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Rice Baseball alum Trei Cruz returns to the diamond in Sugar Land

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Former Rice baseball shortstop Trei Cruz returns to the field Friday. He’ll take part in the Sugarland Skeeters’ Constellation Energy League.

The last time many heard from former Rice baseball shortstop Trei Cruz he was being drafted by the Detriot Tigers. A few weeks removed from that top-of-the-world experience he’ll return to the diamond, it just won’t be with the Tigers or one of their affiliate teams as he might have expected.

The Minor League Baseball was officially canceled on June 30th. That left Cruz, among others, with an open schedule this summer and an extended absence from baseball. He last took the field on March 10 during a midweek game against Texas A&M.

Cruz is slated to take part in the Sugar Land Skeeter’s four-team Constellation Energy League as a member of the Eastern Reyes Del Tigre. He’ll square off with the Skeeters, Team Texas and the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths. Notable managers include former Major Leaguers Dave Eiland and Greg Swindell as well as the father-son duo of Roger and Koby Clemens.

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Former Rice infielder Ford Proctor will join Cruz on Eastern Reyes Del Tigre. Several other current and former minor leaguers are scattered across the four teams. Josh Breaux, a 2018 second-round pick of the Yankees will catch on Cruz’s team.  Former Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp will suit up for Team Texas.

Games will begin on Friday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Constellation Field. That’s a slight change from the original schedule with including opening night on July 3. Games were delayed one week because of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the area. Assuming things go as planned, the season is now scheduled to run through August 30th. The games will be open to the public.

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BREAKING: Ivy League to announce cancellation of all fall sports

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The first conference to act in March, the Ivy League made another big move this week, canceling all fall sports. No events will be held until January.

In what could become a pivotal moment in college football history, Jon Rothstein reports the Ivy League will announce the cancel their football season and all fall sports. Additionally, the conference “will not entertain any sports being played until after January 1st.”

In a typical sports calendar, the decisions of a smaller FCS conference might not be national news. The past four months have been anything but typical.

Think back to the morning of March 10. COVID-19 was only beginning to take its place as a ubiquitous facet of the world we know. That’s when the Ivy League canceled its conference basketball tournament. For nearly two days, the public outrage was palpable. But quickly the “overreaction” proved more of a premonition than a knee-jerk decision.

The Roost Podcast: Listen now to our Extended Offseason Interview Series

The NBA shut down less than 36 hours from the Ivy League’s statement to cancel their basketball tournament. The Ivies were again first to cancel their spring sports calendar. An outcry followed, but soon enough ever college governing body had followed suit.

On Wednesday, the Ivies announced a decision that could have far greater ramifications. The Ivy League’s decision to not play football this fall will give other conference justification to follow suit. Don’t be shocked to see other FCS conferences follow suit. The domino effect might not stop there. FBS teams have already seen games canceled.

Per Dana O’Neil, there is a possibility the affected fall sports could be played in the spring. To that end, workouts and fall team activities could be left up to the discretion of individual schools, per Nicole Auerbach.

Everyone wants to play college football this fall, but the proverbial timeline to pull the ripcord is fast approaching. Mandatory workouts begin soon and most universities haven’t announced final decisions as to when (or if) the rest of their student body can return to school. Buckle up. The next few weeks could be bumpy.

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Buy Now: The Roost’s 2020 Rice Football Season Preview and C-USA Preview

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The Roost is pleased to announce the release of the 2020 Rice Football Season Preview and the Conference USA Football Season Preview. These digital magazines are the one-stop-shop for every Rice and Conference USA Fan.

Buy Rice Preview
Buy C-USA Preview

The 2020 Rice Football Season Preview

This 160-page publication details everything you could imagine about Rice Football. It includes insight on the entire Rice roster as well with commentary on all 110 players on the active roster. From there the scope widens to breakdowns of 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.

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

Get answers to questions like “Who has the leg up in the Rice quarterback battle?” 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 Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard. In the piece, we discuss how he evaluates head coach Mike Bloomgren’s coaching tenure.

The 2020 Conference USA Football Season Preview

The complete contents of the Conference USA Preview are contained within the Rice Preview. This 72-page guide includes everything Conference USA fans need to know for the upcoming season. Every team in the conference has a four-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. Our subscribers get exclusive content ranging from recruiting and practice updates to special analysis. For starters, they got a copy of the Preview for free!

Buy Rice Preview
Buy C-USA Preview
Subscribe on Patreon. Stay plugged into the latest happenings in Rice Football with exclusive recruiting updates, practice notes and more. We are your No. 1 source for Rice Athletics News.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: How long can Rice keep Tina Langley?

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Tina Langley has been the catalyst for growth Rice Women’s Basketball needed. How long will she be on the sidelines of Tuder Fieldhouse?

Rice women’s basketball has experienced an unprecedented run of success in the past several seasons. Tina Langley is responsible for much of that success.  The former Maryland assistant has become a titan in Houston, recruiting elite talent and taking Rice back to the NCAA Tournament.

Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard wisely gave her a five-year contract extension following the NCAA Tourney berth. From the Owls’ perspective, Langley can stay as long as she’d like.

The Rice men’s team is more recently familiar with losing a head coach to another job. Mike Rhoades parlayed a CBI Quarterfinal appearance and a  23-12 record to take the VCU job in 2017. The women hope to avoid a similar fate.

The Roost Podcast: Listen now to our Extended Offseason Interview Series

Prior to Rice, Langley had spent much of her coaching career on the Eastern side of the county. She served as an assistant at Toledo, Clemson and Georgia before heading to Maryland. Her five-year run in Texas is the furthest Southwest she’s coached.

Her previous geography and her success at Rice have elevated her status in the coaching community. That recognition could have its ramifications. This past week, now former Duke Women’s Basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie resigned. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Langley was among the names floated around as a potential replacement by multiple sources.

Langley doesn’t seem to be the type of coach who would jump at just any job. She spent five years at Toledo and seven at Maryland. People matter to her, but so does education.

If just any other Power 5 program came calling, Langley’s adoration of the Rice administration, academics and culture she’s helped build would help the Owls withstand their advances. But Duke, like few others, can rival the academic power Rice wields. That’s not to say Langley would be out the door if or when the Blue Devils come calling, but she might be willing to listen. She’s earned that right. Rice Athletics had no official comment.

Subscribe on Patreon. Stay plugged into the latest happenings in Rice Football with exclusive recruiting updates, practice notes and more. We are your No. 1 source for Rice Athletics News.

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