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Rice Baseball shows sparks, but gets swept by Stanford

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Rice Baseball gave Stanford a fight at the Farm this weekend but left California without a win, falling to 2-5 on the season.

THE PLAY BY PLAY | Rice drops series 3-0

FRIDAY | Stanford 6 – Rice 3

Parker Smith cruised through the first several innings of the series opener against Stanford on Friday afternoon, giving up a hit or a walk here or there, but never really feeling like he was in any real danger early on. Part of that comfort was generated by Drew Holderbach, who delivered a two-out single through the left side to put Rice ahead 2-0 in the third inning. Stanford would get one run back in the fourth, but Rice was in control as the game went into the later innings.

More: Under the radar players for Rice baseball in 2023

Things got hairy in the sixth after Pierce Gallo committed a pair of errors that enable Stanford to tie the game. With runners on second and third and one two outs, the Owls went to Matthew Linskey, who gave up the go-ahead run and eventually two more after he lost command in the seventh. That would be it for the Owls’ who couldn’t claw back from the late deficit.

SATURDAY AM | Stanford 11 – Rice 1

With a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, a string of bullpen games was expected. Mauricio Rodriguez got the start in the first game and gave up two earned runs in 3.2 innings. Unfortunately for him, the Owls’ offense would only score once, eventually saddling him with the loss

Stanford was able to get to almost every Rice reliever that followed. Tyler Hamilton got it the worst, allowing five runs on two hits and three walks in the eighth inning, more or less the unofficial white flag for a Rice team that had collected just four hits on the day.

SATURDAY PM | Stanford 7 – Rice 4

Headed to the bottom of the second inning tied 2-2, Rice has weathered Stanford’s first scoring strike and answered. Stanford would punch back, going up 4-2 only to see Rice respond in the fourth with two runs of their own. After going through much of Friday in an evenly matched game, the second half of the doubleheader had a similar feel.

Rice had the chance to break things open with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. They scored twice, one of which came on a bases-loaded walk to Trey Duffield. They couldn’t get a bigger number across, despite the fortuitous situation. Justin Long gave the Owls a chance with a masterful 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, but the lack of run production in that key moment would come back to bite them, with Stanford scoring three in the eighth to take the lead for good.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball made it into the sixth inning tied with the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal twice this weekend but walked away without any wins. The Owls had the muscle to hang around with the Cardinal but didn’t possess that extra oomph needed to close out either of their close games. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. Rice baseball has a Friday night guy

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ON DECK | at Sam Houston (Tues),  Shriners Classic – vs Texas Tech (Fri), vs Texas A&M (Sat), vs TCU (Sun)

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Rice Baseball 2023: Owls edge SHSU at home

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Rice Baseball posted an impressive low-scoring win against Sam Houston on Wednesday, silencing a powerful Sam Houston offense at Reckling Park.

Connor Walsh took advantage of his promotion to the top of the lineup on Wednesday evening, lifting a 2-1 pitch to left center and racing around the infield for a leadoff triple. He came in to score two batters later, courtesy of a single to right field by Jack Riedel, giving Rice an early 1-0 lead.

Last Time Out : Rice Baseball steals finale in series loss to Louisiana

That 1-0 lead would hold for some time thanks to some fantastic pitching performances from the Rice side. Mauricio Rodriguez got the start and went 3.1 innings of scoreless action, striking out three while allowing three hits and no walks. Krishna Raj came in to relieve him in the fourth, finishing that frame and the next inning without allowing a run. He would give way to JD McCracken, who worked around a double to keep Sam Houston off the board in the sixth.

McCracken had more magic in store in the seventh. After he overthrew first base and allowed the first SHSU hitter to reach via error he would come back and gun that same runner down at the plate two batters later. Then, after loading the bases on a single and hit-by-pitch, he would escape again, coaxing a soft groundout to second.

Rice was finally able to exhale ever so slightly when Guy Garibay blasted this opposite-field home run in the eighth, putting the home team up 3-0. Sam Houston would get their only run in the ninth inning, but Garibay’s cushion would be enough to keep Rice ahead.

What it means | Pitchers not named Smith

Parker Smith delivered a quality start on Friday night against Louisiana. The Owls’ No. 1 arm had a No.1 type performance, far and away the biggest pitching performance the Owls had on opening weekend. Smith isn’t infallible. He will have some rough outings, everyone does. But what’s most important for Rice baseball right now is to find the guys *not* named Parker Smith who can deliver quality outings.

