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Rice Baseball: Owls crumble late as Houston evens Silver Glove Series

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Rice baseball took an early lead, but couldn’t hold on dropping the second game of the Silver Glove Series to Houston on Wednesday night.

A hot start from the Rice bats wouldn’t be enough to secure their second win over Houston this season and clinch the Silver Glove Series.

Things started off on the right track. Bradley Gneiting got things going with a double to left center. He was quickly driven in by Trei Cruz to give Rice the 1-0 lead. Next, Andrew Dunlap was hit by the pitch for a team-leading 17th time, setting up Cade Edwards for an RBI single to extend the Rice lead to 2-0.

Houston would tie the game up in the seventh with a two-out double down the right field line. The score remained 2-2 entering extra innings before disaster struck in the 10th. Jackson Tyner loaded the bases and Ben Schragger allowed three runs on two walks and a hit batsman. Two more relievers would try their hand, but the game was quickly out of hand. Rice was shut out in the home half of the inning, dropping the game by a final score of 8-2.

1. Defense moving from deficit to asset

Sloppy play in the field was a significant contributing factor to the Owls rough start to the season. Rice wasn’t able to string together two error-free games together until March 22 and March 23, two games into conference play. They haven’t been perfect in the field since then, but the Owls had 11 multi-error games before that juncture and have reached that mark six times since.

Not only are they not making mistakes, but players across the diamond are also stepping up to make big plays. Gneiting made a nifty save on the track in right field in the fourth and Brandt Frazier snagged a missile sent his direction in the fifth. Rice committed no errors in 10 innings.

2. Bordwine’s best

The chances of broaching the weekend rotation this season are slim to none, but Rice is going to need all the arms they can find if they want to make a run through the CUSA Tournament and vie for NCAA Tournament slot. Using midweek games like Wednesday’s clash with the Cougars to identify those extra weapons is a must. Bordwine rose to the occasion and could write his name into lineup cards more often moving forward.

Bordwine tied a career-long set earlier this season against Prairie View A&M with five innings pitched. He allowed one hit, struck out one and walked two. He might not be as dominant as some of the other arms Rice can turn to in a pinch, but having one more reliable option is always a good thing.

3. Failing to clinch the Silver Glove Series now is a missed opportunity

When Rice was in their heyday, the Silver Glove seldom left South Main. Rice won the series every season from 2001 to 2013. As far as baseball was concerned, the Owls ruled the city of Houston. A win on Wednesday would have given the Owls a 3-3 split with the Cougars over the last six seasons. Instead, they’ll get one more chance in the rubber game of the series, held later this season at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.

Winning rivalry games is an important step in restoring the program to its historic roots. Rice has already accrued wins over in-state powers TCU and Baylor. Those are proof of a strong foundation being built by Bragga during his first campaign at Rice. There’s still more to be done.

ON DECK | at Western Kentucky (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball: Owls look to clinch Silver Glove Series vs Houston

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Winners of a previous meeting at Schroeder Park, Rice baseball can clinch the Silver Glove Series with a win over Houston on Wednesday.

Rice owned the Silver Gloves Series for the majority of the Wayne Graham era, but the crosstown rivalry has grown more contentious in recent years. The Owls won the series from 2001 to 2013. Since then, the Cougars and Owls have traded years with Rice winning the odd years and Houston winning the even years.

If tradition holds, 2019 is the year of the Owls. Rice took the first step in that journey, defeating Houston 5-3 in March to take a 1-0 series lead. They have two games remaining in the series, starting with a home contest at Reckling Park next before finishing the series at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. Here’s how both teams stack up and how to watch.

When and Where

Projected pitching matchup – Kel Bordwine vs Jared Pettitte

Rice hasn’t had a midweek game for a few weeks. Prior to the brief break, Kel Bordwine had settled into the midweek starting role for the Owls. Bordwine has been part of a short rotation and hasn’t thrown more than two innings since pitching four innings against Sam Houston on March 6. Bordwine is 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA in 11 appearances.

Ryan Randel had been the man to go in the Cougars’ midweek games until recently moving into the weekend rotation. Jared Pettitte started the last midweek game against Sam Houston and could in line for action this week, too. He owns a 7.04 ERA in five appearances (three starts).

Names to know from the plate

First baseman Joe Davis carries the water for the Cougars at the plate. He leads the team with 16 home runs, 50 RBI and a .431 on base percentage. Third baseman Jared Triolo is right there with him, batting .310 with a team-high 11 doubles.

Centerfield Tyler Bielamowicz and designated hitter Derrick Cherry round out the upper half of the lineup. The Cougars managed fives hits in the first game of the Silver Glove Series, two of which came from Bielamowicz.

ON DECK | at Western Kentucky (Fri-Sun)

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Jack Fox vs Dustin Colquitt: Evaluating the Kansas City Chiefs punters

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Undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jack Fox signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’ll battle veteran Dustin Colquitt for the punting job.

Jack Fox made waves with his impressive senior season at Rice. Now he’s on to the NFL where he’ll attempt to earn himself a spot on the roster of the Kansas City Chiefs. The limited roster room leads few NFL teams to carry multiple punters. If Fox is going to stay on with the Chiefs, he’ll most likely have to beat out veteran punter Dustin Colquitt.

Colquitt has 15 years of NFL experience, all with the Chiefs, and recently signed a 3-year, $7.5 Million extension in 2018. He’s due $4.5 Million over the next two seasons; Fox signed a 3-year deal which will pay him $1.765 Million over the next three seasons. From a purely financial perspective, Fox has a much more affordable deal.

More: The incredible story of Jack Fox

Fox has a good financial case, but that’s only going to come into play if he can produce on the field in camp. The Chiefs will get a look at both guys in person, for now, we’ll have to settle with a snapshot of how each player faired last season — Colquitt with Kansas City and Fox with Rice.

2018 Stats

Player Colquitt Fox
Games 16 13
Punts 45 80
Yards 2,021 3,636
Avg 44.9 45.5
Long 67 76
TB 5 13
In20 21 31
Net 40.5 40.1

The Kansas City offense was so effective last year Colquitt posted a career-low 45 punts. The Rice offense was not as efficient, providing Fox plenty of opportunities. Fox led the nation in punting yardage and matched up favorably with Colquitt across the board in most major statistics.

On paper, Fox absolutely has a chance to make the team. The Chiefs gave him guaranteed money, which indicates they think he’s got a good shot to stick around. If he doesn’t make the roster, he’ll be a practice squad player and have more opportunities to kick in the NFL down the road.

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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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