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Rice Football Recruiting 2020: Owls to add JUCO LB Jaren Banks

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JUCO linebacker Jaren Banks will transfer to South Main and be part of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class as the Owls pluck another transfer.

The final weekend before National Signing Day was productive for the 2020 Rice Football Recruiting class. Along with the already announced transfer of former Stanford kicker Collin Riccitelli, Rice will add another transfer for the upcoming season. Junior College linebacker Jaren Banks has committed to the Owls.

Originally from Junction City, Oregon, Banks spent the last two seasons at the New Mexico Military Institute. He had 61 tackles in nine games last season, including five tackles for a loss, one fumble forced and one fumble recovery. That’s in addition to 34 tackles the year before. After a productive start to his collegiate career, Banks is ready to make the jump to Division 1.

Blaze Alldredge was the last linebacker Rice nabbed from the JUCO ranks. He set a high bar to achieve, but the Owls’ success rate on additions from junior colleges remains above the norm. Brad Rozner and Naeem Smith both excelled in their first seasons removed from JUCO in 2019. The academic rigors alone make the transition from the junior college to Rice a road less traveled. Banks’ ability to fulfill both requirements speaks to his desire and ability to continue to excel.

More: Rice football 2020 recruiting class commitment list

Banks will have two seasons of eligibility at Rice, ostensibly setting him up to play a key role in 2020 as an experienced hand, if not sooner. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound backer has prototypical size and power. He attacks the ball with ferocity and will make his presence felt in opposing backfields. Watch him explode into the backfield on the first play of his highlights below. He’s going to be fun to watch at South Main.

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Rice Baseball 2020: Previewing the Owls’ pitching rotation and bullpen

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Pitching has always been the backbone of Rice baseball. Can the 2020 rotation and bullpen carry on that rich tradition of excellence?

It’s about time to get back to the ballpark for the beginning of the 2020 Rice baseball season. The Owls open up against long-time rival Texas on Valentine’s Day. Who will be on the mound for that Friday night tilt?

More: 2020 Rice Baseball lineup and position player breakdown

“Pitching is where the story is written most of the time,” head coach Matt Bragga said before diving into depth charts. With that as our frame of reference, here’s a breakdown of the potential starting pitching rotation and a look at the Owls’ bullpen.

Projected Starting Rotation

  1. Alex De Leon, RHP
  2. Roel Garcia, RHP
  3. Kel Bordwine, RHP
  4. Dalton Wood, RHP
  5. Drake Greenwood, RHP

I fully expect Alex De Leon to throw the first pitch of the 2020 Rice baseball season. Taking over for Matt Canterino is no small task, but De Leon has done nothing but impress in his short stint at Rice. Coach Matt Bragga said De Leon “has been our most consistent guy from the moment he got here as a junior college transfer until now.”

While De Leon will get the Opening Day nod, he could be supplanted down the line by Roel Garcia. After missing the entire 2019 season with injury, Garcia is getting close to being back to his usual self. He’s back on the mound and throwing bullpens, but isn’t likely to be extended more than a few innings until March.

That timeline would put him back in the starting rotation at the beginning of conference play. Bragga considers him “an absolute Friday night guy”, which could bode well for a rotation replacing two Top 5 round MLB draft picks, Canterino and Evan Kravetz.

The rest of the rotation is fluid. Kel Bordwine inserted himself into a weekend role late last season, but the staff has spoken highly of Dalton Wood, too. Wood came on strong at the end of the year, turning himself into a reliable piece out of the bullpen. Those two, along wide Drake Greenwood who was a midweek starter in 2019, will more than likely fill out the Sunday role and midweek jobs.

Projected Bullpen

  • Jack Conlon, RHP
  • Caleb Burgess, RHP
  • Matthew Santos, LHP
  • Andrew Kane, RHP
  • Blake Brogdon, RHP
  • A.C. Plum. RHP
  • Brandon Deskins, LHP
  • Ryan Rickett, RHP

Rice will be retooling in the bullpen as well. Garrett Gayle and Kendal Jefferies, their first two arms out of the pen on most nights, are both gone. The most intriguing name to watch is junior righty Jack Conlon. The former fourth round draft pick has a huge arm and has dazzled during the offseason. Bragga was adamant he’d have an important spot out of the bullpen.

