The source for Rice sports news

Rice Baseball suffers sweep by Yale

By

The losses continue to mount for Rice Baseball, which suffered a series loss to Yale, dropping the Owls’ overall record to 2-13 on the season.

FRIDAY | Yale 8, Rice 3

Rice baseball starter Davion Hickson found himself in early trouble on Friday night when a hit by pitch and an error thrust him into a jam. Yale would capitalize, striking for two in that inning before threatening in the second and breaking through in earnest in the third. Yale made it 5-0 after three, taking advantage of free passes and defensive errors to force Hickson out of the game before the fifth inning.

Last Weekend: Rice Baseball winless at Astros College Classic

The Rice bats got three back but two more runs charged to Von Baker made it 8-3 heading to the sixth. Even with an impressive four-inning, no-hit, six-strikeout showing form Garrett Stratton in relief, the deficit proved too large to overcome with the Owls falling in the series opener by a final score of 8-4.

SATURDAY | Yale 11, Rice 8

JD McCracken got Rice off to a much improved start on Saturday afternoon, mowing down Yale batters through six scoreless innings before the Bulldogs finally got to him with a solo home run to open the seventh. Even with the blemish, McCracken had done enough to put the Owls in a position to win, along with 3 RBI from Michael Zito and Graiden West’s first career home run at the plate.

“He was spectacular. He was amazing,” Rice baseball head coach Jose Cruz Jr. said of McCracken’s showing. “He does set the tone. And he pitches to contact. There’s a lot of action out there. We’re happy to have him. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll be out there as long as he can go.”

McCracken’s brilliance would fizzle quickly when he left the mound. It didn’t matter who came through the door, Tucker Alch, Jackson Blank and Caleb Williams were each responsible for runs that turned a significant Rice lead into an agonizing loss as Yale scored 11 in the final three innings. Rice would get three back, but it wouldn’t be enough to salvage the game.

SUNDAY | Yale 7, Rice 4

Yale struck first in the series finale, getting two runs in the first and two more in the second, forcing Rice starter Robert Fernandez from the game early on. This time, the Owls’ bats offered some resistance, though. Rice scored three in the bottom of the first, one run via an error and the final two coming on the first home run from freshman Blaine Brown.

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

Trailing 4-3 after two innings, both bullpens kept the game close until Yale broke through in the seventh with one insurance run and two more in the eight. Down 7-3, Brown added another RBI on a single in the eighth but that would prove to be the end of the scoring for both teams on the weekend and Rice dropped the final game 7-4.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball surges past UAB at AAC Tournament

By

Rice Women’s Basketball finished off an early lead with a dominant fourth quarter run to extend their season and defeat UAB in the American Conference Tournament.

UAB got out of the gates in a hurry in the first game of a full four-game Sunday slate at Dickies Arena, the hosting venue for the bulk of the 2025 American Conference Tournament. The eight-seed Blazers took a 10-3 over Rice Women’s Basketball as the Owls struggled to get their shots to fall in the opening minutes of the contest.

Rice would close the quarter on a 7-0 run to bring the score even at 15 apiece before building themselves a modest lead at halftime, furthered by a buzzer-beating three from Malia Fisher as the clock expired before the break. Fisher’s three put Rice up by eight and while UAB would inch closer in the third quarter, Rice was able to maintain a healthy lead and enter the final frame up by nine.

More: Rice Football: 2025 Recruiting Class Analysis — Defense

UTSA scored the first four points in the fourth quarter to get back within five but that was the moment Rice women’s basketball seized control and never looked back. Rice scored 12 unanswered points, turning a close game into a relatively comfortable win to survive an advance to the next round of the American Conference Tournament.

Final Box | Rice 76, UAB 63

What They’re Saying

I’m just incredibly proud of our group. Grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Conference Tournament. Grateful to get the first win. I thought we had a very well balanced attack and it was everything that we needed to make sure that we get this first win. – Rice women’s Basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | Finding that fourth quarter fight

Closing out games has been the Achilles heel for Rice women’s basketball this season. So many fourth quarter leads have evaporated in the matter of minutes dropping the Owls down the standings all the way to the No. 9 seed.

There was a moment on Sunday afternoon when it felt like that nagging pain would resurface for one final, fateful time. UAB opened the fourth quarter on a quick 4-0 run, cutting a nine-point deficit down to five to get back within striking distance with a full quarter remaining.

Rather than fold, Rice rallied. The Owls rattled off 12 unanswered points, catapulting themselves to a 17-point lead, their largest of the game. That furious rally is what this team has been missing all too often this season. If they can showcase that fight just a few more times they’ll have a real chance to keep their season alive a few more days and replicate last year’s historic run.

“We start the year saying that are season is three seasons, non-conference, conference and then the conference tournament is our third season. It was 0-0 before today, the wins and the losses didn’t matter. We wanted to come out and be the best team that we could be today and get the first win. We talked about last year. We talked about the run that we had,” Edmonds said.

“Last year was incredible and we want to feel that again, but nobody is going to hand it to us. We got to make sure that we go and take it every single day. We need to be hungry for the wins that we need here.”

The task doesn’t get any easier, though. Rice draws No. 1 Seed UTSA in their next game. The Roadrunners edged the Owls’ 57-55 a few weeks ago on Senior Day.

Up Next: AAC Tournament (vs 1-Seed UTSA | Monday, March 10 at 12:00 PM CT)

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: TE Colten Cole commits to Owls

By

The first pledge of the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is on the board. Tight end Colten Cole has committed to the Owls.

