The source for Rice sports news

CUSA Baseball Tournament spots wide open entering final weekend

By

A busy weekend for CUSA Baseball set the stage for a chaotic finish to the regular season during the final weekend.

Notable weekend results

1. Rice makes a statement (more)

It’s been a back and forth year for Rice coach Matt Bragga in his first season at the helm. His team has had it’s low points, but the Owls took two of three from league-leading Southern Miss over the weekend. With series wins over the Golden Eagles and Louisiana Tech, Rice has proven they can hang with the conference’s best when they bring their A-game.

2. Blazers poised for big breakthrough?

UAB has sat at the bottom of the conference standings since the conference slate began. It’s been nearly a foregone conclusion the Blazers wouldn’t be playing in the postseason, but a series win over Charlotte has kept the door open. Entering the final weekend UAB is one win out of the eighth spot, the final postseason eligible team. It’s going to take some work, but there is hope in Birmingham.

3. Marshall swept

As UAB surged, Marshall swooned. Rather than position themselves for a low-pressure weekend against Rice, Marshall firmly in must-win mode after being swept by Old Dominion. Four CUSA teams have 11 wins and two of them aren’t going to Biloxi. That’s not where Marshall wanted to find themselves, but here they are.

Standings

Team CUSA Overall
1 FAU 19-8 34-17
2 Southern Miss 19-8 32-17
3 WKU 15-11-1 24-24-1
4 Louisiana Tech 15-12 32-30
5 Old Dominion 14-13 32-18
6 Rice 14-13 23-28
7 Marshall 11-15 24-26
8 UTSA 11-15 24-27
9 FIU 11-16 22-29
10 MTSU 11-16 18-33
11 Charlotte 10-16-1 19-29-1
12 UAB 10-17 25-27

 

Upcoming series of note

1. MTSU vs FAU

MTSU hasn’t won a conference series since taking two of three from UAB on the weekend of April 12. Still, somehow the Blue Raiders have real postseason aspirations. They’ll have to go through FAU who needs to outperform Southern Miss to clinch the No. 1 seed.

2. Old Dominion at Western Kentucky

For the first time in school history, Western Kentucky has clinched a spot in the CUSA Baseball Tournament. WKU can secure the No. 3 seed and potentially knock Old Dominion out of the postseason. At the minimum, the Hilltoppers want to pick up momentum entering Biloxi.

3. UAB at Southern Miss

Losers of back-to-back CUSA series for the first time this season, Southern Miss is in danger of losing the No. 1 seed. To clinch the top spot, they’ll need to best UAB and finish a game ahead of FAU who beat USM two weekends ago. It’s a tough bar, but this is a team talented enough to do it. A sweep of UAB would be a good start.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball: Owls top Southern Miss in water-logged series

By

Rice baseball pushed through the rain for a massive series win over one Conference USA’s best team, taking two of three from Southern Miss.

Pouring rains forced the rescheduling of two games, but the end result was almost exactly what Rice baseball wanted — a series win over the first place team in the conference. The resiliency of this squad was on display as they played their final set of games at Reckling Park this season. The seniors sent themselves out on a high note and put Rice one step closer to a trip to the conference tournament.

Here’s the rundown of how each game played out and three closing thoughts on the impressive series win.

FRIDAY | Southern Miss 6 – Rice 3

The opening game of the series started out much the same way as the typical Friday has for the Owls. Matt Canterino powered through his first five innings with relative ease, allowing two runs on three hits. With Rice behind 2-0 in the fifth, the offense leveled the score. Aaron Beaulaurier flared a bases-loaded single into centerfield, bringing the score back to a 2-2 deadlock. It wouldn’t last long.

Canterino walked the first two batters in the sixth, setting the table for a 2-RBI single from the Golden Eagles. By the time he was relieved later in the sixth by Blair Lewis, Rice trailed 4-2. Southern Miss would add a solo home run in the inning, taking a 5-2 lead into the seventh.

Rice had chances, but four double plays turned by Southern Miss, a high for Rice opponents this season, kept the Owls from finding any level of consistency. Southern Miss and Rice traded single runs in the ninth, closing out the opener 6-3.

SATURDAY | Rice 4 – Southern Miss 0

After Friday’s disappointing showing and another modified schedule courtesy of incorrigible Houston weather, Rice returned to Reckling with purpose. Evan Kravetz was magnificent on the mound. The senior, who was a late addition to the Owls’ rotation to start the year, pitched one of the best games of his career in a moment when the team needed him the most. Kravetz struck out 10 batters in 7.1 innings, walking four while allowing three hits.

Kravetz was aided on the mound by a quick jolt from the offense. Trei Cruz took the first pitch he saw in the first inning and plopped it over the left field fence. The bomb scored Braden Comeaux, giving Rice a 2-0 lead. The Owls would tack on another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Comeaux and another in the eighth on an Andrew Dunlap sac fly.

