Rice University Athletics
Rice Hosts Charlotte Friday Night
4/26/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
E-mail baseball SID John Sullivan
E-mail baseball promotions & game-music director Ari Bard
Visit These Links
GET THE RICE OWLS GAME DAY LIVE APP (FREE)
WATCH HOME GAMES online
LISTEN online (pregame show 15 min. before start)
GAME PROMOTIONS (See the full lineup of activities this weekend!)
TICKETS
PDF of Rice's pregame release
April 27 (Fri.) 6:30 pm; Charlotte at Rice (Scout Night)
(activates at game time)
April 28 (Sat.) 2 pm; Charlotte at Rice (Space Day In Space City; Use promo code SPACEDAY)
(activates at game time)
April 29 (Sun.) 11 am; Charlotte at Rice (Teacher Appreciation Day; Kids Club Day/Run The Bases; Houston Methodist Trading Card give-away)
(activates at game time)
Rice Hosts Charlotte Friday In C-USA Action;
Key Three-Game Series This Weekend At Reckling Park
The Rice baseball team, 16-23-2 overall and 6-10-2 in Conference USA, continues its current homestand this Friday (April 27). Rice hosts Charlotte in a key three-game C-USA weekend series at Reckling Park. Start times are set for 6:30 pm on Friday, 2 pm on Saturday (April 28), and 11 am on Sunday (April 29). Charlotte is 22-18 on the season and 9-9 in conference action... After this weekend the Owls conclude the current seven-game homestand on May 2 (Wed.). Rice hosts longtime foe Lamar at 6:30 pm at Reckling Park.
Fun & Games At Reckling Park
• Friday: Scout Night. Scouts can receive exclusive Sammy the Owl patches with a $13 ticket package deal. Be sure to check the ticket page at RiceOwls.com.
• Saturday: Space Day In The Space City. Come out and enjoy interactive space themed exhibits and get your very own space themed Sammy Bobblehead! For bobblehead ticket packages, be sure and use promo code SPACEDAY on RiceOwls.com.
• Sunday: Teacher Appreciation Day - Come on out to show your appreciation for all teachers!
Houston Methodist Trading Card Giveaway - Get the latest set of Rice baseball trading cards courtesy of Houston Methodist! Sunday is also of course Rice Owls Kids Club Day. Club members can receive a free ticket and run the bases after the game.
Watch Home Games Online Via CUSAtv
Home games at Reckling Park are slated for a live online video broadcast via CUSAtv. The broadcast is a subscription-based service which matches the play-by-play audio with a video feed to create a television-like production on the Internet (either live or in an archived format). Games that have been selected for TV broadcasts can alter the online availability.
Play-By-Play Audio On The Web
Every Rice baseball game is scheduled for a live audio broadcast on the Internet at RiceOwls.com. Tune-in to the broadcast's pregame show 15 minutes before first pitch. J.P. Heath is in his tenth season in the booth as the Voice of the Owls.
Live Stats Links Online at RiceOwls.com
Links to live play-by-play text and statistics from every game, home and away, are posted on RiceOwls.com. Look for the links on the Rice Athletics front page, the weekly series preview, and/or the baseball schedule page.
Follow The Tweeting Rice Owls
The official Rice baseball Twitter account is @RiceBaseball while the Rice Athletics department is @RiceAthletics. Twitter is perhaps the fastest way to get weather-related changes to the schedule/updated start times.
National Postseason Streak At 23-Straight
Rice baseball's 23-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament is the third-longest active streak in the nation. Three of the country's top four streaks of making the NCAA Tournament are all of the active variety. In 2017 Florida State made the field for the 40th-consecutive year, while Cal State Fullerton made it in for the 26th-straight year.
