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Rice Football Recruiting: SLOT Jacob Swain commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just picked up another playmaker on offense. Melissa (TX) wide receiver Jacob Swain has committed to the Owls.

Do-it-all players at the high school level tend to become difference makers at the next. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up one such star player from in-state. Melissa athlete (and former Cy product) Jacob Swain has committed to the Owls.

During his recruiting process, Swain caught the eyes of programs across the country, landing an early offer from Louisville last summer to kick-start his journey. Offers from South Florida, UNLV, SDSU, the academies and others would follow, but ultimately, Swain picked South Main and Rice football.

Whether listed as a dual-threat quarterback, wide receiver or athlete by recruiting services, a common thread emerges when assessing Swain’s viability on the field. He’s someone who should be fed the ball often. To achieve that, he’ll slide in as a SLOT in the Owls’ gun-option offensive attack.

Swain’s pledge comes days removed from the commitment of wide receiver Prince Hall and gives the 2026 bunch some offensive skill pieces for quarterback Aiden Smalls to target.

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The highlights are a parade of wow plays by Swain in space. He can line up outside, take the ball directly at the snap or make an explosive play as a return man. As long as he has the football, good things tend to happen. That’s exactly what the Owls are looking for in new additions to this scheme.

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Prince Hall commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile offensive weapons. Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Following a spring bent on filling the final roster spots before the 2025 season arrives, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has taken center stage in the focus of the staff on South Main. The Owls entered a busy official visit weekend to cap off the month of May with three commitments in the 2026 class, intent on growing that number. Following his visit, Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Hall had received offers from Wake Forest, UTSA, Texas State, Arkansas State, Sacramento State, Navy and others, with interest in his availability ramping up significantly during the spring. Rice jumped into the mix with an offer in mid-March, earning his pledge a few months later.

While he’s listed as an athlete by some services, the plan as of now is for Hall to start with the offense and play wide receiver. With him on board, the 2026 class has the early foundations of an offense brewing. Led by quarterback Aiden Smalls, Rice also has commitments from offensive lineman Clay Mitchell and tight end Colten Cole.

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A two-way player, Hall’s athleticism is one of the first things that jumps out when you turn on the film. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he’s long with great range and a knack for pinpointing the ball in the air. He can make the first man miss in traffic and powers through contact. Adding him to the Owls’ offense should produce plenty of fireworks.

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AAC Baseball Roundup: UTSA falls in Super Regional Play

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AAC Baseball had two representatives in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. UTSA made it to the second weekend before falling to UCLA in Super Regional Play.

UTSA

UTSA made quick work of the Austin regional, defeating Kansas State in their opening game to set up a rematch with the regional host, Texas. The Roadrunners then defeated the Longhorns for the second time that season, following up on a regular-season win over the Horns several weeks beforehand. That forced Texas to the loser’s bracket.

Texas would make it back to the regional championship, only for UTSA to beat them for a third and final time to punch their ticket to the Super Regional round.

UCLA took care of business in their own Regional round, setting up the matchup with UTSA with a trip to the College World Series on the line. UTSA led early in the first game, taking a 2-0 lead before UCLA leveled the score after the third inning. The Bruins went in front on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, adding a few insurance runs late to win the game, 5-2.

It was all Bruins in Game 2. UCLA scratched across one run apiece in the fourth and fifth innings before breaking through with two runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth, shutting out UTSA 7-0 in the finale to take the series.

East Carolina

Despite entering the postseason with little fanfare, ECU made some noise with an explosive win over Florida in their opening game, sending the 2-seed Gators to the loser’s bracket. The Pirates would join them a day later, falling to regional host Coastal Carolina to setup a rematch with Florida. They beat the Gators again, earning them another shot at the hosts.

A pitcher’s duel ensued with Coastal Carolina edging ECU 1-0 in Game 6 to knock the Pirates out of the postseason.

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Report: Rice Baseball to hire two new assistants

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Rice baseball head coach David Pierce has started to assemble his coaching staff, including a former Rice assistant who is heading back to South Main.

First reported by Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball, the first additions to the Rice baseball coaching staff under David Pierce are taking shape. Rogers reports that Clay Van Hook, who spent the last two seasons across town as an assistant with Houston, will join the Owls’ staff. The report also says Pierce intends to hire J.J. Altobelli to his staff.

Van Hook served as an assistant at Rice under Wayne Graham from 2012-2017, arriving on South Main as Pierce was leaving following the 2011 season. While Van Hook was at Rice, the Owls had six consecutive postseason appearances and was part of the team that won the 2013 Oregon Regional.

More: Rice Baseball Season Review – Lineup

Altobelli is the son of legendary Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, who passed away in 2020 when the helicopter he was traveling on crashed in Calabasas, California. That was the same accident that led to the death of former NBA star Kobe Bryant.

After a playing career at Oregon, Altobelli joined the coaching ranks and is currently serving in the Boston Red Sox organization.

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Rice Baseball 2025 Season Review: Lineup

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The offense started slow but grew more consistent as the season progressed, helping Rice baseball stay competitive down the stretch.

It took the Rice baseball offense some time to get going, but by the time head coach David Pierce had taken over and solidified the lineup, the team began to hit its stride at the plate. A delicate mix of talented freshmen and the right veteran pieces made the Owl competitive hitters and provided support the pitching staff needed.

More: Rice Baseball embarks on crucial offseason

Compared to a season ago, this year’s squad had twice as many players hit .270 or better (six), a testament to a deeper lineup with a host of players capable of delivering clutch hits rather than putting all the pressure on any one individual.

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** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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