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CUSA Baseball: Middle of the pack thins as CUSA Tournament nears

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The battle for positioning in the CUSA baseball postseason race is gaining clarity. Here’s how the standings look with three weekends remaining.

Notable weekend results

1. Rice sweeps Louisiana Tech (more)

Louisiana Tech entered the weekend with a firm claim to a CUSA Tournament spot while Rice was on the fringes. The narrow games made for drama-filled days, but Rice walked away with their second consecutive CUSA sweep, propelling themselves from outside-looking-in two weeks ago to being a legitimate contender for a top-three seed.

2. UAB takes two of three from Marshall

Marshall had the opportunity to position themselves with the CUSA leaders during their three-game trip to Birmingham. Instead, they dropped two games to UAB, which had only won four CUSA games entering the weekend. With series remaining against UTSA, ODU and Rice they’ll have to work for their Tournament spot.

3. Old Dominion takes two of three from FAU

As the rest of the conference tries to get into the field, FAU is searching for the top-seed in the CUSA Tournament. After leading the league for the majority of the regular season, a Southern Miss sweep of MTSU combined with a bad weekend for the Owls against Old Dominion puts that dream in jeopardy.

Standings

Team CUSA Overall
1 Southern Miss 17-4 29-13
2 FAU 15-6 29-14
3 Louisiana Tech 12-9 28-16
4 Rice 12-9 21-23
5 WKU 11-9-21 20-21-1
6 Marshall 10-11 23-20
7 Old Dominion 9-12 26-17
8 UTSA 9-12 20-24
9 MTSU 9-12 16-28
10 FIU 8-13 18-25
11 Charlotte 7-13-21 16-26-1
12 UAB 6-15 19-25

 

Upcoming series of note

1. FAU at Southern Miss

After losing the top spot over the weekend, FAU will have the chance to take back with a head-to-head battle of CUSA’s top two squads.

2. UTSA at Marshall

It’s going to be tough any teams near the .500 mark when the postseason cut arrives. UTSA and Marshall are straddling that line with few opportunities left to make a move. A sweep from either side could push either team’s season to the brink

3.  Louisiana Tech at Old Dominion

Lousiana Tech doesn’t have time for an extended skid. The Rice pitching is top-notch, but more offensive struggles against Old Dominion could be reason for fans of the Bulldogs to be concerned.

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Rice Baseball: Owls post impressive series sweep over Louisiana Tech

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A week removed from their first home sweep under Matt Bragga, Rice baseball took three straight from Louisiana Tech as their late spring surge continues.

The red-hot Owls have won six in a row as they make their final push for the Conference USA Tournament. Another three-game sweep over the weekend boosted the Owls’ overall record to 21-23 and set them up with a chance to finish their home slate at .500 with a win over Houston on Wednesday.

Another series win brings Rice to 12-9 in Conference play with three weekends to go. Here’s a rundown of their most recent set and a few thoughts on what went well for the Owls against Louisiana Tech.

FRIDAY | Rice 3 – Louisiana Tech 1

Matt Canterino got things off on the right foot with a superb Friday night performance. He struck out 10 in seven innings of scoreless baseball. His counterpart, Louisiana Tech hurler Matt Miller was effective too, save for two booming extra base hits which proved to be the difference-making swings.

Braden Comeaux opened up the scoring with a home run in the fourth. Trei Cruz followed with a triple in the sixth, scoring Comeaux to put Rice ahead 2-0. An error would allow Rice to stretch the lead to 3-0 where it would remain until Lousiana Tech snapped the shutout bid with a solo home run in the ninth.

SATURDAY | Rice 4 – Louisiana Tech 2

The drama started with a close game in the series opener continued through the weekend. This time it was Evan Kravetz on the mound for Rice. He built on Canterino’s impressive start from the night before, throwing 7.1 scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking four before turning things over to the bullpen.

The Rice offense waited til the seventh to get moving, but it struck fast. Bradley Gneiting, Dominic Cox and Comeaux picked up RBI as Rice took a commanding 3-0 lead. After adding one more in the eighth, Rice took a 4-0 lead into the ninth.