A shaky relief performance from Kendal Jefferies produced nerves in the Rice dugout before the game was complete. Jefferies loaded the bases in the eighth before coaxing an inning-ending double play. He allowed to Southern Miss batters to reach in the ninth, but escaped that inning without any damage, too. It wasn’t pretty, but he got the outs and the Owls got the win.

SUNDAY | Rice 7 – Southern Miss 2

If a 2-0 lead was comfortable on Saturday, a 4-0 lead felt like an insurmountable advantage for Rice in the rubber game. With Jackson Parthasarathy on the mound, Rice jumped all over Southern Miss. Andrew Dunlap opened things up with a 2 RBI single in the first. Justin Collins followed it up almost immediately, ambushing the first pitch he saw and lifting it over the left field wall, driving in Cade Edwards.

Southern Miss would turn to the bullpen in the first inning. Rice had no such concerns, relying on their Sunday stud through 6.1 innings of one-run ball. In his final home outing, Parthasarathy struck out five, leaving the game in the hands of the bullpen for the final eight outs.

Dalton Wood got the first try but was pulled out quickly after walking two batters on eight pitches. Garret Gayle was up next. He wasn’t perfect, allowing two runs, one charged to each of his proceeding pitchers. He settled down, posting zeroes in the final two frames to lock down the win.

TAKEAWAYS | Rice wins series 2-1

1. This team plays differently with the lead

When Rice has one of their starters on the mound and an early lead the entire psyche of the team seems indomitable. The energy picks up, the bats are more focused and the defense stays in lockstep. That’s what happened Saturday when Cruz launched his home run and it’s what happened Sunday with the big first inning.

The starting pitching is the Owls’ best weapon. When those guys on the mound know they can throw strikes without the need to be absolutely flawless, they pitch better. Rice is going to have the advantage on the mound in almost every game they play through the conference tournament. If those arms can get even the slightest early bump this is a team who could contend for the tournament title.

2. The bullpen keeps getting more and more confusing

If not for a game-changing double-play ball on Saturday evening, Jefferies, one of the Owls most trustworthy relievers could have been sitting on his third bad outing over his last four appearances. He got the job done, but the performance leaves room for doubt.

Blair Lewis and Drake Greenwood both allowed runs in short appearances on Friday. Dalton Wood blew his chance on Sunday and Garrett Gayle allowed two inherited runners to score.

Rice won the series, but there wasn’t anyone in the bullpen who made a strong case to be the first man called in a tough situation. If coach Bragga is going to ride his starters as long as they can go, which makes sense given how good they’ve been, a sticky situation or two might occur. Right now, Rice lacks a go-to guy in the pen and they’ve got a week to find it.

3. Inching closer and closer to Biloxi

Entering their weekend series with Southern Miss, Rice needed to find a way to secure three wins in their final six games to feel confident about clinching a spot in the CUSA Baseball tournament. They didn’t take three from the Golden Eagles but they won two important games.

Rice is 14-13, good for fifth place in CUSA with the tiebreaker over Old Dominion. The Owls are three wins better than Marshall (11-5), UTSA (11-15), FIU (11-16) and Middle Tennessee (11-16). With a single win in their final conference series, Rice clinches a postseason berth.

ON DECK | vs Houston (Tues), at Marshall (Thur-Sat)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball: Previewing the Southern Miss series

By

A season-defining series against Southern Miss awaits Rice baseball in their final homestand of the regular season. Can the Owls break through?

Listen online // Watch Friday (CUSA TV) // Watch Saturday (CUSA TV) // Watch Sunday (CUSA TV)

Weather permitting, Rice will attempt to solidify their bid for the Conference USA Tournament with a weekend series against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles are perched atop the conference, currently the No. 1 seed taking on the Owls, who would be the No. 5 seed if the standings hold. A lot could change over the weekend. Here’s what Southern Miss brings to the table.

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday – 2:00 pm: Matt Canterino (6-4, 2.68) vs Walker Powell (5-2 2.93)
Saturday – 2:00 pm: Evan Kravetz (4-2, 3.69)  vs Stevie Powers (3-3, 4.35)
Sunday – 1:00 pm: Jackson Parthasarathy (3-7, 4.74) vs  Mason Strickland (5-0, 5.26)

Southern Miss Pitching

The top two pitchers in the Southern Miss rotation have already been confirmed, but the third starting spot has yet to be announced. The Eagles have used a few different combinations and could throw several guys on Sunday. Mason Strickland and Cody Carroll (2-1, 4.08) are two of the most prominent options.