Head Coach Wayne Graham
Four-time national coach of the year and 2012 College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Graham (Texas, 1970) is in his 27th season at Rice. The 2018 campaign marks his 38th year as a collegiate head coach... He is now 1,163-520-2 with the Owls (687-197-1 at home, 366-249-1 on the road and 110-74 at neutral sites). His Rice winning percentage is .691, the best in school history. Another way of looking at Graham's .691 win percentage is that it is the equivalent of a major league team winning 111 games in a single year... Graham is 8-1 vs. Charlotte (2-1 at home, 6-0 road)... Under Graham, the Owls clinched another postseason bid in 2017, making 23-straight seasons for Rice to earn a NCAA appearance. The Blue & Gray has advanced into the NCAA tournament in 1995-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-03-04-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17. The 2003 bid culminated with the Owls' first national championship... Rice played in the 1994-95-96 Southwest Conference tournaments (winning the final league title in `96), won the 1997-98-99 WAC tournaments, shared the 2000 WAC title with San Jose State before winning the 2001-02-03-04-05 titles outright. He won (or shared) C-USA regular season crowns in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, as well as the C-USA tournament championships in `06, `07, `09, `11, `13, `14 and `17... Graham was named the WAC Coach of the Year in 1998, `99, `02 and the Co-Coach of the Year in `03. He was named the Keith LeClair C-USA Coach of the Year in `06, his first year in the league, and again in `07, `08, `10 and `11... Rice has seven appearances in the NCAA College World Series, all under Graham (1997, `99, `02, `03, `06, `07, `08)... Graham has led the Owls to number-one rankings for seven weeks during the 1999 season, for six weeks during the `01 campaign, two weeks in `02, six weeks in 2003 (the last of which established some staying power), three weeks in 2004, 12 weeks in 2006 and five weeks in `07... Graham's San Jacinto Gators dominated the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., in the 1980s, winning five national titles in six years (1985-86-87, 89-90)... The Austin American-Statesman named Graham its SWC Coach of the Year in `95 after he led the Owls to their first NCAA tournament appearance... Collegiate Baseball was especially cognizant of Graham's efforts at San Jac. He was named the newspaper's Coach of the Decade for all levels in the 1980s after winning those five junior college national titles, and CB tabbed him the NJCAA Coach of the Century... He was named the 2007 Division I college Coach of the Year by FieldTurf... One of the few current collegiate head coaches to have played in the major leagues (N.Y. Mets in 1963, Philadelphia in 1964), Graham is aided by assistant coaches John Pope (Rice, 1990, Jones College; second year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; first year), and Jordan Kopycinski (Texas State, 2010; first year).
1,738 Collegiate Wins • A Baseball Odyssey
Wayne Graham owns 1,163 Division I wins at Rice, but his career victories tally to 1,738 when you include his 11 years at San Jacinto North College where he won five national championships. Graham's overall "collegiate record" is 1,738-633-2 in a coaching career that began in 1981. (He has 37 years completed. He's now in his 38th of coaching college-age players).
Possible Starting Pitchers
Coach Graham announced Rice's starting pitchers for the Charlotte series as the right-handed trio of Roel Garcia (3-1, 4.65), Matt Canterino (3-4, 3.36) and Addison Moss (1-3, 2.27).
Last Time Out: Rice & Florida Atlantic Finish In 6-6 Tie on April 22
HOUSTON - The Rice baseball team was threatening for runs with two men on base and no outs recorded in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie, 6-6, Conference USA league game against No. 25 ranked FAU Sunday afternoon at Reckling Park when the game was abruptly ended by an imposed travel curfew... With a 6-6 tie Rice is now 16-23-2 overall and 6-10-2 in C-USA league play. FAU is 29-9-1 on the season and 13-4-1 in conference. Just over a week ago Rice baseball had played the better part of the last 60 years without recording a tie. The program now has two in the last eight days... With the score deadlocked 6-6 the ninth inning was a wild ride. In the top of the frame FAU wanted a hard-shot by Pedro Pages on the left side called "fair" after David Miranda knocked a two-out double off the wall in left. The umpires huddled, ruled the ball landed "foul," and Rice was able to get out of the inning without FAU scoring... In Rice's half of the ninth, Chace Sarchet hit a leadoff double to left and FAU elected to intentionally walk freshman Trei Cruz (with first base open). With two men on base and no outs Rice had a comeback in high-gear. The game was ruled final moments after the intentional pass to Cruz... Early in the contest FAU used the longball to drive in its first three runs. In the top of the second Gunnar Lambert singled and Jared DeSantolo hit a two-out home run to left field. Rice answered with a homer in bottom of the third. Ford Proctor's solo shot to right made it 2-1. FAU came back with a solo homer in the top of the fourth before adding runs again in both the fifth and the seventh to stretch the lead to 5-1... Down but not out, Rice continued to fight. In the bottom of the seventh, Rodrigo Duluc reached on a fielder's choice and FAU carefully walked Proctor to put runners on first and second. Back-to-back singles by Ryan Chandler and Braden Comeaux plated two runs to make it 5-3. In a quiet but key play, Andrew Dunlap hustled to reach first base on a fielder's choice when FAU was trying to turn a double play. Rice was still alive, and Chace Sarchet followed with a RBI single to right-center field to drive in one more run and pull within one, 5-4... FAU battled back with a run in the eighth which seemed like some welcome insurance. Proctor, however, blasted a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the frame to tie the score 6-6. Neither team scored a run in the ninth.
Here's Who's Hot
The senior trio of Chace Sarchet, Andrew Dunlap and Ryan Chandler have all been playing well since the Middle Tennessee series five games ago. Chandler is a combined 13-for-23 (.565) over the last five games with a triple and a double for a .696 slugging percentage. He also has four walks for a .630 OB%... Dunlap is a combined 7-for-15 (.467) with a home run and a double for a .733 SLG%. He also has scored five times and drawn seven walks for a .636 OB%... Sarchet is now 9-for-22 (.409) with a home run and two doubles (.636 SLG%), five RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases... In a slightly larger sample spanning the last eight games, junior Ford Proctor is now 16-for-his-last-35 (.457) with three home runs and five doubles for an .857 SLG%. He also has scored eleven times, driven-in ten runs and drawn six walks for a .537 OB%... Sophomore Braden Comeaux had a sound and solid three-game series last weekend against FAU. Comeaux was a combined 6-of-15 (.400) with a triple and four RBI. He also was error-free in seven defensive chances in the infield.
Career Climber
Heading into the Charlotte series Ryan Chandler is third on Rice's all-time list for official career at bats with 894. The senior from Houston now needs five more at bats for the next milestone of second all-time at Rice (899 at bats currently held by Michael Ratterree). Chandler also started his 226th career game last Sunday and is in sole possession of sixth place all-time at Rice. Each of Chandler's 226 starts has been in centerfield. With five more starts Chandler will tie Ford Stainback (2012-2015) for fifth all-time at Rice. On the career hits list, Chandler is sixth with 265. He's just one base hit away from tying Chris Kolkhorst (2002-2004) for fifth all-time at Rice. Chandler also had his 52nd career double in the FAU series to move into a tie for ninth all-time with Michael Ratterree. Brian Friday (2005-2007) is next on the list with 55 doubles.
This & That
Rice's current .415 win percentage is ahead of where it was at the same point in the season a year ago (.390 after 41 games in 2017)... For as big a game as true freshman Trei Cruz had driving-in a career-high five runs against Columbia (March 14) he's still another five RBI short of the ten RBI his father, Owl All-America Jose Cruz Jr., had in his best Rice game vs. Texas State in 1995.
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2018 W-L records while wearing the various uniforms is as follows:
7-4-1 in all-white
5-6 in all pinstripes
3-6 in all-gray
1-5-1 in blue Rice jersey with pinstripe pants
0-1 in blue Rice jersey with white pants
0-1 in blue Rice jersey with gray pants
Preseason Eyes On Canterino For National Honors
DALLAS -- Rice's Matt Canterino has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' (NCBWA) 2018 Preseason All-America Third Team, the organization announced on February 5... Canterino's sensational debut season of Division I baseball included selection to the C-USA All-Tournament and All-Freshmen teams. As a rookie right-hander in 2017, the Southlake, Texas, native finished 12th in the nation with 10.4 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (minimum 96.0 inn.) and led the league with the fewest hits allowed per 9.0 innings (6.28). During one stretch of games Canterino posted double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive starts, becoming the first Owl to accomplish that feat since eventual major leaguer Jeff Niemann in 2003.
