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Rice Baseball: Owls down Houston, take home Silver Glove

May 14, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice baseball and Houston clashed for a third and final time in the regular season as the Owls took the game and the Silver Glove series with a win at Constellation Field.

“I could throw a baseball 150 feet to [Houston baseball coach Todd Whitting’s] house from where we live,” mused Rice baseball coach Matt Bragga after his first Silver Glove Series victory. The cross-town, and apparently cross-street rivalry has rich roots but holds a special meaning for Bragga and his team this year.

“It was fun for our guys,” Bragga said in the midst of postgame celebrations. “It was exciting to see them take the glove there at the end and hoot and holler a bit. That’s fun to get hardware.

That hardware came by way of a rather innocuous start. A groundout from Braden Comeaux and a sac fly from Justin Collins were the only runs Rice scored against Houston on Tuesday, but those two runs would prove enough. Six different pitchers and some carefully executed defensive plays would hold the Owls’ lead for the remainder of regulation.

Here are three things which stood out from the Owls’ important win.

1. Bullpen arms make their final midweek auditions

For Drake Greenwood and the arms who followed him on the mound Tuesday, this was a live-action audition for the weeks ahead. Rice has had their weekend rotation set for more or less the entirety of the season. They haven’t figured out the order immediately following the top three.

If Rice wants to make it to the NCAA Tournament, they’ll need to do all they can to win the Conference USA Tournament. That’s going to require more than three starting pitchers, it could take as many as seven. For most staffs, that means someone who hasn’t carried much of the load during the regular season is going to have to step up.

Greenwood lasted 1.1 innings, walking four before hitting the showers. Jackson Tyner was equally ineffective in the fifth, loading the bases while getting one out. Dalton Wood had two good innings, striking out three, before allowing the potential winning run to reach base in the ninth.

On the positive side of the ledger, a few arms did impress. Blair Lewis escaped a 1-out, bases loaded jam in the second. From there he went 2.2 innings, allowing one hit, one walk while striking out two. Kel Bordwine pitched through Tyner’s leftovers, holding the Rice advantage and striking out two in 1.2 innings. Kendal Jefferies came through in the clutch, closing things out with a two-out save.

2. The bats are improved, but still inconsistent

Rice did not have a hit in the third or the fourth inning but managed to score a run in each frame. Although this team will take runs wherever they can find them, the lack of reliable production remains a sticking point. The Owls have enough starting pitching to go toe-to-toe with just about anyone, but that will only take them so far. They need to find a way to get hits, and get them more often than once every other inning. They were limited to three hits on Tuesday.

The pitching wasn’t at their best, but was able to strand 14 Houston runners. That allowed Rice to be in position for the win — their only win this season when scoring two or fewer runs. Rice had been 0-11 previously. The win counts, but Rice can’t count on finding similar victories with such limited production from the plate.

3. Silver Glove

Rice struck first in each of the three games of the Silver Glove series. They held on at Schroeder Park in April and faltered at home on May 1. That set up this winner-take-all pivotal matchup. With the benefit of just enough umph to get things done, Rice took the series.

It’s been an adventurous year for coach Matt Bragga at Rice. There have been highs, lows and confounding twists and turns. Nevertheless, he’s taken back the Silver Glove and his team is in position to make a run in the conference tournament. This team is better than their record and they’re headed in the right direction.

ON DECK | at Marshall (Thr-Sat)

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Filed Under: Featured, Archive, Baseball Tagged With: Blair Lewis, Drake Greenwood, Rice baseball

Rice Baseball: Silver Glove on the line vs Houston at Constellation Field

May 14, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

After splitting the midweek series with rival Houston, Rice baseball will take on the Cougars one more time in 2019 with the Silver Glove on the line.

Rice beat Houston 5-3 on their own field before the Cougars returned serve with a come-from-behind 8-2 victory at Reckling Park. Tied up at a game apiece, the cross-town rivals will play one final game at neutral-site Constellation Field for all the marbles.

Houston took the series last year, and Rice the year before. If the Owls want to maintain the back-and-forth, they’ll need to find a way to win one more over the Cougars on Tuesday.

