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Rice Baseball: Previewing the FIU series

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Rice baseball hopes to extend their recent hot streak with a series win over FIU who visits Reckling Park this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know.

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It’s been a very different week for FIU and Rice baseball. The Owls have won four straight and five of their last six, sweeping Old Dominion on the road last weekend before an emphatic Tuesday night win over Sam Houston State. FIU has been less fortunate, losing eight in a row with a 3-9 record away from home.

Rice will have a real shot to gain ground in Conference USA and regain level footing after an 0-5 start. Here’s everything you need to know for the weekend:

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday – 7:30 pm: Matt Canterino (2-4, 2.62) vs Logan Allen  (3-2, 1.05)
Saturday – 3:00 pm: Evan Kravetz (2-1, 4.82)  vs Nick MacDonald (0-3, 3.34)
Sunday – 12:00 pm: Addison Moss (1-1, 9.98) vs Franco Aleman (0-2, 4.24)

FIU Pitching

Friday night looks like it’s going to be a pitcher’s duel between two of the most trustworthy aces in CUSA. Canterino has been strong, but FIU’s Logan Allen has been near perfect. The sophomore lefty leads the conference in ERA, strikeouts and batting average against. FIU has won five of the last six games he’s started and he’s pitched at least a five inning shutout in each of those wins.

Behind him the options grow more uncertain. Nick McDonald will throw Saturday, but neither team has officially named a Sunday starter yet. After starting Christian Santana against Houston on Wednesday,  Franco Aleman is the probable choice.

Out of the bullpen Rice will have to find a way to solve Jan Figueroa. He’s made 13 appearances on the season, tied for second most on the team, but has yet to allow a run. Opposing batters are hitting .129 against him. Angel Tiburcio, Will Saxton and Jose Machado should be in line to see some relief work as well.

FIU Hitting

Their offensive attack has been as scattered as their pitching staff has been reliable. FIU ranks dead last in CUSA with a .228 batting average and a lowly .367 slugging percentage. Their Friday night ace, Allen, also has the best bat on the team. He holds a .316 average and should be in the mix to see plenty of plate appearances this weekend.

After Allen, the lineup gets thin quickly. Lorenzo Hampton Jr. is the only other FIU player hitting better than .300 (he sports a .302 batting average). The team ranks dead last in the conference in doubles, 10th in triples, but fourth in home runs. That’s going to be the sticking point against Rice pitching. A few base runners plus well timed blasts will be the Panthers’ Plan A approach at the plate.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls in the midst of productive Junior Days

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The 2020 Rice football recruiting class is picking up steam. The spring has brought three commitments and more could be on the way after a few official visit weekends.

The winter has barely dissipated and Rice football has already broken the ice on what could be a historic signing class. Not to be hyperbolic, but that’s the sort of trajectory that’s been set by the Owls’ first four commitments.

Safety Plae Wyatt, offensive lineman Braedon Nutter and Brady Feeney and newest commit Nate Kamper have already raised the bar. Wyatt, Nutter and Feeney rate as three of the four highest-rated players Rice has signed since 2015. Kamper is a 6-foot-6 matchup nightmare in the slot and the Owls’ coaching staff is working on reeling in more big fish.

March Junior Day

Rice hosted a dozen or so 2019 recruits at the end of March including Wyatt and Nutter, both of whom gave rousing endorsements of the weekend. It was more than just the committed guys who liked what they saw. So did Kamper, who was back on campus a week and a half later before committing on April 3.

Hightower athlete Kobie Campbell was impressed with the facilities and the personability of the Rice staff. Notre Dame Prep (Az) linebacker Brock Locnikar praised the dedication to improvement and the #IntellectualBrutality culture. Both players are firmly in the crosshairs of the Rice staff as are a few other notable names who were on campus that weekend like St. Thomas offensive lineman Tommy Brandt and Hendrickson defensive lineman Gabriel Hunter.

