Rice University Athletics
Owls Play C-USA Series At UTSA
5/4/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
E-mail baseball SID John Sullivan
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May 4 (Fri.) 6 pm; Rice at UTSA is POSTPONED due to weather.
New schedule being posted soon!
May 5 (Sat.) 4 pm; Rice at UTSA
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May 6 (Sun.) 1 pm; Rice at UTSA
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Rice Begins Four-Game Road Swing In San Antonio
The Rice baseball team, 18-25-2 overall and in ninth place in Conference USA with a 7-12-2 league record, is on the road for each of its next four games. The Owls return to C-USA action May 4-6 for a three-game weekend series at UTSA. The red-hot Roadrunners (25-18 overall, 11-9 C-USA) hold fourth place in the conference standings. Start times in San Antonio are set for 6 pm Friday, 4 pm Saturday and 1 pm on Sunday... After the UTSA series Rice wraps-up the road swing at longtime foe Sam Houston State on May 8 (Tues.). The first pitch at Sanders Stadium in Hunstville is scheduled for 6:30 pm.
Watch Friday & Sunday UTSA Games Online Via CUSAtv
Note that only the Friday and Sunday games at UTSA 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. There will not be a UTSA webcast for any game(s) played on Saturday (May 5).
Play-By-Play Audio On The Web
Video or not, 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.
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.
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.
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 1,165-522-2 with the Owls (689-199-1 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 20-5 vs. UTSA (15-2 at home, 4-3 road, 1-0 neutral)... 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).
1,739 Collegiate Wins • A Baseball Odyssey
Wayne Graham owns 1,164 Division I wins at Rice, but his career victories tally to 1,739 when you include his 11 years at San Jacinto North College where he won five national championships. Graham's overall "collegiate record" is 1,739-633-2 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 Rotation
Coach Graham announced two of the weekend's three starting pitchers for the UTSA series. Sophomore RHP Matt Canterino (4-4, 3.26) will pitch in the Friday opener. Sophomore RHP Addison Moss (1-3, 1.91) is the scheduled starter for game two. Coach Graham will announce Sunday's starter at a later time.
Last Time Out: Owls Hold-Off Lamar Wednesday To Win 2-1
HOUSTON - The Rice baseball team halted a pair of late rallies by getting dramatic inning-ending outs at the plate to claim a 2-1 victory over the visiting Lamar Cardinals Wednesday evening Reckling Park... With two outs and one run already in for a 2-1 score the top of the eighth inning, Rice left fielder Andrew Dunlap scooped up a base hit and fired the ball home to freshman catcher Justin Collins as a Lamar pinch runner was trying to score from second. Collins made the tag and hung on to the ball in a collision for the final out of the inning, preserving the 2-1 lead... Lamar was again close to getting the tying run home in the top of the ninth. This time the play was on tricky, slow-developing infield hit up the middle by Lamar's Avery George. George beat the throw to first, and a Lamar runner who went from second to third base tried to get the 90 extra feet for a tie score. Rice first baseman Chace Sarchet, however, alertly threw home where Collins' tag was in time for the third and final out of the contest... The Owls improved to 18-25-2 overall. Lamar is 15-31 on the season... Rice true freshman Trei Cruz broke up a scoreless deadlock with a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. The rookie standout blasted a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for his fourth longball of the season... The Blue & Gray added another run in the seventh. Ryan Chandler led off with a walk, stole second base and moved up to third on a Lamar error on the steal attempt. Chandler scored easily on Dunlap's RBI double down the left field line and the run proved to be critical... Four Rice pitchers, Roel Garcia, Jackson Parthasarathy, Evan Kravetz and Garrett Gayle, combined to keep a hungry Lamar squad off the scoreboard for the first seven frames. The Cardinals broke through for a run on three hits in the eighth to make it 2-1. Dunlap's first career defensive assist with Collins holding strong in the crunch kept Rice in front. Freshman hurler Dane Acker notched his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth... The Owls' have closed out their longest homestand of the season. Rice is on the road for each of its next four games.
Here's Who's Hot
Senior Ryan Chandler has been playing well since the Middle Tennessee series nine games ago. Chandler is a combined 17-for-35 (.486) over the last nine games with a triple and a double for a .571 slugging percentage. He also has eleven walks for a .609 OB%... In a larger sample spanning the last twelve games, junior Ford Proctor is 22-for-his-last-53 (.415) with four home runs and six doubles for a .755 SLG%. He also has scored 12 times, driven-in 13 runs and drawn six walks for a .467 OB%... Keep an eye on true freshman Trei Cruz. In his last five games the rookie second baseman is 7-of-18 (.389) with two home runs for a .722 SLG%. He's also driven-in five runs, scored five times and drawn five walks for a .522 OB%... Sophomore Braden Comeaux has likewise posted a solid stretch where he is a combined 12-of-31 (.387) with a triple, a double, six RBI and a pair of stolen bases.
Career Climber
Heading into the UTSA series Ryan Chandler is second on Rice's all-time list for official career at bats with 906. The senior from Houston now needs 18 more at bats to tie the Rice school record of 924 held by Austin Davis (2001-2004). Chandler also started his 230th career game Wednesday and is in sole possession of sixth place all-time at Rice. Each of Chandler's 230 starts has been in centerfield. With one more start Chandler will tie Ford Stainback (2012-2015) for fifth all-time at Rice. On the base hits list Chandler is 16 away from tying Lance Berkman (1995-1997) for fourth all-time at Rice. Chandler also has 52 career doubles to tie for ninth all-time. Brian Friday (2005-2007) is next on that list with 55 doubles.
This & That
Rice's current .422 win percentage is at exactly the same point where it was through 45 games last season... 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:
7-6-1 in all-white
7-6 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
