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Rice Baseball: Way too early look at 2021 lineup

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The 2021 Rice baseball lineup will look different without Trei Cruz. Here’s a first pass at what players might trot out for the Owls on opening weekend next season.

Rice baseball hasn’t played many games since we last projected the starting lineup. Even still, so much has happened with the canceled season at the forefront of many of the developments.

Most notably, Trei Cruz was recently drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He has since signed. Rodrigo Duluc and Tyler LaRue intend to transfer. Those are the notable changes to the roster as of mid-June.

Earlier in the spring, the NCAA announced seniors in spring sports would be granted an additional year of eligibility. How that plays out from a scholarship situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. To that end, we don’t have a definitive answer on which seniors will (or won’t) return in 2021. For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll assume they will come back.

With that in mind. Here’s what our lineup projection looked like entering the 2020 season.

Starting lineup projection as of Jan 31

  1. Braden Comeaux, 3B
  2. Bradley Gneiting, RF
  3. Trei Cruz, SS
  4. Austin Bulman, 1B
  5. Brayden Combs, DH
  6. Cade Edwards, 2B
  7. Justin Collins, C
  8. Tyler Larue, LF
  9. Aaron Beaulaurier, CF

And here’s our projection in mid-June, taking into account the losses of Trei Cruz and Tyler LaRue.

2021 starting lineup projection

  1. Braden Comeaux, 3B
  2. Cade Edwards, 2B
  3. Bradley Gneiting, RF
  4. Austin Bulman, 1B
  5. Justin Collins, C
  6. Connor Walsh, SS
  7. Brayden Combs, DH
  8. Aaron Beaulaurier, CF
  9. Antonio Cruz, LF

The most important new addition is Ole Miss transfer Connor Walsh. His commitment in early June was huge for the Owls. He’s the likely replacement behind Trei Cruz. The third outfield spot is a mystery at this point. Antonio Cruz, Justin Dunlap and Dominic Cox are the front runners by seniority, but nobody seized the job this past spring. Incoming freshman Guy Garibay Jr is a name to watch.

What are your thoughts? Share your guesses as to who suits up for the Owls in 2021 in the comments.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2021 QB Shawqi Itraish commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has its quarterback. Bradenton, Florida signal caller Shawqi Itraish has committed to the Owls.

After several months of searching, the 2021 Rice football recruiting class has landed its quarterback. Shawqi Itraish from Bradenton, Florida has committed to Rice. Itraish is a pro-style quarterback who does most of his damage in the pocket. That’s a different mold than JoVoni Johnson, the Owls’ most recent high school signee at the position.

Rice did not sign a high school quarterback in the 2020 class, opting instead for two transfers. They added Mike Collins from TCU and TJ McMahon from the junior college ranks. That made finding the right high school passer a crucial component of the 2021 class.

The Owls were choosy with their offers, only handing out five despite the importance of the position. Three of those came on the cusp of the recruiting dead period set off my the COVID-19 restrictions, including Itraish’s. Landing a commitment from him during a pandemic is a credit to the Owls’ staff. Itraish chose Rice over offers from Appalachian State, UConn and Buffalo, among others.

More: 2021 Rice Football Recruiting commitment tracker

The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class now has nine commitments, including Itraish. All nine are rated as three-star recruits by 247 Sport. Itraish and offensive lineman Faaenuu Pepe, the Owls’ first commitment of the class, are their only two out-of-state commits at this time.

Itraish stands 6-foot-3 and weighs just under 200 pounds. There’s a lot to like about Itraish on the field. He throws with anticipation and is a quick processor. He checks a ton of boxes on the mental side of the position and plays with toughness. He’s not afraid to take a hit and finds ways to get the ball where it needs to be under pressure.

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Rice Football: Jersey numbers revealed for incoming freshman class

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The incoming Rice football freshman is one step closer to taking the field for the first time. The new Owls have been assigned jersey numbers.

The past few months have been unique for everyone. The incoming Rice football freshman class has been no exception. In a more traditional offseason, each player would have received a virtual copy of the playbook and instructions to study up before they got to campus for summer workouts. Their understanding would have been primarily driven by their own study and willingness to get ahead of the curve.

The virtual learning environment brought about in response to the COVID-19 pandemic allowed for those freshmen to mee with their teammates. In many ways, they’ve had more exposure to the program and the scheme than any class has had before them. Rather than begin their learning cover in earnest over the summer, the incoming class had a significant head start.

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

With voluntary workouts set to begin soon, Rice football players and staff will begin to arrive on campus. That will include the 27 true freshmen that Rice will add to the team for the 2020 season. Here are the jersey numbers for those newcomers:

6. Griffin, Khalan (RB)
13. Narcisse, Lamont (CB)
14. Kamper, Nate (TE)
16. Doddridge, Jonah (S)
23. Tawa, Casey (WR)
25. Dunbar, Jordan (CB)
25. Mason, Andrew (WR)
26. Taylor, Gabe (S)
27. Awe, Andrew (LB)
28. Campbell, Kobie (RB)
29. Fresch, Sean (CB)
34. Ellis, Terreance (LB)
40. Reeves, Jalen (DE)
41. Wyatt, Plae (S)
42. Hibbard, Brian (FB)
44. Hargon, Geron (LB)
52. Nutter, Braedon (OL)
53. Leone, Mike (OL)
61. Witt, Harry (OL)
69. Lovell, Payton (OL)
72. Phillippi, Trey (OL)
81. Chappelle, Caleb (WR)
83. Wallace, Ryan (WR)
89. Haack, Michael (WR)
95. James, Caleb (DT)
98. Heitmann, Van (DE)
99. Latos, Cole (DE)

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls add Richmond transfer TE Andrew Tsangeos

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The 2020 Rice football recruiting class has added a grad transfer from the FCS. Former Richmond tight end Andrew Tsangeos will play his final season with the Owls.

The 2020 football season is currently proceeding as planned. The Owls are managing their affairs as if they’ll play a game on September 3 against Houston. Part of those preparations includes filling out the roster with players the staff believes can help the team this season. To that end, the Rice staff has paid careful attention to the Transfer Portal in recent weeks, looking for the final pieces of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class.

Former Richmond tight end Andrew Tsangeos is the newest such addition. Tsangeos has committed to the Owls as a graduate transfer for the upcoming season after spending the past four years in the FCS ranks.

Tsangeos cited the “intelligence, passion, and commitment of the coaching staff especially Coach Monfiletto and Coach Bloomgren” as a key reason for his decision. Adding that the staff “cares about their players as more than just athletes, but as men too.”

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

Tsangeos was a former high school quarterback who signed with Richmond prior to the 2015 season. He redshirted his freshman year, eventually moving to the tight end position. His first meaningful action came as a junior in 2018 when he played 10 games, catching eight passes for 90 yards. He added six receptions for 57 yards during his senior season.

Along the way, Tsangeos started a total of three games in his junior and senior seasons. He won’t be a starter for Rice, but his experience playing meaningful minutes for a traditionally strong FCS program will pay dividends at South Main.

Rice will use Tsangeos in a variety of ways. A converted quarterback, his adaptability and versatility will not go unnoticed. He’s a trustworthy blocker who will spend a lot of time playing on the line of scrimmage. He’ll also have the requisite flexibility to be split out in the slot when needed.

Tsangeos, who recently arrived in Houston, said the team has “welcomed [him] with open arms” and that he “felt like [he] fit in with the family right away.” He joins former Boston College wide receiver Christian McStravick as post-signing day additions to the 2020 class. McStravick’s commitment came earlier in the summer.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 37 – UAB Football Preview with Evan Dudley

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The Roost Podcast welcomes UAB Football beat writer Evan Dudley and gets his perspective on the Blazers and their expectations for 2020.

The first stanza of our Extended Offseason interview series has come to an end. To this point, we’ve welcomed mostly Rice-centric guests, from World Series Champion Anthony Rendon to repeat guest an avid MCU fan Christian Covington. If you’ve missed an episode or are just joining us, make sure you give those a listen on the podcast page or anywhere you get your podcasts.

This week we shift forward toward the return of college football. Part 2 of our Extended Offseason series will pivot toward the gridiron. Each week we’ll welcome a new guest familiar with the Owls’ upcoming opponents. We start this week with Evan Dudley, UAB beat writer from AL.com.

Give a listen to our chat with Evan on Episode 37.

Episode 37 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Thanks to all of you who have followed the show on Twitter and left a review on iTunes. It’s quick, but it makes a difference. Make sure you follow Evan Dudley on Twitter and let him know you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • George Floyd — The murder of George Floyd has sparked important, meaningful conversation in our nation. After getting to know JP Heath and Nate Griffin over the past several years, their interview on The Texas Porch Podcast speaks to the situation better than either Matthew or Carter could. We recommend giving that show a listen.
  • Rice news — Rice announced return to campus plans on Thursday. Read more detail on the announcement here. Matthew and Carter discuss the ramifications of bringing athletes back, testing and more.
  • Evan Dudley joins the show — Dudley shares his insight on UAB under the direction of Bill Clark and what to expect from the Blazers in 2020, including:
    • How long will Clark stay at UAB?
    • Tyler Johnston and hope for the UAB offense
    • How will the Blazers replace departing stars on defense?
    • Takeaways from the shortened spring practice
    • The first edition of the Lightning Round

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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