Friday, March 12
Houston
5 pm
Rice University
vs
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Baseball Hosts Multi-Team Weekend
3/11/2021 3:35:00 PM | Baseball
Great Games At Reckling Park
Rice Owls Baseball (5-6) This Weekend
Baseball Game Day Program
Games 13 | vs. Northern Illinois, Friday, March 12, 5 pm
Games 13 | vs. Kansas State, Saturday, March 13, 4 pm
Games 14 | vs. Northern Illinois, Sunday, March 14, 10:30 am
Games 15 | vs. Kansas State, Sunday, March 14, 2 pm
Location: Reckling Park
Video Streams: CUSAtv
Listen Online: Audio
Live Stats: Here (All Home Games)
Series vs. NIU: Rice leads, 2-0 (Last Meeting: Rice Won 1-0, 3/30/70)
Series vs. KState: Rice leads, 3-1 (Last Meeting: Rice Won 13-4, 6/1/09)
HOUSTON — The Rice baseball team (5-6) continues the current homestand with a pair of teams visiting Reckling Park this weekend. Kansas State (8-4) and Northern Illinois (1-6) join the Owls for a busy round-robin weekend at Reckling Park.
SEATING UPDATES AT RECKLING PARK - Seating at Reckling Park has been reduced in 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols and a limited number of reserved season tickets remain available as well as a limited amount of general single game tickets. Reserved seats have been assigned in a physically distanced manner and fans will be required to wear masks at all times unless actively eating or drinking. Fans are encouraged to review all of the protocols before attending the games this weekend.
LIMITED CONCESSIONS NOW AVAILABLE
A limited food menu featuring hot dogs and hamburgers will be available for home games at Reckling Park.
PARKING AT THE PARK - Parking is free in the Greenbriar Lot west of Rice Stadium and $5 in the Orange Lots (West Lot 3, 4 and 5).
SEASON TICKETS - Season tickets for the 2021 campaign are currently on sale. Season ticket members and donors who have purchased tickets for the 2021 season will then have their seats assigned in priority order based on Owl Club/season ticket status. Seat assignments are available now. Season ticket members can renew their seats online at Riceowls.com/myaccount and new season tickets can be purchased here. Group tickets will be made available, pending availability, on a first-come basis. Interested parties should fill out this form to indicate your interest in bringing a group to a game this season. Details on the confirmation of ticket purchases and seating locations will be emailed directly to season ticket members and student-athlete families. Current Rice students will receive emails with further information on how to access a limited number of tickets, which will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Any ticketing questions should be directed to the ticket office by calling 713-348-6957 or emailing tickets@rice.edu.
Watch Reckling Park Games Online Via CUSAtv
Rice home baseball games are slated for a live online video broadcast via CUSAtv. The broadcast is a subscription 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 and other platforms can alter the availability.
Rice 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 now in his 13th season as the voice of the Owls. Different broadcasters are scheduled to announce some upcoming games until the completion of the respective Rice men's and women's basketball seasons. Jason Metko has the call for games on Friday and Saturday. Matt Pedersen has the Sunday slate.
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.
OWL IN
The Owl In logo represents the continued commitment of Rice Athletics' student-athletes, coaches, and staff to come together for positive change throughout our department, campus, and world. With increased efforts in education, policy development, and action as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, members of the Rice Athletics community will become better equipped to ensure we can fulfill our department's desire to be a more inclusive and welcoming place. To learn more about being Owl In, visit RiceOwls.com/OwlIn.
Head Coach Matt Bragga
A 20-year veteran of the head coaching ranks, Matt Bragga was named the 21st head coach in Rice baseball history on June 15, 2018. He went 26-33 at Rice in his first season in 2019. The Owls were 2-14 when the 2020 season came to an abrupt end, but consider 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. Prior to Rice Bragga sent 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 10 years while reaching 40 or more wins in four of six seasons from 2013-2018. 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 479-445-2. Bragga is aided by assistant coaches Cory Barton (Memphis, 2007, third year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; fourth year), and Trevor Putzig (Tennessee Tech, 2018; first year).
Possible Starting Pitchers
Coach Bragga announced Rice's starting pitchers for the next three games. Taking the mound for the Owls is the right-handed trio Blake Brogdon, Roel Garcia and Mitchell Holcomb. Coach Bragga will announce a fourth weekend starter at a later time.
