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Rice Baseball 2020: Previewing the Owls’ starting lineup

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It’s time to head back to Reckling Park for the beginning of the 2020 Rice Baseball season. Here’s a preview of the potential starting lineup.

The 2020 Rice baseball season is fast approaching. This year’s squad is composed of an intriguing combination of familiar faces, potent junior college additions and a host of younger players hoping to make a name for themselves.

First, a projected Opening Day lineup when Rice hosts Texas on February 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Projected Lineup

  1. Braden Comeaux, 3B
  2. Bradley Gneiting, RF
  3. Trei Cruz, SS
  4. Austin Bulman, 1B
  5. Brayden Combs, DH
  6. Cade Edwards, 2B
  7. Justin Collins, C
  8. Tyler Larue, LF
  9. Aaron Beaulaurier, CF

The Infield

Led by Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year Trei Cruz, the Owls have the makings of an explosive offense — at least on paper. Cruz was a late-round draft pick last year and should parlay himself into a much more lucrative selection at the end of this season. He slashed .305/.393/.519 in 2019 and was named a Cape Cod League All-Star during the summer. “It’s not normal and I mean that in a good way,” Coach Matt Bragga remarked of Cruz’s dedication to improvement. “It’s fun to watch. He’s going to have a great year.”

Joining Cruz in the field will be Braden Comeaux at third base and Cade Edwards at second base. They were two of the most reliable bats in the Rice lineup a year ago and should be fixtures in the starting nine this season. Both are .300 hitters with power to the gaps.

First base is a bit of a wildcard. JUCO transfer Austin Bulman is a third baseman by trade, but he’s been working hard to learn the other side of the diamond. The coaching staff is optimistic he’ll be ready to go by Opening Day. If he doesn’t start in the field, he’ll be the designated hitter. Bulman hit .381 with 16 doubles and 18 steals last season.

Designated Hitter and Catcher

Braden Combs will be the man platooning with him at first base, at least early on in the season. Another JUCO addition, Combs brings plenty of pop. He smashed 17 home runs and 17 doubles while batting .366 with 83 RBI last season. It’s hard to put one beyond the fence at Reckling Park, but if someone besides Cruz is going to threaten for 20+ dingers, it’s probably going to be Combs.

Catcher Justin Collins is another potential power bat. He hit seven home runs and 12 doubles last season. He led the team with 41 walks and scored 32 times, fifth-most on the team and the only hitter who spent most of his time outside the top four spots in the order to reach that high of a mark. Collins has plenty of upside.

The Outfield

While the infield (plus designated hitter) is more or less locked down, the outfield rotation is much less certain. The one certainty seems to be Bradley Gneiting. The senior filled in all over the diamond last year, seeing time at first and third base in addition to his usual spot in right field. He led the team in hits in 2019 and was one of two Owls (along with Edwards) to appear in all 59 games.

Beyond that, there are options, but few definitive answers. Aaron Beaulaurier and Dominic Cox are back. So are Antonio Cruz and Justin Dunlap. Those four known quantities will battle it out with newcomers Daniel Hernandez and Tyler Larue.

Hernandez has impressed with his versatility early on. He could play just about every infield spot minus first base and all three outfield slots. He has a good shot to see some of the field early.

Tyler Larue is the most likely freshman to start out of the gate. Coach Bragga called him “a special hitter”, speaking incredibly highly of his strength and ability to battle at the plate. He came into the program as a catcher, but the staff is going to make a concerted effort to get his bat into the lineup however they can.

That’s a lot of names for three spots. Assuming Gneiting is already on the top tier, that leaves six guys fighting for two spots. Ideally, a pair will rise up quickly. Bragga has indicated he’d love to keep the lineup card the same if the guys penciled in continue to play well.

More on the pitching staff next week…
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Rice Baseball: Six Owls selected in 2019 MLB Draft

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Headlined by pitcher Matt Canterino, a Day 1 selection by the Minnesota Twins, six Rice baseball players heard their names called in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Round 2 (54) – Twins – Matt Canterino

The most unsurprising Rice selection, Canterino was off the board early. His Rice career ends after a superb junior season where he finished with a 2.81 ERA in 99.1 innings.

Round 5 (155) – Reds – Evan Kravetz

Most assumed Kravetz would be a Day 2 selection. Instead he ended up closer to being a Day 1 selection than a Day 3 choice. Kravetz was off the board in the first 100 picks of the second day, impressing enough during his senior season to climb all the way to the fifth round.

Round 12 (376) – Astros – Garrett Gayle

One of the Owls’ most talented bullpen arms from 2019, Gayle was the only Rice reliever chosen this year. His 2019 splits weren’t overwhelming, but there’s a lot about his game to like.

Round 27 (807) – Blue Jays – Roel Garcia

Garcia missed the entire 2019 season and is now faced with a decision to make. Being selected in the back half of the draft makes a player’s decision to sign with their respective team far from a sure thing. Garcia certainly would have the chance to elevate his stock with another year at South Main.

Round 37 (1113) – Nationals – Trei Cruz

Those same sentiments go for Cruz. An impressive hitter with plenty of power and tools at the plate, Cruz can easily play his way into a Top 10 round selection with more discipline in the field and improved decision making at the plate.

Round 37 (1118) – Rays – Addison Moss

Although he did make a handful of appearances, Moss was never truly healthy this season. Projected to be the Saturday man entering the year, he’ll be a much higher selection in 2020 should he return to school.

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Rice Baseball 2019 Season Review: Erratic offense full of highs and lows

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The offense prohibited Rice baseball from taking earnest strides in 2018. Here’s a rundown on the final numbers and a synopsis on how each bat performed.

The Rice offense faded to a .260/.360/.400 slash line by the end of the regular season, finishing eighth or worse in Conference USA in each metric while leading the conference with 534 strikeouts. The offense as a whole was top heavy, failing to get consistent production from the bottom half of the lineup and leading toward the discouraging final numbers.

But a few accurate macro-level numbers don’t fully encapsulate what the Rice offense was in 2019. There were individuals who put together solid, if not superb, season. It was the lack of an ability to string those good games and good days together which did this team in. Here’s a closer look at the final lines for some of the Owls’ most important hitters.

Cade Edwards

Games – 59 | AVG .308 | OBP .360 | SLG .498 | 2B – 16 | 3B – 4 | HR – 6 | BB – 17 | K – 46

A JUCO transfer who has been on campus for less than a year, Edwards finished with a team-best .308 batting average. His approach at the plate was consistent as he quickly became the best pure contact hitter on the team. Edwards was one of two players to start all 59 of the Owls games this season.

Trei Cruz

Games – 58 | AVG .305 | OBP .393 | SLG .519 | 2B – 11 | 3B – 6 | HR – 9 | BB – 35 | K – 54

Trei started the season with a bang with his 9-RBI day against Rhode Island in February. He never really slowed down, finishing second on the team in RBI despite batting out of the leadoff spot for the first half of the season. He finished tied for the longest hitting streak of the season (nine games) and was one of the most productive hitters on the team from start to finish.

Andrew Dunlap

Games – 57 | AVG .302 | OBP .419 | SLG .559 | 2B – 9 | 3B – 2 | HR – 13 | BB – 23 | K – 49

One of the most feel-good stories on the team this season, senior Andrew Dunlap became a fixture in the Rice lineup following a 5-for-6, 7-RBI outing against Prairie View A&M. Dunlap led the team with a gaudy .342 batting average in conference play with nine home runs and a 1.075 OPS in 30 games.

Braden Comeaux

Games – 53 | AVG .299 | OBP .388 | SLG .421 | 2B – 16 | 3B – 1 | HR – 3 | BB – 16 | K – 32

The junior infielder was a tremendous table setter for an offense in need of a spark. Comeaux finished second to Trei Cruz in runs (46) and tied with Cade Edwards for the team lead in doubles (16). Whether it was one of his 17 hit by pitches or 66 hits, he found ways to get on base.

Bradley Gneiting

Games – 59 | AVG .295 | OBP .366 | SLG .378 | 2B – 12 | 3B – 0 | HR – 3 | BB – 25 | K – 51

A versatile option in the field by necessity, Gneiting’s defensive assignment for the day never seemed to bother his production at the plate. An early member of a wide-open outfield platoon, Gneiting solidified his spot in the lineup and delivered some key strokes at the top of the order.

Justin Collins

Games – 58 | AVG .260 | OBP .387 | SLG .425 | 2B – 12 | 3B – 0 | HR – 7 | BB – 41 | K – 53

A modest season given the offseason hopes, Collins battled through a hand injury to finish his first season as the Owls’ full-time catcher. Collins led the team with 41 walks and finished third with seven home runs. He’s got work to do before he moves closer to the cleanup spot many thought he’d be able to take this season, but his ability to extend innings and get on base cannot be undervalued.

Mutli-game starters

Dominic Cox | Games – 45 | AVG .238 | OBP .382 | SLG .338 | 2B – 7 | 3B – 0 | HR – 2 | BB – 30 | K – 52
Aaron Beaulaurier | Games – 55 | AVG .187 | OBP .297 | SLG .307 | 2B – 11 | 3B – 3 | HR – 1 | BB – 18 | K – 64
Dominic DiCaprio | Games – 21 | AVG .229 | OBP .301 | SLG .265 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 7 | K – 20
Brandt Frazier | Games – 39 | AVG .125 | OBP .261 | SLG .150 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 20 | K – 35

Injuries and inconsistent bats kept these four players from becoming season-long starters for the Owls in 2019. Cox and Beaulaurier won time later in the season as their bats began to wake up, but both were primarily defensive assets with a decent amount of doubles power.

DiCaprio and Frazier were veteran players who never got healthy enough to truly showcase their abilities. DiCaprio was shut down midseason and Frazier left the Conference tournament with an arm injury.

Reserves

Justin Dunlap | Games – 18 | AVG .216 | OBP .396 | SLG .243 | 2B – 1 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 10 | K – 7
Khevin Brewer | Games – 18 | AVG .208 | OBP .259 | SLG .250 | 2B – 1 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 2 | K – 9
Rodrigo Duluc | Games – 30 | AVG .205 | OBP .302 | SLG .349 | 2B – 3 | 3B – 0 | HR – 3 | BB – 10 | K – 33
Antonio Cruz | Games – 26 | AVG .167 | OBP .254 | SLG .300 | 2B – 2 | 3B – 0 | HR – 2 | BB – 4 | K – 25

The opportunities off the bench were sporadic for this group. Unlike the prior quartet, inconsitent days at the plate kept any of these four from earning more than the occasional at bat or spot start. The Rice lineup wasn’t deep this year. When your best four reserves are hitting at or below the Mendoza line there wasn’t much more coach Bragga could have done to generate better days at the plate. More work in the cages and a fresh influx of talent should make the bench much more palatable next season.

Daniel Russell

Games – 6 | AVG .429 | OBP .556 | SLG .429 | 2B – 0 | 3B – 0 | HR – 0 | BB – 1 | K – 2

The bullpen catcher brought on for a single season with no intent to play, Russell saw more action than he ever expected. The dugout might have been most excited this season when Russell entered a one-sided 15-3 win over Rhode Island late and delivered an RBI single. He’ll be missed.

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Rice Baseball: Owls stunned by walk-off loss to Southern Miss in CUSA Tournament

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Matt Canterino’s gem was wasted. The Rice baseball bullpen caved again as the Owls fell to Southern Miss at the Conference USA Baseball Tournament.

The formula for Rice advancing in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament was simple: Pitch well and take advantage of opportunities at the plate. Matt Canterino answered the call. The bullpen did not as the Owls fell to 2-Seed Southern Miss 6-4 in 10 innings.

More: CUSA Tournament Bracket, news and notes

The staff ace, Canterino was every bit as special as the Owls needed him to be. He was sharp as ever through 7.1 innings, striking out nine, walking two and allowing one run on three hits. With the Southern Miss offense confounded, even a slight lead felt commanding.

To that point, the offense had been sturdy. Braden Comeaux reached based on each his first four plate appearances, coming in to score three times. Trei Cruz blasted a two-run dinger in the third. Rice led 4-0 at the seventh inning stretch.

Owls fall by walk-off for the fourth straight game

When Canterino left the game Rice fans held their breath. The bullpen was coming off their worst week of the season. It took guts for Bragga to pull Canterino when he got into the seventh inning jam. While it might have been ideal to ride Canterino as far as he could carry them, he’s already thrown 100 pitches. His availability the rest of the week would have been factored into Bragga’s decision to turn to the pen.

With Garrett Gayle on the mound, Rice coughed up the four run lead including three runs scored in the ninth inning. Rice needed one more out to advance. On multiple tries, they failed to get it. A walk-off home run by Southern Miss slugger Matt Wallner ended any hope of a late rally.

Rice isn’t going to advance without a few big outings from their bullpen. They came close Wendesday, but fell painfully short once again.

UP NEXT | Louisiana Tech – Thursday 9:00 am

Rice will play Louisiana Tech in the loser’s bracket. The Bulldogs dropped their first-round game to Marshall in 12 innings., the longest game (by time) in CUSA Tournament history. Rice swept Louisiana Tech at home earlier this season.

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Rice Baseball: Owls switch gears to CUSA Tournament after Marshall sweep

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Riding high after a series win over Southern Miss, Rice baseball was stopped stone-cold in their tracks by Marshall, narrowly clinching a CUSA Tournament spot.

The week began on a high note, with Rice baseball besting rival Houston to clinch the Silver Glove Series. After the Tuesday night victory, Rice hit the road to finish conference play with a three-game set in Huntington, West Virginia. Both Marshall and Rice were fighting for a spot in the Conference Tournament. Rice clinched their berth on Friday but Marshall had more work to do, eventually locking up a spot of their own after taking three straight from Rice.

Both the Owls and the Thundering Herd earned spots in Biloxi this coming week. Here’s how the series unfolded with three overarching themes as Rice enters the conference tournament.

THURSDAY | Marshall 5, Rice 4 (11)

Rice used a big fifth inning to jump ahead in the series opener. Trei Cruz broke the deadlock with an RBI single to center, scoring Aaron Beaulaurier. Andrew Dunlap followed with a three-run bomb to break things open.

Matt Canterino was in top form on the mound, holding Marshall to two earned runs in seven innings with nine strikeouts. He handed the ball to Kendal Jefferies at the start of the eighth. Jefferies, and later Garrett Gayle, were unable to hold the line. Marshall walked it off in the 11th on a two-out RBI single after holding Rice scoreless through the final six innings.

FRIDAY | Marshall 4, Rice 3 (10)

Kel Bordwine took the ball on Friday after Evan Kravetz was a late scratch. Even with the deviation in the weekend rotation, the Owls weren’t threatened early in game two. Bordwine was superb, throwing seven innings of one-run ball. The Marshall offense mustered five hits off the short-notice starter, allowing the Rice offense to slowly build a lead.

Rice climbed ahead 3-0, courtesy of a few impactful extra-base hits. Bealaurier doubled in the third, scoring Antonio Cruz. Bradley Gneiting and Antonio Cruz added solo home runs in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively.

Marshall wouldn’t score until the eighth, leveling the score at 3-3 after Blair Lewis surrendered a 2-run home run. That score would hold for one more inning until Marshall scored a final, unearned run on an infield error to win the game in the 10th.

SATURDAY | Marshall 5, Rice 4

Marshall struck first in the finale, taking a 1-0 lead on a home run in the first inning. Playing from behind for the first time in regulation, Rice was forced to muster a comeback. Trei Cruz gave Rice the lead with a fourth-inning double. Justin Collins extended the advantage to 3-1 with a solo home run in the sixth. Jackson Parthasarathy powered through the Marshall lineup as Bordwine and Canterino had before. Things were looking good.

Yet again, Rice took a lead into the later innings. Yet again, Marshall found an equalizer. The Thundering Herd knotted the game at 3-3 in the eighth, but this time Rice punched back, squeezing out the go-ahead run via a sac bunt in the top of the ninth inning. The small ball wouldn’t be enough, though, as Marshall tied and went on to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, their third walk-off win of the weekend.

TAKEAWAYS | Marshall wins series 3-0

1. Who will step up in the bullpen?

The Owls most trustworthy bullpen arms failed them in big spots against Marshall. Staked to late leads with few outs to get, nobody was able to come up with an answer. That’s not a problem the Owls were hoping to run into this late in the season, but May is the time to make the best with what you have, not to reinvent the wheel.

Coach Bragga could try to implement a quicker hook or experiment with bumping someone like Bordwine from a spot starter to a bullpen piece. Bragga will undoubtedly push all the buttons he thinks will make the most sense for the team in its current state, but he’s not able to step on the mound and physically throw the pitches.

Those same players who had rough weekends have proven capable in the past. Jefferies and Gayle have combined for nine saves, 100 percent of the team’s total on the season. And that’s the peculiar thing about baseball. The sport built upon failure will put these same pitchers in high leverage situations again, soon. They’re going to get another chance. If they capitalize on their opportunities in Biloxi, their shortcomings in Huntington will fade, quickly.

2. It’s going to be a short week if something doesn’t change

Even without a win in their final regular-season series, Rice qualified for the Conference USA Baseball Tournament. The starting pitching showcased their extraordinary depth over the weekend, digging beyond their typical weekend trio and still producing three quality starts. The bullpen and the offense can’t ask for much better than they got against Marshall, setting the stage for a game of Russian Roulette going forward.

Assuming a strong start on the mound, Rice needs to find a way to avoid joint implosions by the bullpen and the lineup. If one of those two units can produce at a level commensurate to the starting pitching, Rice has a shot to advance deep into the conference tournament. If both units fade into a repeat of this weekend. Bang. Season over.

3. CUSA Tournament set

If there is any good fortune to be found in the weekend sweep, Rice draws a familiar opponent in the opening game of the CUSA Tournament. Rice took two of three from Southern Miss a week ago, relying on their now embraced pattern of high-caliber pitching and just-enough offense.

UTSA’s loss on Saturday might prove to be fortuitous for the Owls, too. A win by the Roadrunners would have dropped Rice to the 8-seed where they’d have met 1-seed FAU in Biloxi. FAU swept Rice earlier this season and the games weren’t as close as the three Rice loss to Marshall. Nevertheless, Rice has its opponent. Now they need to execute.

ON DECK | vs Southern Miss (Wed) in CUSA Tournament

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