The first recruiting cycle for head coach Scott Abell and his staff was a blur, working to retain commitments, add transfers and scout out the right high school additions to the offensive and defensive schemes. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class represents this staff’s first traditional class. Now, the Owls have their first member of that group. Tight end Colten Cole has committed to the Owls.

For Cole, the decision didn’t take long. Rice was the first FBS offer for Cole and he made the decision to commit within days of it being extended. “They made me feel at home right away by getting to know me personally,” Cole told The Roost. “They all have a positive and enthusiastic mindset when it comes to coaching.”

On the field, Cole is particularly intrigued by how Rice uses the tight end position. “Rice uses their tight ends all over the field,” Cole said. “They are in-line some, but flexed out at receiver some as well.”

We’ve heard so much about the varied looks and different ways Abell’s offense will employ to get the upper hand on defenses. Having that excitement translate from the building to the fans to the rest of this next wave of recruiting is equally infectious.

“I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” Cole said. “I can’t wait to get down in Owl country!”

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

The versatility Cole displays on film sticks out immediately. He has experience lining up in the backfield as well as on the line in a more traditional tight end capacity. He’s a willing blocker who isn’t afraid to drop his shoulder and run through someone. Add in his presence on the defensive line and you get a rather robust player the Owls should be able to utilize to great effect in their highly adaptative scheme.

Become a Patron!

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

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball loses to Wichita State on Senior Day

By

As has been the case for much of the season, Rice Basketball took another team down to the wire, this time falling to Wichita State.

A swarming Rice basketball defense set the tone for what would become a grind of a game at Tudor Fieldhouse on Senior Night. The Owls forced three Wichita State turnovers in the first two minutes, jumping out quickly to an 8-2 advantage. They’d hold a small lead for the better portion of the first half before things began to unravel.

Wichita State went on a thunderous 12-0 run to go in front by seven, taking advantage of six Rice turnovers in that span. Despite an ice-cold stretch in which Rice missed 11-of-12 shots from the field and fell behind by 10, the Owls were able to rally and get back within three points at halftime.

More: Rice Football: 2025 Recruiting Class Analysis — Offense

After a bit of shooting lull to open the second half, Rice finally started to heat up from the field. Four consecutive field goals, two from Andrew Akuchie inside and a pair of threes from Alem Huseinovic brought the game back within one possession. That razor thin margin would linger for the rest of the game.

Emory Lanier his a layup to bring Rice within four with 6:57 to play. Neither side would make a field goal for more than six minutes until Wichita State finally got a jumper to go, snapping a stretch of 12 missed shots in a row. Unfortunately for Rice, their seven consecutive misses prevented them from closing the gap and resulted in yet another deflating, close loss.

Final Box | Wichita State 63, Rice 59

What They’re Saying

Key takeaway | Onto Denton, then Fort Worth?

The final standings won’t be determined until after the weekend, but Rice basketball will be playing at the Super Pit next Wednesday. By virtue of the Owls’ loss on Thursday, they won’t catch Tulsa in the standings and will most likely be playing Charlotte in the play-in game. The seeding, whether Rice will be the No. 12 or No. 13, is yet to be determined.

If Rice can win that game, set to be played at the Super Pit in Denton, then they’ll join the rest of the conference at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth for the rest of the tournament.

Up Next: AAC Tournament

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

Recent Posts

2025 AAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview

By

The 2025 AAC Women’s Basketball Tournament is slated to tip off in DFW this week. Here’s a preview of the action.

The Favorite: UTSA

Sitting at 26-3 overall and a staggering 17-1 in conference play, UTSA hasn’t lost a game since January and their only loss in the state of Texas, where the 2025 AAC Tournament will be played, came in their opening game at Texas A&M. With no guarantees the Roadrunners will receive an at-large bid, this team should be plenty motivated to finish what they started and a tournament championship to their regular season title.

The Contenders: North Texas, South Florida

South Florida has been to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last four years and was the only AAC squad to beat UTSA in the regular season. As for North Texas, the Mean Green tied their own program record this season with 23 victories. Either might be a front runner in a typical season and each is perfectly capable of taking home the title this year.

The Dark Horse: Tulsa

Winners of the regular season championship a year ago, Tulsa finished fifth in the standings this time around but is playing their best basketball right now. The Golden Hurricane have won their last five games, including a victory over South Florida at home. If there’s a good bet outside of the upper tier of the standings, Tulsa is the pick.

The Wild Card: Rice

It was only a season ago that 10-Seed Rice ripped off four straight victories in this tournament to punch a their ticket to the Big Dance. This year’s squad has faced similar regular season struggles, but retains the core pieces like Malia Fisher, Dominque Ennis and Sussy Ngulefac who made last season’s run possible. Can lightning strike twice?

The Bracket

The opening play-in game will take place on Saturday, March 8, with first full day of action set for Sunday, March 9. Here is the slate for the first two days. The full schedule is available on the conference website. All early-round games can be streamed on ESPN+, with the championship on ESPNU.

First Round | Saturday, March 8 (Super Pit in Denton, TX)

Game 1: No. 13 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 12 Charlotte – 12 p.m. CT

Second Round | Sunday, March 9 (Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX)

Game 2: No. 9 Rice vs. No. 8 UAB – 12 p.m. CT
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. No. 5 Tulsa – 2 p.m. CT
Game 4: No. 10 Memphis vs. No. 7 East Carolina – 6 p.m. CT
Game 5: No. 11 Wichita State vs. No. 6 Tulane – 8 p.m. CT

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

Recent Posts