Whoever takes the third spot, Rice is in for a battle. Southern Miss leads CUSA with a 4.26 ERA. A good portion of that preeminence has come from a hard-to-hit bullpen. Three different hurlers, Hunter Stanley and Sean Tweedy in the pen and Powell in the rotation, have a WHIP of 1.10 or below, a rare feat for a collegiate pitching staff. For reference, only Matt Canterino owns a WHIP below that mark for Rice.

Keep an eye out for JC Keyes in high leverage situations. He boasts a rate of 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings, and he’s one of several options for this team to turn to in a pinch.

Southern Miss Hitting

Southern Miss is a great pitching team and an elite hitting club. They’re hitting .326 as a team in conference play with 27 home runs in 24 games. They lead CUSA in extra base hits, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and more or less every major hitting statistic.

Six everyday players are batting better than .300, led by catcher Bryant Bowen’s staggering .359 average and 1.014 OPS. He’s one of three players with 10 or more doubles (the other two being right fielder Matt Wallner and second baseman Matthew Guidry). Left fielder Gabe Montenegro brings an eight-game hitting streak into the weekend, including a staggering .500 average in his previous series against FAU.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Football: Former Harvard Running back Charlie Booker to transfer to Owls

By

Former Harvard Crimson running back and Houston native, Charlie Booker has committed to play out his remaining eligibility with Rice football at South Main.

Mike Bloomgren spent the winter and early spring scouring the Transfer Portal in search of players who can provide an impact on the field immediately this coming season. After adding several graduate transfers in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day the Owls are working to put the finishing touches in place this spring.

There are a few loose ends to wrap up in the 2019 class, but Rice crossed one area of need off the list with the addition of former Harver running back Charlie Booker. The former Cy Ranch standout plans to join his former quarterback Tom Stewart at South Main in the fall.

A two-time team MVP and senior captain for the Crimson, Booker was a first-team All-Ivy League selection in 2017, racking up 733 yards and six touchdowns that season. In three seasons he amassed 1,230 yards and 10 scores. He fell into a timeshare role in 2018, but remained every bit as explosive. Rice has several shifty backs on the roster. Booker has some twitch, but more importantly, he runs hard north and south.

Booker’s addition gives the Owls a stable of talented running backs to lean on to support Bloomgren’s run-heavy scheme. That’s especially important given the offseason departures of Austin Walter (graduation) and Emmanuel Esukpa (transfer).

The new transfer will be aided by Aston Walter and Juma Otoviano. Freshman Jawan King could force his way into the mix as well. Having this many capable mouths to feed is a good problem to have. That’s especially true when two of those four horses are experienced veterans like Booker and Walter.

Standing 5-foot-9, Booker tips the scales right at 200 pounds but he plays big. He’s a candidate to be the most physical runner on the roster from day one. Just check out the first play on his highlight reel.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball: Anthony Rendon leads the way for MLB Owls

By

Rice baseball boasts a long tradition of excellence at both the collegiate and professional level. This year five Owls have made MLB appearances.

While the college squad works to secure a Conference USA Tournament berth, five MLB Owls have made at least one appearance in The Show in 2019. Jon Duplantier made his MLB Debut and two of the Owls’ most prolific pro hitters have fought through injuries to make an impact on the field this season.

JT Chargois

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Chargois spent the last two seasons with the Dodgers. He made 35 appearances last season but has only been elevated to the big leagues once in 2019. Chargois threw in back-to-back games against the Saint Louis Cardinals in April, allowing two runs on a home run to Marcell Ozuna in 1.2 innings pitched. He was then sent back to Triple A.

Tyler Duffey

Like Chargois, Duffey saw limited action in 2019 before returning to the minor leagues. He made four appearances for the Twins in April. In two of them, he held his opponent to one hit and no runs. In the other two games, though, he allowed five runs including a three run home run into the Crawford Boxes at Minute Maid Park to Jose Altuve.

Jon Duplantier

Duplantier made his MLB Debut on April, earning a three-inning save for his Arizona Diamondbacks over the San Diego Padres. Through three career outings, he’s maintained a spotless 0.00 ERA with three hits allowed, four walks and seven strikeouts over the course of eight innings. His last appearance came against the Chicago Cubs on April 28.

Brock Holt

After a scratched cornea courtesy of his son hampered Holt’s ability to play earlier in the season, a shoulder injury sidelined him in through mid-April. Since then he’s participated in one rehab and assignment and is on track to get back on the field with the Red Sox in the coming days. Manager Alex Cora expects Holt to resume baseball activities on Monday.

Anthony Rendon

The starting third baseman for the Washington Nationals, Rendon is off to the hottest start of his professional career. Already the owner of a 17-game hitting streak this season, Rendon leads his team with a .342 batting average, .433 on-base percentage and .711 slugging percentage. He’s mashed six home runs with 10 doubles in 21 games.

Rendon was hit with a pitch on April 20, sidelining him for several weeks. He was activated on Tuesday and played in the team’s last two games, both against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts