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Conference USA Baseball Tournament 2019 Preview, schedule, how to watch

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The Conference USA Baseball Tournament returns to Biloxi, Mississippi for what promises to be another exciting final week with an NCAA bid on the line.

An eventful regular season has boiled down to one week in Biloxi. Eight Conference USA teams will enter, but only one will clinch an NCAA Tournament bid. With the possible exception of 1-Seed FAU or 2-Seed Southern Miss, the rest of the league will need to win the tournament to have a realistic shot at the NCAA Tournament as an at large team.

All games will be streamed on ESPN+ with the exception of the tournament championship, available on CBS Sports Network scheduled for Sunday, May 26 at 1:00 pm. The first four games are scheduled to be played on Wednesday, May 22. The full schedule and updated bracket are available on the CUSA Baseball website.

Assessing the field

The favorites | Southern Miss and FAU are arguably the two most complete teams in Conference USA. They each possess the depth to make a run through the loser’s bracket should they need to, although the field isn’t far behind.

The darkhorse | Old Dominion is playing their best baseball of the season when it matters most. The Monarchs might not be thought of as a baseball power, but they could sneak up on a team caught looking ahead.

The wild card | Rice might be the scariest team in this regional. Their bullpen has been as erratic as the starting pitching has been dominant. If they can manufacture something out of the pen, Rice could stun several higher seeded teams.

The bracket

Game 1 – 9:00 AM | (6) Marshall vs (3) Louisiana Tech

How they got here | It took a strong finish on the final weekend of the regular season for Marshall to clinch a spot in the CUSA Tournament field. The Thundering Herd swept Rice, setting up a rematch with Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs had a more comfortable journey, winning seven of their 10 CUSA series.

The matchup | Louisiana Tech took two of three from Marshall in the regular season, but it’s worth noting Marshall won the series opener. With just short of a full week’s rest to rest their pitching, this could be a close one.

Game 2 – 12:30 PM | (7) Rice vs (2) Southern Miss

How they got here | Southern Miss was in contention for the No. 1 overall seed until the final weekend of conference play. Their series loss to eventual top-seed FAU cost them the top spot and set them up for a matchup with hot and cold Rice. The Owls ricocheted to a low point in their final series, being swept by Marshall on three consecutive walk-off losses.

The matchup | Had it not been for a shaky bullpen, Rice might have swept Southern Miss in the regular season. Rice took two of three from the Golden Eagles. The caveat of the inconsistent bullpen throws any reasonable expectation for how this game might end up right out the window.

Game 3 – 4:00 PM | (8) UTSA vs (1) FAU

How they get here |  FAU baseball seized their opportunity, following a series win over then top-seeded Southern Miss with wins in five of their final six conference games. That gave them the regular season crown. They’ll face off with UTSA who clinched their spot on the final weekend, taking two of three from Charlotte.

The matchup |  UTSA managed one win in three tries against FAU during the regular season. The lone victory came by way of a two-hit complete game performance from Slater Foust. Silencing FAU’s offense won’t come easy, even with ace Karan Patel on the mound.

Game 4 – 7:30 PM | (5) Old Dominion vs (4) WKU

How they get here |  Playing in the CUSA Baseball conference tournament for the first time in school history, WKU road a stout offense to their first such postseason berth. Old Dominion was swept at home by Rice in late March and proceeded to win their last seven CUSA series to rocket back into the postseason mix.

The matchup | Old Dominion took two of three from Western Kentucky in the final weekend of regular season play, capping the series off with theatrics. Trailing 10-5 in the ninth inning, Old Dominion scored seven unanswered runs to take the game and the series.

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Conference USA Baseball: 2019 regular season roundup

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The 2019 Conference USA Baseball regular season is in the books. Here are a few of the teams and players who stood out the most.

Teams

Credit is due to FAU, the 1-seed in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament and the top team in the regular season in conference play. Picked to finish third in the preaseason polls, FAU bested league-leading Southern Miss head on to earn the regular season crown.

