The source for Rice sports news

Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte

By

Davion Hickson persevered through the elements on Friday, tossing a complete-game one-hitter that set the tone for a Rice Baseball series win over Charlotte.

FRIDAY | Rice 2, Charlotte 0

In a rare occurrence during the 2025 Rice baseball season, a pitcher’s duel broke out at Reckling Park on Friday night. Despite a mid-game weather delay and the ominous threat of further impending storms, Davion Hickson spun a marvelous complete game one hitter against the 49ers in the series opener. Charlotte manage just a single in the third inning as Hickson racked up nine strikeouts.

More: 59 Minutes — David Pierce Challenges Rice baseball to grow

With Hickson dealing on the mound, the Rice bats were only required to do a little to push the team over the top in game one of the series. Blaine Brown broke the 0-0 deadlock with a double to right center in the sixth, scoring one. Then Paul Smith homered to right in the eighth to provide a bit of insurance before Hickson returned for the ninth to slam the door.

The one-hit shutout by Hickson was the first by a Rice baseball pitcher since Matthew Reckling defeated East Carolina 2-0 at Reckling Park in 2012, striking out 10 in the process.

SATURDAY | Rice 7, Charlotte 6

Scoring was much more prevalent in game two. Charlotte wasted no time, jumping in front with a two-run homer in the first inning off Rice starter JD McCracken. Rice rallied with three of their own in the second inning on a groundout and home run from Cole Green before Charlotte knocked McCracken out of the game with another pair of runs in the third.

Last Weekend: Rice Baseball drops series at UAB

Garrett Stratton relieved McCracken and combined with Jack Ben-Shoshan to limit the 49ers to two more earned runs in the final six innings, rendering a smattering of Charlotte hits fruitless. As they grinded on the mound, the Rice bats delivered a two-run sac fly in the fourth from Green to tie the game and a go-ahead two-run home run from Landon West in the eighth. Ben-Shoshan closed things out and earned his third win of the season.

SUNDAY | Charlotte 12, Rice 2

Multiple days of frustration were taken out against Jackson Blank and the remainder of the Rice bullpen in the series finale. After the Owls went in front on a solo home run from Michael Zito in the first inning, Charlotte took control of things with a five-run fourth inning, which knocked Blank from the ballgame.

Austin Eppley, Marco Fuentes and Tucker Alch each gave up at least one run in relief as the 49ers scored 12 unanswered runs to take a commanding lead in the finale. By that point the damage had been done and the 49ers won the finale by run-rule.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball drops 4-2 decision to Incarnate Word

By

Rice Baseball came up two runs short, falling to Incarnate Word in a midweek bout, their final game managed by interim skipper Parker Bangs.

The final game under the management of Rice baseball interim head coach Parker Bangs got off to an inauspicious start with the visiting Incarnate Word Cardinals scoring two in the first off freshman opener Blaine Brown. Jack Ben-Shoshan entered and prevented further damage, giving the Owls a chance to get back in the game, which they did an inning later.

A groundout from Treyton Rank scored one before Max Johnson singled to right field, leveling the score at two runs, apiece. Things would were quickly for both teams in the third before Incarnate Word got Jackson Blank for for the go-ahead run in the fourth and added one more insurance run off Von Baker in the seventh.

More: Rice baseball hires David Pierce as head coach

Rice would have their chances, getting runners to second and third with one out in the seventh but failing to score. A leadoff walk in the ninth was spoiled by a double-play, followed by back-to-back singles. But even though Rice tallied 10 hits, they were limited to just the two runs, falling by a final score of 4-2.

What it means | Bring on the David Pierce era

Parker Bangs ends his time as skipper with a 2-3 record across four games. That’s not too shabby considering the 2-14 team he inherited and the whirlwind of stress and emotions that have surrounded the program this week. It’s what comes next that is most important, though, more specifically, who comes next.

Podcast: Unpacking the Pierce hire and midseason start

On Wednesday, former Rice baseball assistant David Pierce will be introduced as the Owls’ next head coach and get to work immediately. He’ll fly with the team to Boca Raton and coach the Owls for the first time on Friday night against FAU.

To say this season has been unusual would be an understatement, but both Pierce and these players hope their second act is one worth remembering. We’ll all find out whether or not that’s for the better soon enough.

ON DECK | vs Florida Atlantic x3 (Fri-Sun)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball splits wire-to-wire series with USC

By

Rice Baseball and USC played a pair of games that went down to the final innings, splitting a pair of games in dramatic fashion at Reckling Park.

FRIDAY | USC 7 – Rice 4 (11)

Davion Hickson worked through plenty of traffic on the bases in his five innings of action in the series opener but limited the USC offense to one run, notching seven strikeouts. His replacement, Von Baker, allowed two runs to score, putting Rice in a 3-2 hole, with both Owls’ runs driven in by Treyton Rank in the second and sixth innings, respectively.

Last Time Out: Rice Baseball tops Sam Houston in Home Opener

The action started to pick up in earnest again in the ninth. Still trailing by one, pinch hitter Colin Robson drew a walk, moved up a single from Blaine Brown and scored on a sac fly from Landon West to tie the game. USC tacked on one in the top of the tenth before Gunnett Carlson leveled the score with a solo shot to right field.