With Kendall Jeffries on the mound, Louisiana Tech began to engineer a comeback. Three straight hits pushed Jeffries out of the game. A single off Garrett Gayle cut the Rice lead to 4-2 as the potential game-winning run strode to the plate with no outs in the ninth. Then this happened…

Rice flipped the script, turning a triple play to get out of the jam and secure the series win.

SUNDAY | Rice 3 – Louisiana Tech 2

Louisiana Tech got things going early in the first inning, taking the lead on an RBI double from Tanner Huddleston. They’d tack on another run on a fielders choice in the sixth on which the Owls came extremely close to turning an impressive 3-6-1 double play only to come off a few feet short.

Trailing 2-0, the big bats came through. Trei Cruz followed up singles by Comeaux and Gneiting to get Rice on the board. Gneiting would come around to score on the next at bat by way of an Andrew Dunlap groundout, tying the game 2-2.

Both teams would have their chances through the rest of regulation, but neither was able to push any more runs across. After turning Louisiana Tech away in the top of the 10th, Rice loaded the bases for Cruz who’d stand by as his team won the game on a wild pitch.

TAKEAWAYS | Rice wins series 3-0

1. Matt Canterino leads the charge

Like the rest of this team, staff ace Matt Canterino has been up and down through this season too. Even when he’s not at his best, he’s always found a way to compete. Whether it was one mistake too many or not enough help from the fielding and/or offense, Rice won one of Canterino’s first six starts of the season. The team’s record reflecting their inability to win with their best arm on the mound. Then things flipped.

Rice has won each of Canterino’s last five starts. That included Canterino’s first complete game against FIU and two consecutive 7-inning scoreless outings in the Owls’ recent six-game winning streak. Canterino has been better over the past month, but so has his supporting cast.

Winning the first game of the series is incredibly important in the postseason, where Rice hopes to find themselves in a few short weeks. Riding their ace to the finish line will give this team confidence entering the conference tournament.

2. Trei Cruz is ramping back up

Rice shortstop Trei Cruz didn’t go anywhere after he bashed the baseball to bits during the opening series against Rhode Island but his near .400 average dipped down below .300 as his big moments seemed to grow further and further apart. Things came in spurts for a while, but he kept at it. He turned a corner this month and his production has continued to climb

Cruz is hitting .461 over the past two series with four extra-base hits and an RBI in five of the Owls’ six games. He’s one of several guys that seems to be seeing the ball better and making the most of his hard contact.

3. When everything’s good, it’s good

During the rough start to the season, Rice baseball head coach Matt Bragga warned his team to be wary of the snowball effect. Misfortune on the mound, the batter’s box and the field was starting to build on itself. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong, and the resulting losses felt like the Owls’ had missed opportunities all over the place.

Over the past two weeks, the opposite has occurred. The team is playing its best baseball of the year, that’s true. But they’re also the beneficiaries of a more positive version of the same snowballing. From the triple play on Saturday to a walk-off wild-pitch, Rice is finding ways to win. They would have loved to convert more often with runners in scoring position over the weekend, but even with the modest scoring, the balls that needed to fall, fell.

In no way can this weekend’s results be written off as purely good fortunate. Rice stood toe to toe with one of the best teams in Conference USA and won three straight. Luck doesn’t sweep series, good baseball does. Rice is playing good baseball right now. When that happens, the bounces seem to tend towards the positive direction.

ON DECK | vs Houston (Wed), at Western Kentucky (Fri-Sun)

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Jack Fox agrees to free agent deal with Chiefs

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After being passed over in the 2019 NFL Draft, former Rice Football punter Jack Fox has signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fox had his tv turned on when the draft began on Thursday and stayed tuned in throughout the coverage into the weekend. He’s always been a football fanatic. He would have been following the draft regardless of which directions his career path led him. This year was different.

This year he’s met some of the guys who heard their names called, guys like 49ers fourth-round pick former Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky. Like Wishnowsky, the players chosen by NFL teams are no larger than life characters for Fox, they’re friends and colleagues. After a strenuous pre-draft process, Fox’s childhood dream of playing in the NFL is starting to get closer and closer to becoming reality.

More: The incredible story of Jack Fox

When Saturday rolled around, Fox’s heart undoubtedly began to beat a little bit faster. Home with his family and close friends, Fox waited for the call.

