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American Conference Media Days Roundup

July 25, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

American Conference Media Days were held this week in Charlotte, NC. Here’s a roundup of important news, quotes and insights from the event.

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In Their Own Words

.@RiceFootball head coach Scott Abell describes his offensive philosophy:

"We're going to run the football. My programs have led the country at all levels in rushing… We're going to run the rock, creatively." pic.twitter.com/ZMsxWwyuMP

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 25, 2025

.@RiceFootball head coach Scott Abell on why he did not bring players with him from Davidson, like has become more common in today's world of college football.

"I think it's important to immediately establish your roots there." pic.twitter.com/us1gsGnwTf

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 25, 2025

.@RiceFootball head coach Scott Abell on the unique variations between his offense and the option offenses at Army and Navy:

"We are wildly unique when you look at the different systems… We're all three different and how teams have to defend us is going to be different." pic.twitter.com/aSsJgMu453

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 25, 2025

With three options teams in the conference now, Army head coach Jeff Monken weighed in on the schematic similarities.

"It's now going to create in the league the need for defensive coordinators and defensive staffs to come up with an option plan." pic.twitter.com/icBF9mFrbj

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 25, 2025

UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor on Jon Kay, another Texas High School Football Coach, becoming a defensive coordinator this offseason for @RiceFootball.

"It doesn't surprise me at all that he's in that role and I promise you they'll playing really good defense." pic.twitter.com/sHFW4DO4AB

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 25, 2025

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Filed Under: AAC, Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: AAC

Rice Baseball: Dodgers select Davion Hickson in 5th Round of MLB Draft

July 14, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice pitcher Davion has been selected in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Davion Hickson was an outstanding pitcher across two seasons with Rice baseball, finding success as a closer and then a Friday night starter. Those effort did not go unnoticed as Hickson was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros on Monday. He became the highest Owl drafted since Trei Cruz went in the third round to the Detroit Tigers in 2020 and a sixth top-five round selection for the program in the past six years.

Hickson was the most reliable arm the Owls fielded over the last two seasons, leading Rice in innings (73.0), strikeouts (90), ERA (3.82) and opponent batting average (.220) as a starter this past spring. He’s is the sixth Rice player drafted by the Dodgers and the first since Jeremy Rathjen (11th round) and Matthew Reckling (14th) were selected by Los Angeles in 2012.

Update: Reliever Garrett Stratton joined Hickson among MLB Draft selections, going to the Mets in the 20th Round

Rice Baseball MLB Draft selections (since 2015)

PlayerDraft YearTeamRound
Davion Hickson2025Dogers5
Garrett Stratton2025Mets20
Parker Smith2024Astros4
Justin Long2023Braves7
Hayden Durke2023Diamondbacks13
Matthew Linskey2023Diamondbacks16
Roel Garcia2022Rays14
Trei Cruz2020Tigers3
Matt Canterino2019Twins2
Evan Kravetz2019Reds5
Garrett Gayle2019Astros12
Roel Garcia2019Blue Jays27
Trei Cruz2019Nationals37
Addison Moss2019Rays37
Ford Proctor2018Rays3
Ricky Salinas2018Reds25
Cody Staab2018Marines30
Glenn Otto2017Yankees5
Dane Myers2017Tigers6
Tristan Gray2017Pirates13
Jon Duplantier2016Diamondbacks3
Blake Fox2016Brewers10
Jordan Stephens2015White Sox5
Leon Byrd2015Rangers10
Kevin McCanna2015Astros13
Austin Orewiler2015Reds14
Matt Ditman2015Roayls16
John Clay Reeves2015Nationals20
John Williamson2015Cubs23
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Filed Under: Baseball, Featured Tagged With: Davion Hickson, MLB Draft, Rice baseball

2025 Rice Baseball Transfer Portal and Staff Updates

June 16, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

The Transfer Portal will impact the 2025 Rice Baseball season with players coming and going throughout the offseason. Here’s what we know so far.

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Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Seeking Relevance: American Conference Aims to Overcome the Noise
  • Tulane is the Favorite in 2025 American Conference Preseason Media Poll
  • Rice Football News and Notes from American Conference Media Days
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Filed Under: Baseball, Featured, Premium Tagged With: Rice baseball, Transfer Portal

Rice Baseball 2025 Season Review: Lineup

June 7, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

The offense started slow but grew more consistent as the season progressed, helping Rice baseball stay competitive down the stretch.

It took the Rice baseball offense some time to get going, but by the time head coach David Pierce had taken over and solidified the lineup, the team began to hit its stride at the plate. A delicate mix of talented freshmen and the right veteran pieces made the Owl competitive hitters and provided support the pitching staff needed.

More: Rice Baseball embarks on crucial offseason

Compared to a season ago, this year’s squad had twice as many players hit .270 or better (six), a testament to a deeper lineup with a host of players capable of delivering clutch hits rather than putting all the pressure on any one individual.

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** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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Recent Posts
  • Seeking Relevance: American Conference Aims to Overcome the Noise
  • Tulane is the Favorite in 2025 American Conference Preseason Media Poll
  • Rice Football News and Notes from American Conference Media Days
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 206 – 2025 Rice Football Opponent Previews: Houston

Filed Under: Baseball, Featured, Premium Tagged With: Aric Anderson, Austin Eppley, Barrett Eldridge, Blaine Brown, Cole Green, Colin Robson, Graiden West, Gunnett Carlson, Hiram Bocachica Jr., Jacob Devenny, Javier Vazquez, Landon West, Lorenzo Rios, Luke Smith, Max Johnson, Michael Zito, Paul Smith, Rice baseball, Tobias Motley, Trey Duffield, Treyton Rank

Rice Baseball 2025 Season Review: Bullpen

June 2, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Save for the emergence of a handful of impactful arms, a thin bullpen made things challenging for Rice baseball in 2025.

By the time the Rice baseball season had ended, the Owls had tried just about every combination of relief pitchers imaginable to cobble together nine innings at a time. The list of reliable options was thin and injuries and inconsistency plagued a unit that never truly rounded into form this season.

More: Rice Baseball embarks on crucial offseason

For the purposes of this discussion, we look at the arms that saw the most use, some in specific parts of the season and others throughout the year. The arrival of head coach David Pierce saw utilization shift dramatically in some, starting with eventual top option Jack Ben-Shoshan.

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** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Seeking Relevance: American Conference Aims to Overcome the Noise
  • Tulane is the Favorite in 2025 American Conference Preseason Media Poll
  • Rice Football News and Notes from American Conference Media Days
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 206 – 2025 Rice Football Opponent Previews: Houston

Filed Under: Baseball, Featured, Premium Tagged With: Austin Eppley, Blaine Brown, Caleb Williams, Ethan Atchley, Garrett Stratton, Jack Ben-Shoshan, Maddox Keo, Marco Fuentes, Mark Perkins, Matt Zatopek, Micah Davis, Nolan Roycraft, Reed Gallant, Rice baseball, Tom Vincent, Von Baker

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