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Rice Baseball: Jose Cruz Jr. brings in immediate reinforcements

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Rice baseball hit the Transfer Portal hard this summer, adding several reinforcements that will help the Owls on the field next season.

Newly named Rice baseball head coach Jose Cruz Jr. hit the ground running in Houston roughly one month ago. He hasn’t slowed down his pace since. In the past few weeks he’s hired pitching coaching Colter Bostick, invited current Houston Astros’ star Alex Bregman to stop by Reckling Park and hammered the Transfer Portal.

Rice baseball has picked up commitments from three new Owls, all of which have the potential to make an impact for the team on the diamond in 2022. Here’s a quick rundown of the new commits:

Tom Vincent, LHP – Texas A&M

Vincent was a two-way player during his days at Memorial High School in Houston, hitting .545 his senior year at the plate with a 2.55 ERA on the mound. He signed with Texas A&M last year but did not play for the Aggies during the 2021 season. Perfect Game tabbed him as the No. 10 LHP in Texas in his class. He has four years of eligibility remaining.

Drew Woodcox, SS – Texas Tech

Woodcox played his high school ball at Lamar High School and made his collegiate debut this spring. He played sparingly for Texas Tech, tallying just 36 official at bats with seven hits, a .167 average. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 49 player in the state of Texas coming out of high school. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Jack Reidel, INF – North Carolina

A versatile infielder, Reidel is also returning home to Houston. The former Houston Memorial product saw limited action at North Carolina this past season, participating in eight games with two hits in 10 at bats, both of which came in his collegiate debut against James Madison. Reidel was the No. 19 player in the state of Texas coming out of high school and according to Mark Berman, drew interest from Texas A&M and TCU before choosing Rice.

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Conference USA Football: Breaking down C-USA Championship Odds

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The 2021 Conference USA Football Championship race is going to be wide open again this year. Who are the best bets to take home the crown?

First, the obligatory disclaimer —  The Roost is not a gambling site and is not advocating that anyone place any bets, just providing information. With that said, the odds markets are interesting right now regarding the 2021 Conference USA football championship. We’re using the latest odds from ATS.io.

In layman’s terms, +100 Odds equate to a 50 percent implied probably. When putting that into context here, Marshall’s +253 odds to win Conference USA means odds markets given the Thundering Herd a 28.3 percent chance of winning the title. On the other side of the chart, UTEP is +10,000 to win the conference, essentially a 1.0 percent chance.

In practice, positive numbers indicate how much a better would win if he placed a $100 bet. Wagering a Benjamin Franklin on UTEP could pay off handsomely in 2021 was somehow the Miners’ year.

Everyone else is somewhere in between and can be bucketed into a few groups.

The Favorites | Marshall (+253), UAB (+270), UTSA (+350)

UAB and UTSA finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the West last year. Marshall won the East. All three teams return deep and talented rosters, making it hard to decipher who’s odds are the best. As interesting of a bet as UTSA is, the Roadrunners played eight one-score games last year and don’t carry the same level of cache as the Blazers or the Thundering Herd. At +350, they’re not getting a newcomer discount. UAB and Marshall are the safer picks here.

The Subtle Values | FAU (+800), WKU (+933)

The next rung of teams provides longer odds, but more value if things break the right way. Coincidentally enough, both teams have strong defenses and are looking for an answer at quarterback. WKU brings in highly touted HBU transfer Bailey Zappe. If he lives up to expectations and Marshall stumbles at all, it wouldn’t take too much imagination to see the Hilltoppers in the Championship Game.

The Most Intriguing Bets | Rice (+1566), Southern Miss (+1933)

Southern Miss is breaking in a new head coach and a new quarterback, but the roster is more talented than their forgotten 2020 season might lead others to believe. That said, it’s hard to not consider Rice the best value on the board. The Owls are projected to have one of the best defenses in Conference USA and add transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey. If he can give them a jolt, the defense could carry this team all the way to the Championship Game. If you’re going beyond the top three, Rice is a great value.

The Longshots | Louisiana Tech (+2866),  North Texas (+2933), Old Dominion (+2933)

These three teams have a combined three Conference USA Football Championship Game appearances in their collective histories. Mason Fine has since departed North Texas and Louisiana Tech hasn’t broken through under Skip Holtz and Old Dominion is breaking in a new coach after not playing football last fall. Out of this trio, Tech’s experience makes it the only reasonable long shot to take.

The No Shots | MTSU (+3200), Charlotte (+3200), FIU (+3766), UTEP (+10000)

It’s rare for any team that finished below .500 the season prior to making the jump to conference champion. While that bar might be somewhat easier to reach in Conference USA than the SEC, it’s still not a good bet to happen. Unless you’re seeking a novelty souvenir ticket, none of these four teams has a realistic route to a championship. For many, getting back to .500 isn’t even guaranteed.

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Buy Now: The Roost’s 2021 Rice Football Season Preview and C-USA Preview

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The Roost is pleased to announce the release of the 2021 Rice Football Season Preview and the 2021 Conference USA Football Season Preview. These digital magazines are the one-stop-shop for every Rice and Conference USA Fan.

Buy Rice Preview
Buy CUSA Preview

The 2021 Rice Football Season Preview

This 150+ page publication details everything you could imagine about Rice Football. It includes insight on the entire Rice roster, position by position, as well five pages of commentary on every Conference USA team and all four of the Owls’ non-conference opponents. Each profile was compiled with the help from local experts who cover that beat on a daily basis with timely transfer information and any available spring updates. This goes deeper than some national overviews.