On the other end, Western Kentucky broke through for their first CUSA Tournament appearance in school history while Rice made the postseason in the first year under head coach Matt Bragga.

Hitters

Western Kentucky’s Jake Sanford was unbelievable in 2019. He was the only player in Conference USA to finish with a batting average better than .400 (.402) and he did it with a .828 slugging percentage, more than 160 points better than second-place Matt Wallner of Southern Miss. Sanford led the conference in on base percentage (.488), hits (84), RBI (65), home runs (22) and total bases (173).

Second to Sanford in most categories, Wallner would have been the front-runner for recognition had Sanford not had his incredible season. Wallner was a big bat and ended the season with eight multi-hit games over his final 14 appearances.

Pitchers

A trio of starting pitchers stand out among the many great options in CUSA. Walker Powell from Southern Miss led the conference in ERA, finishing the regular season at 2.58, complemented with a stunning 11 walks allowed in 83.2 innings pitch.

Rice’s Matt Canterino was equally impressive. The Owls’ ace held opposing batters to a CUSA-best .204 batting average against while completing more innings (93 than anyone else in the conference). He struck out 112 batters (37 looking), all the while working under the pressure of being the Friday night guy for a low-run producing offense.

Finally, UTSA’s Karan Patel earned his fair share of recognition. While not as overpowering as Canterino or as crafty as Powell, Patel mowed through innings like few others in CUSA.  His 2.82 ERA was second in conference and he was one of four CUSA hurlers with 100+ strikeouts.

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Rice Baseball: Owls switch gears to CUSA Tournament after Marshall sweep

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Riding high after a series win over Southern Miss, Rice baseball was stopped stone-cold in their tracks by Marshall, narrowly clinching a CUSA Tournament spot.

The week began on a high note, with Rice baseball besting rival Houston to clinch the Silver Glove Series. After the Tuesday night victory, Rice hit the road to finish conference play with a three-game set in Huntington, West Virginia. Both Marshall and Rice were fighting for a spot in the Conference Tournament. Rice clinched their berth on Friday but Marshall had more work to do, eventually locking up a spot of their own after taking three straight from Rice.

Both the Owls and the Thundering Herd earned spots in Biloxi this coming week. Here’s how the series unfolded with three overarching themes as Rice enters the conference tournament.

THURSDAY | Marshall 5, Rice 4 (11)

Rice used a big fifth inning to jump ahead in the series opener. Trei Cruz broke the deadlock with an RBI single to center, scoring Aaron Beaulaurier. Andrew Dunlap followed with a three-run bomb to break things open.

Matt Canterino was in top form on the mound, holding Marshall to two earned runs in seven innings with nine strikeouts. He handed the ball to Kendal Jefferies at the start of the eighth. Jefferies, and later Garrett Gayle, were unable to hold the line. Marshall walked it off in the 11th on a two-out RBI single after holding Rice scoreless through the final six innings.

FRIDAY | Marshall 4, Rice 3 (10)

Kel Bordwine took the ball on Friday after Evan Kravetz was a late scratch. Even with the deviation in the weekend rotation, the Owls weren’t threatened early in game two. Bordwine was superb, throwing seven innings of one-run ball. The Marshall offense mustered five hits off the short-notice starter, allowing the Rice offense to slowly build a lead.

Rice climbed ahead 3-0, courtesy of a few impactful extra-base hits. Bealaurier doubled in the third, scoring Antonio Cruz. Bradley Gneiting and Antonio Cruz added solo home runs in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively.

Marshall wouldn’t score until the eighth, leveling the score at 3-3 after Blair Lewis surrendered a 2-run home run. That score would hold for one more inning until Marshall scored a final, unearned run on an infield error to win the game in the 10th.

