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Rice Baseball: Previewing the Old Dominion series

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Rice baseball is looking for their first conference series win this season. They’ll look to get it done on the road this weekend against Old Dominion.

Listen online // Watch Friday (ESPN+) // Watch Saturday (CUSA TV) // Watch Sunday (CUSA TV)

Both Rice and Old Dominion sport equally unsatisfying 1-5 records through two weeks of Conference USA action. The Monarchs took the series finale against Charlotte in mid-March before they were blasted by Southern Miss last weekend where they were outscored 34-4. Rice dropped a midweek bout with Texas State but broke a five-game CUSA losing streak with a Sunday win over UTSA in the previous game.

Although it’s been a bumpy last few weeks for Old Dominion, their 16 wins ties them with Southern Miss and FAU for the most wins among CUSA teams. Rice has been less fortunate and needs a strong weekend to propel themselves back into the hunt. Here’s everything you need to know for the weekend:

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday – 5:00 pm: Matt Canterino (1-4, 2.79) vs Nick Pantos (3-1, 2.80)
Saturday – 2:00 pm: Addison Moss (1-1, 6.75)  vs Ryne Moore (4-1, 3.27)
Sunday – 10:00 am: Evan Kravetz (1-1, 5.52) vs Morgan Maguire (1-2, 7.28)

Old Dominion Pitching

The Monarchs will try and ride their starting pitching as long as they can this weekend. Like Rice, their bullpen has been a mixed back. Nick Pantos will look to start things off on the right foot on Friday. A JUCO transfer who was expected to compete for a rotation spot, Pantos has become the most trustworthy hurler on the team. His start against Matt Canterino should shape up into quite the pitcher’s duel. Behind him, things get sparse quickly.

Hunter Gregory is the most reliable option out of the pen. He leads the team with 36 strikeouts and has worked a hefty 26 innings so far, three and a third fewer than Maguire who’s made seven starts. Outside of Gregory, Matt Busher can be dangerous when he throws strikes, but his 14 walks make him hard to trust too much in high leverage situations.

Isaiah Nelson and Aaron Holiday have been hard to hit (.200 and .163 batting averages against, respectively). After that, most everyone has had at least a few bad outings. The top end is fairly strong, but this is far from the most dominant relief corps Rice will face in conference play.

Old Dominion Hitting

The pitching staff might be top heavy but the lineup is not. Eight regulars have batting averages of .265 or better. Infielder Bryce Windham leads the way, slashing .367/.495/.418. While his bat is dangerous, what he and the rest of the roster excel at the most is having good at bats. He’s had 79 at bats and struck out just six times. As a team, the Monarchs have the fewest strikeouts in CUSA (143), well below league leader Rice (264).

That’s part of what makes this lineup so intriguing. They don’t have any obvious power hitters — Windham, Vinnie Pasquantino and Andy Garriola are tied with three apiece. Their .281 collective batting average ranks sixth in the conference, as does their 149 runs scored. From outfielder Kyle Battle and infielder Matt Burch at the top of the order to whoever is in the nine-hole on that particular day, the Monarchs can hit.

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Rice Baseball: Owls fall in extras to Texas State

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Extra innings weren’t enough for Rice baseball to steal a win away from Texas State in San Marcos on Tuesday night.

The third time wasn’t the charm for Rice against Texas State this season. The Owls dropped the San Marcos leg of the three-game season series, following a 1-0 defeat at the Shriner’s College Classic and a 5-0 loss at Reckling Park.

Texas State opened the scoring on a sac fly following a Trei Cruz fielding error in the first. The home team would break things open further with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by a two run blast to left field by Chase Evans.

Trailing 5-0 on the road, Rice fought back. The Owls outscored the Bobcats 6-1 over the next four frames, tying the game at 6-6 entering the ninth inning. Texas State would go on to win in extras on a two-out RBI single by cleanup hitter Jaylen Hubbard. Here are three big picture takeaways from the loss.

The bullpen struggles don’t stem from lack of trying

Rice has all but run out of reliable bullpen pieces. Kendall Jeffries and Garrett Gayle can’t throw every night, so head coach Matt Bragga chose Tuesday to test out a few lesser used arms. That decision came with high risk and might have been the Owls’ undoing in the end.

Blake Brogdon, Brandon Deskins and Benjamin Content have thrown 14 innings between them this season, combined. All three of them were called to pitch and each of them had their struggles. That trio would ultimately account for five of the six earned runs allowed, four walks and three of the four extra base hits allowed.

