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Rice Baseball 2025 Season Review: Bullpen

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Save for the emergence of a handful of impactful arms, a thin bullpen made things challenging for Rice baseball in 2025.

By the time the Rice baseball season had ended, the Owls had tried just about every combination of relief pitchers imaginable to cobble together nine innings at a time. The list of reliable options was thin and injuries and inconsistency plagued a unit that never truly rounded into form this season.

More: Rice Baseball embarks on crucial offseason

For the purposes of this discussion, we look at the arms that saw the most use, some in specific parts of the season and others throughout the year. The arrival of head coach David Pierce saw utilization shift dramatically in some, starting with eventual top option Jack Ben-Shoshan.

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** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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Rice Baseball 2025 Season Review: Starting Pitching

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The Rice baseball starting rotation kept the Owls afloat, grinding through ups and downs and giving the team a chance more often than not.

The pitching staff went through many shifts and changes as David Pierce took over for Jose Cruz Jr. as the ice baseball head coach midseason. Pitching coach Parker Bangs did his best to piece things together, ultimately settling on a few different variations for the weekend rotation as the year progressed.

More: Rice Baseball embarks on crucial offseason

For the purposes of this discussion, the two pitchers who were mainstays in the weekend rotation, with three others seeing a meaningful run as starters that warranted inclusion in this discussion. Here’s a rundown of how those starters fared this season.

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** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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Rice Baseball 2025: MLB Owls Update – May 28

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The 2025 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are making the most of their time in The Show. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

Dane Myers – Miami Marlins

Myers has been on the injured list since May 12 after suffering an oblique injury, but his big league return might be coming soon. Myers began a rehab assignment with the Marlins’ AAA affiliate in Jacksonville on Tuesday, going 1-for-4 with an RBI in his debut. If all goes well, he will be on track to return to the Marlins soon.

Through May 28, Myers is hitting .337 with six extra-base hits, five walks and 21 strikeouts. His OPS is .857 and he’s collected 14 RBI.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon is slated to miss a significant amount of time following him surgery this spring. The bad news is another bump in an injury-plagued stint with the Angels; Rendon missed a chunk of last season with an oblique strain.

Matt Canterino – Twins AAA

Canterino was thought to have a real chance to crack the big league roster at some point this season, converting himself to a reliver this offseason in hopes of limiting the stress on his arm and preserving his health. Unfortunately, he’s set to miss a third consecutive season, undergoing shoulder surgery in early March. The Twins since released him and signed him to a minor league contract while he rehabs.

Knocking on the Door

The following Owls began the season in AAA:

  • Tristan Gray – Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
  • Evan Kravetz – Louisville Bats (Reds)
  • Glenn Otto – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros)
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Rice Baseball: 2025 MiLB May Update

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While several Rice Baseball alums are producing at the highest level, others are working their way up the ladder. Here’s the latest on the MiLB Owls.

Triple-A

Tristan Gray (White Sox) is off to a strong start to the season, slashing .278/.338/.500 through his first 37 games, all of which would represent his highest marks as a professional at any level. That should help make his case for a promotion at some point this year.

Evan Kravetz (Reds) was moved the development list in mid-May after an up-and-down beginning to his 2025 season. He holds a 9.39 ERA in 7.2 innings of work, primarily as an opener. He’s struck out eight while allowing opposing batters to hit .395 against him, a mark well above his career norms.

More on Rice Baseball: Latest from the MLB Owls

Glenn Otto (Astros) signed with the Astros this past offseason but has yet to appear in any competitions for the organization across any level. He’s been on the injured list with the Space Cowboys since March.

Matt Canterino (Twins) was released and subsequently resigned by the Twins to a minor league contract after injuries forced him to miss the entirety of the 2025 season. He remains on the full-season injured list.

Roel Garcia (Rays) was promoted to AA this week after making nine appearances at the AA level this season, striking out 16 batters in 15.2 innings of work.

Double-A

Trei Cruz (Tigers) has truly found his groove in his fifth season as a minor leaguer and could be on the cusp of another promotion soon if he keeps up his 2025 pace. His .849 OPS is the highest of his career and through 39 games, the sample size is starting to grow.

Single-A

Hayden Durke (Diamondbacks) has been red-hot to begin the year, sporting a jaw-dropping 0.89 ERA through 15 games with five saves in five opportunities. He’s struck out 36 batters in just 20.1 innings of work.

Justin Long (Braves) has impressed in his early work this season, earning a 1.42 ERA in six appearances, all in relief. He’s allowed just four hits in 6.2 innings.

Rookie

Parker Smith (Astros) made his first professional appearance last week, pitching 1.2 innings in his debut, allowing two hits and one run while striking out two and walking one.

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Rice Athletics Roundup: May Subscriber Q&A

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Rice Football transfers, Rice baseball offseason and updates on The Roost Podcast make up this month’s edition of our subscriber Q&A.

The whirlwind of Rice Athletic events hasn’t slowed down with as the academic calendar comes to a close. Rice football is adding transfers and Rice baseball is beginning a very important offseason. This month’s Q&A focuses on those two areas as well as providing a quick update on plans for The Roost Podcast this summer.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Q: Any sleepers on the new transfer signings?

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