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Rice Baseball drops water-logged series to Louisiana Tech

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Rice Baseball lost a compressed weekend series to Louisiana Tech, salvaging a split of a seven-inning doubleheader to avoid a sweep at home.

FRIDAY | LA Tech 6 – Rice 4

Rice starter Parker Smith looked lost in the early portions of the series opener on Friday night. His command was loose and he was hit early and often, facing seven hitters and allowing two runs in the first inning before allowing the first two batters in the second to reach base. Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. stuck with his ace. “All of a sudden, the next thing you know, he throws six innings, right?” Cruz chuckled.

Smith was lifted after 5.2 innings when an error extended an inning he should have escaped from, and eventually did thanks to a quick out from reliever Cristian Cienfuegos. The bats for those two runs back in the second, tying the game on an RBI triple from Ben Royo and a subsequent single by Manny Garza. The score would level again at 4-4 with reliever Matthew Linskey surrendering two solo home runs later before Louisiana Tech tagged Krishna Raj with two runs in the ninth to win it.

SATURDAY AM | LA Tech 5 – Rice 4 (7 inn.)

Brody Drost for Louisiana Tech and Guy Garibay for Rice exchanged solo home runs in the second in a quick but otherwise quiet offensive game through the early innings. At least, that was the case until Rice starter JD McCracken found himself in a jam in the fifth inning. After loading the bases on a single, walk and hit batsman, he gave up the lead on a single to right field and was lifted for Justin Long.

Long was unable to limit the damage, though, and it might have been the difference in the game. Louisiana Tech cleared the bases with a double then tacked on a sac fly. Leading 5-1, Rice got three runs in the seventh but stranded the tying run on first base.

SATURDAY PM | Rice 4 – LA Tech 0 (7 inn.)

Jacob Devenney, rewarded for his pinch-hit RBI single in the early game, drew the start in the finale and came around to score the go-ahead run in the first inning on a double from Aaron Smigelski. Neither team would score in the second, third or fourth innings as Rice starter Tom Vincent delivered one his best outings of the season (3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs) and the bullpen — specifically Cristian Cienfuegos, Tyler Hamilton, Krishna Raj and Jack Ben-Shoshan — kept Louisiana Tech off the board completely.

Rice picked up insurance in the sixth inning, scoring three runs on a couple of infield singles and walks. Leading 4-0, Ben-Shoshan was able to hang on a close the door, albeit with some drama in the final moments.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Despite outscoring its opponent this time around, Rice baseball dropped its third consecutive Conference USA series, all by 2-1 margins. Louisiana Tech had the upper hand this weekend. Here are a few takeaways from the series.

1. Unclutch

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Parker Smith the bright spot in Rice Baseball series loss at FAU

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Parker Smith delivered a masterpiece on Friday night, but the rest of the weekend was less rosy for Rice Baseball, who dropped the series to FAU.

FRIDAY | Rice 1 – FAU 0

Connor Walsh belted a home run over the right field wall on Friday night and trotted around the bases, tapping home plate with his cleats. When he did so, he became the only player of the night to cross the dish and score a run. His solo blast proved to be the only meaningful offensive spark for either team in a Friday night pitcher’s duel.

More: Rice Baseball nonconference Stat of the Program

FAU managed seven hits against Rice starter Parker Smith. Rice totaled just three all against FAU starter Hunter Cooley. The visiting Owls got the hit that mattered most, clinging to Smith’s dazzling start (more on that later) to earn the series-opening win.

SATURDAY | FAU 10 – Rice 7

Both teams traded scoreless innings early on in the second game of the series but even though Rice had taken a 1-0 lead on a Ben Royo home run, the shift in pace wouldn’t be fully realized until FAU struck with a 4-run fourth inning to post the first crooked number of the weekend. Rice would get two back in the fifth, only to relinquish that edge by allowing two in the bottom of the frame.

Trailing 3-4, Manny Garza and Drew Holderbach each picked up multi-RBI hits in the sixth, taking a 7-6 lead. It would not last. Rice relievers Justin Long and Tom Vincent were both tagged with multiple runs, Vincent’s pair occurring in just 0.1 innings. The offense showed some life, but FAU’s second four-run frame — this time in the seventh — evened the series.

SUNDAY| FAU 14 – Rice 4 (8 inn.)