SATURDAY | Marshall 5, Rice 4

Marshall struck first in the finale, taking a 1-0 lead on a home run in the first inning. Playing from behind for the first time in regulation, Rice was forced to muster a comeback. Trei Cruz gave Rice the lead with a fourth-inning double. Justin Collins extended the advantage to 3-1 with a solo home run in the sixth. Jackson Parthasarathy powered through the Marshall lineup as Bordwine and Canterino had before. Things were looking good.

Yet again, Rice took a lead into the later innings. Yet again, Marshall found an equalizer. The Thundering Herd knotted the game at 3-3 in the eighth, but this time Rice punched back, squeezing out the go-ahead run via a sac bunt in the top of the ninth inning. The small ball wouldn’t be enough, though, as Marshall tied and went on to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, their third walk-off win of the weekend.

TAKEAWAYS | Marshall wins series 3-0

1. Who will step up in the bullpen?

The Owls most trustworthy bullpen arms failed them in big spots against Marshall. Staked to late leads with few outs to get, nobody was able to come up with an answer. That’s not a problem the Owls were hoping to run into this late in the season, but May is the time to make the best with what you have, not to reinvent the wheel.

Coach Bragga could try to implement a quicker hook or experiment with bumping someone like Bordwine from a spot starter to a bullpen piece. Bragga will undoubtedly push all the buttons he thinks will make the most sense for the team in its current state, but he’s not able to step on the mound and physically throw the pitches.

Those same players who had rough weekends have proven capable in the past. Jefferies and Gayle have combined for nine saves, 100 percent of the team’s total on the season. And that’s the peculiar thing about baseball. The sport built upon failure will put these same pitchers in high leverage situations again, soon. They’re going to get another chance. If they capitalize on their opportunities in Biloxi, their shortcomings in Huntington will fade, quickly.

2. It’s going to be a short week if something doesn’t change

Even without a win in their final regular-season series, Rice qualified for the Conference USA Baseball Tournament. The starting pitching showcased their extraordinary depth over the weekend, digging beyond their typical weekend trio and still producing three quality starts. The bullpen and the offense can’t ask for much better than they got against Marshall, setting the stage for a game of Russian Roulette going forward.

Assuming a strong start on the mound, Rice needs to find a way to avoid joint implosions by the bullpen and the lineup. If one of those two units can produce at a level commensurate to the starting pitching, Rice has a shot to advance deep into the conference tournament. If both units fade into a repeat of this weekend. Bang. Season over.

3. CUSA Tournament set

If there is any good fortune to be found in the weekend sweep, Rice draws a familiar opponent in the opening game of the CUSA Tournament. Rice took two of three from Southern Miss a week ago, relying on their now embraced pattern of high-caliber pitching and just-enough offense.

UTSA’s loss on Saturday might prove to be fortuitous for the Owls, too. A win by the Roadrunners would have dropped Rice to the 8-seed where they’d have met 1-seed FAU in Biloxi. FAU swept Rice earlier this season and the games weren’t as close as the three Rice loss to Marshall. Nevertheless, Rice has its opponent. Now they need to execute.

ON DECK | vs Southern Miss (Wed) in CUSA Tournament

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 push continues into summer

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The summer is approaching and Rice football recruiting is picking up steam. The Owls are working hard to add a few of these additional top targets.

The last weeks of May have been spent on the road. Head coach Mike Bloomgren is making stops across Texas on the Coaches Caravan. He made an appearance on Dave Campbell’s Texas Campbell live show on Thursday, one of several stops along the way. The coaching staff is making their rounds too. Camps start in June, making the final days of May a critical recruiting window.

Putting a bow on 2019

After the addition of Harvard grad transfer Charlie Booker, Rice has filled up all but one spot in their 2019 class. That last spot will more than likely be reserved for a corner given the youth at the position right now. There are a few options in the market at the position, whomever the right fit, Rice wants to have the last scholarship accounted for in the next two weeks.