Preseason C-USA Accolades
IRVING, Texas - The Owl trio of Matt Canterino, Dominic DiCaprio and Ford Proctor were all tabbed for preseason honors in the annual Conference USA head coaches' poll, the C-USA office announced on Jan. 24... After sensational individual seasons in 2017, the Owls' veteran standouts have the full attention of the 12 C-USA head coaches. Three players are the most selections from one team, with Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss also placing a trio on the league's 14-player preseason squad. As a team, the C-USA coaches collectively picked Rice to finish second in the 2018 regular season race behind defending regular season champ Southern Miss. The Owls defeated the Golden Eagles for the 2017 C-USA tournament crown to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2018 PRESEASON BASEBALL HONORS
(as selected by C-USA's head coaches)
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
P - Matt Canterino, So., Rice
P - Nick MacDonald, So., FIU
P - Jake Miednik, Sr., Florida Atlantic
RP - Nick Sandlin, Jr., Southern Miss
C - Dominic DiCaprio, Jr., Rice
IF - Bryan Arias, Jr., UTSA
IF - Tyler Frank, Jr., Florida Atlantic
IF - Ford Proctor, Jr., Rice
IF - Vinny Pasquantino, So., Old Dominion
OF - Kyle Battle, So., Old Dominion
OF - Mason Irby, Sr., Southern Miss
OF - David Miranda, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OF - Matt Wallner, So., Southern Miss
DH/UT - Aaron Aucker, Sr., Middle Tennessee
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Wallner, Southern Miss (Sophomore, OF/P)
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss (Junior, RHP)
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Southern Miss (11)
2. Rice (1)
3. Florida Atlantic
4. Old Dominion
5. FIU
6. Charlotte
7. Louisiana Tech
8. UTSA
9. Middle Tennessee
10. Marshall
11. UAB
12. WKU
(first place votes in parentheses)...
DiCaprio & Proctor Named To Bragan Slugger Award Watch List
Both Ford Proctor and Dominic DiCaprio have been named to the initial watch list for the 2018 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award... From its headquarters in the DFW Metroplex, the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation has combined a passion for baseball and providing youngsters with the incentive and opportunity to pursue a college education for more than 25 years. Starting in 2017, one position player from a Division I baseball school in Texas will be presented with the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award -- based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity. The winner of the award will be announced in June and honored at a gala in the fall... DiCaprio, now a junior, was one of four finalists for the same award a year ago. The Coral Springs, Fla., native started 63 of the team's 64 games, including 58 times behind the plate. DiCaprio led the team in batting average (.366) and on-base percentage (.438), and was second on the squad in hits (87) and RBI (49). He helped carry the team in the second half of last season, hitting .385 over the final 32 games... Proctor was a fixture in the lineup last season, starting all 64 games at shortstop and playing all 553.2 innings at shortstop. He led the Owls in runs scored (58) and walks (39) and was second on the team with 19 doubles. The standout from Beaumont collected two or more hits in a game 17 times, including a career-high tying three hits in a game seven different times.
New At Reckling Park! Bixby Batting Barn; New Fan "Roost"
Rice's Reckling Park, the best place to watch and play a college game, is better than ever this season after its most-recent renovations that benefit both the student-athletes and fans. In the on-going commitment to player development, the enclosed Bixby Batting Barn down the right-field line has been upgraded with expansion and remodeling. The final phase of the upgrade is the installment of large color banners showcasing the program's 37 former Owls who have gone on to play in the major leagues. The true-blue fans meanwhile will be sure to flock to the permanent new 'Roost' on the first base side for in-game hospitality. The fully-air conditioned facility features its own restrooms, lobby and service area, as well as a tiered outdoor patio that is close to the action but safe with newly installed netting.
Rice Owls On The Coaching Staff
There are two former Rice Owls on Wayne Graham's 2018 coaching staff. Rice graduate and two-time Texas High School Baseball Coach of the Year John Pope (Jones College, 1990) is in his second season as an assistant coach at his alma mater. He played his final two collegiate seasons at Rice in 1988 and 1989 and went on to log 19 years of coaching in the high school ranks in the greater Houston area. Former major leaguer and 2003 Rice National Champion Paul Janish joined the Owls' baseball staff as an assistant coach in August of 2017. Janish (Wiess College) played professionally the last 13 years with nine seasons in the major leagues, most recently in 2017 with the Baltimore Orioles... "It is a unique challenge to be a student-athlete at Rice," coach Graham explained. "I like having former Rice players on the coaching staff who have already been through the experience. It is important our players are able to relate to the staff in that way."