Caleb Burgess is another guy who could ascend into the forefront of the relief corps. Currently rehabbing from Tommy John, Burgess “has a chance to be special” according to Bragga. Like Garcia, Burgess is likely to be eased in slowly as he works back toward being 100 percent.

Freshman Matthew Santos alongside transfers Andrew Kane and Ryan Rickett are three names to watch. Each of those guys has the potential to work themselves into a staple in the bullpen. They’ve each been successful at previous stops. Now they have to show they can do it at Rice. Meanwhile Blake Brogdon, A.C. Plum and Brandon Deskins have continued to develop after seeing brief action in 2019.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Stanford kicker Collin Riccitelli transfers to Owls

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The Stanford-to-Rice pipeline continues to flow toward South Main. Former Cardinal kicker Collin Riccitelli will be join the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class.

Mike Bloomgren made it clear upon his hiring that he intended to bring the Stanford culture of Intellectual Brutality to South Main. The 2019 Rice Football recruiting class features two of his former pupils: offensive lineman Brian Chaffin and fullback Reagan Williams. The 2020 class will feature another, former Cardinal kicker Collin Riccitelli.

Riccitelli appeared in three games as a junior in 2018. He made 8-of-10 extra point tries. He converted his lone field goal attempt, a 21-yarder in his collegiate debut at Washington.

Riccitelli will have one season remaining when he arrives at South Main. He’ll be the clear favorite to be the Owls’ starting kicker for 2020. Rice hopes he’ll provide stability at a position that had its share of ups and downs during the 2019 campaign. At the punter position, Rice has high hopes for Charlie Mendes, a freshman who redshirted last season.

With the field goal duties spoken for in Palo Alto, a change in scenery made since for Riccitelli. The Owls were a logical fit. In addition to the obvious connection he already shared with Bloomgren, Rice had an opening at the kicker position for the 2020 season. Seniors Jack Fox and Haden Tobola tag-teamed the job in 2018 before ceding to senior Chris Barnes for the 2019 season.

Originally slated to be the Owls’ punter, Barnes beat out Will Harrison and Zach Hoban for the place kicking duties as well. Hoban announced his decision to transfer in January, leaving the door wide open for a potential new arrival to win the job next season.

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Rice Basketball: Offense explodes to beat C-USA leading North Texas

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Rice basketball pulled out their biggest upset win of the season on Saturday, taking down North Texas behind a historic shooting performance.

Sometimes you can’t miss. That was the story on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse when the bottom-of-the-standings Rice basketball knocked off North Texas, C-USA’s best squad. The Mean Green had only lost once in conference play prior to the weekend, but as well as they played, they were no match for a red-hot Rice team.

Rice shot 61.5 percent from the field and made 15 three-pointers. The Owls haven’t converted more than 60 percent of their field goals since Nov. 16, 2016 — 1,172 days ago. On that night, they made 63.3 percent of their shots to beat Omaha on the road.

Roughly once every five years a team catches fire at an incredible rate. That came Saturday for Rice.

Josh Parrish and Trey Murphy each had 15 points. Robert Martin and Drew Peterson each had 13 points Ako Adams had 12. Chris Mullins was the only Rice started who failed to crack double-digits. He had eight as the Owls’ sixth-leading scorer.

That performance simultaneously proved two things: First, Rice has the ability to beat every team remaining on their schedule. Second, it takes a near-perfect outing for Rice to achieve a comfortable victory on their home court.

Final Stats

Player of the Game – Robert Martin

The senior’s return to the lineup has been a catalyst for the Owls’ improved offensive play. More than just a good shooter, Martin has developed a penchant for making big shots. He had two on Saturday. The first gave Rice the lead with five minutes to play. Two minutes later he turned a four-point lead into a seven-point advantage, all but assuring the Owls of their most meaningful victory of the season.

