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Rice Baseball: Six Owls selected in 2019 MLB Draft

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Headlined by pitcher Matt Canterino, a Day 1 selection by the Minnesota Twins, six Rice baseball players heard their names called in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Round 2 (54) – Twins – Matt Canterino

The most unsurprising Rice selection, Canterino was off the board early. His Rice career ends after a superb junior season where he finished with a 2.81 ERA in 99.1 innings.

Round 5 (155) – Reds – Evan Kravetz

Most assumed Kravetz would be a Day 2 selection. Instead he ended up closer to being a Day 1 selection than a Day 3 choice. Kravetz was off the board in the first 100 picks of the second day, impressing enough during his senior season to climb all the way to the fifth round.

Round 12 (376) – Astros – Garrett Gayle

One of the Owls’ most talented bullpen arms from 2019, Gayle was the only Rice reliever chosen this year. His 2019 splits weren’t overwhelming, but there’s a lot about his game to like.

Round 27 (807) – Blue Jays – Roel Garcia

Garcia missed the entire 2019 season and is now faced with a decision to make. Being selected in the back half of the draft makes a player’s decision to sign with their respective team far from a sure thing. Garcia certainly would have the chance to elevate his stock with another year at South Main.

Round 37 (1113) – Nationals – Trei Cruz

Those same sentiments go for Cruz. An impressive hitter with plenty of power and tools at the plate, Cruz can easily play his way into a Top 10 round selection with more discipline in the field and improved decision making at the plate.

Round 37 (1118) – Rays – Addison Moss

Although he did make a handful of appearances, Moss was never truly healthy this season. Projected to be the Saturday man entering the year, he’ll be a much higher selection in 2020 should he return to school.

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Rice Baseball: Sunday comeback averts home sweep vs UTSA

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Rice baseball salvaged a tough weekend series against UTSA with a come from behind win on Sunday, their first victory when their opponent scored first this season.

It was another up and down weekend for Rice baseball as the Owls dropped the first two games against UTSA before rallying for a Sunday victory. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Owls and an 0-5 start in conference play. Here’s a wrap up on each of the three games and some closing thoughts on the Owls’ second CUSA series.

FRIDAY | UTSA 4 – Rice 2

Rice ace Matt Canterino put together a career-long outing in the series opener on Friday, throwing 8 2/3rds innings before being relieved in the ninth by Kendall Jeffries for one final out. As was the case in his outing against FAU, Canterino was sharp for the duration, save for one crooked number which would prove to be the decider.

Canterino retired the first 10 batters he faced, hurtling through his start until the seventh inning where two triples, a single and a wild pitch put his team behind 3-0. Rice would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, leaving the tying run on third after a triple of their own.

UTSA would tack on an insurance run on a two-out double in the ninth, leaving Rice one more chance to even the score. With two men on in the ninth, Cade Edwards struck out to end the game.

SATURDAY | UTSA 9 – Rice 3

Jackson Parthasarathy, bumped up from his typical Sunday slot in the starting rotation, lasted two innings in the second game of this series. He was ticketed for four earned runs on five hits before being replaced by Addison Moss out of the bullpen in what felt like a crucial game for Rice tow in.

Not only was Moss unable to stop the bleeding, he had his second consecutive poor outing, allowing four earned runs on five hits, walking two. Trailing 8-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, Rice was unable to get enough big hits to make a meaningful dent in the sizable deficit.

Andrew Dunlap and Dominic Cox each picked up two hits and scored all three of the Owls’ runs on the afternoon. The bullpen combination of Blair Lewis and Dalton Wood held the Roadrunners scoreless over the final four innings, but it proved to be too little too late.

SUNDAY | Rice 8 – UTSA 3

Rice entered the final game of the series in desperate need of a victory to stop a seven-game skid. Evan Kravetz held his own early, but trouble in the third allowed UTSA to strike first. At that point, Rice was 0-14 when their opponents scored the first run.

Sensing the need to right the ship, Rice flipped the script in the bottom half of the inning. Following an RBI single from Bradley Gneiting, the Owls took the lead on a drooping double from Cade Ewards which landed on the right side of the right field line, scoring two to give Rice a 3-1 lead. UTSA evened the score the following frame with a two-run homer to left field.

Momentum seemed to shift toward the Owls in the fifth. In the top half of the inning, Braden Comeaux gunned down the would-be go ahead run at the plate. In the bottom half, Cade Edwards punched a bullet into center field, scoring Andrew Dunlap to give Rice a 4-3 lead.

