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Rice Baseball pummels HBU in shortened midweek bout

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It only took seven inning for Rice baseball to overwhelm HBU, sweeping the season series with a 7-inning victory over the Huskies on Tuesday night.

Simply put, Tuesday night was one of the most excellent performances Rice baseball has put forth on the diamond in quite some time. From start to finish, the Owls routed their crosstown rivals, sending HBU home after seven innings, a joint decision by the coaches given the decidedly one-sided state of the game.

The score became slanted as it was by an 11-run, 8-hit fifth inning in which Rice came one batter away from going through the order twice. Guy Garibay, Austin Bulman, Aaron Smigelski, Pierce Gallo and Antonio Cruz all reached base twice in the inning as the Owls tallied two triples in the frame.

Last Time Out : Rice baseball wrestling with sweep at hands of FAU

Rice was aided by an HBU error midway through the inning, but they did more than their fair share of damage without any help from the visiting Huskies.

As exciting as the big inning was, it would turn out to be window dressing on the final box score because of the superb pitching performance by Thomas Burbank. The San Jacinto transfer picked up his first win of the season, throwing five innings of one-hit ball, striking out five and silencing the HBU bats.

Burbank would have still picked up the win even if Rice had been shut out from the second inning onward. Smigelski broke the seal on the scoring with a two-run double in the opening inning. From then on it was smooth sailing for the Owls on the mound and at the plate.

“It was nice. It was something positive. We haven’t had something positive in a bit,” Rice baseball head coach Cruz Jr. said after the game. “Now its build on this, come back tomorrow, practice, tighten it up and get ready to go to Louisiana.”

What it means | Midweek magic

Outside of a sloppy 4-error, 9-run loss against Baylor in early March, midweek games have been favorable to the Owls so far this season. Rice is 4-4 in games played on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the majority of those losses have been competitive ballgames, including last week’s slugfest against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Meanwhile, Rice baseball is 5-17 in all other contests. That might mean the Owls are better equipped for the churn and chaos that comes with midweek games and stretched bullpen or it may just be a nod to the offense which has teed off against pitching and made opposing hurlers pay for their mistakes in recent weeks. Whatever the case, Rice will take the good fortune whenever it comes around.

ON DECK | at Louisiana Tech

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Rice baseball swept at home, drops battle of Owls to FAU

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In a battle of Owls, Rice Baseball was swept at home by Florida Atlantic over the weekend, outscored by their visitors 24-10 in the three-game series.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball drops series 3-0

A hot start early on in conference play has seemingly cooled off for Rice baseball, who dropped their fifth consecutive contest on Sunday as a three-game series against FAU resulted in a sweep. Going winless at your own ballpark is never fun, and Rice will have plenty to work on as they prepare for a tough road trip to Ruston, LA next weekend. But first, a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. Scoring output stumbles

The Rice bats haven’t been the problem in recent weeks. Even when they weren’t exploding for double-digit outputs, they still seemed to consistently reach six or seven runs, giving their pitching staff support and giving the team a chance in almost every game. Against FAU, Rice scored just 10 runs in three games.

FAU is in the bottom third of the conference in team ERA, and although they’ve pitched fairly well of late, this probably wasn’t the most dominant set of hurlers Rice baseball will see this season. They managed to do a number against the Owls.

Last Time Out: Ninth inning rally comes up short for Rice baseball vs TAMUCC

Perhaps this was just an off weekend, but it was telling that Rice baseball head coach Cruz Jr. opted to empty the benches on Sunday and put Jack Ben-Shoshan and Cullen Hannigan in the starting lineup for the first time in a long while.

He tried to shake things up and provide this lineup a spark. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. As the pitching staff struggles. the bats will continue to be relied upon to win Rice games. When they’re quiet, it’s going to make for long days at the ballpark.

2. Defense is picking up

It wasn’t that long ago where it seemed like Rice was due a three-error or four-error game every weekend. Keeping track of the baseball wasn’t something this team did well, that is, until the switch was flipped in late March and they became a stronger fielding team.

“I think our infield is starting to look really good defensively,” Cruz Jr. said, making note of the return of Hal Hughes to the lineup. Hughes made his season debut on Tuesday against Texas A&M Corpus Christi after missing the first half of the season with an injury.

Rice committed just two errors on the weekend, and although there were a few bad hops that some of the Owls’ defenders would have preferred to make, the focus is definitely better. That’s a plus, and a much-needed sign of growth for the program as a whole.

3. Pitching staff in progress

Had anyone offered Cruz Jr. a pair of two-pitcher games to open this weekend series he would have taken it in a heartbeat, especially against one of the best hitting teams in the conference. FAU leads Conference USA in hits, and although they picked up several against Rice, the Owls top end of the staff was competitive enough to be trusted with deep outings, even in the bullpen.

Weeks ago Cruz Jr. talked about finding a reliable corps to throw in the most high-leverage of situations. Even though the Rice bullpen gave up runs this weekend, it seemed evident some combination of Garret Zaskoda, Roel Garcia, Dalton Wood, David Shaw, Tom Vincent and Cristian Cienfuegos are going to the first guys to get the call just about every weekend from here on out.

More: Rice Baseball Midseason State of the Program

The shortlist has been built. What remains to be seen is which pitchers can make the adjustments and start to limit the damage against some of the deeper lineups in Conference USA. Matthew Linskey has been darn near perfect, but he can’ throw every day, not if he wants to maintain that level of effectiveness. No, it’s going to take another step up by a few more guys. Now it appears the staff knows who they’re looking for.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | FAU 9 – Rice 4

The series started out on a rocky note for Rice baseball starter Cooper Chandler who gave up four runs in the first two innings including a few very hard-hit balls. To his credit, he dug in and fought his way to the sixth inning. Cruz Jr. noticed his grit, saying Chandler “pitched really good”, casting his major complaints upon the Rice offense, which did little to support their Friday night guy.

Rice scored once in the first inning on a groundout. Guy Garibay pulled Rice within one run on a two-run blast in the fifth inning that made the score 4-3 in favor of FAU. The visitors tacked on five more runs after that, nickling-and-diming Chandler and Zaskoda as the Rice bats watched on, resulting in a 9-4 win for FAU.

SATURDAY | FAU 6 – Ricc 5

Filling for Parker Smith who left his start last weekend early, Alex DeLeon delivered a gritty four-run, five-inning effort in Game 2 with two of those runs unearned. Behind 3-0 in the fourth, Rice slugger Austin Bulman delivered an equalizing three-run shot down the left field line to breathe new life into the Rice dugout.

Both teams traded runs in the fifth inning to set the score at 4-4. Again in the sixth, single tallies from each side made it 5-5. FAU would take the lead for good in the eighth with a leadoff home run against Roel Garia following which Rice would send the minimum to the plate in the final two half innings.

SUNDAY | FAU 7 – Rice 1

Things were shaping up to be a close game on getaway day, until they weren’t. Rice took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Austin Bulman. FAU tied the game in the third, then jumped in front in the fourth. Trailing 3-1, the game still felt in reach until FAU delivered the gut-punch 4-run finisher in the sixth inning.

Podcast: Rice Owls’ Voice JP Heath talks baseball, basketball, broadcasting

Rice reliever David Shaw left with two runners on and one out, setting the table for Tom Vincent, who struggled to get out of the frame. He gave up three hits and allowed a run to score on a hit by pitch as Rice fell behind 7-1. They would not recover, tallying just four hits in the series finale.

ON DECK | Rice baseball vs Houston Baptist (Tues), at Louisiana Tech (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Football: 5 Owls participate in NFL Pro Day

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Rice football hosted its 2022 NFL Pro Day on Friday, allowing players to showcase themselves in the presence of NFL scouts.

At least 11 NFL teams flocked to Rice Stadium on April 1 to watch five Rice football players showcase their talents in a variety of athletic testing exercises and positional drills. Additional players from nearby programs such as Houston Baptist and Lamar also participated alongside those Owls.

Scouts from the following teams were present: 49ers, Browns, Broncos, Colts, Jaguars, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, Seahawks and Texans. Rice football alums Myles Adams and Emmanuel Ellerbee were in attendance to support those working out, as were a host of current Rice players who cheered loudly during the athletic testing events inside the Brian Patterson Center weight room.

More: Reviewing Luke McCaffrey’s move to wide receiver

Notable results for Rice athletes included a 40.5-inch vertical jump by safety Naeem Smith, 28 bench press reps by offensive lineman Jovaun Woolford and 25 bench reps from defensive lineman Elijah Garcia.

Below are a few updates from the players following their workouts, featuring their own sales pitches to NFL teams as well as their thoughts on their Pro Day performances as a whole. Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren also shared a few words.

The Numbers

Jordan Myers
  • 40 Yard Dash: 4.69
  • Vertical Jump: 32.5″
  • Broad Jump: 9’7″
Naeem Smith
  • 40 Yard Dash: 4.68
  • Vertical Jump: 40.5″
  • Broad Jump: 10’1″
Jake Constantine
  • 40 Yard Dash: 4.81
  • Vertical Jump: 30″
  • Broad Jump: 8’8″
Jovaun Woolford
  • Bench Press: 28 reps
  • Vertical Jump: 26.5″
  • Broad Jump: 8’3″
Elijah Garcia
  • 40 Yard Dash: 4.96
  • Vertical Jump: 30″
  • Bench Press: 25 reps

What They’re Saying

 

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Rice Football: Luke McCaffrey, Wide Receiver — Patreon Q&A

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All eyes are on the newest Rice football wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, the focal point of our March 2022 Patreon Q&A.

On the opening day of spring practice, Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren almost nonchalantly mentioned Luke McCaffrey had been the one who suggested he move from quarterback to wide receiver. The comments added further detail around the most high-profile position switch the Owls would be experimenting with this spring.

This month’s Q&A question focuses on that transition, more specifically, asking how McCaffrey looks at wide receiver so far.

