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Rice Baseball goes winless in Puerto Rico Challenge

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Rice Baseball might have enjoyed the cultural experience, but the results on the field were lacking: an 0-3 start to the season at the Puerto Rico Challenge.

FRIDAY | Villanova 10 – Rice 6

Davion Hickson worked through four scoreless innings on Friday evening, seeing his outing cut short with command issues that yielded five walks and 20 batters faced despite no runs across. Von Baker took the baton and worked a scoreless fifth before Villanova got to him for four runs in the sixth, putting the Owls in comeback mode.

Down 5-1, the Rice bats would respond in earnest the following inning Luke Smith and Treyton Rank each tallied RBI hits to level the game before freshman Blaine Brown put Rice in front, 6-5, with a screaming single to center field in the eighth. Villanova would ambush closer Garrett Stratton in the ninth, scoring five runs, rendering the Owls’ comeback moot and handing them a crushing Opening Day defeat.

SATURDAY | Michigan 5 – Rice 2

Rice baseball got a career day from Robert Fernandez in his start against Michigan, where he hurled six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four. He left the game in line for the win courtesy of a go-ahead RBI single from Brown in the first inning. The Owls would tack on an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI ground out from Hiram Bocachica.

Leading 2-0, the bullpen faltered again. Blank allowed the first three batters to reach in the eighth, leaving the game with two on and a 2-1 Rice lead. Tom Vincent was saddled with the loss, throwing a wild pitch to advance both runners and allowing a single on the only batter he faced. Brown took over and allowed four runs, primarily from inherited runners, as the Owls fell 5-2.

SUNDAY | Virginia 7 – Rice 0

A steady trickle of Virginia runs made for a long finale to the Puerto Rico Challenge. The Hoos scored three in the second charged to JD McCracken, three more across the fifth and sixth innings charged to Austin Eppley and one final run on a sac fly against Matt Zatopek, tallying seven scores in eight trips to the plate.

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

That ninth trip wasn’t necessary for Virginia because Rice would be shut out. Virginia pitching held Rice bats to three total hits and six base runners, making any hopes of a comeback against the No. 2 team in the nation short-lived.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

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2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

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Rice Baseball is set to enter Year 4 under Jose Cruz Jr with what he believes to be the Owls’ most talented team of his tenure. Can Owls take flight this season?

Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. was quick to not promise the moon when he arrived on campus in the summer of 2021. He spoke then about building things the right way, acquiring talent and developing that talent within the Rice baseball culture. From there, the next step was winning games. It was always a long term plan, at least, that’s how the message was conveyed.

Three seasons in, Cruz and the Rice faithful are hoping enough of a foundation has been laid to turn those aspirational ideals into tangible wins. “We’re getting better every year, we’re getting better. The mentality is better. The athletes are better. The physiques are better,” Cruz said. “Every year we’re just going to keep getting better.”

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2024

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2024 was filled with highs and lows for Rice Athletics. The Roost picked out 10 moments that stood out the most along the way.

10. Rice basketball defeats Memphis

It was a season of mixed results, but the high points were worth savoring for Rice basketball this year. Head coach Scott Pera’s team earned perhaps their most memorable win of his tenure on January 31, upsetting Memphis on the road.

9. Rice Football defeats Navy under interim coach Pete Alamar

Days removed from the dismissal of head coach Mike Bloomgren and following the second-longest rain delay in college football history, Rice football stunned the AAC by knocking off Navy, which had previously been undefeated in league play.

8. Soccer posts dominant home season

Rice soccer bounced back from a down season in 2023 in tremendous fashion, nearly completely an undefeated season at home before falling on Senior Day 1-0 to Charlotte. Nevertheless, a dominant 10-1-1 record at home was impressive after the squad went winless at Holloway Field the year prior.

7. Lots of new beginnings

This year, Rice introduced new coaches (Rob Lanier – basketball, Scott Abell – football) and new sports. The women’s diving team returned for the first time since 1991 and the Owls announced the coming addition of the women’s golf team which will debut in 2026.

6. Parker Smith drafted by hometown Houston Astros

A Houston native and multi-year Friday night ace for Rice Baseball, Parker Smith was a fourth round selection of the Houston Astros in July, the highest an Owl has been drafted since Trei Cruz went in the third round in 2020.

5. A two-fer of Tennis successes

Divna Ratkovic won the AAC women’s individual championship right at home, clinching the victory on campus at the George R. Brown Tennis Center. The men’s team didn’t take home the AAC crown, but they did clinch their first trip since 2017 to the NCAA Championship as a team.

4. Genny Volpe posts 400th career win

If it feels like Volpe has been leading Rice Volleyball to successful seasons year after year for quite some time, that’s because she has. Volpe earned career win number 400 this season when the team beat Tulane in their AAC opener. All 400 of those wins have come at Rice.

3. Two podiums for Women’s Track and Field at NCAA Championships

Tara Simpson-Sullivan took home second and Mckyla Van der Westhuizen placed third in their respective events, hammer throw and javelin, at the 2024 NCAA D1 Outdoor Championships. Simpson-Sullivan broke her own school record and AAC record in the process while Van der Westhuizen delivered a personal best to reach the podium.

2. Luke McCaffrey drafted 100th overall

With the final pick of the third round, the Washington Commanders selected Rice football wide receiver Luke McCaffrey. McCaffrey became first Rice player drafted since Christian Covington in 2015 and the highest Owl drafted since Phillip Gains went in the third round to the Chiefs in 2014.

1. Rice women’s basketball wins AAC, makes NCAA Tournament

Following a tough stretch in February, 10-Seed Rice Women’s Basketball caught fire in March, running through the AAC Tournament on their way to the programs first ever AAC Tournament Championship. That earned them a trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they gave 3-Seed LSU all they could handle before falling on the road.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Cutting this down to 10 was challenging. Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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Rice Baseball 2024: MLB Owls End of Season Update

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The 2024 MLB season is done and Rice baseball played their parts across the league. Here’s how the season went for each of the MLB Owls.

JT Chargois – Miami Marlins / Seattle Mariners

Chargois was part of a trade deadline deal between the Marlins and the Mariners, sending the former Seattle hurler back to a club he played parts of the 2021 season with before moving on to the Tampa Bay Rays. Chargois was solid in 21 appearances with the Mariners but had his best stretch of the season with the Marlins before he was moved leaving town with a 1.62 ERA in 15 appearances and allowing just three earned runs in 16. 2 innings.

Chargois finished the season with a 2.23 ERA with a 1.018 WHIP. He averaged 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon battled through several stints on and off the injured list, playing in 57 games this season before his year end for good in early September. The limited health made getting in a rhythm challenging for the 12-year veteran who hasn’t truly gotten into his groove since joining the Angels following an incredible 2019 season.

Rendon finished the season hitting .218 with 10 extra-base hits, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts. His OPS was .574 and he collected 14 RBI.

Dane Myers – Miami Marlins

Myers played his way into being a regular with the Miami Marlins, making 40 appearances with the club while posting a solid .265 batting average and a .759 OPS before injury derailed his season. Myers would see his season put on pause following a July 13 game against the Reds, landing on the injured list for the better part of two months. He returned at the end of the season, finishing out the year with the club with a few appearances in September.

Myers finished the season hitting .263 with 10 extra-base hits, eight walks and 36 strikeouts. His OPS was .775 and he collected 19 RBI.

Tristan Gray – Miami Marlins / Oakland Athletics

Gray began the season with the Marlins, appearing in seven games before he was designated for assignment. The A’s grabbed him off waivers and quickly put him into their major league lineup. Gray didn’t register a hit in seven at bats with the Marlins and faired slightly better on the West Coast. He tallied three hits across eight appearances (six starts) before returning to the AAA team.

Gray finished the season hitting .107 with one extra-base hit, three walks and 16 strikeouts. His OPS was .336.

Tyler Duffey – Kansas City Royals

After spending the vast majority of his professional career to this point with the Twins, Duffey signed with the Royals this offseason after a brief stint with the Cubs in 2023. He made nine appearances for the Royals this season, spanning four week’s worth of action in late April through the middle of May. He earned a win and a hold in that time, but walk troubles kept him from becoming a mainstay in the pen. He was sent down following a May 20 game against the Tigers and remained in AAA for the remainder of the season.

Duffey finished the season with a 3.94 ERA with a 1.667 WHIP. He averaged 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Evan Kravetz – Cincinnati Reds

Kravetz made his big league debut on August 28, retiring the only two batters he faced in a brief seventh inning appearance against the Athletics. He induced a pair of grounds before heading back to the bench. That outing would be his only one with the big league club this season. Shortly after, Kravetz was optioned back to AAA.

Kravetz finished the season with a 0.00 ERA with a 0.00 WHIP.



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Rice Baseball 2024: MLB Owls Update – Sep 24

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The 2024 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.

JT Chargois – Seattle Mariners

Chargois saw action in three games this week, working 2.2 innings with mixed results. He earned a hold in his first appearance of the week, finishing off a scoreless sixth inning to earn a hold. A few days later he was charged with a blown save against the Rangers, giving up a solo home run in the seventh inning.

Through Sep. 24, Chargois has a 2.31 ERA with a 1.029 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Dane Myers – Miami Marlins

Myers made his return from the injured list this week, playing in his first game since Junly 13. He had one place appearance in the ninth inning of a 4-1 Marlins win, drawing a walk.

Through Sep. 24, Myers was hitting .265 with eight extra-base hits, eight walks and 32 strikeouts. His OPS is .765 and he’s collected 14 RBI.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon is on the injured list for the third time this season with an oblique strain. There’s only so much baseball left to be played this year so it’s possible this is the last time we’ll see Rendon on the diamond before the 2024 season, hopefully after an offseason to get healthy and return to old self.

Through Sep 24, Rendon is hitting .224 with 10 extra-base hits, 22 walks and 35 strikeouts. His OPS is .590 and he’s collected 11 RBI.

Knocking on the Door

The following Owls began the season in AAA:

  • Matt Canterino – St Paul Saints (Twins)
  • Tyler Duffey – Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals)
  • Jon Duplantier – Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers)
  • Tristan Gray – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) *promoted and returning to AAA
  • Evan Kravetz – Louisville Bats (Reds) *promoted and returned to AAA
  • Lucas Luetge – Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
  • Dane Myers – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) *promoted
  • Glenn Otto – El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) *claimed by Astros



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