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Rice Baseball suffers sweep by Yale

March 9, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

The losses continue to mount for Rice Baseball, which suffered a series loss to Yale, dropping the Owls’ overall record to 2-13 on the season.

FRIDAY | Yale 8, Rice 3

Rice baseball starter Davion Hickson found himself in early trouble on Friday night when a hit by pitch and an error thrust him into a jam. Yale would capitalize, striking for two in that inning before threatening in the second and breaking through in earnest in the third. Yale made it 5-0 after three, taking advantage of free passes and defensive errors to force Hickson out of the game before the fifth inning.

Last Weekend: Rice Baseball winless at Astros College Classic

The Rice bats got three back but two more runs charged to Von Baker made it 8-3 heading to the sixth. Even with an impressive four-inning, no-hit, six-strikeout showing form Garrett Stratton in relief, the deficit proved too large to overcome with the Owls falling in the series opener by a final score of 8-4.

SATURDAY | Yale 11, Rice 8

JD McCracken got Rice off to a much improved start on Saturday afternoon, mowing down Yale batters through six scoreless innings before the Bulldogs finally got to him with a solo home run to open the seventh. Even with the blemish, McCracken had done enough to put the Owls in a position to win, along with 3 RBI from Michael Zito and Graiden West’s first career home run at the plate.

“He was spectacular. He was amazing,” Rice baseball head coach Jose Cruz Jr. said of McCracken’s showing. “He does set the tone. And he pitches to contact. There’s a lot of action out there. We’re happy to have him. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll be out there as long as he can go.”

McCracken’s brilliance would fizzle quickly when he left the mound. It didn’t matter who came through the door, Tucker Alch, Jackson Blank and Caleb Williams were each responsible for runs that turned a significant Rice lead into an agonizing loss as Yale scored 11 in the final three innings. Rice would get three back, but it wouldn’t be enough to salvage the game.

SUNDAY | Yale 7, Rice 4

Yale struck first in the series finale, getting two runs in the first and two more in the second, forcing Rice starter Robert Fernandez from the game early on. This time, the Owls’ bats offered some resistance, though. Rice scored three in the bottom of the first, one run via an error and the final two coming on the first home run from freshman Blaine Brown.

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

Trailing 4-3 after two innings, both bullpens kept the game close until Yale broke through in the seventh with one insurance run and two more in the eight. Down 7-3, Brown added another RBI on a single in the eighth but that would prove to be the end of the scoring for both teams on the weekend and Rice dropped the final game 7-4.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

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Filed Under: Archive, Baseball, Premium Tagged With: Blaine Brown, Caleb Williams, Davion Hickson, game recap, Garrett Stratton, Graiden West, Jackson Blank, JD McCracken, Marco Fuentes, Michael Zito, Rice baseball, Robert Fernandez, Tucker Alch

Rice Baseball splits wire-to-wire series with USC

February 23, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Baseball and USC played a pair of games that went down to the final innings, splitting a pair of games in dramatic fashion at Reckling Park.

FRIDAY | USC 7 – Rice 4 (11)

Davion Hickson worked through plenty of traffic on the bases in his five innings of action in the series opener but limited the USC offense to one run, notching seven strikeouts. His replacement, Von Baker, allowed two runs to score, putting Rice in a 3-2 hole, with both Owls’ runs driven in by Treyton Rank in the second and sixth innings, respectively.

Last Time Out: Rice Baseball tops Sam Houston in Home Opener

The action started to pick up in earnest again in the ninth. Still trailing by one, pinch hitter Colin Robson drew a walk, moved up a single from Blaine Brown and scored on a sac fly from Landon West to tie the game. USC tacked on one in the top of the tenth before Gunnett Carlson leveled the score with a solo shot to right field.

Today’s energy: Gunnett homers pic.twitter.com/v05yPVPog6

— Rice Baseball (@RiceBaseball) February 22, 2025

The moment was electric, but was not long lasting. USC scored three runs in the top of the 11th off Reed Gallant before Rice went quietly in the bottom of the frame, dropping the opening game 7-4.

SATURDAY | Cancelled, Weather

SUNDAY | Rice 4 – USC 3

Rice struck first on Sunday, pushing across two in the first inning on an RBI single from Gunnett Carlson and an error allowing Brown to score from third. Robert Fernandez held the 2-0 advantage until USC scratched one run across in the third, eventually leveling the score via a sac fly charged to JD McCracken in relief.

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

Tobias Motley made sure the Owls’ time without the lead was short lived, walloping a pinch-hit home run over the right field wall to open the seventh inning. Blaine Brown and Garrett Stratton got Rice through the eighth before USC tied the game on sac fly off of Stratton in the ninth, putting the burden back on the bats to finish the game.

Michael Zito would be the hero, delivering a walk off home run — his first collegiate hit and the Owls’ first walk off home run since 2021 — to send the Owls’ off with a crowd-raising home win.

That's the first walk off home run for @RiceBaseball since Braden Comeaux in 2021 and the first hit of Michael Zito's Rice career. pic.twitter.com/0w4islPqD4

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) February 23, 2025

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
  • Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR Artis Cole commits to Owls

Filed Under: Archive, Baseball, Premium Tagged With: Blaine Brown, Cole Green, Colin Robson, Davion Hickson, game recap, Garrett Stratton, Gunnett Carlson, Hiram Bocachica, JD McCracken, Landon West, Michael Zito, Reed Gallant, Rice baseball, Robert Fernandez, Treyton Rank, Von Baker

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