Wednesday, May 22
Biloxi, Miss.
2:45 PM
Rice University
vs
Southern Miss
Owls Face Southern Miss In Biloxi
5/21/2019 5:09:00 PM | Baseball
Rice Meets Golden Eagles In C-USA Tourney Opener
Listen online (pregame show 10 min. before start)
Rice Game Notes PDF
C-USA Tournament Bracket
May 22 (Wed.) 12:30 pm; Rice vs. Southern Miss Live Stats (link available at game time) Watch ESPN+
May 23 (Thur.) Time TBA; Rice vs. LA Tech/Marshall Live Stats (link available at game time) Watch ESPN+
The Rice baseball team (24-31 overall and 14-16 in Conference USA) is in action this week at The First 2019 C-USA Championship beginning Wednesday through Sunday (May 22-26) in Biloxi, Miss. The Championship returns to MGM Park, the minor league home of the Milwaukee Brewers' AA affiliate Biloxi Shuckers. The event features the league's top eight teams in two Omaha-style double-elimination brackets. The winner of the Championship earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week at 16 regional sites across the country.
Rice Meets Southern Miss In C-USA's Opening Round
Rice earned the No 7 seed of the Championship and plays No. 2 seed Southern Miss (34-19 overall, 20-10 C-USA) on Wednesday at 12:30 pm. The Owls then face either No. 3 seed Louisiana Tech (34-22, 17-13) or No. 6 seed Marshall (28-26, 14-15) on Thursday at either 9 am (loser's bracket) or 4 pm (winner's bracket). The Championship Final of the 24th annual tournament will be just one game on Sunday beginning at 1 pm.
Watch Early Tournament Action On ESPN+
Every game of the tournament before Sunday's Championship Final is scheduled for a live broadcast on ESPN+. The Championship Final is set for a live telecast by CBS Sports Network.
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 10 minutes before first pitch. Veteran J.P. Heath is in his 11th 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.
Head Coach Matt Bragga
A 19-year veteran of the head coaching ranks, Matt Bragga was named the 21st head coach in Rice baseball history on June 15, 2018. Bragga has spent the last 15 years as the Head Coach at Tennessee Tech, building that program into one of the best in the Ohio Valley Conference. The four-time OVC Coach of the Year led the Golden Eagles to three NCAA Tournament appearances, winning six OVC championships in the past 10 years while winning 40 or more games in four of the past six seasons. In 2018 he helped Tennessee Tech to its best season in school history, amassing a school and OVC-record 53 wins, the most in the country, while leading the team to the league's regular season title and its first-ever trip to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Jefferson, Ohio, native who played collegiately at Kentucky before a pro playing career, owns a Division I coaching record of 470-423-2. Bragga is aided by assistant coaches Cory Barton (Memphis, 2007, first year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; second year), and Connor Teykl (Rice, 2017; first year).
Two Owls Coaching On The Corners
There are two former Rice Owls on Matt Bragga's 2019 coaching staff. Former major leaguer and 2003 Rice National Champion Paul Janish is in his second year with the program. Janish (Wiess College) played professionally for 13 years with nine seasons in the major leagues, most recently in 2017 with the Baltimore Orioles. Rice graduate Connor Teykl (Baker College 2017) is in his first season as an assistant coach at his alma mater. As a four-year letterman from 2013 to 2016, Teykl helped lead the Rice baseball program to three Conference USA regular season championships and two league tournament titles. On game days Janish coaches at third base and Teykl coaches at first.
Probable Pitcher
Coach Bragga announced the Rice starting pitcher for Wednesday's Southern Miss game as junior RHP Matt Canterino (6-5, 2.90). Coach Bragga will announce other Rice starters at a later time.
Canterino Named C-USA Pitcher of the Year
BILOXI, Miss. – Led by Matt Canterino as the 2019 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year a total of four Rice baseball players earned all-conference honors, the C-USA office announced on Tuesday (May 21). Canterino, the fourth Owl to be named the C-USA Pitcher of the Year in program history, was joined on the league's First Team by senior designated hitter Andrew Dunlap. Sophomore infielder Trei Cruz and senior pitcher Evan Kravetz were named to the C-USA Second Team. All the C-USA honorees were selected on a vote of the conference's head coaches, sports information directors and a media representative who covers each program.
• This year Matt Canterino garnered a host of preseason attention in college baseball circles. The junior right-hander was voted the Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year by the league head coaches, a preseason All-American by Baseball America and the baseball writers (NCBWA), and to the initial watch list for the Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur player in the country. Last summer Canterino was selected to pitch for the United States collegiate national team and he was later the winning pitcher of the Cape Cod League All-Star game. The Southlake, Texas, native was a prep star at Carroll H.S. and has been the Owls' Friday night ace almost his entire career. He has notched wins in five of his last eight starts (including the home win over No. 18 ranked Louisiana Tech on April 26), a career high tying 12 strikeouts in 6.0 innings at Old Dominion (March 29) and the first complete game of his collegiate career with 9.0 frames against FIU (April 5). Canterino has posted double-digit strikeouts four times this season and 13 times in his career. He has amassed 339 strikeouts in three years and now needs 11 more to tie left-hander Mario Ramos (1997-1999) for sixth at Rice. With a 6-5 record and 2.90 ERA, Canterino has held opposing hitters to a composite .203 batting average while ranking second in the league with 112 strikeouts in a C-USA best 93.0 innings of work. His success on the mound, however, is only part of the story. Earlier this month Canterino was named to the CoSIDA District 7 All-Academic Baseball Team for maintaining a 3.96 grade point average in mechanical engineering.
• Dunlap has maintained a .312 batting average while ranking among the conference leaders with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. It is the first time in the senior's collegiate career to earn all-conference accolades.
• Cruz caught the voter's attention by batting .330 in league-only games. The Houston native belted eight home runs while leading the Owls in runs scored (46) and steals (6).
• Kravetz registered the best season of his collegiate career. The left-hander from Miami, Fla., was 5-2 as a weekend starter with a steady 3.33 ERA. He held opposing hitters to a .207 average while striking out 103 batters in just 75.2 innings.
Power Surge
Rice has hit seven home runs in its last six games to give the team a total of 48 homers this year. The Owls had already zoomed past their 2018 total of 35 home runs in just two-thirds of the at bats. The squad has been mashing the tater at a rate of one every 39.83 at bats as well as just barely under one per game (0.873) - both percentages are the best the program has done since 2010. The 48 homers are the program's third best mark in the last decade. Overall the squad's slugging percentage is higher this season (.411) than a year ago (.386). Rice already has 16 triples which is the second best mark in the last 10 years.
Rice At The C-USA Championship
Rice has had its share of success playing in the annual C-USA Championship. The Owls have won the event 7-of-13 times and were second on two occasions. Here's a closer look at the Blue & Gray's C-USA tournament history. (Year, Finish, Record)
2006, 1st, 4-0 2013, 1st, 4-0
2007, 1st, 4-1 2014, 1st, 4-1
2008, ---, 0-2 2015, ---, 0-2
2009, 1st, 4-0 2016, 2nd, 3-2
2010, 2nd, 3-1 2017, 1st, 4-0
2011, 1st, 3-1 2018, 3rd, 2-2
2012, ---, 1-2
News & Notes From Previous Appearance (May 16-18 at Marshall)
Huntington, W.Va. – For the third time in as many days Marshall rallied for a walk-off win in its last at bat, giving the Herd a 5-4 win over the Rice baseball team Saturday afternoon at Kennedy Center YMCA Field in Huntington, W.Va. Marshall completed the three-game sweep of the weekend series Saturday with a walk-off win for a third straight time. The Owls dropped a 4-5 decision in 11 innings Thursday, a 3-2 game in 10 innings Saturday, and a 5-4 finale in nine innings.
Quality Start: For the third time in the series the Owls had solid start on the mound. Saturday Jackson Parthasarathy worked a predetermined 5.0 innings, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six. For the weekend the three Rice starting pitchers of Parthasarathy, Matt Canterino and Kel Bordwine combined to allow a total of four runs on 16 hits and seven walks with 18 strikeouts in 19.0 innings.
Here's Who's Hot
Junior Braden Comeaux has hit safely in each of the last six games, going a combined 9-for-23 (.391) with three doubles (.522 SLG%), three walks (.481 OB%), four runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base... Junior Bradley Gneiting closed out the Marshall series going 4-for-9 (.444) with a home run and a double (.889 SLG%) with a pair of runs scored and a RBI.
Cruzin' Among The C-USA Leaders
Sophomore shortstop Trei Cruz ranked among the C-USA statistical leaders in a host of offensive categories. Cruz is second in the league in triples (6), eighth in total bases (113) and ninth in at bats (217). The former Houston prep star is also tied for 11th plate appearances (255) and 12th in the league in runs scored (46).
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2019 W-L records while wearing the various uniform combinations is as follows:
5-4 in all-pinstripes
8-7 in blue Old English jersey with pinstripe pants
4-4 in all-white
2-3 in blue 'flag' jersey with pinstripe pants
2-4 in blue & gray "R" jersey with gray pants
1-2 in blue 'flag' jersey with white pants
2-5 in all-gray
0-1 in blue Old English jersey with white pants
0-1 in blue & gray "R" jersey with pinstripe pants
Rice Game Notes PDF
C-USA Tournament Bracket
May 22 (Wed.) 12:30 pm; Rice vs. Southern Miss Live Stats (link available at game time) Watch ESPN+
May 23 (Thur.) Time TBA; Rice vs. LA Tech/Marshall Live Stats (link available at game time) Watch ESPN+
The Rice baseball team (24-31 overall and 14-16 in Conference USA) is in action this week at The First 2019 C-USA Championship beginning Wednesday through Sunday (May 22-26) in Biloxi, Miss. The Championship returns to MGM Park, the minor league home of the Milwaukee Brewers' AA affiliate Biloxi Shuckers. The event features the league's top eight teams in two Omaha-style double-elimination brackets. The winner of the Championship earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week at 16 regional sites across the country.
Rice Meets Southern Miss In C-USA's Opening Round
Rice earned the No 7 seed of the Championship and plays No. 2 seed Southern Miss (34-19 overall, 20-10 C-USA) on Wednesday at 12:30 pm. The Owls then face either No. 3 seed Louisiana Tech (34-22, 17-13) or No. 6 seed Marshall (28-26, 14-15) on Thursday at either 9 am (loser's bracket) or 4 pm (winner's bracket). The Championship Final of the 24th annual tournament will be just one game on Sunday beginning at 1 pm.
Watch Early Tournament Action On ESPN+
Every game of the tournament before Sunday's Championship Final is scheduled for a live broadcast on ESPN+. The Championship Final is set for a live telecast by CBS Sports Network.
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 10 minutes before first pitch. Veteran J.P. Heath is in his 11th 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.
Head Coach Matt Bragga
A 19-year veteran of the head coaching ranks, Matt Bragga was named the 21st head coach in Rice baseball history on June 15, 2018. Bragga has spent the last 15 years as the Head Coach at Tennessee Tech, building that program into one of the best in the Ohio Valley Conference. The four-time OVC Coach of the Year led the Golden Eagles to three NCAA Tournament appearances, winning six OVC championships in the past 10 years while winning 40 or more games in four of the past six seasons. In 2018 he helped Tennessee Tech to its best season in school history, amassing a school and OVC-record 53 wins, the most in the country, while leading the team to the league's regular season title and its first-ever trip to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Jefferson, Ohio, native who played collegiately at Kentucky before a pro playing career, owns a Division I coaching record of 470-423-2. Bragga is aided by assistant coaches Cory Barton (Memphis, 2007, first year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; second year), and Connor Teykl (Rice, 2017; first year).
Two Owls Coaching On The Corners
There are two former Rice Owls on Matt Bragga's 2019 coaching staff. Former major leaguer and 2003 Rice National Champion Paul Janish is in his second year with the program. Janish (Wiess College) played professionally for 13 years with nine seasons in the major leagues, most recently in 2017 with the Baltimore Orioles. Rice graduate Connor Teykl (Baker College 2017) is in his first season as an assistant coach at his alma mater. As a four-year letterman from 2013 to 2016, Teykl helped lead the Rice baseball program to three Conference USA regular season championships and two league tournament titles. On game days Janish coaches at third base and Teykl coaches at first.
Probable Pitcher
Coach Bragga announced the Rice starting pitcher for Wednesday's Southern Miss game as junior RHP Matt Canterino (6-5, 2.90). Coach Bragga will announce other Rice starters at a later time.
Canterino Named C-USA Pitcher of the Year
BILOXI, Miss. – Led by Matt Canterino as the 2019 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year a total of four Rice baseball players earned all-conference honors, the C-USA office announced on Tuesday (May 21). Canterino, the fourth Owl to be named the C-USA Pitcher of the Year in program history, was joined on the league's First Team by senior designated hitter Andrew Dunlap. Sophomore infielder Trei Cruz and senior pitcher Evan Kravetz were named to the C-USA Second Team. All the C-USA honorees were selected on a vote of the conference's head coaches, sports information directors and a media representative who covers each program.