Fox would have to wait until the final player was drafted before he learned where he would be playing his professional football. The focal point of several post-draft suitors, Fox was able to find the best spot for him. After weighing his options, Fox signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A half dozen NFL teams sent personnel to Houston for private workouts with Fox before the draft. The Cheifs were not among that group, but present an opportunity for Fox who is ready for the challenge.

“I’m pretty tired of the anticipation and ready to get to work,” admitted Jack Fox in the days leading up to the NFL Draft. Now, after weeks of workouts, interviews and meetings it’s finally time for Fox to get back to what he knows best: football.

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Rice Baseball: Previewing the Louisiana Tech series

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Rice baseball made up significant ground against Middle Tennessee. They’ll seek to keep climbing the CUSA ranks against Louisiana Tech this weekend.

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

If Rice is going to make a move in Conference USA, the time is now. The Owls sit at 9-9 on the edge of a conference tournament berth. A series win over Louisiana Tech, who some consider to be the favorite to with the league, would be huge for this team as they enter the final stretch. Here’s how the Owls stack up against the visiting Bulldogs:

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday – 6:30 pm: Matt Canterino (5-4, 2.97) vs Matt Miller (5-0, 2.95)
Saturday – 2:00 pm: Evan Kravetz (3-2, 4.18)  vs Logan Robbins (3-2, 6.31)
Sunday – 1:00 pm: Jackson Parthasarathy (3-6, 4.50) vs Logan Bailey (5-4, 5.88)

Louisiana Tech Pitching

The Bulldogs rank third in CUSA with a staff ERA of 4.45. Their 2.47 strikeout to walk ratio is eerily similar to the Owls’ own rate of 2.59. Aside from what should be a fairly even contest between Matt Miller and Matt Canterino on Friday night, Rice has the slight edge in the starting rotation.

It’s the bullpen that might give the Bulldogs the greatest reason for optimism. Jonathan Fincher has been almost unhittable out of the pen and brings a 1.03 WHIP into the weekend over 20 appearances. Braxton Smith has been another extremely reliable option, allowing no runs in six of his last seven appearances. If Louisiana Tech finds themselves in a jam, he could be the man called upon during multiple games this series to work around the trouble spots.

Louisiana Tech Hitting

The most intimidating facet of the Louisiana Tech lineup is its depth. The Bulldogs don’t have anyone on their team hitting .400, but they do have six regulars batting better than .270. No player is a home run king, but six guys have four or more on the season.

Outfielder Mason Mallard leads the way, sporting a glowing 1.018 OPS with a team-high 50 runs scored. He’s one of four Bulldogs to start each of the teams 41 games. The other three, outfielder Parker Bates, shortstop Taylor Young and designated hitter Steele Netterville are all well-rounded hitters. Netterville leads the team with 24 extra-base hits and seven home runs.

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NFL Draft: Where does Jack Fox fit among teams looking for punters?

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The NFL Draft is Jack Fox’s first opportunity to catch on with a pro team. Which destinations are the best fits for Rice Football‘s former punter?

Jack Fox is looking to catch on with an NFL team. Whether that’s through the NFL Draft or as a free agent, Fox is going to be in an NFL camp this summer. Where that camp will be held remains an unknown. Fox has been in contact with roughly a dozen teams since the NFL Combine.

More: Jack Fox’s journey from a small school in Missouri to the NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Chargers current punter is signed on a short-term futures contract, but they aren’t the only team which will be looking earnestly for an answer at the position in this draft class. Painting with an extremely broad brush, here’s a rough approximation of which landing spots would set Fox up for the most success, both in the near term and the future.

Unlikely to be in the market (10 teams)

These 10 teams have secured some of the best punters in the league and have them under contract until at least 2022. All of these contracts were signed in 2017 or later and carry multi-million dollar values. These teams might bring on a free agent punter for some workouts, but the chances of a newcomer supplanting these 10 is less likely than some of other opportunities.

Neutral (12)

The group below is where the realm of possibility starts to grow significantly. This group is largely a tick below the best of the best. NFL teams are always looking to improve at every position, opening the door open to competition. Any punter who is drafted or signs with one these teams is going to have a fair shot to win the job.

Favorable spots (10)

These 10 teams seem to be in the market for a replacement at the position. Some have been actively looking for their options while others haven’t openly expressed interest but could use an upgrade.

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