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Rice Baseball 2022: Names to Know — Lineup

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Rice baseball has a mix of new and old faces set to step into the batter’s box at Reckling Park this season. Here are a few names to know at the plate.

Although the pitching staff has received plenty of attention this spring — thanks in part to Rice baseball’s state-of-the-art Pitching Lab — the lineup promises to play an equally important part in the Owls’ success this coming season. And just like the rotation and the bullpen, there’s so much still up in the air as the opening series this weekend against Texas in Austin draws near.

The trio of Cade Edwards, Bradley Gneiting and Braden Comeaux that formed the early third of the Owls’ order for the better part of last season have all moved on. That leaves three important bats to replace right off the top.

There are plenty of candidates among the returning hitters. Guy Garibary showed promises last year, so too did Nathan Becker. Both have the potential to be middle-of-the-lineup type hitters if they continue to progress in their abilities at the plate.

More: Jose Cruz Jr. hopes to bring modern edge to Rice baseball

Reliable veteran Austin Bulman seems a likely candidate to hit somewhere near the cleanup spot. Incoming transfers Drew Woodcox (Texas Tech) and Jack Riedel (North Carolina) both look like strong candidates to be everyday players after impressive spring stints thus far, including a four-home run game by Woodcox in late January.

Catcher Justin Long and shortstop Hal Hughes seem probable opening day starters as well. Beyond that, it really could be any number of players that draw at least an at bat here or there in the weeks ahead. JUCO transfer infielder Benjamin Rosengard has flashed a consistent bat this spring. Outfielder Antonio Cruz is playing well. Justin Dunlap could push for swings as could newcomers in the infield Pierce Gallo (Clemson transfer) and freshman Jack Ben-Shosan.

Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. was adamant “the lineup writes itself,” noting the process of pieces together who will hit where and who gets at bats “is relatively easy for us right now” as the team opened spring practices a few weeks ago. Soon it will be time to put those aspirations to paper.

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Rice Baseball 2022: Names to Know — Pitching

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Rice baseball has a mix of new and old faces set to toe the rubber at Reckling Park this season. Here are a few names to know on the mound.

So much feels new about the 2022 Rice baseball team. More than just a new head coach, the Owls have a flurry of new players set to take the diamond for the first time this weekend against Texas in Austin. As for who will toe the rubber in that Friday night game, or beyond it, for that matter, the details remain fuzzy.

Last year’s weekend rotation consisted of Mitchell Holcomb followed by some combination of Roel Garcia, Blake Brogdon and Brandon Deskins. Holcomb has exhausted his eligibility and moved on. In his place appears to be Pepperdine transfer Cooper Chandler, who posted a 3.17 ERA and a 12-5 record over four seasons with the Waves and has gotten off to a strong start in spring practices.

Cooper seems the most likely to earn the Friday night spot out of the gate given his experience and production through practices. Who slots in behind him seems almost entirely up in the air. New headman Jose Cruz Jr. could stick with some of the aforementioned veterans or turn to someone like Alex DeLeon who has starting experience at Rice or San Jac transfer Thomas Burbank.

More: Jose Cruz Jr. hopes to bring modern edge to Rice baseball

No matter who snags the starting spot, Rice baseball will have options to work with in the bullpen. Dalton Wood has the potential to be a hammer at the back end. Freshman David Shaw has been utilized in the later innings this spring as well. Fellow freshman Trey Clucas might get an early look as could redshirt freshman and Texas A&M transfer Tom Vincent.

Beyond that cohort are a few more familiar names who have toed the bump at Reckling Park in years prior and look to elevate their game to compete for pitching time thanks to the new tools brought by Cruz Jr. and his staff.

Drake Greenwood, Cristian Cienfuegos, Micah Davis, Reed Gallant, Garret Zaskoda and Matthew Linskey have each had their moments in the past. Of that contingent, Cienfuegos flashed in small doses this spring. Gallant was effective as well. All could get opportunities early this season.

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Jose Cruz Jr. to bring modern, cutting-edge style to Rice Baseball

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Much has changed since Jose Cruz Jr. donned a Rice baseball jersey, but if he has his way, more change is coming for the Blue and Gray.

For many fans, Rice baseball is synonymous with so many things. The College World Series. Wayne Graham. The regal Old English R scrawled across timeless uniforms devoid of frills. To some degree, a time capsule of what college baseball is meant to be. Nobody understands that better than Jose Cruz Jr., the former Rice player, parent and now the programs’ 22nd head coach.

That’s why it only seems fitting for it to be Cruz Jr. to usher in a new era of Rice baseball.

“We’re just starting something completely different that Rice baseball has never done or seen,” he said to a group of assembled media members on the first day of spring practice.

What’s different? Cruz Jr. elaborated. “We’re playing more of a modern style of baseball, I think. We’ve moved from the old-school version of Rice baseball to more of a modern game in the way we think and the way we communicate, in the way we develop talent.”

“We’re playing more of a modern style of baseball, I think. We’ve moved from the old-school version of Rice baseball to more of a modern game in the way we think and the way we communicate, in the way we develop talent.”

The Owls’ new headman has helped usher in the Pitching Lab, equipped with every gadget and gizmo imaginable to help pitchers hone their craft. Cruz Jr. detailed a process that started with results from that lab, continued to in-depth data and reports for the staff and trickled down to customized workouts with the training staff, tailored to each individual player to hone specific aspects of their game.

Quite simply, “I think it’s a career-changer for many of the guys here,” Cruz Jr. said.

But it’s not just pitching. Cruz Jr. talked further about how the new regime — which includes Jose Cruz Sr., officially named the special assistant to the head coach — intends to approach the game differently. The new data-driven approach stands out from the more “old-school” verbiage that surrounded the program when Cruz. Jr, himself, stood in the batter’s box.

“It’s how you communicate the game,” he expounded. “The game is a little different. There’s a little bit more shifting. There’s a little bit more data available to you. There’s a certain way to be as efficient as you can on the pitching side.” In short, Cruz Jr. and his team intend to utilize as much information as they can to make their players better.

Cruz Jr. knows wins and losses will ultimately be the measuring stick with which his time as the Owls’ skipper is remembered. Still, he was adamant that the program will evolve under his watch and look different than how it has before, in the best way possible.

With the season quickly approaching, Cruz Jr. will be tasked with turning those aspirations into tangible results. “I’m not going to promise the moon right now,” he said. “I will say we will be better than we were the last couple of years and just kind of build on that success and see how far we can go.”

That next step begins on Friday, Feb. 18 in Austin, Texas when Cruz Jr. and Rice baseball visit the Texas Longhorns to open their 2022 season. The Owls will play a three-game set in Austin and visit Lance Berkman and Houston Baptist the following Wednesday before their home opener, slated for 6:30 p.m. at Reckling Park against Lamar on Friday, Feb. 25.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls post regular season update

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The 2021 MLB regular season is in the books and Rice baseball alums played big roles throughout the year. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls this year.

Glen Otto – Texas Rangers

Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2017, Otto worked his way through the Yankees organization. He rose from rookie ball to AAA in the span of four MiLB seasons before he was traded to the Rangers in a deadline deal this season.

Following the trade, Otto made his major league debut on August 27 against the Astros. He threw five scoreless innings in that game, striking out seven and allowing just two hits. That would be his best outing of the season.

Otto ends his first major league season with a 9.26 ERA and a 1.714 WHIP. He struck out 28 batters across 23.1 innings, averaging 10.8 punchouts per nine innings.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt filled the utility role with the Red Sox for seven seasons before brief stints with the Brewers and Nationals in 2020. In his lone season with the Rangers, he played exclusively at third base, appearing in 76 games with 57 starts at the hot corner.

At the plate, Holt hit .209 on the season with 23 RBI and 16 extra base hits. After averaging .270 during his Red Sox tenure, Holt hasn’t found the same level of consistency elsewhere, scattering strong months here and there like August where he slashed .259/.232/.333 with a .656 OPS, some of his best marks of the season.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon appeared in 58 games for the Angels in 2021 before he was ruled out for the remainder of the season following hip surgery. This was the fewest games he played in any full 162-game season in his major league career.

Before his season came to an end, Rendon had accumulated 34 RBI in those 58 games. He had a .240 batting average and a .712 OPS, coming on and off the injured list multiple times throughout the year before eventually being shut down.

Jon Duplantier – Arizona Diamondbacks

Duplantier’s 2021 season was derailed by injury. He suffered a lat strain in July while pitching with the Diamondbacks’ AAA affiliate and was released, quickly resigning with the club on a minor league deal.

He appeared in four major league games with the club, finishing the year with an 0-3 record and a 13.15 ERA. He struck out 12 batters, allowed 19 hits in four starts.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey wrapped up the 2021 season with a 3-3 record and a 3.18 ERA. His 64 appearances were a career high, as were his three saves. He threw 62.1 innings, the most he’s thrown in a single season since 2017.

Primarily seeing action as a setup man and middle reliever, Duffey was effective, despite seeing his walk rates tick upward and his strikeout numbers trend the wrong way. 2021 wasn’t his best season, but he still managed a 134 ERA+ (a weighted ERA that accounts for all other pitchers and ballparks).

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge’s reemergence in the big leagues was a tremendous success. He accounted for 1.5 WAR (wins above replacement) of his career 1.6 WAR this season alone, making one start and appearing in 56 games as a reliever. He finished with a 2.74 ERA and 78 strikeouts compared to just 15 walks.

It was a banner year across the board for Luetge, who smashed most of his marks from his early days in Seattle, proving to be a reliable middle-relief option for the Yankees on their way to the postseason.

The Yankees play the Red Sox in the Wildcard Game on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7:08 PM CT.

J.T. Chargois – Tampa Bay Rays

Chargois had a bump 2019 season with the Dodgers and ended up spending the 2020 season playing overseas in Japan. That brief trip out of the states proved to be just what he needed. Chargois returned to the MLB triumphantly, posting career bests across two separate organizations, spending the first half of the season with the Mariners before being traded to the Rays.

Across both organizations, Chargois claimed a 2.52 ERA (which fell to 1.90 with the Rays) and struck out 53 battlers in 53.2 innings. His strikeouts per inning numbers were down, but his effectiveness rose. Chargois’ 1.081 WHIP was the lowest of his career.

The Rays await the winner of Tuesd;says wildcard matchup between the Yankees and Boston. Game 1 of the ALDS will be played on Thursday.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls update – Sep 25

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The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.

Glen Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto made what could be his final start of the season on Thursday against the Orioles. He pitched five innings, striking out seven and allowing two runs. The Rangers offered him no support on offense, leaving Otto with his third loss of the season despite a relatively strong outing.

Through September 25, Otto has a 8.02 ERA with a 1.547 WHIP. He’s averaging 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt played sparingly for the Rangers this week, appearing in two games where we went a combined 1-for-7 with and RBI.

Through September 25, Holt is hitting .206 with 15 extra-base hits, 22 walks and 45 strikeouts. His OPS is .575 and he’s collected 20 RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey has been locked-in throughout the month of September, throwing a scoreless frame in each of his eight single-inning outings this month. That included three spotless innings this week in which he struck out five batters, allowing no walks and no hits along the way.

Through September 25, Duffey has a 3.39 ERA with a 1.269 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge made two appearances this week, allowing two hits and one run last Sunday in a blowout loss to the Indians. He rebounded with a quick, one-batter-one-out performance on Saturday night, inducing an inning-ending line out from Kyle Shwarber that helped preserved what would turn into a thrilling Yankees win.

Through September 25, Luetge has a 2.73 ERA with a 1.125 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Tampa Bay Rays

Chargois earned his sixth win of the season, and his fifth with the Rays on Wednesday. He worked a scoreless fourth inning against the Blue Jays, striking out two. He also picked up his 14th hold of the year on Monday, also against the Blue Jays.

Through September 25, Chargois has a 2.44 ERA with a 1.026 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

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