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Rice Baseball 2021 Season Review: Bullpen

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The bullpen never quite came together for Rice baseball in the 2021 season. Strong, lengthy outings were the exception rather than the rule.

The Rice baseball pitching staff was a work in progress from the start of the 2021 season until its conclusion. There were days when the bullpen and starting rotation were in sync, but most weekends featured an assortment of good and bad from both units. This roundup will focus on the relievers.

Guy Garibay

2-2 Record | 5.28 ERA | 12 Appearances (1 Start) | 29 Innings | 16 K | 5 BB | .302 Batting Avg Against

Garibay was one of the most anticipated signees in the most recent recruiting class. A talented hitter and pitcher, the initial plans were to have him focus on his craft at the plate and use his arm on the mound sparingly, if at all. That changed quickly when he became one of the most dependable options. He finished on a high note, throwing a career long 7.2 innings allowing just three runs against Charlotte.

Dalton Wood

1-2 Record | 4.13 ERA | 14 Appearances  | 24 Innings | 25 K | 15 BB | .239 Batting Avg Against

Wood had the lowest ERA of any of the Owls’ relief corps. His start, including a streak of 11.1 innings of scoreless baseball, was better than his finish. He allowed one or more runs in five of his final seven appearances, only one of which lasted more than one inning. Overall, there was a lot to like from his season.

Micah Davis

0-1 Record | 6.75 ERA | 10 Appearances (2 Starts) | 10.2 Innings | 13 K | 13 BB | .200 Batting Avg Against

Davis had a rather curious season, moonlighting briefly as an opener, throwing an inning to start games before being lifted. Abnormal usage or not, he did well on the mound. His command was steady, piling up more than a strikeout per inning. The ERA ticked up higher because of a rough outing against Southern Miss, but Davis had a strong freshman campaign that should inspire confidence going forward.

Matthew Linskey

0-2 Record | 7.15 ERA | 10 Appearances (2 Starts) | 11.1 Innings | 12 K | 14 BB | .135 Batting Avg Against

Like Davis, one bad outing obscures what was an encouraging beginning for this young hurler. Linskey’s .135 batting average against was the best on the staff by a wide margin. Walks were his undoing, a self-inflicted consequence that should be able to be corrected as he progresses in his career. The stuff is there and when he found the zone, it was tremendously effective.

Drake Greenwood

0-1 Record | 8.82 ERA | 13 Appearances | 16.1 Innings | 22 K | 16 BB | .259 Batting Avg Against

Greenwood saw his role diminish as the season progressed, losing work to other relievers as he struggled with walked multiple batters and allowed multiple runs in each of his final five outings that lasted longer than one out. His best outing came earlier in the season, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings against Texas A&M with a season-best five strikeouts.

Reed Gallant

2-1 Record | 6.49 ERA | 11 Appearances (1 Start) | 26.1 Innings | 17 K | 16 BB | .277 Batting Avg Against

Gallant began the season in a long-relief role and faired reasonably well, earning a rare Monday win with five scoreless innings against Houston Baptist. Like others, he struggled to keep command and gave up big innings too often. Only a freshman, Gallant has room and time to build up consistency and become more dependable on the bump.

Alex DeLeon

2-0 Record | 5.96 ERA | 11 Appearances (2 Starts) | 22.2 Innings | 20 K | 10 BB | .310 Batting Avg Against

DeLeon fell out of favor following last year’s brief stint as a starter. He worked primarily in long relief this year, appearing in six conference games. He could typically be relied upon to get a few strikeouts, give up a few hits and battle as best he could through jams. Some of those firefights turned out better than others.

Garret Zaskoda

2-1 Record | 7.65 ERA | 10 Appearances (3 Starts) | 20 Innings | 18 K | 13 BB | .320 Batting Avg Against

Like Greenwood, Zaskoda saw his high point in the midweek game against Texas A&M. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing one his while walking four and striking out four. He kept the Aggies at bay but wasn’t able to replicate a performance of that caliber for the remainder of the season. When facing the better offenses in Conference USA, Zaskoda struggled, but so did much of the rest of the Rice bullpen.

Reserves

Cristian Cienfuegos | 0-0 Record | 23.88 ERA | 8 Appearances | 8.2 Innings | 6 K | 12 BB | .390 Batting Avg Against
Dillon Janac | 0-0 Record | 12.27 ERA | 7 Appearances | 7.1 Innings | 5 K | 10 BB | .269 Batting Avg Against
Joshua Larzabal | 1-0 Record | 10.80 ERA | 6 Appearances | 8.1 Innings | 9 K | 5 BB | .436 Batting Avg Against
Johny Hoyle | 0-0 Record | 3.37 ERA | 3 Appearances | 2.2 Innings | 2 K | 6 BB | .200 Batting Avg Against
Jared Plank | 0-0 Record | 5.40 ERA | 3 Appearances | 3.1 Innings | 5 K | 1 BB | .308 Batting Avg Against
Will West | 0-0 Record | 9.00 ERA | 1 Appearance | 1.0 Innings | 2 K | 1 BB | .000 Batting Avg Against

The remainder of the bullpen was used sparingly, and proved to be more erratic than the first handful of relievers mentioned above. ERA isn’t a tell-all stat for players that primarily work an inning or two at a time, but the inflated marks tell the story fairly well here. The list of dependable options was short, and even those few didn’t deliver as often as Rice needed them to.

There is talent on this staff and it did flash at times. But there’s also a lof of work to do before the Rice baseball pitching staff is on par with what those around South Main have become accustomed to in past seasons.

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls outhit by UTSA in series loss

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Rice baseball dropped three of four games in their opening series of Conference USA play. The Owls were outscored by UTSA 39-18.

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

1. When things go wrong, they go really, really wrong

Rice baseball sits at .500 on the season with 12 wins and 12 losses. Of the Owls’ 12 defeats, seven of them have come by four or more runs. Rice has allowed double-digit runs in a loss three times this season with all three instances occurring in the last two weeks.

It’s one thing to lose games. Even the best teams in the country will end the regular season with imperfect records. But to be blown out, failing to mount a rally at the plate or put out the fire on the mound, is concerning.

Whether it’s a leader that needs to rise to the occasion or a mechanical issue that needs to be worked out, losing like that multiple times in a short span is disheartening. Especially set alongside Tuesday’s encouraging win over Texas A&M.

2. Hats off to Holcomb

Through his first four outings, it looked like Mitchell Holcomb was not long for the Rice rotation. The transfer pitcher lasted more than four innings just once and fell behind. Then he went 7.2 scoreless against Norther Illinois and seven more innings of two-run ball against Southern.

His four-run, five-strikeout performance against UTSA might have just been okay, but in context, he and Roel Garcia were the only Rice starters that kept their team in games. With four-game weekends the new norm, Holcomb’s name isn’t leaving the lineup card any time soon.

3. Measuring stick series

Rice baseball picked to finish third in Conference USA West in the preseason. UTSA was picked to finish fifth. The Owls entered the weekend with the worst non-conference record of any team in the west, but seemed to be on the upswing over the last two weeks. That momentum came to a screeching halt this weekend.

Other than the miraculous walk off, Rice was outplayed in both phases this weekend. It’s hard to ascribe top-three divisional status to the Owls right now. Fortunately, they have time and they have another four-game weekend against this same UTSA team in a month. We’ll see whether or not Rice can regain their contender status by then.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | UTSA 16 – Rice 4 (7 inn.)

The potent UTSA offense came out firing, with two home runs accounting for five runs in the first inning of the series opener. Down 5-0, Rice deserves some credit for their response. The Owls slugged two home runs of their own in the bottom half of the first inning, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

Starter Blake Brogdon didn’t fare any better in the second inning. Cristian Cienfuegos was rocked in the frame that followed. By the time the fourth inning was over, Rice trailed 16-4. The Owls’ managed 10 hits, but were run-ruled.

SATURDAY 1 | Rice 10 – UTSA 8 (7 inn.)

It was Rice who struck first in the second game, taking a 2-0 lead on a Guy Garibay long ball. Roel Garcia pitched four innings, leaving with a 3-2 lead. The tandem of Dalton Wood and Reed Gallant could not hold the lead. UTSA would rally back in the middle innings, taking a 5-3 which they extended to 8-3 in the top of the seventh.

Rice needed five to tie. Following a groundout by Braden Comeaux to start the inning, the Owls’ bats caught fire. Down to their final two outs, Austin Bulman delivered a three-run bomb to cut the deficit to two. Then, with two outs and the game on the line, Cade Edwards blasted the walk off home run.

SATURDAY 2 | UTSA 4 – Rice 1 (7 inn.)

UTSA scratched across two runs in the first in what was as close to a pitcher’s duel as these teams would see this weekend. Rice managed just two hits in the seven inning affair, including a Comeaux single that scored the Owls’ only run in the sixth.

Rice starter Mitchell Holcomb pitched a complete game, but his workmanlike effort was not enough to spark a Rice offense that seemed to have utilized all its magic in the furious comeback hours prior.

SUNDAY | UTSA 11 – Rice 3

Seeking a series split, Rice was greeted with a crooked number out of the gate. Another first inning home run from UTSA put Rice in an early hole. But the Owls would rally, cutting the deficit to 4-3 in the second inning. But starter Brandon Deskins couldn’t keep the bats at bay for much longer.

UTSA exploded for five more runs in the fourth and added two more against Drake Greenwood in the sixth. Overcome a massive gap again proved to large of a task. Rice did not score for the remainder of the game. The Owls were outscored on the weekend 39 to 18 in 30 innings.

ON DECK | Middle Tennessee (Thr-Sat, four games).

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Rice Baseball: Owls take three of four from NIU and Kansas State

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Rice baseball went three for four on the weekend, sweeping Northern Illinois and splitting a pair of games with Kansas State.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

1. Rice baseball rotation is starting to settle in

The rotation has been somewhat of a work in progress over the first several weeks of the regular season. With Roel Garcia working his way back to 100 percent and the order in flux because of the winter storm, some growing pains were expected as the Owls readied for conference play in a few weeks.

As a whole, the starters compiled what has to be considered their best weekends of the season to date:

  • Blake Brogdon earned a win, pitching into the seventh inning while allowing just two earned runs with six strikeouts.
  • Roel Garcia went 5.2 innings against a potent Kansas State offense, allowing four earned runs, but keeping Rice in the game until he departed.
  • Mitchell Holcomb threw 7.2 innings of scoreless ball, striking out for and allowing just five hits.
  • Brandon Deskins struck out six in 5.0 innings, allowing four hits with one walk.

Altogether, the four arms in the weekend rotation pitched 24.2 innings and allowed six runs, a 2.19 ERA.

2. Gneiting not under the radar anymore

Entering the season, senior Bradley Gneiting was expected to be a part of the outfield rotation and platoon at the designated hitter spot. The same was said for a half dozen players who hoped to earn playing time on a regular basis. Not only has Gneiting had his fair share of at bats, he’s inked his name on the lineup card for the foreseeable future.

Gneiting reached base in all four games this weekend, going 5-for-15 with a home run and two RBI. He currently leads in batting average, OPS, hits and RBI. He’s one five players to start and finish every game this season.

3. One significant shutout

In the final season of the Wayne Graham era, Rice baseball won two games with shutouts. They beat Western Kentucky 4-0 and downed Old Dominion 9-0 that season. The next year, Matt Bragga’s first, Rice earned just one shutout win, a 4-0 victory over Southern Miss. They did not blank any of their opponents in 2020.

In total, Rice pitched one shutout victory in the first 75 games in Bragga’s tenure, a rate of 1.3 percent. So far in 2021, they tallied three such skunks in their first 14 games, 21.4 percent of their games. That doesn’t account for the two games in which they came up one run short.

More than the positive feelings of seeing a zero on the opponent’s box score, a string of shutouts points to a pitching staff capable of operating at a high level. Channeling that potential into consistent, dependable performances from a core of trustworthy options could make this team dangerous if and when the bats follow suit.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Rice 6 – Northern Illinois 3

Northern Illinois struck first with a run in the top of the third but the 1-0 lead didn’t last long. Guy Garibay delivered the equalizing home run in the bottom half of the inning. Then Rice exploded for four more runs in the fifth to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Four different Owls had an RBI hit in that inning.

Blake Brogdon and Reed Gallant proved to be a strong tandem on the mound. Gallant took over in the seventh, allowing two inherited runners to score, but finished the remainder of the game unscathed, giving Rice the win.

SATURDAY 1 | Kansas State 8 – Rice 3

Things were close in the second game for the Owls right until they weren’t. Roel Garcia kept the Kansas State bats at bay, allowing two runs through the first five innings. Unfortunately, the offense was only able to muster one run of support over that span.

When Garcia exited, Kansas State pounced. Already leading 4-1 at the time, the Wildcats tacked on four more runs over the final three innings. Rice finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

SATURDAY 2 | Rice 4 – Northern Illinois 1

Rice responded well in the second half of the Saturday double-header. Mitchell Holcomb delivered far and away his best performance as an Owl, going 7.2 innings without allowing a run. The strong start allowed the offense to gradually pull further and further away over the course of the game.

The Owls first took the lead on a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. They added two more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth. By the time Holcomb exited the game and Christian Cienfuegos extinguished any hopes of a late NIU rally in the eighth, Rice was in total command.