Current commits leading the charge in 2020

Rice has the top-ranked 2020 class in Conference USA and it stands to get even better. The staff is working their avenues to add more talent to the group, but so are the members of the 2020 class themselves. Longtime commit Plae Wyatt and recent addition Khalan Griffin have taken up vocal leadership positions with the class. They’re recruiting the recruits and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

New Caney’s Zion Childress has been a focal point of their efforts at wide receiver. He was on campus for the Blue and Gray Spring Game and has spoken highly of the staff and the current class. He’s made plans to be in attendance at the Addidas Three Stripe camp on June 1.

The Owls have been choosey with their spring offers, only handing out a handful as they work to build on a strong start. One of those key targets is California defensive end Lance Keneley. A coveted recruit with offers from the likes of Utah, Colorado, Duke,  Northwestern and Vanderbilt, Kenely remains interested in what Rice has to offer.

He hasn’t gone as far to narrow down his choices, but the appeal of a first-class degree and D1 football is at the front of his mind. He’s developing a great relationship with the coaching staff and hopes to get to campus soon.

Quarterbacks

Rice has been choosy with the 2020 quarterback class. They’ve been all over the country and have begun to trim the list of possibilities down. The Owls have extended offers to Fresno State commit Jaden Casey from California, who has reciprocated some interest. Florida passer Devon Lingle holds their other quarterback offer.

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Rice Baseball: Previewing the Marshall series

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Rice baseball is on the cusp of clinching a Conference USA Baseball Tournament berth. Can the Owls secure a trip to Biloxi this weekend against Marshall?

Listen online // Watch Thursday (YouTube) // Watch Friday (YouTube) // Watch Saturday (YouTube)

The magic number is one. Rice needs one win or any combination of one loss from UTSA or FIU to clinch a berth in the Conference USA Baseball tournament. A road trip to Marshall won’t make for the easiest weekend set, but Rice has some momentum coming off an impressive series win over league-leading Southern Miss at home over the weekend.

With that ever-important context in mind, here’s how Rice matches up with Marshall:

Projected Pitching Matchups

Thursday – 2:00 pm: Matt Canterino (6-5, 2.93) vs Joshua Shapiro (5-3 3.38)
Friday – 1:00 pm: Evan Kravetz (5-2, 3.33)  vs Wade Martin (0-3, 8.10)
Saturday – 10:00 am: Jackson Parthasarathy (4-7, 4.41) vs  Ryan Capuano (1-2, 5.86)

Marshall Pitching

Marshall ranks ninth in the conference in staff ERA. Their .253 batting average against is respectable, but 6.2 walks per game have impacted their effectiveness. Joshua Shapiro is their only starting pitcher who’s been a consistent producer, but even he has had a few rough outings of late.

Shapiro was knocked out of the UAB game after allowing five earned runs in three innings, gave up five more earned runs in 5.1 innings against UTSA before settling in with six innings and three earned runs against Old Dominion.

After Shapiro, the rest of the staff is a mixed bag. Michael Guerrero and Garrett Priestley have been two of the most reliable arms out of the bullpen. No pitcher has made more appearances than D’Andre Knight (26), but like many arms on this staff, he’s cooled off from a hot start earlier in the season.

Marshall Hitting

Starting at the top with Elvis Peralta’s sterling .369 batting average and continuing nine-deep with dangerous hitters, Marshall is one of the better offensive squads in the conference.

Peralta leads the team with 24 extra base hits, one of four players with 10 or more doubles on the season. Tucker Linker, Luke Edwards, Rey Pastrana and Geordon Blanton round out that hard-hitting quartet, all potential problems for a Rice pitching staff which faired reasonably well in their last conference outing against a talented Southern Miss squad.

Erik Rodriguez has scored a team-best 42 runs this season, another in a long list of dangerous Marshall hitters. Shane Hanon, has climbed to the forefront, slashing .382/.478/.627 in 29 games.

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