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Starting pitching propels Rice Baseball to series win over Louisiana

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Rice Baseball picked up a much-needed series win, taking two of three from Louisiana on the road behind dominant starting pitching.

FRIDAY | Rice 2 – Louisiana 1

Following a bumpy start in the regular season opener, Parker Smith dazzled in start number two of the year. He delivered a fantastic seven-inning, one-run, four-hit performance that kept Louisiana at bay while the Rice offense managed to sneak across two singular runs, one in the first and another in the third.

More: Parker Smith’s journey to Rice baseball ace

“We had opportunities to really blow this game open,” head coach Jose Cruz Jr. said. “At the end of the day we have Parker Smith out there and Parker through a gem.”

Manny Garza was credited with both RBIs. Davion Hickson came through with a two-inning save, retiring six of the eight batters he faced to secure the Owls’ first win of the season.

SATURDAY | Rice 6 – Louisiana 1

The JD McCracken show started and ended the same way, with a strikeout. McCracken punched out 11 en route to the Owls’ first complete game since 2019 (thrown by Matt Canterino against FIU). The only run he allowed was scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning.

On the other side, McCracken was aided by a two-run first inning to stake him to the lead, then a tricker of additional runs in the fourth and seventh. Nathan Becker broke the game open in the top of the ninth with a two-run double before McCracken walked back to the mound one more time to slam the door.

SUNDAY | Louisiana 3 – Rice 0

Unlike their previous games, Rice didn’t get the first inning lead they’ve grown accustomed to having. Instead, Louisiana scored first, putting up two runs in the third inning against Rice starter Ryland Urbanczyk. That would prove to be the lone blemish against him, but no run production whatsoever from the Owls would make it the decisive runs in the ballgame.

Rice managed just two hits, making Louisiana pitchers face two more than a minimum in an underwhelming offensive showing that netted them zero runs. The pitching staff held its own, but was still saddled with the loss.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball took its first series of the season and has won three of its last four games after being swept on opening weekend. Here are three takeaways from the weekend:

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1. Starting pitching rebounds in a big way

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ON DECK | vs LSU (Wed), vs Stanford (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball rallies late to beat SHSU

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Deadlocked through seven innings, Rice baseball delivered the finishing blow in the eighth, edging Sam Houston at home by a 7-3 score.

A few days removed from a weekend full of pitching misadventures, Ryland Urbancyzk delivered a scoreless three-inning start for Rice baseball. He then handed the ball off to his relief who, with the exception of defensive miscues behind them, threw strikes and held their own against a potent Sam Houston squad fresh off a series win over Oklahoma State.

Sam Houston snuck across a pair of unearned runs, the first in the fourth inning and the second in the fifth. Sandwiched between the Bearkat tallies was a two-run blast, courtesy of Rice’s Manny Garza. That set up a 2-2 game, a score that prevailed through seven innings despite opportunities for both squads to take the lead.

Last Time Out: Rice Baseball swept by Notre Dame

For a moment, it looked as if Rice would squander their best chance, failing two convert two-on, no-out in the seventh only to watch Sam Houston combine back-to-back two-out hits to take the lead in the following half-inning. Their advantage would not last long.

Jack Riedel delivered the go-ahead, three-run blast in the next frame. Ben Dukes tacked on two insurance runs. Davion Hickson got the final six outs, earning the Owls’ first win of the year.

What it means | Find a way to win

Following a winless weekend, Rice baseball just needed to find some way to walk away from Reckling with a win on Tuesday. They did just that. The defense was subpar and the hitting lacked execution early, but the pitching staff kept the Owls in the game, giving them a fighting chance to make the most of a clutch moment or two down the stretch.

Hoping for a Riedel bomb isn’t an optimal strategy, but if Rice can continue to set the table for their better hitters, things like this are going to happen. Tuesday night, it was Riedel. Next time, it might be someone else. All that matters is the result, though. Rice baseball had to find a way to break their losing skid and win. They did. And everyone in the clubhouse can exhale because of it.

ON DECK | at Louisiana (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball swept by Notre Dame on Opening Weekend

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Rice Baseball got several leads, but couldn’t hold any of them, leaving opening weekend without a win in a three-game series with Notre Dame.

FRIDAY | Notre Dame 3 – Rice 1

Seven strikeouts through four-plus innings is typically indicative of an encouraging start, but that wasn’t the case this time for Rice baseball ace Parker Smith on Friday night. The righty struggled with command, dancing through danger in every inning but the third because of two hit batters, four walks and a couple of defensive errors behind him.

More: Parker Smith’s journey to Rice baseball ace

Smith left in the fifth inning, earning the loss after Jack Ben-Shoshan was unable to keep a pair of inherited runners from scoring. Davion Hickson would deliver a sterling, four-inning, hitless performance, but it wasn’t enough. Rice managed just one run, credited to Nathan Becker on an RBI single in the very first inning.

SATURDAY | Notre Dame 9 – Rice 5

Jack Riedel got the scoring going on Saturday, earning the first of two RBI on a solo home run in the first inning. JD McCracken did his part on the mound, holding Notre Dame to three runs (two earned) through 5.1 innings before handing the ball to Tyler Hamilton in relief. The Owls held a 4-3 lead at that point and kept the score there through seven innings before disaster struck.

Hamilton was tagged for two home runs which gave the Irish the lead. It was Garrett Stratton who came on next, but he registered just one out before being forced from the game. And just like that, a 4-3 Rice lead became a 9-4 deficit entering the ninth as the bullpen failed to hold on in the final innings.

SUNDAY | Notre Dame 13 – Rice 10

The ball was flying all over the yard on Sunday, beginning in the opening inning with a two-run shot off the bat from Pierce Gallo to give the Owls a 2-0 lead which miraculously persisted into the third inning despite five walks and a hit batsman from Rice starter Jackson Mayo who lasted just two innings.

Rice looked to have claimed a commanding lead in the sixth on a three-run bomb by Jack Riedel, but the Owls’ bullpen crumbled quickly soon afterward, allowing a five-run inning from the Irish and coughing up the lead. Trailing 8-7 in the eighth, Rice managed to even the score, but Notre Dame responded with a crushing five-run ninth to secure the series sweep.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball leaves opening weekend without a win. A series sweep will always sting, especially when the Owls were within striking distance in each contest. Here are three takeaways from a tough weekend at home.

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1. Free passes and hit batsmen loom large

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ON DECK | vs Sam Houston (Tues), at Louisiana (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Baseball 2024: Names to Know — Lineup

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Entering Year 3 under head coach Jose Cruz Jr the Rice baseball roster is starting to take shape. Here are a few names to know at the plate.

The primary lineup for the 2024 Rice baseball season should feature a solid mix of old and new. Veteran players, incoming transfers, up-and-coming home-grown players and everything in between will see action on the diamond at Reckling this season. Here are the key pieces the Owls will have to work with at the plate and in the field this season.

Moving On

Losing Connor Walsh stands to be the biggest hurdle to overcome at the plate for this team. Walsh led all regulars in average, slugging and on-base percentage last season. Drew Holderbach and Aaron Smigelski re the other two notable contributors at the plate who won’t be with the Owls this coming season.

Coming Back

Fortunately, the list of returning players is longer than those headed out. Jack Riedel flirted with a 300 average last year and showcased a decent amount of power. The plan had been for him to hold down third base, instead, he’ll be moving across the diamond to play first base. That transition is necessary because Guy Garibary suffered an ACL injury in practice and announced this week he will miss the entirety of the 2024 season.

More: Potential the word for Rice Baseball in Year 3 under Cruz

Going around the horn, Pierce Gallo will handle second with Ben Royo, fresh off a fantastic freshman season, holding down shortstop. Max Johnson is a utility guy who could potentially backfill at third in place of Riedel. Manny Garza will be the primary catcher.

Nathan Becker and Ben Dukes are potential reserve bats and designated hitter options, Becker especially, after seeing a more limited role a year ago. As things stand, designated hitter and third base appear to have the greatest amount of uncertainty.

Added to the Mix

The outfield should be flush with new faces. Wichita State transfer Kyte McDonald has the potential to be a middle-off-the-lineup guy in center field. He’ll be sandwiched by Florida State transfer Treyton Rank and Princeton transfer Brendan Cumming. On paper, that trio looks to be one of the most potent outfields the Owls have fielded in quite some time.

Like Royo did last year, someone will undoubtedly emerge and force their way onto the lineup card. Freshman Landon West might be the best bet right now. He’s impressed during his limited sample size and could see some at bats in the near future.

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Rice Baseball 2023 Season Review: Lineup

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The offense was underwhelming for Rice baseball in 2023, posting the second-lowest OPS in Conference USA with over 500 strikeouts.

It wasn’t a good year at the plate for Rice baseball. The 2023 season saw the Owls finish in the bottom three in the league in batting average, runs, RBI, total bases and OPS, among other offensive measures. There were individual highlights — described in more detail below — but for the most part, the offense struggled.

More: Rice Baseball Season Review – Bullpen
More: Rice Baseball Season Review – Starting Pitching
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