SUNDAY | Rice 1 – Kansas State 0

The bats were more subdued when Rice met Kansas State for the second time on the weekend. Once the rain dried up and the tarp was removed, Brandon Deskins and KState hurler Connor McCullough were lights out. Neither side scored against the other teams’ starters, leaving it to the bullpens to finish up the game.

Rice would prevail thanks to the bat of Braden Comeaux who drilled a liner at the foot of the Kansas State shortstop. The ball deflected just far enough for Ben Dukes to scamper home and break the tie. Dalton Wood converted the save.

ON DECK | Rice Baseball vs Texas State (Wed), Southern (Fri-Sun, four games).

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Rice Baseball: Owls finish 1-2 at 2021 Shriners Classic

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Rice baseball picked up one win at the Shriners Classic, a bright spot in an up-and-down weekend for the Owls.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

1. Better at the top … still getting there at the bottom

Rice baseball had a top-heavy lineup last year but was supposed to be more balanced in 2021 with the influx of a strong recruiting class. There’s no doubt the lineup is better than it was, but there’s still some work to do.

The Owls had two players finish the shortened 2020 season with a batting average better than .280. Shortstop Trei Cruz, now in the Detroit Tigers system, was one of two regulars with an OPS better than .750.

This year seven players are batting .280 or better. Six have an OPS better than .750. Justin Dunlap and Guy Garibay, two of the Owls’ most productive hitters so far this season, have only seen limited action. The top half is going to be good.

Finding production from the 7-8-9 spot might be what stands between this offense being good and taking the next step to great. Saturday’s 16 run outburst was a positive development. But Sunday’s quick recession was a sobering reminder things are still a work-in-progress.

2. Still searching for reliable pitching

A true shutdown option out of the bullpen hasn’t risen to the surface quite yet. The Owls have a stable of talented arms that can throw with velocity, but many of them are still young with room to grow into their roles on South Main. What Rice needs are a few key arms they can turn to in a bind and get outs.

Dillon Janac threw another scoreless inning on Saturday and tossed his hat into the ring. He and Dalton Wood have had multiple outings without having any runs charged against them. Reed Gallant was in that conversation too, prior to Sunday’s outing. But after that, the bullpen has been hit and miss.

Look for a guy like Brandon Deskins to bounce back, but it’s also possible we still haven’t seen some of the guys who will throw some important innings once conference play arrives.

3. Halfway to C-USA play

There’s no way to ensure Rice baseball will play every game as scheduled from here onward, but as things currently stand the Owls are halfway through conference play. They’ve outdone themselves in the win column compared to last season, but that wasn’t a very tall mountain to climb. To date, they’re more or less beaten who they should beat and fallen to teams that project to be better than them.

They’ll have a good mix of opponents over the next few weeks, ending with a four-game weekend series against Southern and a midweek road trip to Texas A&M. This team needs a jolt, either through a notable upset of the Aggies or an emphatic weekend outing. They’ll have opportunities. They need to take advantage of them.

If there were a few key objectives to sort out of the next two weeks, they’d include formalizing the weekend rotation, identifying two to three “shut down” options out of the bullpen and finding better production with runners in scoring position. Those are some big asks, but none of those items seem to be an insurmountable challenge.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Sam Houston 12 – Rice 4

Head coach Matt Bragga made the move to rotation forward one day, throwing Blake Brogdon on Friday. The plan was twofold: get one step closer to Roel Garcia being the Friday guy and have a better start on the mound during the weekend.

Brogdon had his moments but was fairly shaky. He left midway through the fifth inning with three runs charged against him. Brandon Deskins would allow a pair of inherited runners to score, putting Rice in a 5-2 hole from which they never recovered. Guy Garibay and Bradley Gneiting homered, but the Owls lost 12-4.

SATURDAY | Rice 16 – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 5

Rice entered their Saturday tilt with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi averaging five runs per game. They surpassed that number in the fourth and sixth innings alone, ending the afternoon with 16 runs on 16 hits, both season highs. The game after seven-innings by a tournament run rule.

Justin Dunlap went deep. Bradley Gneiting, Antonio Cruz, Will Karp and Justin Long all had three-hit days. Starting pitcher Roel Garcia allowed five runs in five innings, far from his best day in the office, but battled to keep his team in the game before the offense caught fire and won the day.

SUNDAY | Texas State 9 – Rice 1

Reed Gallant encountered some early trouble in the tournament finale, allowing three runs before catching an early hook in favor of Mitchell Holcomb, who failed to stem the bleeding. That 7-0 run put a damper on any remaining elation from the run-rule victory the day prior.

