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Rice Baseball 2021 Season Review: Lineup

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The offense played a lot of catch-up for Rice baseball in 2021, relying on a potent top of the lineup to carry the load.

The Rice bats produced a modest .271/.356/.410 slash line by the end of the regular season, finishing more or less in the middle of the pack in most statistical categories when compared to their Conference USA peers. Championed by a stellar season from Braden Comeaux, the bulk of the heavy lifting was done by a select few hitting near the top of the lineup week in and week out.

Cade Edwards

Games – 53 | AVG .288 | OBP .355 | SLG .485 | 2B – 8 | 3B – 2 | HR – 9 | BB – 18 | K – 52

Edwards led Rice with a .308 batting average last year and wasn’t too far off that pace this season. His 19 extra-base hits were the most on the team, making good use of his spot atop the order for the majority of the season. He was one of two players to start every game for Rice this spring, racking up an 8-game and a 9-game hitting streak during conference play.

Braden Comeaux

Games – 52 | AVG .346 | OBP .419 | SLG .408 | 2B – 7 | 3B – 1 | HR – 1 | BB – 16 | K – 21

Comeaux had his best statistical season of his career during the abbreviated 2020 campaign and did not slow down entering 2021. He led the team with an eye-popping .419 on-base percentage, combing a keen eye (16 walks), good plate discipline and a skillful bat to find ways to get on base. He and Edwards set the table for this offense, giving the players that followed in the lineup plenty of RBI opportunities.

Bradley Gneiting

Games – 53 | AVG .302 | OBP .369 | SLG .481 | 2B – 10 | 3B – 0 | HR – 8 | BB – 21 | K – 42

A versatile defender, Gneiting cemented himself further into everyday playing status in 2021 with his bat. He was fractions of a point behind Edwards for the team-lead in slugging percentage, racking up 10 doubles and eight home runs. With the power came an elevated strikeout total, but he made up for that with the most productive run-scoring bat in the order. His 37 RBI were by far the most on the team.

Austin Bulman

Games – 44 | AVG .270 | OBP .352 | SLG .468 | 2B – 7 | 3B – 0 | HR – 7 | BB – 19 | K – 27

Bulman slotted into the cleanup spot for most of the year, coming on strong in the final weeks of the regular season. He provided some pop (seven home runs and seven doubles) in the middle of the order that proved to be important. He improved across the board from last year’s shortened season, seeing almost a 70-point uptick in slugging percentage and more than a 30-point lift in on-base percentage.

Hal Hughes

Games – 52 | AVG .258 | OBP .330 | SLG .362 | 2B – 6 | 3B – 1 | HR – 3 | BB – 14 | K – 18

Hughes wasn’t brought in for his bat, but the LSU transfer handled himself well with the stick, proving to be a decent contact hitter in the middle to back end of the lineup. He came through with a few important home runs. And although it wasn’t a frequent occurrence, he had just three dingers all year, Rice did win all three games in which he left the yard.

Guy Garibay

Games – 48 | AVG .234 | OBP .331 | SLG .403 | 2B – 6 | 3B – 0 | HR – 6 | BB – 22 | K – 37

Garibay pulled double duty this year, seeing success on the mound and at the plate. He was a pretty streaky hitter with the bat in his hands, collecting waves in bunches with nine multi-hit games, including a couple of three-hit outings against Texas A&M and Charlotte. He’s has power and will build on his plate discipline as he gets more experience against live college pitching.

Multi-game starters

Will Karp | Games – 48 | AVG .271 | OBP .365 | SLG .326 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 1 | HR – 1 | BB – 18 | K – 22
Justin Long | Games – 44 | AVG .257 | OBP .396 | SLG .314 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 1 | BB – 21 | K – 32
Connor Walsh | Games – 31 | AVG .231 | OBP .308 | SLG .433 | 2B – 5 | 3B – 2 | HR – 4 | BB – 11 | K – 35
Nathan Becker | Games – 36 | AVG .253 | OBP .314 | SLG .495 | 2B – 5 | 3B – 0 | HR – 6 | BB – 7 | K – 21
Justin Dunlap | Games – 35 | AVG .234 | OBP .344 | SLG .355 | 2B – 4 | 3B – 0 | HR – 3 | BB – 16 | K – 26

This next group cycled in and out of the lineup during most weekends. The four-game conference series required Rice to deploy a fair amount of depth. Will Karp and Justin Long tag teamed catching duties. Freshman Nathan Becker continued to build up confidence as the year progress. Each of those guys, along with Walsh and Dunlap who had down years at the plate, played important roles this season.

Reserves

Antonio Cruz | Games – 19 | AVG .259 | OBP .355 | SLG .407 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 1 | HR – 1 | BB – 7 | K – 21
Johnny Hoyle | Games – 19 | AVG .214 | OBP .353 | SLG .214 | 2B – 0 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 0 | K – 4
Ben Dukes | Games – 26 | AVG .161 | OBP .316 | SLG .161 | 2B – 0 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 7 | K – 8
Cullen Hannigan | Games – 6 | AVG .500 | OBP .500 | SLG .500 | 2B – 0 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 0 | K – 1

The bench got thin quickly after the first wave of key reserves. Had Ben Dukes found more success with his bat, he likely would have gotten more opportunities. Those may come in the future. Antonio Cruz was productive when called upon, but there just weren’t very many outfield at bats to go around this year.

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls split final C-USA series with Charlotte

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Rice baseball showed some fight, but could not win their final series against Charlotte and won’t qualify for the Conference USA Tournament.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball splits series 2-2

1. Brandon Deskins an unsung hero of the 2021 pitching staff

The 2021 Rice baseball starting rotation was cobbled together from the start. Injuries, unpredictable weather happenings and performance altered the order and makeup of the four weekend starters with each successive series. Mitchell Holcomb and Roel Garcia were mainstays. Others made spot starts here and there. Brandon Deskins became the glue.

Deskins worked 53.1 innings this season with a 3.88 ERA, the best among all qualified players. He started seven games and entered others in high-leverage situations. He was tasked with getting a few outs here and there, but also worked several long relief appearances. The Rice pitching corps was better with him in it.

2. The freshmen are just getting started

Guy Garibay had an impressive weekend on the mound and at the plate. He got things started on Friday, throwing 7.2 innings in relief, allowing three runs and striking out five. Rice had fallen behind early, but it was Garibay’s career-long outing that gave Rice a chance to cut into the deficit.

His pitching performance would have been enough, but he also added a three-for-four outing at the plate in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. A bonafide two-way player, we’ve only scratched the surface of Garibay’s potential at South Main.

Alongside him, Justin Long and Nathan Becker both became regulars down the stretch. Becker’s power has been important and will be going forward. He had five RBI on the weekend including a big home run. Long’s .396 on base percentage ranks second on the team this year.

3. One season in a nutshell

Saturday’s second game of the doubleheader proved to be a microcosm of the Owls’ 2021 season. With the game tied late, Rice had a runner in scoring position with no outs in the sixth inning and eighth innings. They had a runner in scoring position and one out in the seventh. Rice was conceivably one hit away from winning the game, but couldn’t get the run home despite multiple opportunities in three straight innings.

Given the extra time, Charlotte outlasted Blake Brogdon, who made it through eight innings before ceding to Dalton Wood in the ninth. Wood allowed three hits, two runs and Rice lost the game.

Rice was a team talented enough to earn themselves opportunities that were too frequently squandered. For whatever the reason, this team never seemed to gel and put it all together. There are pieces, but there is also more work to be done.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY  | Charlotte 9 – Rice 6

Mitchell Holcomb was rocked upon arrival on Friday. Five of the first six batters he faced reached base and things went downhill quickly. He was lifted in the second inning after recording just four outs and putting two men in scoring position for Garibay. Charlotte expanded their lead to 9-2 before Garibay was abe to settle in and cool the 49er bats.

Rice scratched across pairs of runs in the third courtesy of RBIs from Austin Bulman and Justin Long. Becker added two more in the sixth, but the hole proved too big to climb out of even with the extended time.

SATURDAY 1 | Rice 11 – Charlotte 8

Rice came out swinging on Saturday. The Owls struck for four runs in the first inning, led by a three-run blast from Becker. The Owls added a pair in the second and three more in the third. Starter Roel Garcia would be lifted in favor of Deskins midway through the third who was able to cool the Charlotte bats just enough to maintain the Owls’ early advantage.

Deskins would work 4.2 innings, finishing out the seven-inning affair and earning his third win on the season. A 2 RBI single from Braden Comeaux gave Deskins and the Owls some extra breathing room in the fifth, putting Rice ahead 11-5.

SATURDAY 2 | Charlotte 6 – Rice 4

Charlotte took a 4-0 lead early in the second half of the Saturday double header. The Rice bats slowly began to pick things up in the third, scratching across singular runs in each of the next four frames to tie the game. The Owls had several chances to put crooked numbers on the board, but were held at bay by the Charlotte pitching.

