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Rice Baseball: Bullpen fades as 2019 draws to a close

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The 2019 Rice baseball season is in the books, closing the door on a bullpen which simply ran out of gas in the final weeks of the year.

The end of the 2019 season was jarring for the Rice bullpen. Four consecutive walk-off losses with blown save opportunities took their toll on a unit which had been up and down all year. Reasons for confidence were lacking, adding to the immense pressure each of these guys was facing whenever they took the mound.

More Season Review — Starting Pitching — Fielding — Lineup

Beyond the scope of one awful week, though, the bullpen had its moments. Pitcher for pitcher, here’s a look at how they faired over the duration of the 2019 season.

Kendal Jefferies

3-4 Record | 4.15 ERA | 23 Appearances | 43.1 Innings | 41 K | 14 BB | .294 Batting Avg Against

There was a period of time when Jefferies was the most reliable option Rice had in the pen. Particularly early in the season, he posted superb outings against UC-Irvine, Houston and Oklahoma. He less effective in conference play, opening the door for others to see opportunities on the bump.

Dalton Wood

1-0 Record | 4.23 ERA | 20 Appearances (1 Start) | 27.2 Innings | 21 K | 11 BB | .270 Batting Avg Against

Wood was one of the youngest arms in a veteran-laden relief corps who saw additional opportunities at the tail end of conference play. He made two appearances in the CUSA tournament, allowing one hit in 2.2 innings pitched. His role will increase in 2020.

Blair Lewis

3-2 Record | 4.28 ERA | 18 Appearances | 40 Innings | 24 K | 8 BB | .291 Batting Avg Against

One of the grittiest performers on the team, Blair Lewis had a solid senior season. He isn’t one with lights out stuff, but he always threw strikes and forced opposing batters to deal with him. He posted three or more strikeouts three times this season, griding through the lineup as one of the most effective innings eaters Rice had at their disposal.

Garrett Gayle

0-3 Record | 5.53 ERA | 20 Appearances (1 Start) | 40.2 Innings | 47 K | 20 BB | .286 Batting Avg Against

A recent MLB Draft selection, Gayle had his moments in 2019. He competed well, but command issues hampered his ability to go more than two innings often before being hooked. He led all relievers with 20 walks, but also topped the unit in strikeouts. There’s a lot of potential with Gayle if he can keep his command.

Drake Greenwood

0-2 Record | 7.81 ERA | 16 Appearances (3 Start) | 27.2 Innings | 24 K | 19 BB | .308 Batting Avg Against

After transferring into the program, Greenwood’s role on the team wasn’t clearly defined. He auditioned as a midweek starter when the Owls had the occasional pair of midweek games, but never showed enough to stick in that role.

Ben Schragger

0-0 Record | 8.53 ERA | 7 Appearances | 6.1 Innings | 1 K | 9 BB | .292 Batting Avg Against

Schragger presented a different look for opposing batters with his sidearm motion. The potential for a change of pace never materialized for him due to an inability to throw strikes.

Jackson Tyner

0-3 Record | 9 ERA | 12 Appearances | 12 Innings | 13 K | 15 BB | .214 Batting Avg Against

Tyner’s power arm flashed on several occasions early in the season. His .214 batting average against was the best in the bullpen and he was the only reliever with a sub 10 hits per nine innings rate. It wasn’t easy to make hard contact against Tyner, but he too failed to consistently make his pitches in the strike zone.

Addison Moss

1-1 Record | 9.98 ERA | 7 Appearances (2 Start) | 15.1 Innings | 8 K | 7 BB | 0.379 Batting Avg Against

The supposed Saturday starter, Addison Moss was never healthy enough to assume his spot in the rotation. He made two starts and a handful of relief appearances before being shut down for the season.

