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Rice Baseball: Names to watch in Owls’ coaching search

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After relieving Matt Bragga of his duties, Rice baseball is looking for a new head coach. Here are five potential names the Owls might consider.

Early reports have begun to emerge regarding potential candidates for the now opener Rice baseball head coaching position. Here are five names that could be in the mix over the next several weeks, linked either through a previous report or by their previous connection with the school.

Pat Hallmark

An All-Southwestern Conference catcher at Rice who returned to South Main as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2016.  From there he spent one year at Missouri as an assistant before being named the head coach at Incarnate Word. Hallmark was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 2019, springboarding him to the UTSA head coaching job, where he’s accrued a 32-31 record over the past two seasons.

Jake Gautreau

A prominent assistant that’ll be in the running for several jobs this offseason, Gautreau currently serves as the hitting coach for Mississippi State. Prior to arriving in Starkville, he spent time as an assistant at Tulane, where he’d been named a two-time Conference USA Player of the Year during his playing days. He and the next name on this list were both tabbed as candidates to watch by D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers.

Sean Allen

Like Gautreau, Allen also has a Tulane connection. The well-traveled assistant spent two seasons as an assistant with the Green Wave, with other stops at Houston, Sam Houston and FIU. He’s been with the Longhorns for the past nine seasons. For what it’s worth, he follows The Roost on Twitter shortly after the news of Bragga’s dismissal was released.

Rob Childress

The longtime Texas A&M head coach was not offered a new contract following the 2021 season which saw his team miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. During his time in College Station he led the Aggies to six conference titles and two College World Series appearances. He wouldn’t have to travel far were he to relocate to Houston, which he reportedly would have interest in doing.

Lance Berkman

This list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the Rice great Lance Berkman. His proximity and to the school and his name-brand cache might warrant attention, but no reports have directly linked him to the job just yet. Rogers actually tabbed Berkman as a name to keep an eye on in a coaching search across town. Houston Baptist is also looking for a new skipper and Berkman is expected to be a candidate in that search.

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Rice Baseball moves on from Matt Bragga after three seasons

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Rice baseball has parted ways with head coach Matt Bragga after three seasons, the school announced on Monday.

When it comes to the coaching profession, there’s a saying that rings particularly true today. “You don’t want to be the guy who follows a legend, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows the legend.” Three seasons removed from the end of the Wayne Graham era, Rice baseball has announced they are moving on from his successor, Matt Bragga.

Bragga took over the program prior to the 2019 season after a successful run at Tennessee Tech that ended one win shy of a trip to the College World Series in 2018. He then arrived at South Main where he went 51-76-1 over the three years that followed, including a 23-29-1 record in 2021. The Owls missed the Conference USA Tournament this season for the first time since 1993.

Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard issue this statement on the decision:

“Matt Bragga is a dedicated coach who brought a track record of success with him to Rice,” Karlgaard said. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen enough improvement in our program for us to move forward together. We thank him for his efforts to bring Rice baseball back to the postseason and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

In his media session following the announcement, Karlgaard detailed further why the decision to move on from Bragga had been made. “It has more to do with the approach that we think we need to take,” Karlgaard said, “We just felt like we needed to make that decision now so that we could change the trajectory and get things headed in the right direction as quickly as possible.”

Karlgaard indicated the beginnings of a search had not yet begun but estimated the hunt for the Owls’ next skipper will be swift. “It’s certainly possible we could be done in 10 days” Karlgaard divulged, setting the longer, and more probable bound, at three or so weeks “depending on who emerges from our candidate pool and whether or not they’re still playing.”

Bragga was hired in the midst of the 2018 postseason in between the Super Regional round and the College World Series. Hiring someone in the midst of a postseason run would be well within the realm of possibilities. But, as indicated by the lower bound Karlgaard himself gauged, those currently free to interview would also be on the table.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls update – May 22

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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.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon finished his first week back from the injured list this week, returning to everyday action against the Red Sox and Indians. Although he did some good work with his bat, this play with his glove at the hot corner might have been the most impressive.

Through May 22, Rendon is hitting .239 with five extra-base hits, 11 walks and 21 strikeouts. His OPS is .683 and he’s collected 12 RBI.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

Holt saw his first action since May 2 this week after spending almost three weeks on the injured list.

Through May 22, Holt is hitting .250 with three extra-base hits, nine walks and 12 strikeouts. His OPS is .733 and he’s collected six RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey saw action on a few occasions this week. He went two innings against the A’s, striking out three and allowing no runs. He also entered to face one batter against the White Sox, inducing a ground out from Yuan Moncada. He was later ejected from the game for throwing behind Yermin Mercedes which later earned him a three-game suspension.

Through May 22, Duffey has a 5.51 ERA with a 1.653 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetege – New York Yankees

Luetege had a workmanlike set of appearances this week. He pitched single innings in back-to-back games against the Orioles, facing three batters in each frame and retiring all three on each occasion.

Through May 22, Luetege has a 2.95 ERA with a 0.938 WHIP. He’s averaging 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Seattle Mariners

Chargois threw two innings against Detroit on Monday, his longest of his four outings to date this season. He allowed two hits, struck out a pair of batters and did not allow any runs. He followed that up with two additional scoreless outings later in the week, cutting his ERA in half.

Through May 22, Chargois has a 2.35 ERA with a 0.783 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MiLB Owls season opening 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

Jon Duplantier was productive at the major league level in 2019 with the Diamondbacks before injuries put his season on pause. He missed the shortened 2020 season and made his first minor league appearance in almost two years on May 14 for the Reno Aces, allowing five runs in two innings.

Duplantier’s teammate, Kevin McCanna, was impressive in the Constellation Energy league last season when the minor leagues were shut down. He signed with the Aces this winter but has yet to make an appearance with the team this season and is currently on the injured list. Fellow Owl Jordan Stephens, a member of the Indians’ AAA affiliate Columbus Clippers is also in the injured list waiting to make his 2021 debut.

At the plate, Tristan Gray began his 2021 season with the Durham Bulls, the Rays’ AAA affiliate. He went 1-for-4 in his first two games.

Double-A

Glen Otto is two appearances into his season with the Yankees’ AA affiliate, striking out 14 batters across 11.1 innings. He tossed a scoreless six innings in his 2021 debut allowing just two runs. His second outing was a bit rockier. He surrendered 10 hits and seven runs.

Ford Proctor, the Owls’ only other AA player, has appeared in 10 games this season. A member of the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays’ affiliate), Proctor is hitting .111 but fielding at a perfect 1.000 clip.

Single-A

Rice baseball has even more former players in the Low-A and High-A portions of MLB farm systems. Former second round pick Matt Canterino is off to a tremendous start to his pro career with the Twins’ affiliate Cedar Rapid Kernels. With two starts under his belt thus far, Canterino has a 1.13 ERA allowing five hits while striking out 15 in eight innings.

Canterino’s former teammate Evan Kravetz also made a strong debut, going 6.1 innings across two starts, striking out 10. He has a 1.42 ERA with the Daytona Tortugas, an Indians’ Low-A affiliate. Also representing the Owls on the mound in Single-A is Ricky Salinas. He’s made three appearances this season for the Dayton Dragons, an Indians’ High-A affiliate, and has a 4.32 ERA with 13 punchouts across 8.1 innings.

More: Check out the most recent MLB Owls Pro Update

Dane Myers of the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Tigers’ Low-A affiliate, has yet to make his debut in 2021. Trei Cruz, currently playing with the Tigers’ High-A affiliate West Michigan Whitecaps, has gotten off to a slow start. He’s 1-for-13 to start his pro career.

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Rice Baseball 2021: Previewing Owls vs the Texas Longhorns

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The Rice baseball concludes its 2021 season on Tuesday night against Texas as the Owls look to pull off a momentous upset.

Rice baseball did not qualify for the 2021 Conference USA Baseball Tournament. With no postseason play on deck, the Owls have one final game before their season comes to an end. No. 5 Texas will be a formidable foe.

Game Notes

Times: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Venue: Disch-Falk Field
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal

How each team fared this weekend

Rice baseball (23-29-1) split a four-game series with Charlotte. The Owls came close to winning the series outright, but couldn’t capitalize on any of their extra-inning chances on Saturday evening.

Texas (38-12) was off last weekend and hasn’t played since a three-game weekend series at No. 3 TCU that ended on May 9. Texas won two of three, adding another impressive series win to their resume.

Texas Hitting

First baseman Ivan Melendez is one of the most productive hitters in the Big 12 and leads the Longhorns at the play with a .361 average. Alongside him, Mitchell Daly and Zach Zubia are the most consistent bats with Mike Antico providing a decent amount of pop in the middle of the lineup.

The Longhorns offense has been streaky outside of those bats, but it’s been enough to power the team to one of the most impressive seasons in the nation.

Texas Pitching

The pitching staff has been the heart and soul of this team. Pete Hansen leads the Big 12 with a 1.83 ERA in 10 starts. Ty Madden is fourth in the conference with a 2.27 ERA in 11 starts. The Owls likely won’t see either in a midweek game, but the Longhorns have plenty of other dangerous arms.

Cole Quintanilla leads the team with a 1.69 ERA and a 0.830 ERA. He’s the No. 1 option out of the pen. Tanner Witt and Aaron Nixon will be close behind. No matter who Texas sends to the mound on Tuesday, runs will be at a premium.

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