Rookie Ball!
There are some Rice newcomers to keep an eye on in 2018. Third baseman Braden Comeaux joins the Owls as a sophomore transfer from LSU-Eunice, the No. 2 junior college program in the nation. Comeaux started 55 games for the Bengals primarily at shortstop, where he batted .377 with 53 runs scored, 49 RBI, a .447 on-base percentage and 30 stolen bases. True freshman second baseman Trei Cruz is a highly honored switch-hitting prep standout from nearby Episcopal High School who was selected in the 33rd round of the 2017 Major League Draft by the hometown Astros. Cruz is a Rice University legacy player as his father, Jose Cruz Jr. (1993-1995), and uncle, Enrique Cruz (2001-2003) both played for coach Graham.
21 Conference Titles In The Last 22 Years
After one year away Rice reclaimed a conference championship in 2017 by winning the C-USA Tournament title in Biloxi, Miss. From 1996 to 2015 the Owls had won or shared a total of 20-straight conference championships (including either regular season and/or conference tournament titles). The streak covered membership in three different leagues beginning with the Southwest Conference (1996), to nine seasons in the Western Athletic Conference (1997-2005) and now 11 C-USA titles from 2006-2017. Here is a closer look at Rice's title run the last 22 years:
Year Conf. Regular Season Conf. Tourney
2017 C-USA 6th 1st
2016 C-USA 4th 2nd
2015 C-USA 1st tied 7th
2014 C-USA 1st 1st
2013 C-USA tied 1st 1st
2012 C-USA 1st tied 5th
2011 C-USA tied 1st 1st
2010 C-USA 1st 2nd
2009 C-USA 2nd 1st
2008 C-USA 1st tied 7th
2007 C-USA 1st 1st
2006 C-USA 1st 1st
2005 WAC 1st no tourney
2004 WAC 1st no tourney
2003 WAC 1st no tourney
2002 WAC 1st no tourney
2001 WAC 1st no tourney
2000 WAC tied 1st no tourney
1999 WAC 1st 1st
1998 WAC 1st South Div. 1st
1997 WAC 1st South Div. 1st
1996 SWC tied 6th 1st
Rice Since 1999
Using the 1999 season as the starting point (the year the NCAA expanded the postseason tournament field to 64 teams with the current Super Regional format), Rice baseball has maintained one of the nation's top win percentages over the last 19 years. Here's a closer look at the country's winningest programs from 1999-2017 (note: this listing will not be updated to include games played in 2018):
Team Years Wins Loses Ties PCT
Florida State 19 922 344 1 .728
Rice 19 870 357 0 .709
North Carolina 19 846 360 1 .701
LSU 19 859 374 6 .696
South Carolina 19 861 380 0 .694
Cal St. Fullerton 19 814 371 0 .687
Coastal Carolina 19 806 368 1 .686
Miami (Fla.) 19 813 371 3 .686
Oral Roberts 19 776 360 0 .683
Texas 19 811 397 1 .671
Arizona State 19 731 367 2 .665
Virginia 19 765 393 3 .660
Georgia Tech 19 773 405 1 .656
Oregon State 19 715 381 1 .652
TCU 19 766 411 0 .651
Florida 19 789 426 2 .649
Louisville 19 757 412 1 .647
Clemson 19 795 433 1 .647
Nebraska 19 738 409 3 .643
Stanford 19 732 411 2 .640
Florida Atlantic 19 725 410 2 .639
Texas A&M 19 759 431 3 .637
Kent State 19 712 405 0 .637
Dallas Baptist 12 451 257 0 .637
East Carolina 19 729 420 4 .634
Oklahoma St. 19 724 424 0 .631
Southern Miss 19 727 426 1 .630
Tulane 19 726 429 2 .628
Col. of Charleston 19 704 418 2 .627
Vanderbilt 19 737 439 1 .627
Louisiana 19 724 437 2 .623
St. John's 19 669 408 3 .621
Ole Miss 19 726 448 1 .618
Arkansas 19 723 453 0 .615