Up Next

Rice basketball returns to the road for a two-game stretch. They’ll visit UAB in Birmingham on Thursday for a 6:00 p.m. tip. Then play Middle Tennessee on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

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Rice Baseball 2020: Previewing the Owls’ starting lineup

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It’s time to head back to Reckling Park for the beginning of the 2020 Rice Baseball season. Here’s a preview of the potential starting lineup.

The 2020 Rice baseball season is fast approaching. This year’s squad is composed of an intriguing combination of familiar faces, potent junior college additions and a host of younger players hoping to make a name for themselves.

First, a projected Opening Day lineup when Rice hosts Texas on February 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Projected Lineup

  1. Braden Comeaux, 3B
  2. Bradley Gneiting, RF
  3. Trei Cruz, SS
  4. Austin Bulman, 1B
  5. Brayden Combs, DH
  6. Cade Edwards, 2B
  7. Justin Collins, C
  8. Tyler Larue, LF
  9. Aaron Beaulaurier, CF

The Infield

Led by Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year Trei Cruz, the Owls have the makings of an explosive offense — at least on paper. Cruz was a late-round draft pick last year and should parlay himself into a much more lucrative selection at the end of this season. He slashed .305/.393/.519 in 2019 and was named a Cape Cod League All-Star during the summer. “It’s not normal and I mean that in a good way,” Coach Matt Bragga remarked of Cruz’s dedication to improvement. “It’s fun to watch. He’s going to have a great year.”

Joining Cruz in the field will be Braden Comeaux at third base and Cade Edwards at second base. They were two of the most reliable bats in the Rice lineup a year ago and should be fixtures in the starting nine this season. Both are .300 hitters with power to the gaps.

First base is a bit of a wildcard. JUCO transfer Austin Bulman is a third baseman by trade, but he’s been working hard to learn the other side of the diamond. The coaching staff is optimistic he’ll be ready to go by Opening Day. If he doesn’t start in the field, he’ll be the designated hitter. Bulman hit .381 with 16 doubles and 18 steals last season.

Designated Hitter and Catcher

Braden Combs will be the man platooning with him at first base, at least early on in the season. Another JUCO addition, Combs brings plenty of pop. He smashed 17 home runs and 17 doubles while batting .366 with 83 RBI last season. It’s hard to put one beyond the fence at Reckling Park, but if someone besides Cruz is going to threaten for 20+ dingers, it’s probably going to be Combs.

Catcher Justin Collins is another potential power bat. He hit seven home runs and 12 doubles last season. He led the team with 41 walks and scored 32 times, fifth-most on the team and the only hitter who spent most of his time outside the top four spots in the order to reach that high of a mark. Collins has plenty of upside.

The Outfield

While the infield (plus designated hitter) is more or less locked down, the outfield rotation is much less certain. The one certainty seems to be Bradley Gneiting. The senior filled in all over the diamond last year, seeing time at first and third base in addition to his usual spot in right field. He led the team in hits in 2019 and was one of two Owls (along with Edwards) to appear in all 59 games.

Beyond that, there are options, but few definitive answers. Aaron Beaulaurier and Dominic Cox are back. So are Antonio Cruz and Justin Dunlap. Those four known quantities will battle it out with newcomers Daniel Hernandez and Tyler Larue.

Hernandez has impressed with his versatility early on. He could play just about every infield spot minus first base and all three outfield slots. He has a good shot to see some of the field early.

Tyler Larue is the most likely freshman to start out of the gate. Coach Bragga called him “a special hitter”, speaking incredibly highly of his strength and ability to battle at the plate. He came into the program as a catcher, but the staff is going to make a concerted effort to get his bat into the lineup however they can.

That’s a lot of names for three spots. Assuming Gneiting is already on the top tier, that leaves six guys fighting for two spots. Ideally, a pair will rise up quickly. Bragga has indicated he’d love to keep the lineup card the same if the guys penciled in continue to play well.

More on the pitching staff next week…
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