TAKEAWAYS | UTSA wins series 2-1

1. If the starting rotation stumbled, Rice is in trouble

The combination of Matt Canterino, Jackson Parthasarathy, Evan Kravetz and Addison Moss have been ticketed as the biggest assets this team has in 2019. Canterino has a future in the big leagues, while the others have each achieved legitimate collegiate successes.

The bullpen has been hit or miss. The lineup has struggled through injuries and been inconsistent when healthy. The starting rotation isn’t all this team has to turn things around, but it’s unquestionably the greatest weapon in the arsenal. But Canterino is losing ball games. Moss and Parthasarathy didn’t make it through three innings. Kravetz was marginally better on Sunday, throwing 4 1/3rd innings and allowing three runs.

Nobody else has emerged to help right the ship. Rice’s big guns need to step up. If the starting rotation doesn’t turn things around Rice is going to lose a lot more 4-2 games.

2. The lineup wasn’t deep … and then came the injuries

Dominic DiCaprio will miss the remainder of the season with recurring back injuries. A senior, it looks like DiCaprio has played his last games ever for the Blue and Gray. He ends his career with a .299 average, 173 hits and 85 RBI. DiCaprio hadn’t been the same since injuries spoiled his junior season, but his veteran presence in the lineup will be missed.

That alone would be a concern for a thin Rice lineup which is already coping with a string of injuries. Braden Comeaux returned to the lineup this weekend after missing a week with a back injury. Brandt Frazier eased back in last weekend against FAU after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Justin Collins didn’t miss extended time, but a midweek scare on a backswing against Texas State made all Rice fans hold their breath. Rice absolutely must stay healthy, particularly with one of their senior bats being put on the shelf.

3. Consistency is needed from Six – Seven – Eight – Nine

Health aside, Rice has been able to find relatively consistent production from their top half of the lineup. The Owls have five players hitting better than .300 on the season, but the rotation of outfielders and whomever draws the start at first base has been problematic.

Dominic Cox, who had four base hits on the season entering the UTSA series, had his best weekend yet with three hits from the bottom third of the order. Outside of his strong weekend, the bottom four spots in the lineup hit a meager 7-for-33 (.212) with nine strikeouts, salvaged by a big seventh inning on Sunday against multiple UTSA relievers.

The bottom third of most lineups in college baseball will punch below the level of the top third; there are only so many bats to go around.  Expecting a .400 hitter to emerge from the eight-hole isn’t realistic, but finding someone who can make contact consistently and put balls in play at a reasonable clip is doable. Rice has yet to find the combination which makes that happen.

ON DECK | at Texas State (Tues),  at Old Dominion (Fri-Sun)

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Baseball: Busy midweek slate starts Tuesday vs Lamar

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Rice baseball returns to action with a second pair of midweek which begin on Tuesday at Reckling Park against Lamar.

Matt Bragga admitted the wear and tear of so many games in such a short span of time was getting to his team. He said the squad still has “a lot of learning to do” and admitted “this group needs practice time.” Rather than rest, they’ll turn around and play two midweek games once again following the series loss to Oklahoma over the weekend.

Lamar (6-9) had had struggles of their own. The Cardinals were swept at home by SFA in their first Southland Conference series of the season over the weekend. They will return to conference play this coming weekend, as will Rice, but first a midweek tilt between the two southeast Texas clubs.

Rice won both 2018 meetings by scores of 6-2 and 2-1. Here’s how the first meeting of 2019 sets up.

When and Where

Pitching matchups

Addison Moss got his first start of the season last Tuesday against Houston, earning the win after five innings of two-run ball. He made a brief relief appearance against Oklahoma but should be fresh enough to throw against Lamar.

The pitching situation for Lamar looks much less certain. Three different hurlers have seen midweek starts this season with Taylor Rich the only man going further than three innings. He started their Sunday game against SFA, though, so a combination of arms will most likely be trotted out at Reckling on Tuesday.

Colleveitly, the Cardinals pitching staff isn’t too scary. AJ Ozorio-Brace and Austin Smith have been effective out of the pen, but a collective 4.04 ERA with 72 walks in 12 games bodes well for Rice, who won’t be facing one of their top weekend arms.

Names to know from the plate

Getting Reese Durand out will be the chief test for the Rice pitching staff. The freshman outfielder has hit safely in nine of his 11 appearances, picking up three triples on 13 hits. He’ll look to set the table for power hitters like Anthony Quirion and Robin Adams.

The bottom portion of the order hasn’t been productive to this point and that’s cost them opportunities to put up crooked numbers. Just once has Lamar scored more than six runs in a victory.

ON DECK | vs Texas State (Wed), at FAU (Fri-Sun)

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Baseball: Previewing Tuesday matchup vs Texas

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Rice baseball continues their opening homestand with a rivalry game against in-state foe, Texas on Tuesday night at Reckling Park.

For scheduling purposes, midweek games largely come against in-state opponents affording Rice baseball regular opportunities to match up with some of the other heavyweight programs. In 2019 their first in-state Texas comes against the No. 23 Texas Longhorns in a midweek tilt.

Like Rice, Texas went 2-1 on opening weekend taking a series from Louisiana which included an extra-innings win. The Longhorns and Owls did not meet in 2017. The rivals split a four-game series in Austin in 2017.

When and Where

Pitching matchups

Official starters haven’t been named just yet. Given how early it is in the season there are a host of guys from each team who could get the call, but Addison Moss remains the biggest question mark for either side. Scratched from Saturday’s start, he’d be a tremendous plus in the Owls’ favor if he’s healthy enough to go on Tuesday.

Bragga declined to say anything definitive about who would get the nod against Texas saying “We’ve got a lot of guys available for Tuesday,” and that the staff felt “good with where we’re at” concerning the pitching availability after the weekend.

Names to know

Right fielder Austin Todd and third baseman Ryan Reynolds led the way at the dish for the Longhorns over the weekend. Todd had a team-high six hits, walking twice and striking out just once. Reynolds launched a home run and a double, finishing with a team-best 1.338 OPS. Leadoff man Duke Ellis led the Big 12 in on base percentage last season. He drew a staggering seven walks to go along with three base hits against Louisiana.

Out of the pen the Longhorns will most likely use a handful of arms, as was customary under manager David Pierce in midweek action last year. Nico O’Donnell (0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP) and Matteo Bocchi (0.oo ERA, 3.o IP) both saw some action against the Ragin’ Cajuns and could be options to see a large chunk of innings against the Owls. Mason Bryant (0.00 ERA, 1 IP) will be a late-game option if things are close.

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Baseball: Breaking down the 2019 pitching staff

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The spring is here and so is Rice baseball. The new era under Matt Bragga will begin with some familiar names led on the mound by Matt Canterino.

Matt Bragga’s first season as the head coach for Rice baseball will be underway very soon. The Owls are expected to be led by a strong presence on the mound. Here’s how the starting rotation and the bullpen project entering the 2019 season.

The Rotation

Friday: Matt Canterino (2018: 7-5, 3.06 ERA, 116K, 22BB)

There are few preseason awards which omitted the Owls’ ace. Canterino was named the CUSA Preseason Pitcher of the Year as well as an All-American by Baseball America and the National College Baseball Writer’s Association. D1 Baseball tabbed him as their CUSA Preseason Pitcher of the Year, too.

Saturday: Addison Moss (2018: 2-4, 2.43 ERA, 53K, 16BB)

Moss and Canterino could establish themselves as one of the best 1-2 punches in Conference USA. Moss didn’t earn the same preseason recognition as Canterino, but the junior hurler returns from a sophomore campaign in which he allowed 2.3 walks per nine innings and held the best ERA on the team.

Sunday and midweek starters:

Roel Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery this winter, opening the door wide open for the Sunday and midweek starting roles. Coach Bragga will have several options to choose from and we could see several guys get a shot before the rotation begins to solidify itself.

Bragga has tabbed Jackson Parthasarathy (3 starts, 6.28 ERA) and Evan Kravetz as the top two guys entering the season. Kendal Jeffries (5 starts in 2018, 4.06 ERA) and Missouri transfer Drake Greenwood could get a chance, too.

The Bullpen

This is where things get interesting. Rice should have a deep crop of arms for the staff to deploy in a variety of ways. Brandon Deskins and Zach Esquivel are both quality relief options with the latter two putting on impressive showings in the Owls’ final fall scrimmage against Texas A&M. The duo each have some tricky movement on their stuff which makes them tricky to hit provided they can stick it in the zone.

On the back end, Garrett Gayle has the arm to cement himself as the team’s primary closer this season. He posted a stunning 0.45 ERA in the Cape Cod league this summer and has topped 97 MPH on the gun. Gayle finished second on the team to Canterino in strikeouts last year.

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