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“Very Smooth”

It only took a few minutes watching scrimmage from the bleachers at Rice Stadium to lock onto the No. 12 jersey streaking across the field. I watched eagerly as the offense lined up for one-on-one wide receiver/defensive back drills.

When it was McCaffrey’s turn he shot off the line like a sprinter, froze his man on a fake and exploded again on a post route. By the time the defensive back — who saw plenty of time on the field for Rice football last season — had swung his head around to locate McCaffrey, the speedy receiver had 10 yards of separation on his man, the ball, and a clear path toward the endzone.

“I would say the transition has been very smooth,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said after practice had concluded. Very smooth, indeed.

While things never seemed to click for McCaffrey when he was lining up under center, he suddenly looks like he’s been playing his new position for quite some time. In reality, he’s been doing it for roughly two weeks.

McCaffrey called the transition “a lot of fun” and something that was, for him, “very natural.” When asked what his thought process was as a made the switch, he didn’t seem to have any regrets. “Quarterback was something I loved,” he said. “But I’m so happy I made the switch.”

Swiss Army Knife

Beyond running routes for his brothers in the backyard growing up, the wide receiver position is completely new to him. This is the first time it’s ever been his full-time responsibility. Spending so much time in the quarterback room will only help him as he relearns his role in the offense from a different vantage point.

Wide receiver coach Mike Kershaw called McCaffrey the team’s “swiss army knife” referencing a title the coaching staff once used to describe do-it-all offensive weapon, Jordan Myers. When I brought up Myers in that context, Kershaw gave a nod, going on to mention the extra gear McCaffrey has which could make him even more dangerous in the open field.

More: Rice Football and the Transfer Portal — Are the Owls better off?

“He’s that puzzle piece that has a lot of different prongs to it. The creativity you can come up with him is endless,” Kershaw said. “He will not stand in one spot.”

Kershaw wouldn’t rule out anything when it came to how Rice football might deploy McCaffrey in the offense. From the slot to the backfield to the wildcat to everything in between, there seemed to be no shortage of possibilities for how the Owls’ would utilize No. 12 in this offense.

Measured Optimism

Yes, it’s spring. It’s the first dose of football anyone has had in months and hope and aspirations run rampant. A few practices won’t turn McCaffrey into the silver bullet that takes this offense to another level. But it’s only taken a few exhibitions to reinforce the reality that McCaffrey is every bit the athlete we thought he’d be. And now he’s going to be funneled the ball with greater regularity.

The departure of Jake Bailey opens up a starting role in the slot. That’s where McCaffrey has spent most of his time lined up this far, and he’s made the most of his chances. He has real 4.4-type speed and it shows. Two weeks in, it’s already evident he has to be the Owls’ starter in the slot. How much larger of a role he commanders might be up to him and how he fairs over the next few weeks and throughout fall camp. So far, so good.

Photo Credit: Maria Lysaker
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Rice Baseball: Ninth inning rally comes up short vs TAMU CC

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Rice baseball dropped a slugfest to Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the Owls’ first loss to the Islanders in 21 games between the two programs.

For the first time in program history, Rice baseball fell to Texas A&M Corpus Christ on the diamond. The Owls pushed the Islanders to the brink, but were unable to keep pace with the visiting bats, falling by a final score of 12-10.

It was apparent from the start it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing for either pitching staff. Texas A&M Corpus Christi would use eight pitchers. Rice used six. Of those 14 hurlers who took the mound at Reckling Park on Wednesday night, only five left without at least one earned run charged to their ledger.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi struck first with one run in the second. Rice responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Then the Islanders took it back as the seesawing began.

Last Time Out : Rice baseball clinches first series win, takes 2-of-3 at Marshall

From the bottom of the fifth inning through the top of the eighth, at least one run was scored in each consecutive half inning. Both teams traded leads through that period before Texas A&M Corpus Christi broke things open with a five-run eighth inning which featured four extra-base hits.

Despite the five-run deficit, Rice would threaten in the ninth before a double-play ball stranded the tying run on second base.

What it means | Paging the pen

It’s hard to fault the bats for not doing enough on a night when they managed 10 runs on 13 hits. The Rice defense played relatively well too, committing one error as they welcomed surehanded fielder Hal Hughes back to the lineup for the first time this season. The pitching, however, continues to be an adventure.

More: Rice Baseball Midseason State of the Program

Brandon Deskins was productive, working 3.2 innings of 2-run ball, allowing his first home run of the season. Outside of that and a 1-2-3 inning from Reed Gallant in the ninth, Rice struggled to get outs, even when they handed the ball to their most reliable relievers.

Tom Vincent, Cristian Cienfuegos and David Shaw combined to allow nine hits and seven earned runs in 2.0 innings of work. Bad days happen for every pitcher, but stringing three bad days together is usually indicative of a bigger problem. If Rice wants to be competitive in Conference USA, they’ve got to find more consistency on the mound.

ON DECK | Florida Atlantic

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