was Rice seldom in the vicinity of being a frequently penalized team, as the season progressed, their efficiency increased. Rice committed seven infractions in their final three games.

When they did get flagged, it was rarely for large chunks of yardage. Rice averaged 0.9 first downs allowed by penalty last season, one of three teams nationally below one per game. Free plays and hidden yards weren’t made available to the Owls’ opponents. Their 38.2 penalty yards per game was nothing short of pristine.

Playing sound, fundamental football isn’t enough to win games by itself, but it’s something. When they can do that, and take advantage of their opponent’s miscues, good things are bound to follow.

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Rice Football Stat Pack: Breaking down yards per play

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Rice football experienced some growing pains in 2018. What do the numbers have to say about this team? We take a deep dive on yards per play.

Throughout the offseason we’re going to take a closer look at some numbers. These stats and scores will help tell the story of Rice football, give context, and help us understand the trajectory of the program.

We’ll start by looking at a somewhat newer statistic, yards per play. At a high level, the stat itself is self-explanatory. Yards per play measures, on average, how many yards a team gains on each play.

An effective offense gets first downs, and after stacking several first downs on top of each other, reaches the redzone and gets a scoring opportunity. Negative plays (sacks, loss of yards, incomplete passes) make the math a bit more involved than simply 10 yards divided by three plays before a punt. With those additional scenarios taken into account, the average FBS offense in 2018 averaged 5.52 yards per play.

Here’s how the Top 10 looked last season:

  1. Oklahoma (8.4 yards per play)
  2. Alabama (7.4)
  3. Clemson (7.2)
  4. Ohio (7.0)
  5. Georgia (6.8)
  6. UCF (6.8)
  7. Memphis (6.8)
  8. West Virginia (6.7)
  9. Utah State (6.7)
  10. Ole Miss (6.7)

There are 130 FBS teams, making Pitt (5.6), the No. 65 ranked team in yards per play, the middle ground of productive offenses. Rice finished 118th with 4.6 yards per play. Their most immediate company was Oregon State (4.7), Cal (4.6), Northwestern (4.6) and Michigan State (4.5).

In the modern era of college football, touchdowns trump tackles. Scoring continues to come in bunches and teams who can’t get the ball down the field typically don’t fair as well as those who can. Oklahoma’s explosive offense gave it a chance in every game they played and got them to a playoff. But that’s not the only way to win.

Northwestern won the Big Ten West last season despite finishing near the bottom in this metric. Michigan State went to a bowl as well, largely because their defense allowed a staggering 4.4 yards per play. You can win without racking up a large number of yards per play, but it takes elite defense. In contrast, Rice allowed 6.8 yards per play.

The bottom line

Winning the yardage battle on both sides of the ball will be a crucial objective for Rice this fall. The Owls are bringing in the talent necessary to make those improvements. If they can make meaningful strides on at least one side of the ball they’ll become more competitive week in and week out.

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