Names to Know : Under the radar Rice Baseball players for the 2023 season

They might have found some answers on Wednesday night. Rodriguez, Raj and McCracken were all excellent in relief, bouncing back from lesser performances on opening weekend with a strong showing in the midweek game. These were three of the more high-profile transfers added to the roster this season. They’ve been penciled in as key contributors for months now. Seeing them live up to the billing was important, for them personally and the coaching staff.

To do what they did against Sam Houston was particularly impressive. The Bearkats had just put up 43 runs in their last 16 innings. They scored once in nine innings against Rice, and neither Smith nor ace reliever Matthew Linskey threw a pitch.

ON DECK | at Stanford (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball: Under the radar players? — February Patreon Q&A

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There are a lot of new names on the 2023 Rice baseball roster. Which ones are going to make the biggest impact on the diamond this year?

There was a lot of activity surrounding Rice baseball over the offseason. The playing surface and Reckling Park was redone and a compliment of new players was added to the team, several of which have received buzz during the fall and the leadup to the 2023 season. Which of those anticipated debuts will bring with it the biggest boom? We dig into that question in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

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Rice Baseball works through opening weekend jitters in series loss to Louisiana

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Rice Baseball worked through some early season growing pains against Louisiana, salvaging the Sunday finale and learning a lot along the way.

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

Rice baseball came tantalizingly close to a win on Opening Day, but couldn’t hold on late against Louisiana, who pushed their winning streak over Rice to 11 games with a second win on Saturday. The Owls finally got their footing on Sunday, rallying from a 5-0 deficit to take the finale and build some momentum as they head into their first midweek contest against Sam Houston. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. The new kids are alright

Improving the roster was one of the top priorities for head coach Jose Cruz Jr. this offseason and there was plenty of anticipation when those fresh faces finally got the chance to step onto the diamond this weekend. It didn’t take long for several of them to impress in their early action.

On opening night, three hitters made their Rice debut (Max Johnson, Drew Holderbach and Ben Royo) and all three contributed to the go-ahead two-run rally in the sixth. Holderbach singled. Royo drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Johnson walked, loading the bases for the go-ahead walk a batter later.

More: Expectations rise for Rice Baseball, Cruz Jr. in Year 2

Immediately afterward, newcomer Krisha Raj struck out the side in the top of the seventh, his Rice debut. Raj wasn’t perfect — he surrendered the go-ahead run in the next inning — but the collection of newcomers, on the whole, was positive.

On Saturday Freshman catcher Paul Smith walked four times and collected his first collegiate RBI on Saturday. Then Holderbach found his groove on Sunday, mashing a go-ahead home run, the Owls’ first longball of the season.

2. Clutch hitting remains key

Without disclosing which games were which, here are the Owls’ outputs with runners in scoring position in each of the three games this weekend: 5-for-12 (.417), 1-for-7 (.143), 0-for-10 (.000).  Guess which game the Owls won?

One stat does not a game make, but the Owls’ lack of timely hitting in the first two contests (.000 on Friday and .143 on Saturday) made it hard to win, even with their solid pitching performance on opening day and a combined 17 walks issued to them in those first two contests. There were a lot of base runners, but not nearly enough runs.

“I’m happy for them because now it’s like a relief for the guys to be able to break through with bases loaded and guys on base,” head coach Jose Cruz Jr. said. “Hopefully moving forward they know they can do it and we get more of it.”

Getting 12 runs a game is a luxury few teams have. Expecting that on a daily basis would be pushing it, but getting past the four-run mark is going to have to be something Rice finds a way to do consistently if they’re going to find ways to win more than once on any given weekend.

3. Pitching depth goes under the microscope again

It was a mixed bag on the mound for Rice baseball this weekend. The first tip of the cap goes to Parker Smith for a quality start on Friday night, far surpassing the underwhelming performances from the starters on Saturday and Sunday. Cruz Jr will likely give both guys another shot or two on the weekend before making changes, but it’s safe to say neither Justin Long nor JD McCracken was thrilled with their less-than-two-inning outings.

As for the relief corps, Matthew Linskey remains the gold standard, but Rice got strong showings from Garrett Zaskoda, Blake Brogdon and a few others. Freshman Ryland Urbanczyk had an encouraging debut as did Texas Tech transfer Tyler Hamilton.

The bullpen might have actually been more effective than a cursory look might convey. On Saturday and Sunday combined, Rice relievers were charged with nine runs in 15 innings, an ERA of 5.40. That’s quite the contrast from the starters on those days who gave up 10 runs in 3.0 innings, an ERA of 30.00.