When and Where

  • When: Tues., May 19 at 7:00 p.m. CT
  • Where: Constellation Field — Sugarland, Tx
  • Watch: No feed available
  • Listen: Stretch Radio

Projected pitching matchup –  Drake Greenwood vs — Brayson Hurdsman

Both teams have used a series of arms in each of their previous matchups so the two arms who start the game might both be out of the picture by the fourth inning.

From the onset, Drake Greenwood will be the presumed starter for Rice. He was penciled in to take the ball first against Lamar before the game was rained out last week. With Kel Bordwine a potential relief option when the time comes to make a change, Rice likely has two arms scheduled to throw.

Houston is an entirely different story. The Cougars have had one pitcher (Nolan Bond) last at least three innings this series. They’ve given Brayson Hurdsman (1 IP, 3H, 2 ER) and Spencer Hynes (1.2 IP, 5H, 3 ER) starts in this series. It could be any of those guys first, and more than one of them could throw before the night is through.

Names to know from the plate

Third baseman Jared Triolo had the big hit for the Cougars in the last meeting, blasting a double down the right-field line. His hit erased a 2-0 Rice lead. Houston would go on to win in extras. He’s coming off a red-hot stretch, hitting 10-for-17 with eight RBI over the last four games.

Left fielder Tyler Bielamowicz and first baseman Joe Davis have done some damage, too. The offense as a whole is playing some of their best baseball. It could be a high-scoring affair in the series finale.

ON DECK | at Marshall (Thr-Sat)

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Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: Rice baseball

CUSA Baseball Tournament spots wide open entering final weekend

May 13, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

A busy weekend for CUSA Baseball set the stage for a chaotic finish to the regular season during the final weekend.

Notable weekend results

1. Rice makes a statement (more)

It’s been a back and forth year for Rice coach Matt Bragga in his first season at the helm. His team has had it’s low points, but the Owls took two of three from league-leading Southern Miss over the weekend. With series wins over the Golden Eagles and Louisiana Tech, Rice has proven they can hang with the conference’s best when they bring their A-game.

2. Blazers poised for big breakthrough?

UAB has sat at the bottom of the conference standings since the conference slate began. It’s been nearly a foregone conclusion the Blazers wouldn’t be playing in the postseason, but a series win over Charlotte has kept the door open. Entering the final weekend UAB is one win out of the eighth spot, the final postseason eligible team. It’s going to take some work, but there is hope in Birmingham.

3. Marshall swept

As UAB surged, Marshall swooned. Rather than position themselves for a low-pressure weekend against Rice, Marshall firmly in must-win mode after being swept by Old Dominion. Four CUSA teams have 11 wins and two of them aren’t going to Biloxi. That’s not where Marshall wanted to find themselves, but here they are.

Standings

Team CUSA Overall
1 FAU 19-8 34-17
2 Southern Miss 19-8 32-17
3 WKU 15-11-1 24-24-1
4 Louisiana Tech 15-12 32-30
5 Old Dominion 14-13 32-18
6 Rice 14-13 23-28
7 Marshall 11-15 24-26
8 UTSA 11-15 24-27
9 FIU 11-16 22-29
10 MTSU 11-16 18-33
11 Charlotte 10-16-1 19-29-1
12 UAB 10-17 25-27

 

Upcoming series of note

1. MTSU vs FAU

MTSU hasn’t won a conference series since taking two of three from UAB on the weekend of April 12. Still, somehow the Blue Raiders have real postseason aspirations. They’ll have to go through FAU who needs to outperform Southern Miss to clinch the No. 1 seed.

2. Old Dominion at Western Kentucky

For the first time in school history, Western Kentucky has clinched a spot in the CUSA Baseball Tournament. WKU can secure the No. 3 seed and potentially knock Old Dominion out of the postseason. At the minimum, the Hilltoppers want to pick up momentum entering Biloxi.