• Blake Brogdon (0-2, 8.31 ERA) returns as the initial starting pitcher of the weekend, the same role he had at the College Classic on March 5 (Friday). After a total of 1.1 innings and just one outing in his debut season of collegiate baseball in 2019, Coach Bragga might have raised a few eyebrows when he selected Brogdon as the Game 2 starter for the 2020 season-opening series against the nationally-ranked Texas Longhorns. The head coach got it right. Brogdon was sound and solid in his collegiate starting debut, scattering just three hits while working into the sixth inning. He finished with a career-long 5.2 innings vs. Texas, but was tabbed with a loss as his teammates on the offensive side did not support him with so much as one single run. The week after that he struck out eight in 5.0 innings at west coast power UC Irvine. He also pitched 5.0 innings in a home start against Missouri State. In four outings in 2020 Brogdon held opposing hitters to a composite .194 batting average with 8.4 strikeouts per 9.0 innings of work. His improvement and the hard work he has put in since his debut season has caught the coaches' attention. Prior to Rice the 6-foot-2 Brogdon was a local prep standout at Cypress Woods High School just northwest of Houston.
• It may have taken a long time in finally arriving, but Roel Garcia (1-0, 2.77 ERA) is back in 2021 and ready to have his first full collegiate season since 2018. By design this year Garcia worked just 4.0 innings in his first starts against HBU and Louisiana. He moved up 5.0 innings against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 6. Garcia has allowed four runs in the 13.0 innings while striking out 14 and scattering three walks. In 2020 Garcia struck out three of the eight batters he faced in 2.0 innings at west coach power Cal Irvine. Things were looking up, but then the 2020 season came to an unexpected end and he had to replay the waiting game. The Deer Park, Texas, native is a veteran in his fifth year with the program, but he was sidelined all of 2019. Even without pitching in a single game in 2019, that did not stop the Toronto Blue Jays from selecting him in the 27th round of that year's MLB Draft. The 6-foot-4 right-hander had an improved second season of Division I baseball in 2018, finishing among the Rice staff leaders in starts (tied second), wins (tied third), innings (fourth), strikeouts (fifth) and opponents' batting average (fifth). He made 15 pitching appearances with 11 starts, including six times in Conference USA league games. Garcia totaled 52.0 innings with starts against high-RPI teams Texas A&M, TCU, Southern Miss and Florida Atlantic (twice). He pitched at least 5.0 innings in a game six times. Garcia was tabbed to be a significant part of Matt Bragga's debut Rice season in 2019, but the big right-hander was lost for the year in a preseason practice in January.
• Mitchell Holcomb (1-1, 8.64 ERA) is a graduate transfer from the Ivy League (Penn) who is originally from Georgetown, Texas. Holcomb started the opening game of the 2021 season vs. HBU and he wound up starting three games in a 12-day stretch. By simply joining Rice he became one of the most experienced Division I pitchers on the Owl staff, owning a total of 31 career appearances, including 28 starts, totaling 163.0 innings. In four years at Penn he maintained a 4.03 career ERA and averaged 7.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings of work. Holcomb made two starts on the mound for the Quakers in abbreviated 2020 season totaling 13.0 innings. He fired 8.0 shutout innings scattering four hits and striking out eight for a road victory at Conference USA foe FIU. In the 2020 season he held opposing hitters to a composite .213 batting average. A highlight from earlier in his career was fanning 12 batters at Yale in 2018. The Texas native is a 2016 graduate of Meridian High School (located between Fort Worth and Waco). He was a two-time first team All-State selection who led the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back 2A state titles in 2015-2016.
Previously: Deskins Posts Career Outing In Win Tuesday Over HBU
Owl left-hander Brandon Deskins posted career highs in strikeouts (11) and innings (6.0) to help pace the Rice Baseball team to a 3-1 victory over crosstown foe Houston Baptist on March 9 (Tues.) at Reckling Park. In his first start of the season, and only the fourth start of his collegiate career, Deskins was sensational to earn his first victory as an Owl. The third-year sophomore allowed just two hits with no walks while registering an eye-opening 11 strikeouts in a career long 6.0 innings of work. He struck out five of the first six batters he faced in the game to equal his previous career high. The standout from Friendswood, Texas, added another six Ks over the next three innings for 11 on the night – the highest strikeout mark for a Rice pitcher since second round MLB Draft pick Matt Canterino fanned 11 WKU batters in May of 2019. Deskins was in high gear, and he needed to be because it was a tight one-run game after the six first frames. The Owls struck quickly for a run in the bottom of the first inning on a triple to left-center by Guy Garibay, who then alertly dashed home on a HBU wild pitch. The Huskies tied the game in the fourth on a solo homer to left by Christian Dumont. It proved to be the only damage Deskins and the Owl staff would allow, but the score was deadlocked until the fifth when Garibay doubled and scored on Bradley Gneiting's RBI single to left. The Blue & Gray added one more insurance run in the seventh on a leadoff double by Braden Comeaux, a passed ball and sacrifice fly by Gneiting. Rice right-hander Drake Greenwood followed Deskins in the seventh and pitched a pair of hitless frames. Garibay moved from his starting spot in centerfield to the mound to start the ninth and the rookie earned his first career save with an efficient 1-2-3 inning.
Head Coach Matt Bragga Said
"Wow, Brandon was really, really special tonight and that was fun to watch," coach Bragga said. "He executed a lot of pitches, consistently got ahead of hitters and set the tone for the night when we needed him to that. I am happy for him because he has worked hard this whole time. I liked Drake coming in and doing what he needed to do, getting that hold and setting it up for Guy who closed it out."
Four Games vs. One Opponent
The game was already the fourth meeting of the year between the crosstown foes. Facing a team four times is going to be a reoccurring theme for the Owls in 2021. In addition to facing upcoming opponent Southern University four times (March 19-21), the Owls are scheduled to play four-game series in Conference USA league action starting on March 26 vs. UTSA.
Of Note
• The Owl trio of Garibay, Comeaux and Gneiting all had two hits each. Comeaux and Gneiting share the team lead with four multi-hit games.
• Gneiting stole a pair of bases on the night (in the second and fifth innings) to tie a career high.
• Cade Edwards drew a walk in the fifth to extend his streak of reaching base to ten-straight games.
• Just prior to the game Gneiting and Justin Dunlap were selected the 2021 All-College Classic Team for outstanding play over the weekend at Minute Maid Park.
• Rice's leadoff batter reached base in five of its eight offensive innings.
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2021 W-L records while wearing the various uniform combinations is as follows:
3-0 in modern white
1-0 in gradient blue with white pants
1-1 in gray "R" top
0-1 in blue top with 'Rice' in Old English and pinstripe pants
0-2 in pinstripes
0-2 in gradient blue with gray pants
Preseason Accolades For Comeaux
Rice's Braden Comeaux was selected to 2021 Preseason All-Conference USA Baseball Team in the league's annual head coaches' poll, the C-USA office announced on Thursday (Feb. 11). The Rice graduate who is playing with an added year of eligibility led the Owls in hitting (.349) and slugging percentage (.535) in 2020. He was also second on the on the squad in runs scored (7), on-base average (.404) and home runs (1) – all while playing in just ten of the team's 16 games during that abbreviated collegiate season. Comeaux reached base safely in eight of his ten games played and batted .333 with runners in scoring position. Comeaux has long-had the full attention of the C-USA head-coaches, but now his reputation is growing. On Feb. 10 he was one of just 48 players from across the country named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious 2021 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. At the conclusion of the season one position player will be presented with the foundation's Slugger Award. Since its inception in 2017 the award is based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
The C-USA Preseason Poll
In the 2021 C-USA head coaches preseason poll Rice was selected third in the new divisional format being introduced this year. Here are the results of the league's 12 head coaches (first place votes in parentheses):
WEST
1. Southern Miss (10)
2. Louisiana Tech (2)
3. Rice
4. Middle Tennessee
5. UTSA
6. UAB
EAST
1. Florida Atlantic (10)
2. Old Dominion (1)
3. FIU (1)
4. WKU
5. Charlotte
6. Marshall
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 21 years. Here's a closer look at the country's winningest programs from 1999-2020 (note: this listing will not be updated to include games played in 2021):
Team Years Wins Loses Ties PCT
Florida State 22 1019 391 1 .723
North Carolina 22 948 406 1 .700
LSU 22 950 432 6 .687
South Carolina 22 938 438 0 .682
Coastal Carolina 22 896 418 2 .682
Rice 22 924 435 2 .680
Miami (Fla.) 22 894 421 3 .679
Oral Roberts 22 849 416 0 .671
Cal St. Fullerton 22 881 434 0 .670
Texas 22 894 450 1 .665
Oregon St. 22 811 422 3 .657
Louisville 22 866 453 1 .656
Arizona St. 22 805 422 2 .656
Georgia Tech 22 858 456 1 .653
Virginia 22 840 446 3 .653
Florida 22 888 474 2 .652
Clemson 22 891 478 1 .651
Baseball Game Day Program
Games 13 | vs. Northern Illinois, Friday, March 12, 5 pm
Games 13 | vs. Kansas State, Saturday, March 13, 4 pm
Games 14 | vs. Northern Illinois, Sunday, March 14, 10:30 am
Games 15 | vs. Kansas State, Sunday, March 14, 2 pm
Location: Reckling Park
Video Streams: CUSAtv
Listen Online: Audio
Live Stats: Here (All Home Games)
Series vs. NIU: Rice leads, 2-0 (Last Meeting: Rice Won 1-0, 3/30/70)
Series vs. KState: Rice leads, 3-1 (Last Meeting: Rice Won 13-4, 6/1/09)
LIMITED CONCESSIONS NOW AVAILABLE
A limited food menu featuring hot dogs and hamburgers will be available for home games at Reckling Park.