As one Rice administrator dubbed it:
it’s the bible for Rice Football fans.

Get answers to questions like “Has the quarterback problem been solved?” or “Which incoming players could make the biggest impact?” or “Who are the top returning players Rice will face in Conference USA?”

This year’s edition included a feature story based on an interview with new offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo. In the piece, we discuss his plans to revitalize the Rice football offense and how new transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey could fit into that solution.

The 2021 Conference USA Football Season Preview

The complete contents of the Conference USA Preview are contained within the Rice Preview. This 88-page guide includes everything Conference USA fans need to know for the upcoming season. Every team in the conference has a five-page profile. These profiles including coaching notes, pressing questions and the major storylines each squad faces this season. It also includes roster breakdowns with profiles on the biggest incoming and outgoing players.

No preview would be complete without the numbers, and this one has those in bunches. Each team section includes Conference USA metrics, returning production notes and analysis as well as stat lines for every returning player. There’s also a more detailed review of the conference’s top returning players for each major statistic. And it’s all at your fingertips rather than a dozen google searches away.

The Conference USA Preview omits the Rice-specific content like the position and player breakdowns, rising stars and more. Most Rice fans would prefer the Rice Preview whereas fans of other C-USA schools might prefer this version.

What are people saying about the Previews?

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what people are saying:

  • “The Roost’s C-USA preview has been an indispensable resource for me as I make my preparations for this season.”
  • “I just spent 30 minutes going through it, but barely skimmed the surface. It’s a great way to learn the new players.
  • “I don’t know any preview that could be more detailed than that.”
  • “This is worth spending the money on. Best you will get for CUSA”
  • “I liked everything.”

Want more?

You can always find additional Rice Football and Conference USA Football content on the website. If you enjoy the Preview and want to get further involved, consider supporting us on Patreon or check out The Roost Shop. First-time subscribers to our Starting Lineup Tier in July get a copy of the Preview for free in addition to exclusive content ranging from recruiting and practice updates to special analysis.

Buy Rice Preview
Buy CUSA Preview
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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 WR Braylen Walker commits to Owls

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Joining quarterback AJ Padgett, the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class doubled down this week with a commitment from wideout Braylen Walker.

The 2022 Rice football recruiting class had gotten off to a relatively quiet start early on. The Owls picked up one commitment in April and another in May. Then they doubled the class size in a single week, landing a pair of important targets within the span of a few hours.

2022 Sulphur, Louisiana wide receiver Braylen Walker has committed to the Owls. Walker is the fourth member of the class and the second offensive player in the fold this cycle. His commitment comes the same week as quarterback AJ Padgett. That tandem joins defensive lineman Davion Carter and Chibby Nwajuaku as the initial trio of 2022 commits. He’s the first out-of-state addition for the Owls so far, who signed eight high school seniors from outside of Texas in their 2021 class.

Rice was the first to offer Walker. Being first to pull the trigger isn’t something Rice has been afraid to do over the last several seasons, with early returns being largely positive on that strategy. Walker’s offer and quick commitment comes the same week Rice more or less finalized their 2021 class, bringing in transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey from Nebraska.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 170 pounds, Walker is frequently able to use his legs and burst to outrun defenders and get himself into open space. When he does find green grass with the ball in his hands, he’s hard to catch. Combining speed with a quick first step and acceleration makes him a problem for opposing defenses. He’ll be a potential slot candidate for the Owls when he gets to South Main.

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Rice Baseball: “Dreams do come true” for Jose Cruz Jr.

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Rice baseball officially welcomed Jose Cruz Jr. as its 22nd head coach, a moment that sparked hope and excitement in the Owls’ fanbase.

Flanked by his family, Jose Cruz Jr. was officially welcomed as the 22nd Rice baseball head coach on Tuesday evening. Donning a No. 22 jersey just like his playing days, the newest Owl coach flashed a familiar smile, delivering a confident, almost whimsical remark: “Hey, dreams do come true.”

In his introductions, athletic director Joe Karlgaard was crystal clear regarding the significance that Cruz has already had on South Main, calling him “one of the architects” that built Rice baseball into an Omaha-caliber program. Cruz didn’t stray far from his roots in his return to Houston, and in Karlgaard’s own estimation, “there weren’t many people who’d seen more Rice baseball games over the past five or six years than Jose.”

Cruz will have a much closer view the next time he walks through the gates of Reckling Park. For the time being, he’s been on the phone with his team. He already knows a good portion of the roster from his time around the ballpark. Now he’s going deeper, sharing his vision and talking about what he intends to build at South Main.

As for his coaching style, Cruz tipped his cap to former Houston Astros’ manager and current Detroit Tiger skipper, AJ Hinch for his teaching in recent months, saying he’s learned a lot from Hinch and others over his career in baseball.

More: Roost Podcast – Rice baseball to hire Jose Cruz Jr.

When it comes to how Cruz intends to run the ship, he plans to draw from several of those lessons learned along the way. “There’s some old school to it.” Cruz said of his coaching philosophy, “but it’s more of a modern style.” He went on to add that he’s “not going to be a big yeller about stuff”, stressing instead that he’ll focus on development and giving his players “the best possible opportunity” for success.”

With the pleasantries exchanged and opening remarks nearly finished, Cruz still wore his resolute smile. “We’re going to be closer to what we’re talking about being here at Rice,” he said, looking expectantly toward the future. A day both Jose Cruz Jr., and the Rice baseball family, are eager to embrace.

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