3. UAB at Southern Miss

Losers of back-to-back CUSA series for the first time this season, Southern Miss is in danger of losing the No. 1 seed. To clinch the top spot, they’ll need to best UAB and finish a game ahead of FAU who beat USM two weekends ago. It’s a tough bar, but this is a team talented enough to do it. A sweep of UAB would be a good start.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Baseball, Archive Tagged With: Conference USA, conference usa tournament

Rice Baseball: Owls top Southern Miss in water-logged series

May 12, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice baseball pushed through the rain for a massive series win over one Conference USA’s best team, taking two of three from Southern Miss.

Pouring rains forced the rescheduling of two games, but the end result was almost exactly what Rice baseball wanted — a series win over the first place team in the conference. The resiliency of this squad was on display as they played their final set of games at Reckling Park this season. The seniors sent themselves out on a high note and put Rice one step closer to a trip to the conference tournament.

Here’s the rundown of how each game played out and three closing thoughts on the impressive series win.

FRIDAY | Southern Miss 6 – Rice 3

The opening game of the series started out much the same way as the typical Friday has for the Owls. Matt Canterino powered through his first five innings with relative ease, allowing two runs on three hits. With Rice behind 2-0 in the fifth, the offense leveled the score. Aaron Beaulaurier flared a bases-loaded single into centerfield, bringing the score back to a 2-2 deadlock. It wouldn’t last long.

Canterino walked the first two batters in the sixth, setting the table for a 2-RBI single from the Golden Eagles. By the time he was relieved later in the sixth by Blair Lewis, Rice trailed 4-2. Southern Miss would add a solo home run in the inning, taking a 5-2 lead into the seventh.

Rice had chances, but four double plays turned by Southern Miss, a high for Rice opponents this season, kept the Owls from finding any level of consistency. Southern Miss and Rice traded single runs in the ninth, closing out the opener 6-3.

SATURDAY | Rice 4 – Southern Miss 0

After Friday’s disappointing showing and another modified schedule courtesy of incorrigible Houston weather, Rice returned to Reckling with purpose. Evan Kravetz was magnificent on the mound. The senior, who was a late addition to the Owls’ rotation to start the year, pitched one of the best games of his career in a moment when the team needed him the most. Kravetz struck out 10 batters in 7.1 innings, walking four while allowing three hits.

Kravetz was aided on the mound by a quick jolt from the offense. Trei Cruz took the first pitch he saw in the first inning and plopped it over the left field fence. The bomb scored Braden Comeaux, giving Rice a 2-0 lead. The Owls would tack on another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Comeaux and another in the eighth on an Andrew Dunlap sac fly.

A shaky relief performance from Kendal Jefferies produced nerves in the Rice dugout before the game was complete. Jefferies loaded the bases in the eighth before coaxing an inning-ending double play. He allowed to Southern Miss batters to reach in the ninth, but escaped that inning without any damage, too. It wasn’t pretty, but he got the outs and the Owls got the win.

SUNDAY | Rice 7 – Southern Miss 2

If a 2-0 lead was comfortable on Saturday, a 4-0 lead felt like an insurmountable advantage for Rice in the rubber game. With Jackson Parthasarathy on the mound, Rice jumped all over Southern Miss. Andrew Dunlap opened things up with a 2 RBI single in the first. Justin Collins followed it up almost immediately, ambushing the first pitch he saw and lifting it over the left field wall, driving in Cade Edwards.

Southern Miss would turn to the bullpen in the first inning. Rice had no such concerns, relying on their Sunday stud through 6.1 innings of one-run ball. In his final home outing, Parthasarathy struck out five, leaving the game in the hands of the bullpen for the final eight outs.

Dalton Wood got the first try but was pulled out quickly after walking two batters on eight pitches. Garret Gayle was up next. He wasn’t perfect, allowing two runs, one charged to each of his proceeding pitchers. He settled down, posting zeroes in the final two frames to lock down the win.

TAKEAWAYS | Rice wins series 2-1

1. This team plays differently with the lead

When Rice has one of their starters on the mound and an early lead the entire psyche of the team seems indomitable. The energy picks up, the bats are more focused and the defense stays in lockstep. That’s what happened Saturday when Cruz launched his home run and it’s what happened Sunday with the big first inning.