PARKING AT THE PARK - Parking is free in the Greenbriar Lot west of Rice Stadium and $5 in the Orange Lots (West Lot 3, 4 and 5).
SEASON TICKETS - Season tickets for the 2021 campaign are currently on sale. Season ticket members and donors who have purchased tickets for the 2021 season will then have their seats assigned in priority order based on Owl Club/season ticket status. Seat assignments are available now. Season ticket members can renew their seats online at Riceowls.com/myaccount and new season tickets can be purchased here. Group tickets will be made available, pending availability, on a first-come basis. Interested parties should fill out this form to indicate your interest in bringing a group to a game this season. Details on the confirmation of ticket purchases and seating locations will be emailed directly to season ticket members and student-athlete families. Current Rice students will receive emails with further information on how to access a limited number of tickets, which will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Any ticketing questions should be directed to the ticket office by calling 713-348-6957 or emailing tickets@rice.edu.
Watch Reckling Park Games Online Via CUSAtv
Rice home baseball games are slated for a live online video broadcast via CUSAtv. The broadcast is a subscription 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 and other platforms can alter the availability.
Rice 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 now in his 13th season as the voice of the Owls. Different broadcasters are scheduled to announce some upcoming games until the completion of the respective Rice men's and women's basketball seasons. Jason Metko has the call for games on Friday and Saturday. Matt Pedersen has the Sunday slate.
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.
OWL IN
The Owl In logo represents the continued commitment of Rice Athletics' student-athletes, coaches, and staff to come together for positive change throughout our department, campus, and world. With increased efforts in education, policy development, and action as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, members of the Rice Athletics community will become better equipped to ensure we can fulfill our department's desire to be a more inclusive and welcoming place. To learn more about being Owl In, visit RiceOwls.com/OwlIn.
Head Coach Matt Bragga
A 20-year veteran of the head coaching ranks, Matt Bragga was named the 21st head coach in Rice baseball history on June 15, 2018. He went 26-33 at Rice in his first season in 2019. The Owls were 2-14 when the 2020 season came to an abrupt end, but consider 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. Prior to Rice Bragga sent 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 10 years while reaching 40 or more wins in four of six seasons from 2013-2018. 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 479-445-2. Bragga is aided by assistant coaches Cory Barton (Memphis, 2007, third year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; fourth year), and Trevor Putzig (Tennessee Tech, 2018; first year).
Possible Starting Pitchers
Coach Bragga announced Rice's starting pitchers for the next three games. Taking the mound for the Owls is the right-handed trio Blake Brogdon, Roel Garcia and Mitchell Holcomb. Coach Bragga will announce a fourth weekend starter at a later time.
• Blake Brogdon (0-2, 8.31 ERA) returns as the initial starting pitcher of the weekend, the same role he had at the College Classic on March 5 (Friday). After a total of 1.1 innings and just one outing in his debut season of collegiate baseball in 2019, Coach Bragga might have raised a few eyebrows when he selected Brogdon as the Game 2 starter for the 2020 season-opening series against the nationally-ranked Texas Longhorns. The head coach got it right. Brogdon was sound and solid in his collegiate starting debut, scattering just three hits while working into the sixth inning. He finished with a career-long 5.2 innings vs. Texas, but was tabbed with a loss as his teammates on the offensive side did not support him with so much as one single run. The week after that he struck out eight in 5.0 innings at west coast power UC Irvine. He also pitched 5.0 innings in a home start against Missouri State. In four outings in 2020 Brogdon held opposing hitters to a composite .194 batting average with 8.4 strikeouts per 9.0 innings of work. His improvement and the hard work he has put in since his debut season has caught the coaches' attention. Prior to Rice the 6-foot-2 Brogdon was a local prep standout at Cypress Woods High School just northwest of Houston.
• It may have taken a long time in finally arriving, but Roel Garcia (1-0, 2.77 ERA) is back in 2021 and ready to have his first full collegiate season since 2018. By design this year Garcia worked just 4.0 innings in his first starts against HBU and Louisiana. He moved up 5.0 innings against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 6. Garcia has allowed four runs in the 13.0 innings while striking out 14 and scattering three walks. In 2020 Garcia struck out three of the eight batters he faced in 2.0 innings at west coach power Cal Irvine. Things were looking up, but then the 2020 season came to an unexpected end and he had to replay the waiting game. The Deer Park, Texas, native is a veteran in his fifth year with the program, but he was sidelined all of 2019. Even without pitching in a single game in 2019, that did not stop the Toronto Blue Jays from selecting him in the 27th round of that year's MLB Draft. The 6-foot-4 right-hander had an improved second season of Division I baseball in 2018, finishing among the Rice staff leaders in starts (tied second), wins (tied third), innings (fourth), strikeouts (fifth) and opponents' batting average (fifth). He made 15 pitching appearances with 11 starts, including six times in Conference USA league games. Garcia totaled 52.0 innings with starts against high-RPI teams Texas A&M, TCU, Southern Miss and Florida Atlantic (twice). He pitched at least 5.0 innings in a game six times. Garcia was tabbed to be a significant part of Matt Bragga's debut Rice season in 2019, but the big right-hander was lost for the year in a preseason practice in January.
• Mitchell Holcomb (1-1, 8.64 ERA) is a graduate transfer from the Ivy League (Penn) who is originally from Georgetown, Texas. Holcomb started the opening game of the 2021 season vs. HBU and he wound up starting three games in a 12-day stretch. By simply joining Rice he became one of the most experienced Division I pitchers on the Owl staff, owning a total of 31 career appearances, including 28 starts, totaling 163.0 innings. In four years at Penn he maintained a 4.03 career ERA and averaged 7.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings of work. Holcomb made two starts on the mound for the Quakers in abbreviated 2020 season totaling 13.0 innings. He fired 8.0 shutout innings scattering four hits and striking out eight for a road victory at Conference USA foe FIU. In the 2020 season he held opposing hitters to a composite .213 batting average. A highlight from earlier in his career was fanning 12 batters at Yale in 2018. The Texas native is a 2016 graduate of Meridian High School (located between Fort Worth and Waco). He was a two-time first team All-State selection who led the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back 2A state titles in 2015-2016.
Previously: Deskins Posts Career Outing In Win Tuesday Over HBU
Owl left-hander Brandon Deskins posted career highs in strikeouts (11) and innings (6.0) to help pace the Rice Baseball team to a 3-1 victory over crosstown foe Houston Baptist on March 9 (Tues.) at Reckling Park. In his first start of the season, and only the fourth start of his collegiate career, Deskins was sensational to earn his first victory as an Owl. The third-year sophomore allowed just two hits with no walks while registering an eye-opening 11 strikeouts in a career long 6.0 innings of work. He struck out five of the first six batters he faced in the game to equal his previous career high. The standout from Friendswood, Texas, added another six Ks over the next three innings for 11 on the night – the highest strikeout mark for a Rice pitcher since second round MLB Draft pick Matt Canterino fanned 11 WKU batters in May of 2019. Deskins was in high gear, and he needed to be because it was a tight one-run game after the six first frames. The Owls struck quickly for a run in the bottom of the first inning on a triple to left-center by Guy Garibay, who then alertly dashed home on a HBU wild pitch. The Huskies tied the game in the fourth on a solo homer to left by Christian Dumont. It proved to be the only damage Deskins and the Owl staff would allow, but the score was deadlocked until the fifth when Garibay doubled and scored on Bradley Gneiting's RBI single to left. The Blue & Gray added one more insurance run in the seventh on a leadoff double by Braden Comeaux, a passed ball and sacrifice fly by Gneiting. Rice right-hander Drake Greenwood followed Deskins in the seventh and pitched a pair of hitless frames. Garibay moved from his starting spot in centerfield to the mound to start the ninth and the rookie earned his first career save with an efficient 1-2-3 inning.
Head Coach Matt Bragga Said
"Wow, Brandon was really, really special tonight and that was fun to watch," coach Bragga said. "He executed a lot of pitches, consistently got ahead of hitters and set the tone for the night when we needed him to that. I am happy for him because he has worked hard this whole time. I liked Drake coming in and doing what he needed to do, getting that hold and setting it up for Guy who closed it out."
Four Games vs. One Opponent
The game was already the fourth meeting of the year between the crosstown foes. Facing a team four times is going to be a reoccurring theme for the Owls in 2021. In addition to facing upcoming opponent Southern University four times (March 19-21), the Owls are scheduled to play four-game series in Conference USA league action starting on March 26 vs. UTSA.
Of Note
• The Owl trio of Garibay, Comeaux and Gneiting all had two hits each. Comeaux and Gneiting share the team lead with four multi-hit games.
• Gneiting stole a pair of bases on the night (in the second and fifth innings) to tie a career high.
• Cade Edwards drew a walk in the fifth to extend his streak of reaching base to ten-straight games.
• Just prior to the game Gneiting and Justin Dunlap were selected the 2021 All-College Classic Team for outstanding play over the weekend at Minute Maid Park.
• Rice's leadoff batter reached base in five of its eight offensive innings.
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2021 W-L records while wearing the various uniform combinations is as follows:
3-0 in modern white
1-0 in gradient blue with white pants
1-1 in gray "R" top
0-1 in blue top with 'Rice' in Old English and pinstripe pants
0-2 in pinstripes
0-2 in gradient blue with gray pants
Preseason Accolades For Comeaux
Rice's Braden Comeaux was selected to 2021 Preseason All-Conference USA Baseball Team in the league's annual head coaches' poll, the C-USA office announced on Thursday (Feb. 11). The Rice graduate who is playing with an added year of eligibility led the Owls in hitting (.349) and slugging percentage (.535) in 2020. He was also second on the on the squad in runs scored (7), on-base average (.404) and home runs (1) – all while playing in just ten of the team's 16 games during that abbreviated collegiate season. Comeaux reached base safely in eight of his ten games played and batted .333 with runners in scoring position. Comeaux has long-had the full attention of the C-USA head-coaches, but now his reputation is growing. On Feb. 10 he was one of just 48 players from across the country named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious 2021 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. At the conclusion of the season one position player will be presented with the foundation's Slugger Award. Since its inception in 2017 the award is based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
The C-USA Preseason Poll
In the 2021 C-USA head coaches preseason poll Rice was selected third in the new divisional format being introduced this year. Here are the results of the league's 12 head coaches (first place votes in parentheses):
WEST
1. Southern Miss (10)
2. Louisiana Tech (2)
3. Rice
4. Middle Tennessee
5. UTSA
6. UAB
EAST
1. Florida Atlantic (10)
2. Old Dominion (1)
3. FIU (1)
4. WKU
5. Charlotte
6. Marshall
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 21 years. Here's a closer look at the country's winningest programs from 1999-2020 (note: this listing will not be updated to include games played in 2021):
Team Years Wins Loses Ties PCT
Florida State 22 1019 391 1 .723
North Carolina 22 948 406 1 .700
LSU 22 950 432 6 .687
South Carolina 22 938 438 0 .682
Coastal Carolina 22 896 418 2 .682
Rice 22 924 435 2 .680
Miami (Fla.) 22 894 421 3 .679
Oral Roberts 22 849 416 0 .671
Cal St. Fullerton 22 881 434 0 .670
Texas 22 894 450 1 .665
Oregon St. 22 811 422 3 .657
Louisville 22 866 453 1 .656
Arizona St. 22 805 422 2 .656
Georgia Tech 22 858 456 1 .653
Virginia 22 840 446 3 .653
Florida 22 888 474 2 .652
Clemson 22 891 478 1 .651
Players Mentioned
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/ Baseball
Inf.
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
Inf./OF
/ Baseball
Inf.
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
P
/ 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