April Junior Day

Rice will bring in another group of 2020 recruits this coming weekend, too. Sage Ennis, a top 25 tight ranked tight end from Lincoln High School in Florida, will be in attendance as will playmaking Tomball Memorial wide receiver Logan Kyle. A teammate of current Rice commit Braedon Nutter, Kyle’s offer list is blowing up, but remains interested in what the Owls have to offer.

On the defensive line, Desert Ridge High School (AZ) product Joquari Price is making the trip east to Texas and Louisiana native Noah Taliancich from Destrehan High School will make the trip west. At least for this weekend, all roads seem to lead to Houston.

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Rice Baseball: Owls snap midweek blues with big win over Sam Houston State

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Rice baseball is in the midst of their longest winning streak of the year, tacking on a victory in a midweek contest over Sam Houston on Tuesday.

The bats struck early and finished strong as Rice evened the season series with Sam Houston at one game apiece. Rice struck first on a Trei Cruz home run in the first inning and opened things up with a five run second inning, kicked off with a Cade Edwards home run. Gneiting had a double in the frame, his first of two doubles on the night.

Sam Houston would narrow the deficit to 7-5 after the seventh inning, but that’s as close as they would get. Tenacious pitching paired with four runs across the final two innings suppressed any hope of a comeback down the stretch. After losing four of their last five midweek contests, Rice earned a much-needed win over the Bearkats. Here are a few postgame thoughts following the big win.

Loving the long ball

From March 3 to March 26, a span of 16 games, Rice hit nine home runs. They’ve blasted nine long balls in the past week, crushing seven against Old Dominion over the weekend before two more roundtrippers against Sam Houston on Tuesday. The injection of instant offense has had a calming effect on the entire lineup. Players don’t seem to be pressing as much. They’re being patience in the box and the results are encouraging.

Andrew Dunlap has led the way, but Trei Cruz and Cade Edwards broke through against Sam Houston. Multiple guys have proven they have the power to take one out of the ballpark, making the lineup that much more challenging to navigate for opposing pitchers.

Just when some counted them out

Things were looking pretty bleak midway through the Owls’ home series with UTSA less than two weeks ago. Rice had dropped seven consecutive games, starting 0-5 in conference play with an 8-17 record. Words like “rebuild” were being whispered around Reckling Park and the young season was being questioned.

Since then Rice has won five of their last six and four games in a row. They’re 4-5 in conference play and right back in the mix after falling behind early. There are still problems to be fixed and players in need of improvement, but the collective willpower of this team has proven to be undoubtedly tougher than many believed.

It’s not just the winning, it’s how Rice has won these games. Sam Houston beat Rice 10-9 a few weeks ago. Rice punched back with an emphatic 11-5 win. All phases are coming into form at the right time. This team is locked in and the results have been evident.

Take a bow, bullpen

A key piece of the recent success has been the resurgence of the Rice bullpen. They haven’t quite cemented themselves as automatic out-getters yet, but for one of the first times this season it feels like there are multiple options for coach Matt Bragga to call on out of the pen.

Tuesday night starter Kel Bordwine had trouble harnessing his command, giving way to a heavy dose of the pen against Sam Houston State. Jackson Tyner was sharp, striking out four in two innings. Blair Lewis added three K’s after him in two frames. Drake Greenwood had the lone bad outing, failing to record an out while allowing two runs. Garrett Gayle closed the door with three scoreless innings.

Those relievers plus some of the more established guys like Kendal Jeffries and converted starter Jackson Parthasarathy make for a sturdy back end on the mound.

UP NEXT | vs FIU (Fri – Sun)
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Rice Football: Offense makes strides at spring practice

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Rice football spring practices continue to move along. On Monday the offense had one of their better showings of the spring.

Monday was a “catch up” day for Rice football on the practice field. There were no new schemes installed, rather all units drilled in on the concepts they’d already been tough through the first several practices of the spring. The results, for the most part, seemed encouraging.