Reserves

A.C. Plum | 0-0 Record | 9.82 ERA | 5 Appearances | 3.2 Innings | 5 K | 2 BB | .278 Batting Avg Against
Benjamin Content | 0-0 Record | 10.38 ERA | 6 Appearances | 4.1 Innings | 3 K | 6 BB | .316 Batting Avg Against
Brandon Deskins | 0-0 Record | 11.12 ERA | 7 Appearances | 5.2 Innings | 7 K | 9 BB | .292 Batting Avg Against
Zach Esquivel | 1-0 Record | 12 ERA | 5 Appearances | 3 Innings | 2 K | 7 BB | .333 Batting Avg Against
Blake Brogdon | 0-0 Record | 27 ERA | 1 Appearances | 1.1 Innings | 0 K | 1 BB | .625 Batting Avg Against

The remainder of the bullpen saw sparse duty, mostly during the nonconference slate. None of these guys threw more than six innings making it a challenge to truly evaluate their contribution to the team.

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Rice Baseball: Six Owls selected in 2019 MLB Draft

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Headlined by pitcher Matt Canterino, a Day 1 selection by the Minnesota Twins, six Rice baseball players heard their names called in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Round 2 (54) – Twins – Matt Canterino

The most unsurprising Rice selection, Canterino was off the board early. His Rice career ends after a superb junior season where he finished with a 2.81 ERA in 99.1 innings.

Round 5 (155) – Reds – Evan Kravetz

Most assumed Kravetz would be a Day 2 selection. Instead he ended up closer to being a Day 1 selection than a Day 3 choice. Kravetz was off the board in the first 100 picks of the second day, impressing enough during his senior season to climb all the way to the fifth round.

Round 12 (376) – Astros – Garrett Gayle

One of the Owls’ most talented bullpen arms from 2019, Gayle was the only Rice reliever chosen this year. His 2019 splits weren’t overwhelming, but there’s a lot about his game to like.

Round 27 (807) – Blue Jays – Roel Garcia

Garcia missed the entire 2019 season and is now faced with a decision to make. Being selected in the back half of the draft makes a player’s decision to sign with their respective team far from a sure thing. Garcia certainly would have the chance to elevate his stock with another year at South Main.

Round 37 (1113) – Nationals – Trei Cruz

Those same sentiments go for Cruz. An impressive hitter with plenty of power and tools at the plate, Cruz can easily play his way into a Top 10 round selection with more discipline in the field and improved decision making at the plate.

Round 37 (1118) – Rays – Addison Moss

Although he did make a handful of appearances, Moss was never truly healthy this season. Projected to be the Saturday man entering the year, he’ll be a much higher selection in 2020 should he return to school.

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MLB Draft: Evan Kravetz selected by Reds in Fifth Round

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Evan Kravetz is the second Rice baseball product selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, coming off the board as a Fifth Round selection by the Cincinnati Reds.

Six months ago Evan Kravetz wasn’t expected to be a collegiate starting pitcher. The senior southpaw had made four starts in his career entering the 2019 season, appearing primarily out of the bullpen. He was effective there, but injuries opened the door for him to become a weekend starter in his final season.

Fast forward six months. Kravetz was a second-team All-Conference USA selection who claimed College Baseball National Pitcher of the Week and Conference USA Pitcher of the week this season. His 3.24 ERA and 1.12 WHIP were second on the team, trailing only 2019 second round pick Matt Canterino.

By most every measure, Kravetz had pitched like an MLB Draft-worthy pitcher. On Tuesday those inklings became reality when the Cincinnati Reds selected Evan Kravetz with the 144th pick of the 2019 MLB Draft.

Being selected never seemed too farfetched — Kravetz was a solid pitcher before his senior campaign. But the effectiveness and poise displayed on the mound in 2019 had a demonstrable effect on the round Kravetz was selected in. He wasn’t a late round flier for his new team. He was valuable enough to spend a day two selection on. He’s part of their future.

It also shouldn’t come as a surprise the first two Rice Owls off the board came from their weekend rotation. The offense made some progress in 2019 and the defense took a massive leap forward. It was the starting rotation which never waived. It seems having multiple Top 10 MLB Draft selections in the rotation might have had something to do with the level of consistency.

The draft started Monday night with Round 1 and Round 2 before continuing Tuesday with Round 3 through Round 10. The remaining picks, Round 11 through Round 40 will take place on Tuesday. A full schedule a results tracker are available here.

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MLB Draft: Matt Canterino selected by Minnesota Twins in Second Round

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Pitcher Matt Canterino is the first Rice baseball player selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the second round.

Canterino entered the 2019 season with high expectations. After spending time with Team USA over the winter, the prospective early round pick put together an impressive spring campaign. Billed as the ace of a strong starting rotation, Canterino delivered in every way possible. Even his off days were strong starts. His best days, were MLB-caliber.

The Rice junior threw 99.1 innings with a 2.81 ERA and a stunning .970 WHIP. His 121 strikeouts were the most among Conference USA pitchers. He threw his first career complete game against FIU on April 5.

Those strong numbers did nothing but bolster his already potent MLB Draft stock. With Rice seeing their season end after a four-game conference tournament run, Canterino was able to turn his attention to the draft. And wait.

With the 54th selection of the second round, the Minnesota Twins selected Matt Canterino.

Several other Owls hope to hear their names called in the coming days. For now, Canterino becomes the most recent Rice player drafted since four Owls were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.

Shortstop Ford Proctor was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round. Pitcher Ricky Salinas went to the Cincinnati Reds in the 25th Round. Outfielder Cody Staab was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 30th Round. 2019 Signee Antonio Cruz was a 40th Round selection by the Houston Astros before opting to go to school.

2019 MLB Draft schedule

The 2019 MLB Draft runs from June 3 to June 5. Rounds 1 and 2 will take place Monday (June 3), televised on the MLB Network. The final two days will available to watch on MLB.com Round 3 through Round 10 will take place Tuesday (June 4) with the remaining Rounds 11-40 on Wednesday (June 5).

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Rice Baseball: Jon Duplantier makes first MLB Start

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Former Rice baseball pitcher Jon Duplantier made his first MLB start, the latest in several big moments for Owls in the MLB this season.

Several Owls have made their marks in the major leagues this season. Anthony Rendon and Brock Holt have overcome midseason injuries, returning to their respective lineups with renewed vigor. Those still in Triple AAA have played well, waiting for their next show, which could come later this season.

Jon Duplantier

Duplantier made his MLB Debut on April 1, picking up his first career save against the Padres. He’s appeared in five games since, with his most recent appearance coming on May 31, his first career start. Taking the rubber against the New York Mets, Duplantier allowed three runs in five innings. He struck out four and walked two before being pinch hit for in the fifth inning. Arizona would take the lead in the next half inning while Duplantier received a no-decision.

Anthony Rendon

Since the last update, Rendon has continued to tear through the National League. The Washington Nationals’ All-Star candidate has a .320/.423/.660 slash line. All three of those marks are career bests for Rendon, who has more RBI this season (34) than he has strikeouts (30).

Brock Holt

Holt made his return from an extended stint on the injured list against the Indians on May 27. He’s hit safely in all three games of that series with a double in the finale, scoring three runs with two RBI.

JT Chargois

Chargois has made two appearances this season, throwing 1.2 innings in April. While he waits for his next call up, he’s maintained a 1.35 ERA with the Dodgers’ AAA affiliate in Oklahoma City through 16 appearances.

Tony Cingrani

Placed on the injured list with soreness in his throwing shoulder in late May, Dodgers’ pitcher Cingrani has yet to make his 2019 debut.

Tyler Duffey

After appearing with the Twins in four games in April, Duffey returned to the minor leagues. In seven appearances he’s allowed eight hits in 13.2 innings with a dazzling 1.32 ERA.

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