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Rice Baseball sputters against surging Charlotte, dropping series 3-0

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Rice Baseball came out flat against the Charlotte 49ers and watched their C-USA Tournament hopes fade in a three-game sweep.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball loses the series 3-0

It was a rough weekend on the road for Rice baseball who couldn’t put together a complete game when they needed it most, falling to deficiencies on the mound, at the plate and in the field in a pivotal series for their postseason hopes. The sweep is the Owls’ fourth of conference play. Rice is now 13-34 overall and 6-18 in conference play. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. Two skunks

Rice knew they couldn’t afford to be swept this weekend if there was any hope of catching Charlotte in the race for one of the final remaining spots in the Conference USA Tournament. With that urgency as inspiration, the Owls then proceeded to trot out onto the diamond and put up zero runs in two of the three games of the series.

The twin skunks represented the fifth and sixth time this season the Owls had been held off the scoreboard entirely in a game. Texas, Baylor, Harvard and Southern Miss all hung a zip on Rice this season. Charlotte had two, and the 49ers’ 5.77 team ERA in conference after posting two shutouts is still in the bottom half of the league.

Last Time Out: Rice baseball drops Silver Glove series with UH loss

Rice tallied a combined five hits in games one and three together, saving the bulk of their productive contact for the Saturday in which they outhit Charlotte 17-15 but lost 14-13. Even on their best day at the plate, Charlotte was better, a subtle, but recurring theme in this series.

2. Spots earned

Pierce Gallo wasn’t a surefire lock to be in the starting lineup heading into the season. When injuries opened up playing time for him he grabbed hold of the opportunity and never let go. As good as Gallo has been in the field, his bat has brought timely hits as well. On a weekend when hits were hard to come by, Gallo has four base knocks (including three doubles) and two RBI.

In addition to Gallo, Aaron Smigelski and Nathan Becker both rank top five among all Owls in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

While much will be made of where this team has collectively fallen short of expectations heading into the season, the emergence of those underclassmen with multiple years of eligibility remaining has been a salve to the hard times and a reminder that the future has plenty of bright spots.

3. Hoping for a miracle

In a game filled with superstitions, Rice needs the baseball equivalent of a hail mary over the course of the next few weeks. The Owls enter the final six games of Conference USA play exactly give games behind of UAB for the final spot in the conference tournament.

UAB took two of three from the Owls at Reckling earlier this season, giving them the tiebreaker should both squads end up deadlocked in their final records.

Rice can (mathematically) make the tournament if they sweep their final two series (vs MTSU, at FIU) and UAB is swept by FIU at home and UTSA on the road. Needless to say, the outlook is grim.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Charlotte 13 – Rice 0

Either David Shaw wasn’t nearly as crisp as he was the weekend prior or the Charlotte bats were on the warpath. Regardless of the cause, Shaw’s exit without recording an out in the fourth inning gave way to a spiraling effect for the rest of the team.

Trailing 5-0, Rice baseball head coach Jose Cruz Jr. rolled with dice with powerful, yet erratic, Miach Davis. He walked the bases full, handing Reid Gallant a powderkeg which exploded and turned into a seven-run inning for Charlotte. At that point, Rice found themselves in a 13-0 hole and there wasn’t anything they were going to be able to do on four hits to get out of it.

SATURDAY | Charlotte 14 – Rice 13

Charlotte struck with a big crooked number even earlier on Saturday morning, hanging six runs on Rice starter Alex DeLeon in the second inning. They’d add three more runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth. Facing a daunting 14-4 deficit at that point, Rice could have very well hung it up. But with the fate of the series still at stake, the bats answered.

Rice got five runs back in the sixth inning with two RBI hits in the inning coming from Connor Walsh and Pierce Gallo. Now trailing 14-9, Rice would edge ever so closer on a home run from Walsh in the subsequent inning. 14-10. Had it not been for the masterful work of Mark Perkins on the mound, the comeback might never have gotten that close. He went 3 innings, allowing one earned run.

Then came the ninth where Walsh cleared the bases with a three-run home run to make the score 14-13, in favor of Charlotte. The dreams of a rally crescendoed right up until a double-play ball with the tying run on third base snuffed out the dream and ended the game with a heartwrenching thud.

SUNDAY | Charlotte 9 – Rice 0

The wind seemed out of the Owls’ sails from the start in the series finale. Brandon Deskins, Cooper Chandler and Roel Garcia combined to hand out nine walks, nine hits and nine runs while the lineup produced exactly one hit in support: a double from Gallo.  Even with the tepid output from Rice, the game still dragged on for three hours and twelve minutes.

Rice batters did manage to walk four times, but only managed to push a base runner to second base on two occasions. That wasn’t going to get it done against a Charlotte offense that would total 36 runs in the three-game sweep.

ON DECK | vs Louisiana (Tues, Wed),  vs MTSU (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball: 2022 MLB Owls update – May 4

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The 2022 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angles

Rendon has been up and down this season, saving his biggest hit for a big moment. On Wednesday night he homered off Red Sox reliever Austin Davis to tie the game. The Angels would go on to win. That was his third extra base hit of the week after mashing two doubles on Apr 29 against the White Sox.

Through May 4 Rendon is hitting .231 with eight extra-base hits, 14 walks and 17 strikeouts. His OPS is .758 and he’s collected 11 RBI.

J.T. Chargois – Tampa Bay Rays

Chargois has yet to make a second appearance this season following his placement on the injured list in April.

Through May 4, Chargois has a 0.00 ERA with a 0.000 WHIP. He’s averaging 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey made three appearances this week, lowering his ERA by nearly a point and a half with two scoreless one-inning appearances sandwiching a one-run outing in between. Duffey earned one hold in the process with his team notching victories in all three games.

Through May 4, Duffey has a 6.00 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge appears in three games this week, working a total of 2.1 innings without allowing a run. He registered more strikeouts over that stint (three) than hits allowed (two). Lutege has not been charged with a run in nine of 11 appearances so far this season.

Through May 4, Luetge has a 4.15 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP. He’s averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Glenn Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto was bumped back from his Tuesday start this week with the return of Jon Gray from the injured list. Through two starts he’s 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA. He’s struck out 10 batters in 9.1 innings, a strong start to his 2022 season. It remains to be seen if he’ll be used in the bullpen for the time being or make a return back to the Rangers’ starting rotation soon.

Through May 4, Otto has a 2.89 ERA with a 09.64 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

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Rice Baseball 2022: Early miscues doom Owls at UH

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Rice Baseball was unable to overcome a costly early error, dropping the game and the Silver Glove Series to Houston on Wednesday night.

Winners of their last two midweek games, Rice baseball saw that streak come to an end on Wednesday night against the Houston Cougars. After a scoreless first inning, both teams traded runs in the second. The modest start continued into the third, but after Owls’ reliever Garret Zaskoda collected two quick outs, a fateful error extended the inning.

Last Time Out : Rice baseball battles back to take two of three vs WKU

Instead of heading back to the dugout in a tied, 1-1 game, things began to unravel. The next three Houston batters reached base, including a two-run double followed by a two-run home run. Instead of a close game, Rice found themselves trailing 5-1 after three innings.

Having dropped the first game of the series in March, the Silver Glove was at stake and Rice was already in a sizable hole.

Houston would extend their lead with a run in the fourth. Rice got that one back in the sixth but would go on to leave eight runners on base throughout the course of the game. The big hit that Houston collected would go on to evade Rice. The Cougars had five two-out RBI. Rice had one. That alone would prove to be the difference on Wednesday night.

What it means | Focus back on C-USA

For better or worse, Rice baseball can now fully turn its attention to conference play. The Silver Glove was the last non-conference achievement the Owls had to look toward this season, two-midweek games against Louisiana notwithstanding.  If Rice wants to make the Conference USA Baseball Tournament, they have to win and win a lot in their final nine conference games.

What does that look like, from a practical standpoint, head coach Jose Cruz Jr. was crystal clear regarding just how sizable the task at hand will be. “We’re basically gonna have to win every series to even have a chance,” he said. “We need at least need six wins. If we can get a seventh that’d be even better.”

Every team talks about turning the page and moving on to the next game. This time, more than ever, Rice needs to be locked in and ready to go when they make the trip to Charlotte this weekend.

ON DECK | at Charlotte

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 OL Patrick Valent commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has doubled down in the trenches, picking up a commitment from offensive lineman Patrick Valent.

For the better part of a month, the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class had one commitment: quarterback Chase Jenkins. Then the Owls ramped up the visits at the tail end of spring practice and the pace began to pick up quickly. Only a few days after securing a commitment from several additional offensive lineman, Rice has added another, Patrick Valent, to the fold as well.

Valent seemed locked in from the start. Rice was first to offer him out of Ohio in January. He told The Roost at that time that Rice would always “have a spot at the absolute top of my list” when it came to recruiting. He backed up those words when other offers soon followed.

After Rice’s offer in January, Valent picked up offers from Akron, Army, Air Force and Dartmouth. Even the draw of playing in state wasn’t enough to keep Valent from flocking south to Texas. Valent called the staff “first-class at all levels” and left campus impressed by the culture. Another visit included a picture with the then-committed Jenkins, further emphasizing Valent’s interest.

“I have a personality, but I’m all about work.I’m gonna work every day to ensure that Rice is the standard,” Valent said.

His commitment marks the sixth announcement for the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class and the fifth along the offensive line.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

It doesn’t take a film grinder to appreciate what Valent brings to the table. He drives back blockers and puts them in the dirt. “That’s my whole game,” Valent said. “I finish blocks with the best every play I am in and I want to drive you off the ball against your will and finish with force.” A quick look at his highlights makes that crystal clear.

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Rice Baseball compiles complete performances in WKU series win

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Rice Baseball took a much-needed weekend series against Western Kentucky, staying alive in the race for the Conference USA Tournament.

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

Rice baseball dropped the opening game before storming back to take the series thanks to a pair of one-sided affairs that ended in landslide victories on Saturday and Sunday. The pitching was good, the defense was stellar and the bats were explosive.

The series win is the Owls’ first since taking two of three from Marshall in later March. Rice is now 13-30 overall and 6-15 in conference play. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. Bring out the bats

Rice baseball scored five runs against Southern Miss last weekend across three games. They followed that up with a three-run outing on Friday night. Then the bats woke up. And when they did, they shook Reckling Park for the remainder of the weekend. Rice scored 24 runs over the final 20 innings of the weekend.

While it was the usual suspects who led the charge, Rice got contributions up and down the lineup. That’s what enabled the Owls to cobble together so many crooked numbers. Rather than wait for Austin Bulman, Guy Garibay or Aaron Smigelski to deliver the big hit, the entire lineup contributed in key moments.

Last Time Out: Rice baseball swept by No. 6 Southern Miss on the road

Pierce Gallo went 4-for-5 on Saturday with four RBI while hitting from the sixth spot. Hal Hughes was a perfect 2-for-2 on Sunday, scoring twice and doubling along the way. Catchers Justin Long and Manny Garza each had RBI hits during the weekend. Great players can drive in runs here and there, but it truly takes a village to score like the Owls did this weekend.

2. Sneaky strong starting pitching

Despite not having Cooper Chandler on Friday night, Rice starting pitching produced one of their most competitive weekends of the season. Thomas Burbank had the shortest outing, only going 2.2 innings, but things would only get better from there.

On Saturday, David Shaw through five innings, allowing one earned run on just three hits. It was Alex DeLeon’s turn to dazzle on Sunday, hurling five innings of one-run ball himself. Both of those outings allowed the offense time to work on the Western Kentucky staff with tremendous results.

DeLeon tipped his cap to the herculean defensive efforts of his outfielders behind him like Connor Walsh. “It makes you kind of calm down out there, kinda relax and get back into a groove,” he said.

Few teams are able to turn in three quality starting outings from their weekend rotation on a consistent basis. That said, it’s hard to be upset with what the Rice staff was able to accomplish this weekend.

3. Building momentum?

Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. acknowledge it would take some time to get the program to where he wanted it to be shortly after taking the job last year. The year has been filled with road bumps, but this weekend served as a positive note as the calendar turns to May. It’s too late to rewrite box scores from March and April — that damage has been done — but Rice still controls what happens from this point onward.

The teams that are remembered are the ones that win in May. To regurgitate an age-old sports adage, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Because they were able to take a series this weekend they’ll now have the opportunity to win back-to-back series for the first time this year. That’s how all good runs start, by winning the next game.

“We’re basically going to have to win every series to even have a chance,” Cruz Jr. said, aware of how large the task at hand is for his team. “We’re just going to have to show up and play the best ball we’ve played. Right now we’re trending in that direction.”

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | WKU 5 – Rice 3

Western Kentucky jumped out in front early on Friday night, scoring twice in the second inning off Rice starter Thomas Burbank, who went 2.2 innings before ceding to Brandon Deskins, who escaped a jam and kept WKU off the board for the remainder of his outing.

Rice would tally 11 hits on the afternoon but was unable to turn them into runs until the seventh inning. At that point, Western Kentucky had taken a 4-0 lead and Rice was forced to play catch up. Home runs by Austin Bulman and Manny Garza in the late innings helped narrow the gap, but Rice would fall 5-3.

SATURDAY | Rice 13 – WKU 8

Rice fell behind in the second game of the series, but they wouldn’t spend long trailing. The Owls took the lead with a two-run second inning. Then Rice exploded for 10 runs in the second inning, the most runs Rice has scored in a single inning in conference play since scoring 10 at Charlotte in 2019. Aaron Smigelski and Pierce Gallo each had multiple RBI hits in the frame, putting Rice in front 12-1.

Western Kentucky cobbled together seven additional runs over the course of the next seven innings, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Owls’ sizable early lead. Cristian Cienfuegos would come on to pitch the final two innings to preserve the win.

SUNDAY | Rice 8 – WKU 2

After swapping runs in the first inning, Rice took their first lead of the rubber game on a sacrifice fly from Guy Garibay in the third inning. Garibay would extend the lead himself in his next plate appearance, diving to right field to score one just before Austin Bulman delivered a two-run blast.

Leading 5-2 at that point, the Rice offense struck for three more in the sixth courtesy of doubles from Jack Reidel and Hal Hughes plus a wild pitch. Alex DeLeon was terrific on the mound, holding WKU to two runs in five innings. Matthew Linskey came on to close things out in the eighth, endured a 49-minute lightning delay, then finished out the ninth to lock down the win.

ON DECK | at Charlotte (Fri-Sun)

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