“You saw football slow down for these guys,” Bloomgren said with a smile. “There motors and ability to play fast on the field sped up.” It was a noticeable step forward for the entire unit.

Offense takes a step forward

Wiley Green, Aaron Cephus and Cam Montgomery had stellar days. The defense is probably still a step or two ahead as a whole, but the offense showed sparks on Monday. One of those somewhat surprising jolts came from linebacker-turned-running back Ari Broussard.

Broussard had a strong scrimmage on Saturday, breaking off some big runs with plenty of yardage after contact. He used every inch of his 6-foot, 210-pound frame, plowing through defenders and picking up hard yardage. With the departure of Emmanuel Esukpa as a grad transfer this spring, for the moment, he might be the Owls’ biggest bruiser in the backfield.

He was one of several guys who looked more at ease in the offense. Clay Servin said getting reps with some of the same guys up front on the offensive line made it “a lot easier to see things,” adding “This offense is very complete and it only gets easier with experience and time.”

Servin, along with Shea Baker and Cole Garcia have shown continued progress this spring. Bloomgren cited grad transfer Nick Leverett as a big winner on Monday. All in all, this unit is coming along well.

Defense remains consistent

As the offense comes into the picture, the defense has stayed strong. Bloomgren called the defensive line “the biggest surprise” of the spring, saying they’ve collectively “worked their butts off and caused a lot of problems up front.” Cam Valentine is back from injury and has had some nice moments. So has Anthony Ekpe, who slid from his linebacker post to rush end this spring.

Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero have been two of the most impressive performers. Montero attributed his experience in the fall to a portion of his success. “I feel a lot more confident in the scheme and where I need to be.,” he shared. “I have a real feel for the physicality of the game, that all comes with experience.” Experience, plus low numbers at his position have given him opportunity. He continues to rise to the occasion.

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Rice Baseball: Owls flying high with road sweep vs Old Dominion

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It’s been a season of streaks, both good and bad, for Rice baseball. A road series sweep of Old Dominion has the Owls on the upswing.

The back and forth swings of the 2019 Rice baseball season hit a high note in Virginia. After winning their first conference game on Sunday against UTSA, Rice extended their CUSA winning streak to four games in a row with a three game sweep of Old Dominion.

The strong weekend boosts the Owls’ record to 12-18 (4-5 CUSA). While it wasn’t quite a “must win” series, the impact from the impressive showing will have repercussions in the days to come. Here are how each game finished and three final takeaways from one of the Owl’s best weekends of the season.

FRIDAY | Rice 3 – Old Dominion 1

Despite a 1-4 record entering the series, Rice ace Matt Canterino has been steady. Ufnoratunetly for him, one bad inning had spoiled his last few starts as the offense behind him sputtered. He only got three runs of support on Friday night, but Canterino was so locked in that would prove to be more than enough.

Canterino’s only run allowed came by way of a wild pitch in the fifth inning, an inning in which he recorded three of his season-high 12 strikeouts. The run could only even the score — Bradley Gneiting had opened up a 1-0 edge in the top half of the inning with an RBI single.

Rice would tack on two additional runs in the seventh and eighth innings on solo home runs to left field by Braden Comeaux and Justin Collins, respectively. Kendal Jeffries would relieve Canterino after six innings and silence Old Dominion for the remainder of the game, allowing one hit and zero runs as he faced the minimum to earn his third save of the year.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON | Rice 14 – Old Dominion 10

Both offenses came out swinging following the pitcher’s duel on Friday night. Neither starting pitcher made it past the third inning. Tommy Gertner recorded five outs and was charged with five runs after hitting four batters, walking two and allowing five hits. Rice starter Addison Moss was equally ineffective, allowing seven runs while walking three in 2+ innings of work.

Fortunately for the Owls, they had proven starter Jackson Parthasarathy waiting in the pen. He came on in the third and closed out the game, throwing seven innings of three-run ball. Old Dominion wasn’t nearly as fortunate. The Monarchs turned to six pitchers on the day, none of which lasted at least three innings. All but one, Trey Fisher who got the last two outs in the ninth, allowed fewer than two hits and one run.

Outfielder Dominic Cox led the way with seven RBI on three extra base hits, highlighted by his first home run on the season. Andrew Dunlap blasted two home runs of his own driving in four. Every player in the Owls’ lineup reached base at least once and the team totaled just seven strikeouts, tied for the fewest in conference play.

SATURDAY NIGHT| Rice 11 – Old Dominion 2

Bumped up from the previously scheduled Sunday start, Rice picked up where they left off in the earlier game, blasting past Old Dominion in the series finale to sweep the series. Evan Kravetz had arguably the best outing of his career, allowing three hits and two runs in eight innings of work against an Old Dominion lineup which had scored 10 runs against Rice only a few hours before he took the mound.

Kravetz allowed a single in the first before holding the Monarchs without a hit from the second to the sixth inning. Old Dominion scored twice on a pair of sacrifice flies in the seventh, but an 8-0 Rice advantage made the damage seem paltry in comparison.

As Kravetz dealt on the mound, Rice pounded out 16 hits, the most against any conference opponent yet this season. Dunlap hit his third home run of the day, extenind a 1-0 Rice lead to a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Collins would follow with another home run. The five-run margin proved to be more than enough, but Rice would tack on three runs in the seventh and ninth innings for good measure.

TAKEAWAYS | Rice wins series 3-0

1. The offense actually looks balanced

At the beginning of the season it felt like it was Trei Cruz against the world. The talented shortstop carries a big stick, but he’s since fallen down in the stat sheet following his hot start. Four every day starters are hitting .300 or better — that doesn’t include Cruz or Collins behind the plate. Nor does it count red-hot Dominic Cox.

The first seven batters Rice started in the last game of the series on Saturday were hitting .286 or better. Rice scored 11 runs. It’s not rocket science, but seven strong hitters typically leads to more productive offenses than weak lineups with one big-time slugger. That was where the Owls found themselves early on as Cruz flirted with a ,400 average. Now, they’re fairly even keeled with players emerging from all over the roster to make big hits.

This offense is more than just Trei Cruz right now. And perhaps not so coincidentally, the production increased exponentially.

2. More often that not, the rotation is going to be enough

Matt Canterino only went six innings, but he struck out 12. In quick relief of Addison Moss, Jackson Parthasarathy went seven innings on Saturday before Evan Kravetz slammed the door in the final game to secure the sweep. As a unit, it was a pretty good weekend, especially when you consider how much Rice needed to win to a weekend series.

If Rice can get close to that level of effectiveness each weekend in conference play they’ll be a threat to take down all comers. That’s especially true considering the masterful work of the Rice bullpen over the weekend. The three relievers utilized by coach Matt Bragg over the weekend  — Jeffries, Parthasarathy and Gayle —  allowed three runs on nine hits in 11 innings.

3. Resiliency

It’s been a season of streaks. After opening with a series win over Rhode Island, Rice looked out of touch in losses to Arizona and Texas as well as weekend series dropped to UC Irvine and Oklahoma. They righted that ship with a huge weekend at the Shriner’s College Classic at Minute Maid Park.

Then things went south again. Rice dropped their first five conference games and looked bad doing it. There were questions about whether or not this team could do enough to earn a postseason berth, something which has been the expected outcome of season at Rice for some time. Sitting in another low spot, Rice rallied again.

Baseball is an intensive character to test. Players on all teams learn a lot about themselves during the strains of tough stretches on the plate or at the ound. It takes intestinal fortitude, guts, to weather the storm and keep fighting. Whether or not they’ll reach the postseason or not remains to be seen, but this team continues to prove they’re going to battle. That’s a good sign.

ON DECK | at Sam Houston (Tues),  vs FIU (Fri-Sun)

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