The moment was electric, but was not long lasting. USC scored three runs in the top of the 11th off Reed Gallant before Rice went quietly in the bottom of the frame, dropping the opening game 7-4.

SATURDAY | Cancelled, Weather

SUNDAY | Rice 4 – USC 3

Rice struck first on Sunday, pushing across two in the first inning on an RBI single from Gunnett Carlson and an error allowing Brown to score from third. Robert Fernandez held the 2-0 advantage until USC scratched one run across in the third, eventually leveling the score via a sac fly charged to JD McCracken in relief.

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

Tobias Motley made sure the Owls’ time without the lead was short lived, walloping a pinch-hit home run over the right field wall to open the seventh inning. Blaine Brown and Garrett Stratton got Rice through the eighth before USC tied the game on sac fly off of Stratton in the ninth, putting the burden back on the bats to finish the game.

Michael Zito would be the hero, delivering a walk off home run — his first collegiate hit and the Owls’ first walk off home run since 2021 — to send the Owls’ off with a crowd-raising home win.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball Tops Sam Houston in Home Opener

By

Rice baseball won its home opener at Reckling Park for the first time in seven seasons, cruising past Sam Houston on a frigid Wednesday afternoon.

It wasn’t just the temperature at first pitch that was decidedly different for Rice baseball upon returning home from Puerto Rico. An undaunted group refused to let those losses linger, setting the tone with a rare four-strikeout first inning courtesy of freshman opener Blaine Brown and building from there.

Before Brown was able to hand the ball to Tucker Alch — who took over for the next seven scoreless innings — the bats had already joined in on the fun. Rice struck for three in the bottom of the first, taking full advantage of an error that kept the inning alive.

Last Time Out: Rice Baseball goes winless at Puerto Rico Challenge

Landon West blasted his first career home run in the third inning and Brown delivered an RBI double at the plate to complement his strong showing on the mound. Cole Green’s first career hit in the eighth, a double ripped down the left field line, scored Treyton Rank to put the Owls ahead 6-0.

A leadoff walk issued by Garrett Stratton to open the ninth would result in the only Sam Houston run, but by then it was far too little, too late. Rice held on to win, the first victory for the Owls in a home opener at Reckling Park since 2018.

“Winning the first one at home is always important,” Alch said. “And to do it like that where we were really in control the whole game felt really good.”

What They’re Saying

What it means | Resilient

A season ago, Rice baseball took months to get on track. They began the year in a 9-24 hole that they were never able to fully escape. Better baseball down the stretch was rendered moot by a terrible beginning. The 2025 team desperately wants to avoid repeating history, which makes games like this one so crucial.

“I told this team last week, I believe in this team from the bottom of my heart, that we’re really good and we’re going to win a lot of ball games,” West said. “I’ve seen the work that we put in and I know the ball is going to flip our way more often than not.”

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

Baseball is a large sample sport. One win gains significance in aggregate when it’s added to over time. But this win opens the door to start stacking, something the Owls hope to do when USC comes to town this weekend, winners of four straight to open the year.

ON DECK | vs USC (Fri-Sun)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball goes winless in Puerto Rico Challenge

By

Rice Baseball might have enjoyed the cultural experience, but the results on the field were lacking: an 0-3 start to the season at the Puerto Rico Challenge.

FRIDAY | Villanova 10 – Rice 6

Davion Hickson worked through four scoreless innings on Friday evening, seeing his outing cut short with command issues that yielded five walks and 20 batters faced despite no runs across. Von Baker took the baton and worked a scoreless fifth before Villanova got to him for four runs in the sixth, putting the Owls in comeback mode.

Down 5-1, the Rice bats would respond in earnest the following inning Luke Smith and Treyton Rank each tallied RBI hits to level the game before freshman Blaine Brown put Rice in front, 6-5, with a screaming single to center field in the eighth. Villanova would ambush closer Garrett Stratton in the ninth, scoring five runs, rendering the Owls’ comeback moot and handing them a crushing Opening Day defeat.

SATURDAY | Michigan 5 – Rice 2

Rice baseball got a career day from Robert Fernandez in his start against Michigan, where he hurled six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four. He left the game in line for the win courtesy of a go-ahead RBI single from Brown in the first inning. The Owls would tack on an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI ground out from Hiram Bocachica.

Leading 2-0, the bullpen faltered again. Blank allowed the first three batters to reach in the eighth, leaving the game with two on and a 2-1 Rice lead. Tom Vincent was saddled with the loss, throwing a wild pitch to advance both runners and allowing a single on the only batter he faced. Brown took over and allowed four runs, primarily from inherited runners, as the Owls fell 5-2.

SUNDAY | Virginia 7 – Rice 0

A steady trickle of Virginia runs made for a long finale to the Puerto Rico Challenge. The Hoos scored three in the second charged to JD McCracken, three more across the fifth and sixth innings charged to Austin Eppley and one final run on a sac fly against Matt Zatopek, tallying seven scores in eight trips to the plate.

More: 2025 Rice Baseball Season Preview

That ninth trip wasn’t necessary for Virginia because Rice would be shut out. Virginia pitching held Rice bats to three total hits and six base runners, making any hopes of a comeback against the No. 2 team in the nation short-lived.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts