Tuesday, April 13
Houston
6:30 pm
Rice University
vs
Incarnate Word
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Baseball Hosts Incarnate Word Tuesday Night
4/12/2021 8:27:00 PM | Baseball
Start Time Set For 6:30 PM
Rice Owls Baseball
Game 33 | vs. Incarnate Word, Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 pm
Location: Reckling Park
Game Day Program: Online
Video Stream: CUSAtv
Listen Online: Audio
Live Stats: Here (all home games)
Series vs. UIW: Rice leads 4-0 since 1993; Complete series listing
The Rice baseball team (13-18-1 overall) closes out its five-game homestand on Tuesday (April 13). The Owls host Incarnate Word at 6:30 pm at Reckling Park. The Cardinals enter the midweek clash with a 12-15 ledger.
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.
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.
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.
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 487-457-3. Bragga is aided by assistant coaches Cory Barton (Memphis, 2007, third year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; fourth year), and Trevor Putzig (Tenn Tech, 2018; first year).
Possible Starting Pitcher
Coach Bragga announced Rice's starting pitcher for the Incarnate Word game as second-year freshman Garret Zaskoda (2-1, 5.40).
• Zaskoda has put in the work, both this season and a year ago, to earn his third collegiate start Tuesday night vs. the Cardinals. In seven appearances so far in 2021 the right-hander has posted two wins and averaged 7.6 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. His first career win was (a career-long at the time) 4.0 innings against crosstown foe Houston Baptist on the opening weekend of the season. His second win was in the team's most memorable outing so far this season, starting in a tense but thrilling 2-1 road win at longtime rival Texas A&M (March 23). On the big stage in College Station Zaskoda delivered his best collegiate outing with a career-long 5.1 innings and matching his career-high with four strikeouts. In his debut season of college baseball in 2020 he shared the staff lead with seven appearances, all of which were out of the bullpen. It may have been an abbreviated season in 2020, but the Sealy, Texas, native averaged a strikeout per inning and maintained a 3-to-1 strikeouts-to-walk ratio. Zaskoda was a multi-sport prep star at Sealy High School who helped the Tigers reach the each the Region 4 Quarterfinals of the 2019 4A state baseball tournament.
Previously: Owls Fall Sunday vs. No. 16 LA Tech
HOUSTON — Visiting Louisiana Tech rallied past an early Rice lead and added six late runs for a 13-4 Conference USA win over the Owls' baseball team in the finale of a weekend league series Sunday (April 11) at Reckling Park... LA Tech opened the scoring with a run in the top of the fourth but Rice was quick to respond. Cade Edwards lined a leadoff single and advanced to second on a ground out to the left side. Austin Bulman followed with a walk and the base runners executed a double-steal to put two in scoring position. Edwards trotted home easily on a sac fly to right. Bulman was able to score on a two-out RBI single by Bradley Gneiting for a 2-1 Rice lead... The No. 16 ranked Bulldogs regained the lead with two runs in the fifth and stretched the margin to five, 7-2, with four more in the sixth. The Blue & Gray took advantage of a pair of some free passes for two runs in the seventh. Will Karp and Justin Long both drew walks to begin the frame. Sophomore Johnny Hoyle, making his first collegiate start, roped a pitch through the left side for his for his first Division I hit and RBI. Long scored from third base on a ground out and the Owls were back within three, 7-4... The Bulldogs pushed across two unanswered runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth. The big blow was a three-run homer to make it 13-4.
• Rice improvised a new-look left side of the infield just before the first pitch as Will Karp (SS) and Johnny Hoyle (3B) started in place of Hal Hughes and Braden Comeaux, respectively. Hughes was held out to rest a knee while Comeaux reported he felt ill at pregame infield practice. He was not on the hot corner for the first time in 35 games dating back to last season.
• The Owl trio of Karp, Justin Dunlap and Bradley Gneiting all collected two hits in the game.
• With his ninth multi-hit game of the season Gneiting now has 199 career hits for the Owls.
• Cade Edwards closed out a sensational series against the No. 16 ranked Bulldogs going 7-for-16 (.438) with two home runs, a double, four runs scored and a stolen base.
• Edwards has reached base in 11 straight games, the longest active mark on the squad.
• Redshirt freshman Connor Walsh hit safely in all four games of the series to go 6-for-15 (.400) with a home run, triple and double for an .800 slugging percentage.
• The Owls used four pitchers who combined for 13 strikeouts. The Rice staff has recorded double-digit Ks 12 times, and it was the fourth time with at least 13 strikeouts.
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2021 W-L records while wearing the various uniform combinations is as follows:
2-1 in white jersey, 'Rice' in blue Old English
4-3 in gradient white jersey
1-1 in gradient blue jersey with white pants
1-1 in blue jersey, 'Rice' in white Old English and gray pants
1-1 in all gray ('Rice' in blue Old English)
1-2-1 in blue top, 'Rice' in Old English and pinstripe pants
2-4 in pinstripes
1-2 in gray "R" top
0-1 in blue top, 'Rice' in Old English and white pants
0-2 in gradient blue jersey 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 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.
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
Game 33 | vs. Incarnate Word, Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 pm
Location: Reckling Park
Game Day Program: Online
Video Stream: CUSAtv
Listen Online: Audio
Live Stats: Here (all home games)
Series vs. UIW: Rice leads 4-0 since 1993; Complete series listing
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 League Games Online Via CUSAtv
Rice's Conference USA league games are slated for a live online video broadcast via CUSAtv. The broadcast is a subscription service which matches the home team's 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 487-457-3. Bragga is aided by assistant coaches Cory Barton (Memphis, 2007, third year), Paul Janish (Rice, 2004; fourth year), and Trevor Putzig (Tenn Tech, 2018; first year).
Possible Starting Pitcher
Coach Bragga announced Rice's starting pitcher for the Incarnate Word game as second-year freshman Garret Zaskoda (2-1, 5.40).
• Zaskoda has put in the work, both this season and a year ago, to earn his third collegiate start Tuesday night vs. the Cardinals. In seven appearances so far in 2021 the right-hander has posted two wins and averaged 7.6 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. His first career win was (a career-long at the time) 4.0 innings against crosstown foe Houston Baptist on the opening weekend of the season. His second win was in the team's most memorable outing so far this season, starting in a tense but thrilling 2-1 road win at longtime rival Texas A&M (March 23). On the big stage in College Station Zaskoda delivered his best collegiate outing with a career-long 5.1 innings and matching his career-high with four strikeouts. In his debut season of college baseball in 2020 he shared the staff lead with seven appearances, all of which were out of the bullpen. It may have been an abbreviated season in 2020, but the Sealy, Texas, native averaged a strikeout per inning and maintained a 3-to-1 strikeouts-to-walk ratio. Zaskoda was a multi-sport prep star at Sealy High School who helped the Tigers reach the each the Region 4 Quarterfinals of the 2019 4A state baseball tournament.
Previously: Owls Fall Sunday vs. No. 16 LA Tech
HOUSTON — Visiting Louisiana Tech rallied past an early Rice lead and added six late runs for a 13-4 Conference USA win over the Owls' baseball team in the finale of a weekend league series Sunday (April 11) at Reckling Park... LA Tech opened the scoring with a run in the top of the fourth but Rice was quick to respond. Cade Edwards lined a leadoff single and advanced to second on a ground out to the left side. Austin Bulman followed with a walk and the base runners executed a double-steal to put two in scoring position. Edwards trotted home easily on a sac fly to right. Bulman was able to score on a two-out RBI single by Bradley Gneiting for a 2-1 Rice lead... The No. 16 ranked Bulldogs regained the lead with two runs in the fifth and stretched the margin to five, 7-2, with four more in the sixth. The Blue & Gray took advantage of a pair of some free passes for two runs in the seventh. Will Karp and Justin Long both drew walks to begin the frame. Sophomore Johnny Hoyle, making his first collegiate start, roped a pitch through the left side for his for his first Division I hit and RBI. Long scored from third base on a ground out and the Owls were back within three, 7-4... The Bulldogs pushed across two unanswered runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth. The big blow was a three-run homer to make it 13-4.
• Rice improvised a new-look left side of the infield just before the first pitch as Will Karp (SS) and Johnny Hoyle (3B) started in place of Hal Hughes and Braden Comeaux, respectively. Hughes was held out to rest a knee while Comeaux reported he felt ill at pregame infield practice. He was not on the hot corner for the first time in 35 games dating back to last season.
• The Owl trio of Karp, Justin Dunlap and Bradley Gneiting all collected two hits in the game.
• With his ninth multi-hit game of the season Gneiting now has 199 career hits for the Owls.
• Cade Edwards closed out a sensational series against the No. 16 ranked Bulldogs going 7-for-16 (.438) with two home runs, a double, four runs scored and a stolen base.
• Edwards has reached base in 11 straight games, the longest active mark on the squad.
• Redshirt freshman Connor Walsh hit safely in all four games of the series to go 6-for-15 (.400) with a home run, triple and double for an .800 slugging percentage.
• The Owls used four pitchers who combined for 13 strikeouts. The Rice staff has recorded double-digit Ks 12 times, and it was the fourth time with at least 13 strikeouts.
Winning Is Always In Fashion
For the fashion-minded, Rice's 2021 W-L records while wearing the various uniform combinations is as follows:
2-1 in white jersey, 'Rice' in blue Old English
4-3 in gradient white jersey
1-1 in gradient blue jersey with white pants
1-1 in blue jersey, 'Rice' in white Old English and gray pants
1-1 in all gray ('Rice' in blue Old English)
1-2-1 in blue top, 'Rice' in Old English and pinstripe pants
2-4 in pinstripes
1-2 in gray "R" top
0-1 in blue top, 'Rice' in Old English and white pants
0-2 in gradient blue jersey 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 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.
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
Inf.
/ Baseball
Inf.
/ Baseball
Inf./OF
/ Baseball
Inf.
/ Baseball
OF/Inf.
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
Inf.
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
Inf./OF
/ Baseball
P
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