It would be short-sighted to pin this loss solely on any of those three guys. Brogdon, who will sport the official L on his stat sheet, had 1.1 innings under his belt this season prior to coming in to relief starter Kel Bordwine. Rice was out of options so they rolled the dice. Some of their other bullpen pieces still have so work to do.

Rice might have found a centerfielder

Aaron Beaulaurier has a strong argument to be made as the top defender on this roster. His problems have come at the plate where he’s hitting a ghastly .148. His at bats haven’t looked particularly encouraging, so finding someone else to man center and hit at the back end of the order has become a necessity.

Dominic Cox doesn’t have the same caliber of instincts as Beaulaurier in the field, but he’s been solid and is hitting better of late than he has all season. His four hits in the past three games match his season total in the Owls’ previous 23 contests. If he can prove he can maintain this kind of production he’ll be able to claim the spot for good.

Fielding lapses not in the rearview mirror yet

Headed into the ninth inning against UTSA on Sunday Rice had committed no errors in the three game series. Braden Comeaux misplayed a ball in the ninth inning, snapping the opportunity for the first error-free weekend of the season. Rather than bouncing back, Tuesday was worse. Rice committed four errors, starting with a run-producing gaffe by Trei Cruz in the first inning.

Now that we know what this team is capable in the field they’re going to be held to a higher standard.

UP NEXT | at Old Dominion (Fri – Sun)
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Rice Baseball: Owls hope third time’s the charm against Texas State

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Rice baseball has yet to top Texas State in two matchups this season. Can the Owls get over the hump on Tuesday?

It’s been relatively close, but Texas State has gotten the better of Rice in each of their first two matchups of the 2019 season. The Bobcats won 1-0 in a pitcher’s duel at the Shiner’s College Classic. They followed that up with 5-0 shutout over the Owls at Reckling Park. Rice left 11 men on base in defeat.

With the season series lost, Rice will look to salvage one game and secure another winning streak on the heels of a Sunday victory over UTSA.

When and Where

Pitching matchups

Garrett Gayle has risen in his consistency over the last month. He came in quickly to relieve Kel Bordwine against Texas State in their second matchup and starter last week’s midweek affair against Texas A&M. If Addison Moss is destined for the weekend rotation, Gayle or Bordwine are the best guesses to see significant run.

For Texas State, there’s little reason to doubt Garrett Hermann as the probable starter once again. He threw 5.2 innings against Rice in the second meeting, allowing six hits and no runs. He also started their most recent midweek tilt, a 6-1 loss to Incarnate Word in which he allowed five runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings.

Names to know from the plate

Will Hollis, drove in the game-winning run in the first matchup with  Rice this year and currently holds an impressive 1.081 OPS. Not letting him beat you at the plate will be a primary objective for the Owls’ pitching staff.

Jaxon Williams and Jaylen Hubbard have cooled off slightly since their last meeting, but both infielders have maintained a .300+ batting average and rank first and second, respectively, on the team in runs scored.

ON DECK | at Old Dominion (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball: Sunday comeback averts home sweep vs UTSA

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Rice baseball salvaged a tough weekend series against UTSA with a come from behind win on Sunday, their first victory when their opponent scored first this season.

It was another up and down weekend for Rice baseball as the Owls dropped the first two games against UTSA before rallying for a Sunday victory. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Owls and an 0-5 start in conference play. Here’s a wrap up on each of the three games and some closing thoughts on the Owls’ second CUSA series.

FRIDAY | UTSA 4 – Rice 2

Rice ace Matt Canterino put together a career-long outing in the series opener on Friday, throwing 8 2/3rds innings before being relieved in the ninth by Kendall Jeffries for one final out. As was the case in his outing against FAU, Canterino was sharp for the duration, save for one crooked number which would prove to be the decider.

Canterino retired the first 10 batters he faced, hurtling through his start until the seventh inning where two triples, a single and a wild pitch put his team behind 3-0. Rice would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, leaving the tying run on third after a triple of their own.

UTSA would tack on an insurance run on a two-out double in the ninth, leaving Rice one more chance to even the score. With two men on in the ninth, Cade Edwards struck out to end the game.

SATURDAY | UTSA 9 – Rice 3

Jackson Parthasarathy, bumped up from his typical Sunday slot in the starting rotation, lasted two innings in the second game of this series. He was ticketed for four earned runs on five hits before being replaced by Addison Moss out of the bullpen in what felt like a crucial game for Rice tow in.