• This year Matt Canterino garnered a host of preseason attention in college baseball circles. The junior right-hander was voted the Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year by the league head coaches, a preseason All-American by Baseball America and the baseball writers (NCBWA), and to the initial watch list for the Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur player in the country. Last summer Canterino was selected to pitch for the United States collegiate national team and he was later the winning pitcher of the Cape Cod League All-Star game. The Southlake, Texas, native was a prep star at Carroll H.S. and has been the Owls' Friday night ace almost his entire career. He has notched wins in five of his last eight starts (including the home win over No. 18 ranked Louisiana Tech on April 26), a career high tying 12 strikeouts in 6.0 innings at Old Dominion (March 29) and the first complete game of his collegiate career with 9.0 frames against FIU (April 5). Canterino has posted double-digit strikeouts four times this season and 13 times in his career. He has amassed 339 strikeouts in three years and now needs 11 more to tie left-hander Mario Ramos (1997-1999) for sixth at Rice. With a 6-5 record and 2.90 ERA, Canterino has held opposing hitters to a composite .203 batting average while ranking second in the league with 112 strikeouts in a C-USA best 93.0 innings of work. His success on the mound, however, is only part of the story. Earlier this month Canterino was named to the CoSIDA District 7 All-Academic Baseball Team for maintaining a 3.96 grade point average in mechanical engineering.
• Dunlap has maintained a .312 batting average while ranking among the conference leaders with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. It is the first time in the senior's collegiate career to earn all-conference accolades.
• Cruz caught the voter's attention by batting .330 in league-only games. The Houston native belted eight home runs while leading the Owls in runs scored (46) and steals (6).
• Kravetz registered the best season of his collegiate career. The left-hander from Miami, Fla., was 5-2 as a weekend starter with a steady 3.33 ERA. He held opposing hitters to a .207 average while striking out 103 batters in just 75.2 innings.
Power Surge
Rice has hit seven home runs in its last six games to give the team a total of 48 homers this year. The Owls had already zoomed past their 2018 total of 35 home runs in just two-thirds of the at bats. The squad has been mashing the tater at a rate of one every 39.83 at bats as well as just barely under one per game (0.873) - both percentages are the best the program has done since 2010. The 48 homers are the program's third best mark in the last decade. Overall the squad's slugging percentage is higher this season (.411) than a year ago (.386). Rice already has 16 triples which is the second best mark in the last 10 years.
Rice At The C-USA Championship
Rice has had its share of success playing in the annual C-USA Championship. The Owls have won the event 7-of-13 times and were second on two occasions. Here's a closer look at the Blue & Gray's C-USA tournament history. (Year, Finish, Record)
2006, 1st, 4-0 2013, 1st, 4-0
2007, 1st, 4-1 2014, 1st, 4-1
2008, ---, 0-2 2015, ---, 0-2
2009, 1st, 4-0 2016, 2nd, 3-2
2010, 2nd, 3-1 2017, 1st, 4-0
2011, 1st, 3-1 2018, 3rd, 2-2
2012, ---, 1-2
News & Notes From Previous Appearance (May 16-18 at Marshall)
Huntington, W.Va. – For the third time in as many days Marshall rallied for a walk-off win in its last at bat, giving the Herd a 5-4 win over the Rice baseball team Saturday afternoon at Kennedy Center YMCA Field in Huntington, W.Va. Marshall completed the three-game sweep of the weekend series Saturday with a walk-off win for a third straight time. The Owls dropped a 4-5 decision in 11 innings Thursday, a 3-2 game in 10 innings Saturday, and a 5-4 finale in nine innings.
Quality Start: For the third time in the series the Owls had solid start on the mound. Saturday Jackson Parthasarathy worked a predetermined 5.0 innings, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six. For the weekend the three Rice starting pitchers of Parthasarathy, Matt Canterino and Kel Bordwine combined to allow a total of four runs on 16 hits and seven walks with 18 strikeouts in 19.0 innings.
Here's Who's Hot
Junior Braden Comeaux has hit safely in each of the last six games, going a combined 9-for-23 (.391) with three doubles (.522 SLG%), three walks (.481 OB%), four runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base... Junior Bradley Gneiting closed out the Marshall series going 4-for-9 (.444) with a home run and a double (.889 SLG%) with a pair of runs scored and a RBI.
Cruzin' Among The C-USA Leaders
Sophomore shortstop Trei Cruz ranked among the C-USA statistical leaders in a host of offensive categories. Cruz is second in the league in triples (6), eighth in total bases (113) and ninth in at bats (217). The former Houston prep star is also tied for 11th plate appearances (255) and 12th in the league in runs scored (46).
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2019 W-L records while wearing the various uniform combinations is as follows:
5-4 in all-pinstripes
8-7 in blue Old English jersey with pinstripe pants
4-4 in all-white
2-3 in blue 'flag' jersey with pinstripe pants
2-4 in blue & gray "R" jersey with gray pants
1-2 in blue 'flag' jersey with white pants
2-5 in all-gray
0-1 in blue Old English jersey with white pants
0-1 in blue & gray "R" jersey with pinstripe pants
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballWBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09
VB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02