Baseball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- mbragga@rice.edu
- Phone:
- 348-8864
- Uniform No.:
- 27
Matt Bragga is in his third season as the Rice Baseball head coach. He became the Owls' 21st head baseball coach on June 15, 2018, taking over the reins after 15 years as head coach at Tennessee Tech.
Like every college baseball team in 2020, Bragga's second season at Rice came to an abrupt and unexpected end in March due to the world-wide illness. There were no Conference USA games played nor postseason action of any kind across the college baseball landscape. For the 16 games that were played in 2020, Rice's (non-conference) schedule featuring road series at Texas Tech and UC Irvine, plus another four games against Texas and Texas A&M, was rated as the 11th-toughest in all of Division I. In June an abridged Major League Baseball Draft was held and even with just 16 games of data the Detroit Tigers made it very clear the organization liked the work Bragga had done with his latest star pupil, Trei Cruz. After just a little more than two years of training under Bragga, Cruz (.328 avg, .500 SLG%) rocketed into a third round MLB draft pick as the 73rd player selected overall.
In his first season at the helm of the Owls in 2019, Bragga led Rice to 26 wins and an appearance in the C-USA postseason tournament where his club battled its way to a third place finish. Some 2019 highlights included back-to-back wins in the Minute Maid College Classic against ranked in-state foes Baylor & TCU, and winning two of three games again crosstown rival Houston to bring the Silver Glove Trophy back to South Main. Six of his Owl players were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Offensively, the Owls zoomed past its 2018 total of 35 home runs runs in just two-thirds of the at bats. Bragga’s ‘Slugging Owls’ knocked a home run at a rate of one every 41.63 at bats as well as just under one per game (0.831). Both percentages are among the best the program has done since 2010. The team’s 16 triples was the program’s second best mark in the last decade. At the conclusion of the year sophomore shortstop Trei Cruz was drafted by the Washington Nationals, but chose to return and help lead the Rice ball club for his junior season in 2020.
On the mound, Rice’s pitching staff led C-USA with 520 strikeouts and Friday night stalwart Matt Canterino earned conference Pitcher of the Year accolades. At the conclusion of the season, Canterino was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft and four other Rice pitchers were chosen in the draft as well. Left-handed pitcher Evan Kravetz, after an amazing senior season, went in the fifth round. He was followed by juniors Garrett Gayle (12th round), Roel Garcia (27th), and Addison Moss (37th round). With two years of eligibility remaining, Garcia chose to return to help lead the 2020 Owls.
In the classroom, the 2019 Owls had great success as well. Two Owls were named to the C-USA All-Academic team and Canterino was named a 2019 Academic All-American.
At Tennessee Tech (2004-2018):
Prior to his time at Rice, The 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2018 Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Bragga spent 15 years at the helm of Tennessee Tech University Baseball. While at Tennessee Tech, the head coach made the baseball program a model of consistency, winning six Ohio Valley Conference championships in his last 9 years. His clubs won 40 or more games in four of his last six seasons, winning a school record 40 in 2013 and 2014 and then breaking that mark with a 41-win campaign in 2017. His 2018 club shattered all those standards winning 53 games while losing only 12 and breaking their own 2013 record for conference wins in a season going 27-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The 2018 season also included a 28 game win streak.
Always known for a high-powered offense, the 2018 Tennessee Tech team took it to a new level. Tech led the nation in batting average, runs, runs per game, hits, home runs, home runs per game, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, while setting single-season school records for runs, hits, extra-base hits, total bases, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, walks, saves, wins and consecutive wins. In fact, 20 players ranked in the top 10 in the country in 13 different categories, including NCAA leaders in RBI and total bases.
Bragga’s squad earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and played in the Oxford, Miss., regional. After an opening game victory, the Golden Eagles fell to Ole Miss. Tennessee Tech then staved off three-straight elimination games, including defeating host Ole Miss twice on the final day to advance to the Super Regionals. He saw five players earn All-American honors and a school record eight players selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, which tied for the fifth in the nation. He coached the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher and Player of the Year and had 11 players earn All-OVC honors, including a league-record 10 on the first and second teams.
The Golden Eagles also entered the national rankings midway through the season and never left, rising as high as 10th and earning an RPI as high as 16. The Golden Eagles finished the 2018 season ranked 12th in the country.
Besides winning championships in the 11 team OVC, the consistency of his program is seen as his teams also had the highest overall winning percentage in his last 11 years within the league. TTU’s average finish in the conference standings was also the best in the OVC during Bragga’s last 10 seasons at Tech. Outside of the OVC, the consistency of the Bragga lead Golden Eagles was evident as well. From 2007-2018, Tennessee Tech had the 2nd most wins and 2nd best winning percentage (behind Vanderbilt) of any of the nine NCAA Division I schools in the state of Tennessee.
