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Rice Baseball 2021: Previewing Owls vs the Texas Longhorns

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The Rice baseball concludes its 2021 season on Tuesday night against Texas as the Owls look to pull off a momentous upset.

Rice baseball did not qualify for the 2021 Conference USA Baseball Tournament. With no postseason play on deck, the Owls have one final game before their season comes to an end. No. 5 Texas will be a formidable foe.

Game Notes

Times: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Venue: Disch-Falk Field
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal

How each team fared this weekend

Rice baseball (23-29-1) split a four-game series with Charlotte. The Owls came close to winning the series outright, but couldn’t capitalize on any of their extra-inning chances on Saturday evening.

Texas (38-12) was off last weekend and hasn’t played since a three-game weekend series at No. 3 TCU that ended on May 9. Texas won two of three, adding another impressive series win to their resume.

Texas Hitting

First baseman Ivan Melendez is one of the most productive hitters in the Big 12 and leads the Longhorns at the play with a .361 average. Alongside him, Mitchell Daly and Zach Zubia are the most consistent bats with Mike Antico providing a decent amount of pop in the middle of the lineup.

The Longhorns offense has been streaky outside of those bats, but it’s been enough to power the team to one of the most impressive seasons in the nation.

Texas Pitching

The pitching staff has been the heart and soul of this team. Pete Hansen leads the Big 12 with a 1.83 ERA in 10 starts. Ty Madden is fourth in the conference with a 2.27 ERA in 11 starts. The Owls likely won’t see either in a midweek game, but the Longhorns have plenty of other dangerous arms.

Cole Quintanilla leads the team with a 1.69 ERA and a 0.830 ERA. He’s the No. 1 option out of the pen. Tanner Witt and Aaron Nixon will be close behind. No matter who Texas sends to the mound on Tuesday, runs will be at a premium.

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls split final C-USA series with Charlotte

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Rice baseball showed some fight, but could not win their final series against Charlotte and won’t qualify for the Conference USA Tournament.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball splits series 2-2

1. Brandon Deskins an unsung hero of the 2021 pitching staff

The 2021 Rice baseball starting rotation was cobbled together from the start. Injuries, unpredictable weather happenings and performance altered the order and makeup of the four weekend starters with each successive series. Mitchell Holcomb and Roel Garcia were mainstays. Others made spot starts here and there. Brandon Deskins became the glue.

Deskins worked 53.1 innings this season with a 3.88 ERA, the best among all qualified players. He started seven games and entered others in high-leverage situations. He was tasked with getting a few outs here and there, but also worked several long relief appearances. The Rice pitching corps was better with him in it.

2. The freshmen are just getting started

Guy Garibay had an impressive weekend on the mound and at the plate. He got things started on Friday, throwing 7.2 innings in relief, allowing three runs and striking out five. Rice had fallen behind early, but it was Garibay’s career-long outing that gave Rice a chance to cut into the deficit.

His pitching performance would have been enough, but he also added a three-for-four outing at the plate in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. A bonafide two-way player, we’ve only scratched the surface of Garibay’s potential at South Main.

Alongside him, Justin Long and Nathan Becker both became regulars down the stretch. Becker’s power has been important and will be going forward. He had five RBI on the weekend including a big home run. Long’s .396 on base percentage ranks second on the team this year.

3. One season in a nutshell

Saturday’s second game of the doubleheader proved to be a microcosm of the Owls’ 2021 season. With the game tied late, Rice had a runner in scoring position with no outs in the sixth inning and eighth innings. They had a runner in scoring position and one out in the seventh. Rice was conceivably one hit away from winning the game, but couldn’t get the run home despite multiple opportunities in three straight innings.

Given the extra time, Charlotte outlasted Blake Brogdon, who made it through eight innings before ceding to Dalton Wood in the ninth. Wood allowed three hits, two runs and Rice lost the game.

Rice was a team talented enough to earn themselves opportunities that were too frequently squandered. For whatever the reason, this team never seemed to gel and put it all together. There are pieces, but there is also more work to be done.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY  | Charlotte 9 – Rice 6

Mitchell Holcomb was rocked upon arrival on Friday. Five of the first six batters he faced reached base and things went downhill quickly. He was lifted in the second inning after recording just four outs and putting two men in scoring position for Garibay. Charlotte expanded their lead to 9-2 before Garibay was abe to settle in and cool the 49er bats.

Rice scratched across pairs of runs in the third courtesy of RBIs from Austin Bulman and Justin Long. Becker added two more in the sixth, but the hole proved too big to climb out of even with the extended time.

SATURDAY 1 | Rice 11 – Charlotte 8

Rice came out swinging on Saturday. The Owls struck for four runs in the first inning, led by a three-run blast from Becker. The Owls added a pair in the second and three more in the third. Starter Roel Garcia would be lifted in favor of Deskins midway through the third who was able to cool the Charlotte bats just enough to maintain the Owls’ early advantage.

Deskins would work 4.2 innings, finishing out the seven-inning affair and earning his third win on the season. A 2 RBI single from Braden Comeaux gave Deskins and the Owls some extra breathing room in the fifth, putting Rice ahead 11-5.

SATURDAY 2 | Charlotte 6 – Rice 4

Charlotte took a 4-0 lead early in the second half of the Saturday double header. The Rice bats slowly began to pick things up in the third, scratching across singular runs in each of the next four frames to tie the game. The Owls had several chances to put crooked numbers on the board, but were held at bay by the Charlotte pitching.

Starter Blake Brogdon went eight innings, his longest outing of the season, allowing just three earned runs. When he left, the deadlock broke in favor of the visitors with Rice dropping a winnable second-half of the double header.

SUNDAY | Rice 6 – Charlotte 0

The final conference game of the 2021 season for Rice baseball was one of the quirkier games of the season. The Owls put up a six-spot in the first inning, capped off by a grand slam from Hal Hughes.

Alex DeLeon, in his only start of the season, worked through five innings without allowing a run. With Rice at the plate midway through the bottom of the fifth, weather forced a delay and ultimately a cancelation of the remainder of the game.

ON DECK | Rice baseball vs Texas (Tues)

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls update – May 15

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The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon made his return from the injured list on Friday, going 1-for-4 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. That was his first action since he was sidelined following the Halos’ May 3 game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Through May 15, Rendon is hitting .274 with five extra-base hits, seven walks and 13 strikeouts. His OPS is .794 and he’s collected 11 RBI.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt hasn’t seen the field since May 2, spending the last two weeks on the injured list. He’s expected to make his return to the lineup sometime this coming week.

Through May 15, Holt is hitting .250 with two extra-base hits, eight walks and 11 strikeouts. His OPS is .63 and he’s collected five RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey had one outing this week, allowing one hit and striking out one in .2 innings pitches in the Twins’ loss to the White Sox.

Through May 15, Duffey has a 5.35 ERA with a 1.750 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetege – New York Yankees

Luetege was active during the early portion of May but only saw one inning of work this week. He retired all three batters he faced.

Through May 15, Luetege has a 3.10 ERA with a 0.984 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Seattle Mariners

Chargois was released by the Dodgers following the 2019 season, opting to sign with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan last season. After one season abroad, Chargois signed a minor league contract with the Marines this spring. He was active to the major league roster on May 9.

So far, Chargois has appeared in three games, striking out four batters in 3.1 innings. He has allowed just three hits and two runs.

Through May 15, Chargois has a 5.40 ERA with a 0.900 WHIP. He’s averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 75 – Remembering Courtney Hall

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This week’s edition of the Roost Podcast is a tribute to Courtney Hall, honoring his memory and impact on the Rice University family.

It seemed fitting to pause from our offseason discussion this week to honor Courtney Hall, the former Rice Football star who went on to achieve tremendous things on and off the field. Joining us to reminisce and speak to Hall’s impact at Rice and beyond is former classmate and friend, Sten Gustafson. He recaps Hall’s journey through South Main and shares what Hall meant to him and the Rice community.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 75.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping
    • If you would, consider sharing this episode with those who knew Courtney Hall.
    • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes our debriefing series on spring football, recruiting news and more.
      Become a Patron!
  • Courtney Hall’s journey through Rice and beyond
    • Hall entered school at 16 and became a four-year starter for the Owls’ football team
    • Drafted at 19 years old, he went on to become the captain of a Super Bowl team
    • Hall completed his Rice degree while in the NFL and also earned his JD/MBA at the University of Chicago later in life
    • Hall was a member of the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame and had recently been appointed to the university board of trustees

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Baseball 2021: Previewing the Charlotte series

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Rice baseball needs a big weekend against Charlotte to clinch a spot in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament. Here’s how the Owls stack up with the 49ers.

Fresh off their first C-USA series win of the season, Rice baseball hopes to continue their winning ways this coming weekend against the Charlotte 49ers. Rice punch their ticket to the Conference USA Baseball Tournament with a strong showing this weekend and a little help from a few others teams in the league.

Times: Friday 1:00 p.m. | Saturday 1:00 p.m. / ~4:00 p.m. | Sunday 12:00 p.m.
Venue: Reckling Park
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
Watch: CUSAtv

How each team fared this week

Rice baseball (21-27-1) took three of four from UAB last weekend with their only loss coming by a walk off. The Owls could have used the extra win, but a three-win weekend in itself was big for this team with the regular season end coming soon.

UAB (35-14) took care of business in their final home series of the year, sweeping Marshall in commanding fashion. The 49ers outscored the Herd 35-19 in three games, rebounding swiftly from a series loss to Old Dominion the weekend prior.

Probable Pitchers

Friday | Mitchell 6olcomb (5-4, 6.08 ERA)
Saturday 1 | Roel Garcia (1-5, 5.26)
Saturday 2 | Blake Brogdon (3-5, 5.29)
Sunday | Brandon Deskins (2-4, 3.70)

Charlotte Pitching

While the 49ers might lack the top end of the rotation talent that’s carried other teams this deep into the season, they do have one of the more well-rounded pitching staffs in Conference USA. Bryce McGowan leads the team in strikeouts (92). Andrew Lindsey has a sterling 6-1 record, who marvelously did not receive a decision last weekend against Marshall even though he surrendered seven runs.

Charlotte Hitting

The Charlotte offense came to Lindsey’s back in that game, and has risen to the occasion throughout the season. The 49ers have the No. 4 offense in Conference USA led by Austin Knight, the conference leader in batting average, hits and doubles. Right behind him, the No. 2 hitter in C-USA, is Gino Groover, with a .352 average.  Those two are the key cogs in the machine that have made Charlotte so successful.

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