Not only was Moss unable to stop the bleeding, he had his second consecutive poor outing, allowing four earned runs on five hits, walking two. Trailing 8-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, Rice was unable to get enough big hits to make a meaningful dent in the sizable deficit.

Andrew Dunlap and Dominic Cox each picked up two hits and scored all three of the Owls’ runs on the afternoon. The bullpen combination of Blair Lewis and Dalton Wood held the Roadrunners scoreless over the final four innings, but it proved to be too little too late.

SUNDAY | Rice 8 – UTSA 3

Rice entered the final game of the series in desperate need of a victory to stop a seven-game skid. Evan Kravetz held his own early, but trouble in the third allowed UTSA to strike first. At that point, Rice was 0-14 when their opponents scored the first run.

Sensing the need to right the ship, Rice flipped the script in the bottom half of the inning. Following an RBI single from Bradley Gneiting, the Owls took the lead on a drooping double from Cade Ewards which landed on the right side of the right field line, scoring two to give Rice a 3-1 lead. UTSA evened the score the following frame with a two-run homer to left field.

Momentum seemed to shift toward the Owls in the fifth. In the top half of the inning, Braden Comeaux gunned down the would-be go ahead run at the plate. In the bottom half, Cade Edwards punched a bullet into center field, scoring Andrew Dunlap to give Rice a 4-3 lead.

TAKEAWAYS | UTSA wins series 2-1

1. If the starting rotation stumbled, Rice is in trouble

The combination of Matt Canterino, Jackson Parthasarathy, Evan Kravetz and Addison Moss have been ticketed as the biggest assets this team has in 2019. Canterino has a future in the big leagues, while the others have each achieved legitimate collegiate successes.

The bullpen has been hit or miss. The lineup has struggled through injuries and been inconsistent when healthy. The starting rotation isn’t all this team has to turn things around, but it’s unquestionably the greatest weapon in the arsenal. But Canterino is losing ball games. Moss and Parthasarathy didn’t make it through three innings. Kravetz was marginally better on Sunday, throwing 4 1/3rd innings and allowing three runs.

Nobody else has emerged to help right the ship. Rice’s big guns need to step up. If the starting rotation doesn’t turn things around Rice is going to lose a lot more 4-2 games.

2. The lineup wasn’t deep … and then came the injuries

Dominic DiCaprio will miss the remainder of the season with recurring back injuries. A senior, it looks like DiCaprio has played his last games ever for the Blue and Gray. He ends his career with a .299 average, 173 hits and 85 RBI. DiCaprio hadn’t been the same since injuries spoiled his junior season, but his veteran presence in the lineup will be missed.

That alone would be a concern for a thin Rice lineup which is already coping with a string of injuries. Braden Comeaux returned to the lineup this weekend after missing a week with a back injury. Brandt Frazier eased back in last weekend against FAU after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Justin Collins didn’t miss extended time, but a midweek scare on a backswing against Texas State made all Rice fans hold their breath. Rice absolutely must stay healthy, particularly with one of their senior bats being put on the shelf.

3. Consistency is needed from Six – Seven – Eight – Nine

Health aside, Rice has been able to find relatively consistent production from their top half of the lineup. The Owls have five players hitting better than .300 on the season, but the rotation of outfielders and whomever draws the start at first base has been problematic.

Dominic Cox, who had four base hits on the season entering the UTSA series, had his best weekend yet with three hits from the bottom third of the order. Outside of his strong weekend, the bottom four spots in the lineup hit a meager 7-for-33 (.212) with nine strikeouts, salvaged by a big seventh inning on Sunday against multiple UTSA relievers.

The bottom third of most lineups in college baseball will punch below the level of the top third; there are only so many bats to go around.  Expecting a .400 hitter to emerge from the eight-hole isn’t realistic, but finding someone who can make contact consistently and put balls in play at a reasonable clip is doable. Rice has yet to find the combination which makes that happen.

ON DECK | at Texas State (Tues),  at Old Dominion (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball: Previewing the UTSA series

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After kicking off conference play on the road against FAU, Rice baseball returns home to Reckling Park for their first CUSA home games against UTSA.

Listen online // Watch Friday (CUSA TV) // Watch Saturday (CUSA TV) // Watch Sunday (CUSA TV)

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