Braden Comeaux stole a run back on a ground out in the seventh, but Texas State got it right back. Guy Garibay made his collegiate pitching debut and picked up two strikeouts, but it was a rather underwhelming night for both the bats and the arms.

ON DECK | Rice Baseball vs Houston Baptist (Tues) and weekend tournament with Northern Illinois and Kansas State (Fri-Sun).

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Rice Baseball 2021: Owls swept by Louisiana in first road series

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Rice baseball (2-4) fell in three straight games to Louisiana. The Owls had good moments on the mound, but couldn’t keep up with the Cajun’s bats.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | Louisiana wins series 3-0

1. The Bullpen posts another strong showing

The season hasn’t been long, but we’ve seen the same narrative play out more than once. Rice baseball starting pitching surrenders the lead. The offense doesn’t have the juice to catch back up, but the bullpen keeps the team within striking distance until the innings run their course.

That same scenario manifested itself on Friday and Saturday against Louisiana. Dalton Wood and Reed Gallant were terrific. Wood allowed no hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings on Friday. Gallant allowed two hits with one strikeout in 4.1 innings on Saturday. But despite their best efforts, neither factored in a decision on the weekend because the lead had already been lost before they got their chance on the mound.

Sunday’s collective wasn’t as strong, but it did include several faces seeing their first action of the season in a situation where Rice was already trailing.

2. More offense, please

Rice scored three runs in each of their three games against Louisiana. Justin Dunlap, the Owls’ most productive hitter against Houston Baptist, did not play in the series. Among the Owls that did, only four — Braden Comeaux (.364), Justin Long (.333), Cade Edwards (.304) and Bradley Gneiting (.238) — are hitting better than .220 on the season.

Guy Garibay, who made his Rice debut on Friday night, drew three walks and hit a home run. He’s fifth among all Owls with a .385 on-base percentage. Rice is going to need more from incoming transfer Connor Walsh and Hal Hughes at the plate, too.

3. Flipped rotation not working for the Owls

We’ve seen a lot of tremendous pitching performances from the Rice staff so far this season. Unfortunately, that hasn’t extended to their unexpected series-starting pitcher Mitchell Holcomb. Entering the season, Roel Garcia and Blake Brogdon were the sure-fire top two arms in the rotation. Holcomb was the likeliest candidate to pitch on Sundays. He wasn’t supposed to be a Friday night guy.

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But the storm and limited availability of others have made Holcomb the man tasked with opening series thus far. By head coach Matt Bragga’s own admission, he hasn’t been at his best. That’s put Rice in early holes.

If everything had gone according to plan, Holcomb still would have been in the rotation, so his struggles so far still would have impacted the team. But there’s something to be said from falling behind in a series so quickly. It changes how pitchers are deployed and how a team responds. Getting Garcia back into the No. 1 spot is a must.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Louisiana 7 – Rice 3

Louisiana struck early in the opener. A leadoff home run sparked a three-run, eight-batter first inning against Mitchell Holcomb that put Rice into comeback mode from the start. The Owls were able to equalize with a Connor Walsh home run, but the offense was quiet from that point onward.

Holcomb would allow another two runs before exiting after three innings. Alex DeLeon allowed two more runs in 2.2 innings before Dalton Wood came on and blanked the Cajuns for the final 2.1 innings. By then, it was too late. Rice had just four hits total after the second inning.

SATURDAY | Louisiana 5 – Rice 3

After trading zeroes in the first, Louisiana scratched across a run in the second and the third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Rice had their best opportunity in the fourth, striking for three runs and driving starting pitcher David Christie from the game.

The Owls did not hold the lead for more than a few minutes. A pair of RBI doubles against Rice starter Blake Brogdon put Louisiana in front in the bottom half of the inning. Brogdon would be chased before recording the third out. He was charged with all three runs in the inning as well as the 5-3 loss.

SUNDAY | Louisiana 6 – Rice 3

Rice struck first on Sunday, sneaking a run across on an error in the third inning. That 1-0 lead would hold until Garcia was lifted in the fifth inning for Brandon Deskins. The sophomore didn’t exhibit the same amount of control that he did against Houston Baptist. He was charged with three runs and saddled with the loss.

Including the three allowed by Deskins, the bullpen would collectively concede six runs before Rice baseball found a way back onto the scoreboard.

Garibay came through with his first collegiate home run in the eighth, but the celebration was somewhat muted with teammate Comeaux having been just escorted from the field after being hit by a pitch.

ON DECK | Rice Baseball vs Prairie View A&M (Wed) and Shriner’s College Classic at Minute Maid Park: Sam Houston (Fri), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Sat), Texas State (Sun).

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