Starter Blake Brogdon went eight innings, his longest outing of the season, allowing just three earned runs. When he left, the deadlock broke in favor of the visitors with Rice dropping a winnable second-half of the double header.

SUNDAY | Rice 6 – Charlotte 0

The final conference game of the 2021 season for Rice baseball was one of the quirkier games of the season. The Owls put up a six-spot in the first inning, capped off by a grand slam from Hal Hughes.

Alex DeLeon, in his only start of the season, worked through five innings without allowing a run. With Rice at the plate midway through the bottom of the fifth, weather forced a delay and ultimately a cancelation of the remainder of the game.

ON DECK | Rice baseball vs Texas (Tues)

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls bounce UAB, win first C-USA series

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Rice baseball needed a strong showing against UAB and got it, with all phases contributing to the Owls’ first C-USA series win.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball wins series 3-1

1. The few, the proud

The Rice bullpen has been hit or miss this season. Knowing that, head coach Matt Bragga appears to have found a makeshift solution: limit their innings. Of the 31+ innings thrown by Rice pitching this weekend, starters accounted for 23 of them, roughly 74 percent.

The only game in which the starter did not go six innings was the Sunday finale. The starter in that game, Brandon Deskins, was the lone reliever the Owls utilized in the prior three games of the series, throwing two innings on Friday and another three on Sunday.

2. Strong up top

The top of the lineup has been the difference-maker for the Rice offense this season. When they’re at their best, players like Cade Edwards, Braden Comeaux, Bradley Gneiting and Austin Bulman have the capability to overcome other offensive lulls. This weekend painted that picture as clear as ever.

Rice racked up 23 RBI on the weekend, 15 of which were drive in by those top four hitters in the lineup. Nathan Becker had two RBI in the second Saturday game and Will Karp picked up a pair on Sunday, but the rest of the run production largely rested at the top.

3. The right to play another day

A sweep would have been best, but Rice baseball did their part with a series win this weekend, pushing them up one rung in the conference standings. The Owls are now tied in the win column with UAB and FIU. More importantly, Rice is within striking distance of Middle Tennessee for what will likely be the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament.

The math gets tricky with the ties thrown in, but the most likely scenario for Rice to qualify would be this: Rice wins their upcoming series against Charlotte and Middle Tennessee loses their series at FIU. Rice could also advance with a sweep and a Middle split or a split and Middle being swept. Either way, they need to make up a two-loss differential.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY  | Rice 6 – UAB 1

It’s been a bumpy road for starter Mitchell Holcomb, but he’s settled in down the stretch as one of the Owls’ most competitive pitchers. He a gem on Friday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts. With him keeping the UAB offense at bay, the Rice bats did the rest.

Rice scratched across single tallies in the first and second innings before Edwards added to the breathing room with a two-run RBI in the fourth. The Owls extended their lead again in the sixth before Bulman capped things off with a home run of his own in the ninth.

SATURDAY 1 | UAB 2 – Rice 1

Staked to a 1-0 lead by an Austin Bulman sac-fly, Roel Garcia delivered one of his stronger outings of the season in the first half of the Saturday doubleheader. He breezed through six innings, a season-long outing, allowing three hits and one unearned run.

Asked to return to the mound for the seventh inning, Garcia ran out of gas. He allowed three hits including the walk-off winner. The intentional decision to trust the rotation paid off in other games during this series. It came back to bit the Owls in this one as the offense tallied just six hits in seven frames.

SATURDAY 2 | Rice 7 – UAB 0

Clearly frustrated from how the first game ended, Rice came out swinging in the nightcap. Gneiting picked up RBI hits in the first and second innings as the Owls jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Things could have gotten even further out of hand had Rice not left the bases loaded in the second.

None of that would matter, though, starter Blake Brogdon was locked in on the mound. Given a big lead, he went the distance, completing the seven-inning game without allowing any runs and scattering five hits. Some insurance runs were added in the later innings, but Brogdon was the driving force.

SUNDAY | Rice 10 – UAB 5

Rice entered Sunday with the opportunity to secure their first Conference USA series win of the season, and a necessary one if they hoped to realize any conference tournament aspirations. Deskins got them off to a great start on the bump, but it was a crooked number from the offense in the fifth inning that blew this game open.

Edwards got things going in earnest with a three run home run, but the bats didn’t slow down. Following that blast, Antonio Cruz and Hal Hughes added RBI doubles to extend the lead to 6-1 in the Owls’ favor. A three-run seventh put things out of reach, giving Rice their first double-digit run total since April 17, a win over Old Dominion.

ON DECK | Rice baseball vs Charlotte (Fri-Sun, four games).

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls manage series split vs UTSA in rematch

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Rice baseball started strong, riding two early wins to a series split against UTSA in a rematch of a previous meeting this season.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball splits series 2-2

1. Split shows signs of progress

Rice baseball has yet to win a weekend series against a conference opponent. Coming into this weekend, they hadn’t managed a split either. So by taking the first two games against the Roadrunners, tangible signs of progress were produced. When Rice puts together a complete game from all phases — not even necessarily a dominant showing by any group — this team can win.

At the same time, the failure to come close in either of the final two games left some well-deserved frustrations. Both things can be true. Not winning the series was a missed opportunity, especially when Rice had the luxury of throwing Roel Garcia in the finale. That should have been advantage, Owls.

2. The bullpen issues linger

Four times in four games, Rice gave up four or more runs in a single inning. The only game they avoided a crooked number, Game 2, they won. As for the rest of the series, they lost two of three when surrendering a big inning. Those bullpen blowups have hampered this team tremendously. Individual arms have flashed one weekend and failed the next.

That makes it hard for head coach Matt Bragga to know what buttons to press. Now he’s forced to ask himself not only “can this guy get the job done?” but also “is he going to be locked in today or not?”. Bragga would probably own up to being a bit too slow to use the hook, but it’s a two-way street with both sides showing weaknesses.

3. Fielding isn’t doing the Owls any favors

The bullpen hasn’t been perfect, but their struggles don’t fall solely on the guys on the mound. Errors were costly to Rice this weekend, and they’ve cropped up more than a few times for Rice over the last few weeks. In conference play, Rice sports a .966 fielding percentage, ninth in Conference USA.

The Owls committed no errors in either of their wins against UTSA this weekend. They committed two errors in each of their losses, including errors in those crucial blowup innings. When looked at another way, Rice allowed seven unearned runs in the final two games. That’s not going to cut it.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Rice 8 – UTSA 6

Following a lengthy lightning delay, the Owls got things started off on the right foot with three runs in the first two innings, two of which came with two outs. That spotted Micah Davis, who threw the first two innings in place of Garcia, given the unexpected and extended delay. Davis gave was to a bullpen day, which, apart from a woeful outing by Drake Greenwood, kept Rice right in the mix.

Tied up at six apiece entering the bottom half of the fifth inning, Bragga turned to Brandon Deskins. He struck out eight in the final five frames, allowing just four hits and no runs. That gave the offense enough opportunities to break through, which they did in the sixth courtesy of a pair of RBI groundouts from Braden Comeaux and Bradley Gneiting to put Rice ahead for good.

SATURDAY 1 | Rice 5 – UTSA 4

Starter Mitchell Holcomb allowed some contact and a quarter of one-run innings, but his workmanlike efforts prevented UTSA from every compiling a big inning in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader. While Holcomb held things close, the Rice offense did their best to chip away.

Trailing 4-3 entering the sixth, freshman Nathan Becker homered to tie things up. Then, in the seventh and final inning, a sac fly from Guy Garibay, who step onto the mound for his fourth save in the bottom half of the inning, gave Rice the win.

SATURDAY 2 | UTSA 12 – Rice – 6

Cade Edwards scored on a wild pitch in the first inning to give Rice an early lead. The Owls hung a five-spot in the third with big RBI extra-base hits from Garibay and Will Karp. But none of it would prove to be enough to overcome what has become a much-too-frequent disaster inning from the Rice pitching staff.

Matthew Linskey, who’d faired well as an opener in previous outings, failed to record an out to start the game. He walked two batters and hit a pair, the second of which drove in the tying run. He was lifted for Garret Zaskoda, but the next man up wasn’t able to quell the trouble. Zaskoda would be removed in favor of Josh Larzabal before the inning was through. Nine runs later, the inning ended and this one was essentially over.

SUNDAY | UTSA 12 – Rice 4

Things set up well for Rice entering the final game of the weekend. With Garcia on the mound after Friday’s weather, the Owls were able to hold UTSA scoreless through the fourth inning. Up 1-0 courtesy of an Austin Bulman RBI single in the fourth, Rice was unable to finish.

An error and two singles loaded the bases for UTSA in the fifth. Blake Brogdon entered and wasn’t at his best. He allowed a RBI double and a three-run home run, turning a tight game into a one-sided affair. Rice would close the gap to 7-4 in the eighth, before Brogdon ran into more trouble and UTSA piled on a few additional insurance runs.

ON DECK | Southern Miss (Fri-Sun, four games).

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls avoid sweep at Old Dominion, but struggles remain

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Rice baseball salvaged one road win against Old Dominion but suffered another tough series loss against a conference foe.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Rice baseball loses series 3-1

1. Wasted opportunity

Rice baseball had ample opportunity this weekend against Old Dominion. A split against a ranked squad was well within reach. And had the Owls managed a bit more luck, this series was winnable. Instead, they leave Norfolk 1-3. But the opportunities were there.

Rice went 8-for-35 (.229) with runners in scoring position during the four-game series. Take out a .500 outing (5-for-10) in their lone win and the Owls managed to hit 3-for-25 (.120) with runners in scoring position in the remaining games. That’s abysmal. No matter how good the pitching, you’re not going to win many series if you can’t drive in runs. Saturday night was proof this team can do it. But until they can repeat the feat, it’s going to be a tall order against teams of this caliber.

2. Insanity avoided

Everyone has heard the definition of insanity. If nothing else, the Owls avoided repeating the same bullpen usage and lineups after they clearly weren’t getting the job done through two games. Micah Davis then Guy Garibay tag-teamed the Saturday afternoon game. Matthew Linskey got the Sunday start with Blake Brogdon following him.

At the plate, Will Karp was inserted at catcher. Freshman Nathan Becker started at DH. Ben Dukes got another shot in the outfield. Is jumbling the lineup a sure-fire fix for the long term? No. But something needed to change on Saturday evening. Thankfully, it did.

3. Where does Rice baseball go from here?

The good news, sobering after two successive underwhelming weekends, is the road ahead. Rice baseball just played two of the best four teams in the conference. The schedule eases up from this point forward.

The Owls play two more road series, but both come against other teams currently below .500 in Conference USA play. They’ll face West Division leader Louisiana Tech and East Division leader Charlotte, but take on both at Reckling Park. It’s not an easy road ahead, but it’s more manageable than where this team has been in the past two weeks.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Old Dominion 11 – Rice 4

Roel Garcia made his first Friday night start of the season. Rice needed a bit outing from their ace, but settled for a solid start spoiled by some trouble in the middle innings. Garcia allows a pair of homers, falling behind 4-0 after four innings. The offense rallied to tie the score in the top of the sixth, stringing together a series of big hits including an RBI triple by Hal Hughes.

Garcia would be asked to return for the bottom of the frame, but ran into trouble and was lifted with two runs in and one out recorded. Garret Zaskoda and Dalton Wood were unable to keep Rice close, allowing an additional five runs in the final two innings, resulting in a one-sided final score.

SATURDAY 1 | Old Dominion 11 – Rice 2

Things started on the wrong foot for Rice on Saturday and went downhill fast. Starter Mitchell Holcomb was relieved in the fourth inning after already surrendering three home runs, including a two-run shot that put Old Dominion ahead 7-1. Reed Gallant was unable to ease the pain, giving up an additional three runs in the fourth before being lifted himself.

From that point, the Owls had no answer. The Owls were able to get traffic on the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but left the bases loaded in each instance. A big hit or two could have made things closer, but it never came.

SATURDAY 2 | Rice 11 – Old Dominion 2

The third game proved to be a crucial one for Rice. After being blasted in successive games, it was a now or never moment. Becker delivered the first dose of hope with a two-run home run in the second. Fellow newcomer Garibay held his own on the mound, allowing just two runs in 4.1 innings before ceding to Brandon Deskins to slam the door.

Rice entered the seventh with a 5-2 lead but left nothing to chance. They struck for six runs in the final inning, loading the bases and collecting hit after hit. The crooked number was more than enough to snap the Owls’ losing streak and breath some life into the roster.

SUNDAY | Old Dominion 4 – Rice 1

Head coach Matt Bragga handed the ball to Linskey first on Sunday rather than usual starter Brogdon, who quickly came on in relief after some accuracy issues from Linskey. Brogdon did allow one inherited runner to scare, but was otherwise strong in a 6.2 inning relief appearance. He was charged with two earned runs, which was unfortunately more than the Rice bats would score in the game.

A fielder’s choice in the second inning would score the only run of the game for the Owls. Rice wouldn’t get another runner to third base, going three-up-and-three-down twice in the final seven innings.

ON DECK | UTSA (Fri-Sun, four games).

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