The starting pitching is the Owls’ best weapon. When those guys on the mound know they can throw strikes without the need to be absolutely flawless, they pitch better. Rice is going to have the advantage on the mound in almost every game they play through the conference tournament. If those arms can get even the slightest early bump this is a team who could contend for the tournament title.

2. The bullpen keeps getting more and more confusing

If not for a game-changing double-play ball on Saturday evening, Jefferies, one of the Owls most trustworthy relievers could have been sitting on his third bad outing over his last four appearances. He got the job done, but the performance leaves room for doubt.

Blair Lewis and Drake Greenwood both allowed runs in short appearances on Friday. Dalton Wood blew his chance on Sunday and Garrett Gayle allowed two inherited runners to score.

Rice won the series, but there wasn’t anyone in the bullpen who made a strong case to be the first man called in a tough situation. If coach Bragga is going to ride his starters as long as they can go, which makes sense given how good they’ve been, a sticky situation or two might occur. Right now, Rice lacks a go-to guy in the pen and they’ve got a week to find it.

3. Inching closer and closer to Biloxi

Entering their weekend series with Southern Miss, Rice needed to find a way to secure three wins in their final six games to feel confident about clinching a spot in the CUSA Baseball tournament. They didn’t take three from the Golden Eagles but they won two important games.

Rice is 14-13, good for fifth place in CUSA with the tiebreaker over Old Dominion. The Owls are three wins better than Marshall (11-5), UTSA (11-15), FIU (11-16) and Middle Tennessee (11-16). With a single win in their final conference series, Rice clinches a postseason berth.

ON DECK | vs Houston (Tues), at Marshall (Thur-Sat)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Baseball, Archive, Featured Tagged With: Evan Kravetz, Jackson Parthasarathy, Justin Collins, Rice baseball, Trei Cruz

Rice Baseball: Previewing the Southern Miss series

May 10, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

A season-defining series against Southern Miss awaits Rice baseball in their final homestand of the regular season. Can the Owls break through?

Listen online // Watch Friday (CUSA TV) // Watch Saturday (CUSA TV) // Watch Sunday (CUSA TV)

Weather permitting, Rice will attempt to solidify their bid for the Conference USA Tournament with a weekend series against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles are perched atop the conference, currently the No. 1 seed taking on the Owls, who would be the No. 5 seed if the standings hold. A lot could change over the weekend. Here’s what Southern Miss brings to the table.

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday – 2:00 pm: Matt Canterino (6-4, 2.68) vs Walker Powell (5-2 2.93)
Saturday – 2:00 pm: Evan Kravetz (4-2, 3.69)  vs Stevie Powers (3-3, 4.35)
Sunday – 1:00 pm: Jackson Parthasarathy (3-7, 4.74) vs  Mason Strickland (5-0, 5.26)

Southern Miss Pitching

The top two pitchers in the Southern Miss rotation have already been confirmed, but the third starting spot has yet to be announced. The Eagles have used a few different combinations and could throw several guys on Sunday. Mason Strickland and Cody Carroll (2-1, 4.08) are two of the most prominent options.

Whoever takes the third spot, Rice is in for a battle. Southern Miss leads CUSA with a 4.26 ERA. A good portion of that preeminence has come from a hard-to-hit bullpen. Three different hurlers, Hunter Stanley and Sean Tweedy in the pen and Powell in the rotation, have a WHIP of 1.10 or below, a rare feat for a collegiate pitching staff. For reference, only Matt Canterino owns a WHIP below that mark for Rice.

Keep an eye out for JC Keyes in high leverage situations. He boasts a rate of 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings, and he’s one of several options for this team to turn to in a pinch.

Southern Miss Hitting

Southern Miss is a great pitching team and an elite hitting club. They’re hitting .326 as a team in conference play with 27 home runs in 24 games. They lead CUSA in extra base hits, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and more or less every major hitting statistic.

Six everyday players are batting better than .300, led by catcher Bryant Bowen’s staggering .359 average and 1.014 OPS. He’s one of three players with 10 or more doubles (the other two being right fielder Matt Wallner and second baseman Matthew Guidry). Left fielder Gabe Montenegro brings an eight-game hitting streak into the weekend, including a staggering .500 average in his previous series against FAU.

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Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: Rice baseball

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