Behind 2-0 after the first inning, Rice had its chance to equal FAU’s multi-run frame in the second. The Owls got one run back and then loaded the bases but were unable to get the equalizing score. Coming up that one play short would be the theme of the day for the offense while the pitching staff continued on its downward trajectory from the day prior.

Rice baseball utilized six different pitchers in the series finale. Of the six, Tyler Hamilton was the only reliever to work at least an inning and not allow multiple runs. Trusted arm Matthew Linskey walked three and did not record an out, a microcosm of the day for the Owls’ pitching staff. Four runs were simply not enough when the struggles on the mound are that extreme and the game ended early via run rule in the eighth.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball dropped its second consecutive Conference USA series, both by 2-1 margins. The Owls fell to UTSA by that result the weekend prior before posting a 2-1 series loss to FAU this time around. Other than Parker Smith, this one felt decidedly less encouraging. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. The Parker Smith show

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Rice Football 2023 Spring Practice Notebook 5: Emptying the Notebook

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We’re midway through the 2023 Rice Football spring practices and notes are piling up. Here’s a grab bag of several from the past few weeks.

From the defensive line to the wideouts. From the stars to the up-and-comers, there’s been a lot to pay attention to as Rice football progresses through spring camp. This update features a collection of nuggets that haven’t made it into an update quite yet and a few updates following the first scrimmage last week.

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Don’t believe the depth chart

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Rice Football: Should we worry about the offense? — March ’23 Patreon Q&A

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The Rice football offense didn’t light the world on fire in its first scrimmage of the spring. How much should we read into those struggles?

The arrival of starting quarterback JT Daniels spurred a new wave of optimism in the Rice football offense this offseason, but the first scrimmage of the spring came and went without fireworks from that side of the ball. Why was that? And what further developments should be expected as the entire unit works to improve this spring. We dig into those questions in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

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Rice Baseball drops series, but pushes UTSA to the wire

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Rice Baseball went toe-to-toe with league-leading UTSA and while the Owls lost the series, they measured up well against the Roadrunners.

FRIDAY | UTSA 4 – Rice 3 (11 inn.)

It didn’t seem like it would turn into a pitcher’s dual on Friday afternoon following an exchange of two-run home runs by each starter in the first inning, but that’s where the game went following Guy Garibay’s game-tying blast over the right field wall. Parker Smith would settle in from that point onward, finishing with three runs allowed (two earned) and six strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched.

More: Rice Baseball nonconference Stat of the Program

The unearned run would prove to be costly, though. Smith committed an error on a leadoff bunt single, allowing the runner to advance to second. Then he came in to score shortly after on a wild pitch. Trailing 3-2, Rice baseball would rally to tie the score in the ninth on a pinch-hit single by Paul Smith before ultimately falling in the 11th inning.

SATURDAY | Rice 13 – UTSA 8

After a modest start at the plate for both squads, the bats came out swinging in earnest on Saturday. The teams combined for six runs in the second inning, with Garibay starting the hit parade for the Owls with a home run with Manny Garza and Benjamin Rosengard collecting RBI in the inning as well. UTSA would punch back to briefly take a 5-4 lead before the Owls’ offense exploded again.

Rice baseball struck for five runs in the fifth with two RBI from Garza and three from Paul Smith on a home run. The nine runs would be enough, but the Owls would add two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings for good measure, hanging on to win 13-8 and force a rubber game on Sunday.

SUNDAY| UTSA 6 – Rice 5

UTSA struck for two runs in the second inning against Rice starter Tom Vincent, signally another game that would require run production to win. Rice responded immediately afterward, taking the lead on back-to-back home runs by Aaron Smigelski and Ben Royo, on consecutive pitches, no less. UTSA answered with a two-run shot in the third to go up 4-3 and the game was on.

Another home run, this time by Connor Walsh, evened the score at five in the sixth inning where the margin remained until UTSA came through with a two-out double to right-center in the eighth, going ahead for good. Rice would not reach base in either of their final two frames, dropping the game and the series on Sunday afternoon.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball has dropped their three-game series with UTSA two games to one, narrowly losing out on the chance to win a series against the best team in Conference USA. Even in defeat, the Owls acquitted themselves well and proved they belong near the top of the standings in a variety of ways. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. Game On

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