While 5.40 from the pen might not quite be good enough, it’s certainly good enough to keep you in most games, provide your starter went a reasonable distance and pitched well enough. Nevertheless, there’s a lot more work that’s needed to be done here before Rice feels confident in who they’re going to deploy in those key situations.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Louisiana 5 – Rice 4

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Guy Garibay reached base and Manny Gazra doubled him home. That proved to be one of only a handful of key two-out hits on the night for the Owls, who got on base plenty but watched the big hit evade their grasp.

Louisiana would break through with a three-spot against Rice starter Parker smith in the third, who delivered a quality start with that lone hiccup interspersed. A two-run homerun off reliever Krishna Raj was the only other blemish against the Owls’ pitching staff, but the lack of clutch hitting allowed that to be enough. Rice walked eight times but stranded 11 in a close Friday night loss.

SATURDAY | Louisiana 11 – Rice 2

Converted catcher Justin Long drew the Saturday start for Rice baseball and things did not go well in his her outing on the other side of the battery. Long was tattooed for six runs (five earned) in 1.2 innings pitched, walking two, hitting two and allowing three hits. Louisiana would nickel and dime the relief corps for five more runs over the next 7.1 innings, but the initial onslaught proved to be too much.

Rice was held to nine hits and two runs with Jack Riedel and designated hitter Paul Smith earning the lone RBIs for the home team. Again, Rice had base runners, walking nine times. The Owls just could not drive them in going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 4-for-20 with runners on at all.

SUNDAY | Rice 12 – Louisiana 8

For the second straight day, Rice baseball was making a pitching change before the sixth out was recorded. Tennessee transfer JD McCracken was roughed up with a five-spot in the second inning, giving way to Garrett Zaskoda. He was able to stabilize things, and with a little run support, enabled the home team to creep back into the game.

Zaskoda handed the baton to Matthew Linskey, who was nothing short of phenomenal, striking out eight in 2.2 innings. Then, with the game tied, Drew Holderbach blasted the go-ahead home run in the fifth. Louisiana would draw the score level again before Rice put a four-spot up in the eighth inning, connecting on multiple hits with runners in scoring position, setting the stage for Blake Brogdon to close out the game on the mound in the ninth.

ON DECK | vs Sam Houston (Wed),  at Stanford (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball 2023: Names to Know — Lineup

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Entering Year 2 under head coach Jose Cruz Jr the Rice baseball roster is starting to take shape. Here are a few names to know at the plate.

Rice baseball hit somewhat of a reset last season in the first year under Jose Cruz Jr that featured a significant amount of turnover in the lineup following the departure of several veteran players. With the exception of a few notable transfers and incoming freshmen, the 2023 roster should have more continuity than the previous year.

Moving On

The presence of Austin Bulman will be missed this year. He was a keystone in the lineup and in the infield. Among the other notable departing names are outfielders Antonio Cruz and Justin Dunlap as well as infielders Hal Hughes and Drew Woodcox. Those losses aren’t insignificant, but it’s worth noting the Owls bring back a significantly larger portion of their production than they’re losing. That wasn’t the case last year.

Coming Back

Rice baseball is set to return seven of their top nine hitters from the 2022 season, led at the top of the lineup by outfielder Guy Garibay Jr. Nathan Becker, who led all everyday Rice players with a .310 batting average, is back as well as is standout freshman Aaron Smigelski.

Jack Riedel, Pierce Gallo and Connor Walsh, all of whom played important roles in last year’s squad, return as well. That’s a strong core for Rice to build around on offense.

Added to the Mix

Catcher Manny Garza isn’t a new face — he actually led the team with a staggering 1.023 OPS last season — but was limited to 22 appearances because of injuries. Adding his bat and defense to the lineup for the long haul will provide a boost.

As for newcomers to the squad, be on the lookout for big contributions from grad transfer Drew Holderbach, a DIII transfer who slashed .356 / .436 / .516 over four years at Mariette College, won two DIII gold gloves at first base and led his team to a DIII World Series appearance.

More: Expectations rise for Rice Baseball, Cruz Jr. in Year 2

Max Johnson, who joins Rice from Indiana where he appeared in 11 games last year, has drawn some early positive reviews, too.

Rice also signed five freshman position players who are expected to be in action this season. Christian Salazar, Trey Duffield and Jacob Devenny could each contend for playing time in the outfield this season. Paul Smith is a catcher from just down the road at Episcopal. Ben Royo, who has impressed early, has a good shot to find some at bats.

** Photo Maria Lysakar **
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