Recruiting great young men that are willing to work, lead, and make great decisions, then helping them develop into great baseball players was a key to the TTU success and will be part of Rice’s future. Bragga’s Golden Eagle baseball squad had players sign with Major League Baseball for nine straight years, including an OVC-record 10 players signing after the 2018 season. Overall Bragga has coached 41 players that were selected in the MLB Draft or signed by an MLB team (and 38 of the 41 had never been drafted before). The three that had been drafted previously improved their draft stock significantly while under Bragga’s tutelage. The 28 players that signed with an MLB club during his time at TTU, more than tripled the total of players that had signed with an MLB club from Tennessee Tech since the MLB draft began in 1965.
Not only is the development of the student-athletes showing up in terms of championships and draft picks, but also in All-American selections. Since 2010, Bragga has coached an incredible 16 All-American’s and a National Freshman of the Year award winner, Kevin Strohschein.
Off the field, the Bragga led Golden Eagle baseball program showed great discipline in the classroom. His last 13 Tennessee Tech baseball teams had the 13 highest team GPA marks since records started being kept in 1972. The 2014 team holds the record with a 3.20 GPA and the 2015 squad ranks right behind with a 3.17 mark. The 2015 team won the OVC Baseball Team Academic Achievement Award which is given to the program with the most student-athletes recording a 3.25 G.P.A. or higher.
At Birmingham-Southern College (2000-2003):
Before taking the head coaching position at Tech, Bragga spent three and a half years as an assistant coach at Birmingham Southern College under head coach Brian Shoop from July 2000 to December 2003. He spent the majority of his time at BSC working as the hitting, catching and outfield coach as well as recruiting for the Panthers. The 2001 BSC team won the NAIA National Championship with a school record 55 wins and 11 losses and then made the jump to NCAA DI. After accepting the Tennessee Tech job in January of 2004, in Southern’s first season eligible for NCAA DI post season play, the Panthers won 47 games and the Big South Conference championship and received an at-large bid to the University of Georgia, Athens Regional.
At Bevill State Community College (1997-2000):
Bragga also owned some head coaching experience before coming to Tech. At the age of 25, prior to his role at Birmingham Southern, Bragga served as the head coach at Bevill State (Ala.) Community College for four seasons.
Bragga took over a Bevill State baseball program that, prior to his arrival, had an all-time record of 175-350 (.343), and was considered by many one of the worst programs in the state of Alabama. With the Bears going 39-20 in 1998, Bragga’s second season at Bevill State resulted in a school record for most wins in one season. That team also participated in the school’s first-ever postseason tournament. In 1999, Bragga led his squad to a 40-19 record, surpassing his previous record and taking the team to another regional tournament.
During his time at Bevill, his teams compiled a 148-86 record and BSCC went from a .343 winning percentage prior to Bragga’s arrival, to one of Alabama’s best Community/Junior College programs, amassing a remarkable .630 winning percentage during his time.
At Tuscaloosa County (1996):
Before jumping into the college ranks, Bragga served as head coach for the Junior American Legion Baseball Team Post 208 that won the Alabama state championship in 1996. That same year, he also took on the role as assistant coach for the Tuscaloosa County High School baseball squad.
At the University of Kentucky & Professional Baseball – Playing Days (1990-1995):
One aspect that makes Bragga such an influential coach, and what some describe as a player’s coach, is that he has coached and played at nearly every level of baseball. Bragga played his collegiate career for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, earning four letters from 1991 to 1994.
He played multiple positions at Kentucky, including outfield, catcher, first base and designated hitter, and also excelled at the plate. Bragga earned multiple honors including second-team All-Southeast region and Southeastern Conference all-tournament first-team in 1993. In his senior season Bragga finished with a .408 batting average in SEC play, which ranked him second in the league.
He also etched his name in the Kentucky baseball record books, ranking among UK’s all-time best in multiple season and career categories. During Bragga’s four-year career with UK, the baseball team compiled the most wins in any four-year period of UK baseball, a record which was broken by the 2005-2008 Kentucky squads.
After graduating from Kentucky with a degree in communications, Bragga signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1994. He played one season in the Pioneer League with the Butte (Montana) Copper Kings before moving to Charleston, W.Va., to play with the Cincinnati Reds’ Single A affiliate the following season. Bragga earned his master’s degree from the University of Alabama.
Family:
Matt is married to the former Elisa Currins, a 1997 graduate of the University of Alabama, where she competed in cross-country and track. The couple are the proud parents of two children — Luke and Emerson (Emmy).
