Friday, April 15
Houston, Texas
6:30 PM
Rice University
vs
UTSA
Owls Welcome Roadrunners to Reckling
4/14/2022 10:03:00 PM | Baseball
Blue-Gray Weekend
Rice welcomes UTSA to Reckling Park for a three-game series this weekend with games scheduled for 6:30 on Friday, 2:00 on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
How to Follow:
Watch: CUSAtv
Listen: Online / Rice Mobile App
Live Stats
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Cooper Chandler (1-5, 5.36) vs. RHP Luke Malone (4-1, 1.84)
Saturday: RHP Alex DeLeon (2-1, 4.60) vs. RHP Jacob Jimenez (2-1, 5.40)
Sunday: TBA
Owls on the Hill
#32 Cooper Chandler
6-2, 200, Gr. Frisco, Texas)
Making his ninth start (all in the Friday slot), the most since Matt Canterino started all 15 Friday games in 2019)... 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA in four C-USA starts... Sixth start of the year at Reckling (0-4, 5.84 ERA)... Has not allowed a home run at Reckling this year in 24.2 innings (five starts, one relief appearance)... No decision in his last outing at LA Tech on 4/8 (6,8,3,3,1,7)... Picked up his first win as an Owl and his first in two years overall at Marshall on 3/25 (6,4,2,2,2,7)... Last previous win came in his final start of 2020 for Pepperdine vs. FIU (2/29)... Has worked six innings in each of his last four starts, matching the longest outing by an Owl this year... Tied for eighth in the league in season strikeouts (49) and tied for sixth in C-USA games (26)... Has struck out at least five in every start this year... Started the season opener at Texas and the home opener vs. Lamar... Returned home to Texas for his final collegiate season after posting a 12-5 record and 3.17 ERA over 147.2 innings (98 strikeouts/45 walks) for the Waves and earning Freshman All-American honors in 2018. He pitched in six games with three starts last season at Pepperdine.
#17 Alex DeLeon (6-0, 190, Sr. Lago Vista, Texas)
Making his fifth start of the year, fourth consecutive (all in the weekend rotation) and the ninth of his career... Second on among the starters with a 4.30 ERA in C-USA action (three starts, two relief appearances)… No decision in his last start at LA Tech on 4/9 (4.1,5,1,1,1,2)... Five starts this season are a career-best, surpassing his total of three in the shortened 2020 campaign... Opened the year with five relief outings before making a start in the fourth game vs. Harvard and picking up the win... Second win came in relief vs. UAB on 3/18... ND in his last start (4/3 at Marshall) but struck out a career-high six in 4.1 innings... 1-0 in four career conference starts...Win came in a rain-shortened, five-inning shutout of Charlotte in the final game of 2021 (5,3,0,0,1,2).
Rice-UTSA Did You Know?
The series between the schools began in 1994 when head coach Jose Cruz Jr. was in his second season at Rice. The schools split the two games that season, with Rice winning 7-1 at Rice and UTSA 21-1 in San Antonio. Cruz was 3x8 in his career against the Roadrunners with a pair of doubles and he scored the Owls' lone run in the loss in San Antonio. The schools have met 39 times overall (26-13 Rice), 27 times as members of C-USA (15-12 Rice), and 19 times at Reckling Park (12-7 Rice) in addition to five meetings at Cameron Field (5-0 Rice)... In the first season as C-USA foes (2014), Rice took two of three from UTSA in the regular season and then defeated the Roadrunners 11-5 in the conference tournament final and give the Owls a sweep of the C-USA titles and a hosting assignment for an NCAA Regional. Last season the schools met eight times in a home-and-home series as part of the schedule alterations due to the pandemic, with UTS taking five of eight. The Owls' last win in the series at Reckling saw the Owls rally for six runs in the final inning on a three-run homer by Austin Bulman and then a walk-off, three-run blast with two outs by Cade Edwards to win 10-8.
RICE VS. UTSA (26-13)
4/25/2021 San Antonio L 4 - 12
4/24/2021 San Antonio L 6 - 12 (7)
4/24/2021 San Antonio W 5 - 4 (7)
4/23/2021 San Antonio W 8 - 6
3/28/2021 Reckling Park L 3 - 11
3/27/2021 Reckling Park L 1 - 4 (7)
3/27/2021 Reckling Park W 10 - 8 (7)
3/26/2021 Reckling Park L 4 - 16 (7)
3/24/2019 Reckling Park W 8 - 6
3/23/2019 Reckling Park L 3 - 9
3/22/2019 Reckling Park L 2 - 4
5/6/2018 San Antonio L 0 - 7
5/5/2018 San Antonio W 8 - 3
5/5/2018 San Antonio W 4 - 3
4/30/2017 Reckling Park W 6 - 5
4/29/2017 Reckling Park W 7 - 4
4/28/2017 Reckling Park L 6 - 10
3/20/2016 San Antonio W 1 - 0
3/19/2016 San Antonio L 1 - 6
3/18/2016 San Antonio W 9 - 4
4/19/2015 Reckling Park L 1 - 7
4/18/2015 Reckling Park W 8 - 2
4/18/2015 Reckling Park W 9 - 8
5/25/2014 Hattiesburg, Miss. W 11 - 5
5/11/2014 San Antonio W 11 - 2
5/10/2014 San Antonio W 11 - 3
5/9/2014 San Antonio L 2 - 4
3/20/2013 Reckling Park W 11 - 5
3/20/2012 Reckling Park W 9 - 1
2/13/2007 Reckling Park W 4 - 3
2/11/2003 Reckling Park W 6 - 4
3/22/2000 Reckling Park W 5 - 4
3/22/2000 Reckling Park W 10 - 3
2/3/1999 Cameron Field W 4 - 0
2/3/1999 Cameron Field W 6 - 2
4/1/1997 Cameron Field W 7 - 3
2/23/1996 Cameron Field W 21 - 7
5/5/1994 San Antonio L 1 - 21
3/16/1994 Cameron Field W 7 - 1
Familiar Foes
This will be the first meeting between Jose Cruz Jr. and UTSA head coach Patrick Hallmark as opposing head coaches, but their baseball careers began together when Hallmark's father (Jim) coached them in youth baseball. The two were high school rivals (Cruz at Bellaire-Hallmark at Westbury) while playing together on summer league teams. They were reunited as teammates at Rice in 1995 when Hallmark joined the Owls after two seasons at Alvin JC and both earned All-Southwest Conference honors that season.
Lights Out Linskey
Matthew Linskey is tied for seventh in C-USA with four saves, which is two shy of the Owls' team total from 2021... He has not allowed a run in his first 4 appearances, and has struck out 37 in 15.2 innings (21.3 per nine innings). In his last five one-inning appearances he has not thrown more than 13 pitches (12, 12, 10, 12, 13). He worked a career- best three innings at LA Tech on Sunday, and struck out eight (also a career-high and one less than the season-high for any Owl in 2021). On the season, he is holding opposing hitters to a .111 batting average (6x54) with five of the six hits coming with no one on base. Opposing hitters are hitting .077 (1x13) with runners on base.
Hot Corner
Jack Riedel has made nine starts and third and has at least one hit in each start (15x33, .455). While his nine starts at third have not been consecutive, he ironically also has a current nine-game hitting streak with identical numbers (15x33, .455... His current hitting streak includes five starts at third, two starts at first and one pinch-hitting appearance.
Locking it Down
After having just one errorless game in their first 24 contents, the Owls have had six clean games in their last 10 and committed just a single error in the four other games.
Punchouts
Owls pitching topped double figures in strikeouts in three consecutive games vs. Marshall, the second time they have done so this year. The last time Rice pitchers topped double figures in more than three consecutive games was from 4/13-26/19 (Charlotte, MTSU-3, LA Tech)... Owls pitchers have reached double digits in 12 of the last 18 games. In their last 192 innings (22 games), Owls pitchers have fanned 207.
Doubling Up
Rice matched its season-high with six doubles vs. A&M CC on Wednesday and now has 61 in the first 34 games. The Owls finished 2021 with 67 in 53 games last year.
Getting it Done in a Pinch
Rice pinch hitters are hitting .355 (11x31) their most pinch hits since they collected 19 in 2007 (19x57). Nathan Becker (3x5) leads the team, matching Ben Dukes (3x10) total as the team leader last year. On the other side of the diamond, Rice pitchers have held opposing pinch hitters to a .207 average so far (6x29).
Coming in Bunches
Rice has scored at least three runs in an inning 19 times in the last 18 games after doing it only six times in the first 16 games.
Quick Hits
• Nathan Becker Leads the Owls with a .355 average and a .459 on-base percentage and is tied for second with a career-high 33 hits... While his on-base streak end on Sunday at 26 games (the longest streak by an Owl since 2017) when he was retired as a pinch hitter, he has reached base in all 24 of his starts this year.
• Austin Bulman Leads the Owls in doubles (10), homers (7) and total bases (66) and second with 27 RBI... Slammed a pair of homers at Marshall in his return to his home state. Owls' active career leader with 16 homers.. 12-game hitting streak this year was the longest by an Owl since 2018.
• Antonio Cruz Has seven hits in his last 29 at-bats.... was 2x5 with two doubles (career-best) and three RBI (tied career-best) after entering the game vs. Texas A&M CC... Has scored five runs in his last seven games.
• Pierce Gallo Has hit in 15 of his last 19...Drove in a career-high four runs vs. Sam Houston and has driven in 17 runs in his last 19 games after driving in just one in the first 14.
• Guy Garibay Jr. Leads the team in hits (40), multi-hit games (12), and runs (28), tied for second with nine doubles... Collected a career-best four hits vs. SFA and matched it the next night vs. Sam Houston... After hitting his first career homer at Louisiana on 2/28/21 he has hit his last nine homers at Reckling Park.
• Johnny Hoyle Has hit in eight of his last 11 (.293, 12x41) while scoring seven runs, driving in three and stealing three bases... Three hits in a start vs. Sam Houston were his career high.
• Hal Hughes Returned to action after recovering from a preseason injury and delivered an RBI single in his first at-bat (3/30 vs. A&M CC) and has hit in six of his first nine games.
• Justin Long leads the team with 22 walks, matching his career-high set last season... 2x3 in each of the last two games vs.LA Tech, doubling his multi-hit total for the season.. Picked up his first multi-RBI game of the year vs. Sam Houston driving in a pair on a sac fly when his bases-loaded drive to center was snagged by the diving Bearkats centerfielder.
• Jack Riedel Has hit nine straight and in 16 of his last 19 games…. Has made nine starts and third and has at least one hit in each game (.455, 15x33).
• Aaron Smigelski Has doubled in four of his last five games... Drove in a career-high five while going 3x5 vs. HBU on 4/5… Singled twice and drove in three runs in the Owls' 11-run fifth innings… Broke an 0x13 stretch with a double vs. A&MCC on 3/30... Collected a hit in 15 of the first 17 games of his college career (19x51), the first two as a pinch hitter and the last 13 as a starter... Has five homers in his last seven games at Reckling Park, including homers in three consecutive at-bats (his last vs. SFA and his first two vs. UAB)... His first homer against the Blazers was measured by StatCast at 444 feet, the longest by an Owl.
• Connor Walsh Was 4x12 with a triple and three RBI in the series with Marshall... Leads the Owls with four steals.
• Drew Woodcox Fourth on the team with six doubles and has eight extra base hits in his last 14 games after collecting none in his first 13 games.
Quick Pitches
• Thomas Burbank Picked up his first career win in a start vs. HBU on 4/5 (5,1,0,0,2,5) and came back five days later to work five innings in a start vs. LA Tech (5,7,3,3,0,2) to take a tough 3-1 loss.. Made his second appearance out of the bullpen on Sunday in the finale at Marshall and took the loss... Worked three innings in relief against Texas Tech on 3/11 and struck out a season-high four (3,2,1,1,1,4)... Made three starts on the weekend to open the year and has added three in midweek action.
• Brandon Deskins Worked a scoreless eighth in the win at Sam Houston on Tuesday... Tossed 3.2 innings in relief vs. A&M CC on 3/30, the longest relief stint by an Owl this year.
• Roel Garcia Tossed two scoreless innings out of the pen at Sam Houston on Tuesday...Worked a team-high 4.0 innings in relief vs. FAU on 4/2 (4,5,2,2,0,4) but was tagged with the loss... Picked up his first win of the year with three shutout innings in relief at Marshall on 3/26 (3,1,0,0,2,3)... Fanned six in two innings at LA Tech on 4/9... Opened the year with a relief outing at Texas and then made four weekend starts… Walked four in 2.1 innings vs. Longhorns, but has walked only five in his last 23.1 innings while striking out 25... Struck out a career-high nine in four innings in a start vs. Texas Tech on 3/12 (4,2,2,0,1,9).
• Mark Perkins Made his second start at Sam Houston on Tuesday (2.2, 2,1,1,4,0)... .Made his starting debut in his last outing (vs. A&MCC on 3/30: 2.1,1,3,3,3,2)… Picked up his first career win with a career-long three innings against SFA on 3/15. After being touched for a pair of doubles and walking a batter without recording an out in his debut at Texas, he's allowed two runs in 7.2 innings (five appearances).
• Parker Smith Has made six starts (three in the weekend rotation)... Worked a season-low one inning in his last start at Marshall (1,3,4,2,0,2)... Made his collegiate debut in relief against Texas on 2/20 (2,2,1,1,0,0) and followed that with a midweek start at HBU in the first meeting between former Rice road roommates and Astros teammates José Cruz Jr. and Lance Berkman. Smith worked six shutout innings in which he allowed a pair of hits and struck out four while throwing just 56 pitches as he and head coach Jose Cruz Jr. each earned their first collegiate wins. Smith prepped at Houston's Bellaire HS, the same school that sent Cruz to Rice in 1992.
• David Shaw Tied for the team lead with 14 appearances... Earned his first career win coming on in relief at Sam Houston on Tuesday... Came into a 2-1 game with two outs and a runner at second and retired the nation's leader in RBI (Carlos Contreras) and retired him on a fly ball to center.
• Tom Vincent Picked up his first career win in relief against Sam Houston on 3/16.
• Garrett Zaskoda Matched his season-high by working three innings vs. FAU on 4/1. Tied his career-high with four K's (in three innings) vs. Houston... Has worked at least an inning in 10 of 11 appearances.
How to Follow:
Watch: CUSAtv
Listen: Online / Rice Mobile App
Live Stats
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Cooper Chandler (1-5, 5.36) vs. RHP Luke Malone (4-1, 1.84)
Saturday: RHP Alex DeLeon (2-1, 4.60) vs. RHP Jacob Jimenez (2-1, 5.40)
Sunday: TBA
Owls on the Hill
#32 Cooper Chandler
6-2, 200, Gr. Frisco, Texas)
Making his ninth start (all in the Friday slot), the most since Matt Canterino started all 15 Friday games in 2019)... 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA in four C-USA starts... Sixth start of the year at Reckling (0-4, 5.84 ERA)... Has not allowed a home run at Reckling this year in 24.2 innings (five starts, one relief appearance)... No decision in his last outing at LA Tech on 4/8 (6,8,3,3,1,7)... Picked up his first win as an Owl and his first in two years overall at Marshall on 3/25 (6,4,2,2,2,7)... Last previous win came in his final start of 2020 for Pepperdine vs. FIU (2/29)... Has worked six innings in each of his last four starts, matching the longest outing by an Owl this year... Tied for eighth in the league in season strikeouts (49) and tied for sixth in C-USA games (26)... Has struck out at least five in every start this year... Started the season opener at Texas and the home opener vs. Lamar... Returned home to Texas for his final collegiate season after posting a 12-5 record and 3.17 ERA over 147.2 innings (98 strikeouts/45 walks) for the Waves and earning Freshman All-American honors in 2018. He pitched in six games with three starts last season at Pepperdine.
#17 Alex DeLeon (6-0, 190, Sr. Lago Vista, Texas)
Making his fifth start of the year, fourth consecutive (all in the weekend rotation) and the ninth of his career... Second on among the starters with a 4.30 ERA in C-USA action (three starts, two relief appearances)… No decision in his last start at LA Tech on 4/9 (4.1,5,1,1,1,2)... Five starts this season are a career-best, surpassing his total of three in the shortened 2020 campaign... Opened the year with five relief outings before making a start in the fourth game vs. Harvard and picking up the win... Second win came in relief vs. UAB on 3/18... ND in his last start (4/3 at Marshall) but struck out a career-high six in 4.1 innings... 1-0 in four career conference starts...Win came in a rain-shortened, five-inning shutout of Charlotte in the final game of 2021 (5,3,0,0,1,2).
Rice-UTSA Did You Know?
The series between the schools began in 1994 when head coach Jose Cruz Jr. was in his second season at Rice. The schools split the two games that season, with Rice winning 7-1 at Rice and UTSA 21-1 in San Antonio. Cruz was 3x8 in his career against the Roadrunners with a pair of doubles and he scored the Owls' lone run in the loss in San Antonio. The schools have met 39 times overall (26-13 Rice), 27 times as members of C-USA (15-12 Rice), and 19 times at Reckling Park (12-7 Rice) in addition to five meetings at Cameron Field (5-0 Rice)... In the first season as C-USA foes (2014), Rice took two of three from UTSA in the regular season and then defeated the Roadrunners 11-5 in the conference tournament final and give the Owls a sweep of the C-USA titles and a hosting assignment for an NCAA Regional. Last season the schools met eight times in a home-and-home series as part of the schedule alterations due to the pandemic, with UTS taking five of eight. The Owls' last win in the series at Reckling saw the Owls rally for six runs in the final inning on a three-run homer by Austin Bulman and then a walk-off, three-run blast with two outs by Cade Edwards to win 10-8.
RICE VS. UTSA (26-13)
4/25/2021 San Antonio L 4 - 12
4/24/2021 San Antonio L 6 - 12 (7)
4/24/2021 San Antonio W 5 - 4 (7)
4/23/2021 San Antonio W 8 - 6
3/28/2021 Reckling Park L 3 - 11
3/27/2021 Reckling Park L 1 - 4 (7)
3/27/2021 Reckling Park W 10 - 8 (7)
3/26/2021 Reckling Park L 4 - 16 (7)
3/24/2019 Reckling Park W 8 - 6
3/23/2019 Reckling Park L 3 - 9
3/22/2019 Reckling Park L 2 - 4
5/6/2018 San Antonio L 0 - 7
5/5/2018 San Antonio W 8 - 3
5/5/2018 San Antonio W 4 - 3
4/30/2017 Reckling Park W 6 - 5
4/29/2017 Reckling Park W 7 - 4
4/28/2017 Reckling Park L 6 - 10
3/20/2016 San Antonio W 1 - 0
3/19/2016 San Antonio L 1 - 6
3/18/2016 San Antonio W 9 - 4
4/19/2015 Reckling Park L 1 - 7
4/18/2015 Reckling Park W 8 - 2
4/18/2015 Reckling Park W 9 - 8
5/25/2014 Hattiesburg, Miss. W 11 - 5
5/11/2014 San Antonio W 11 - 2
5/10/2014 San Antonio W 11 - 3
5/9/2014 San Antonio L 2 - 4
3/20/2013 Reckling Park W 11 - 5
3/20/2012 Reckling Park W 9 - 1
2/13/2007 Reckling Park W 4 - 3
2/11/2003 Reckling Park W 6 - 4
3/22/2000 Reckling Park W 5 - 4
3/22/2000 Reckling Park W 10 - 3
2/3/1999 Cameron Field W 4 - 0
2/3/1999 Cameron Field W 6 - 2
4/1/1997 Cameron Field W 7 - 3
2/23/1996 Cameron Field W 21 - 7
5/5/1994 San Antonio L 1 - 21
3/16/1994 Cameron Field W 7 - 1
Familiar Foes
This will be the first meeting between Jose Cruz Jr. and UTSA head coach Patrick Hallmark as opposing head coaches, but their baseball careers began together when Hallmark's father (Jim) coached them in youth baseball. The two were high school rivals (Cruz at Bellaire-Hallmark at Westbury) while playing together on summer league teams. They were reunited as teammates at Rice in 1995 when Hallmark joined the Owls after two seasons at Alvin JC and both earned All-Southwest Conference honors that season.
Lights Out Linskey
Matthew Linskey is tied for seventh in C-USA with four saves, which is two shy of the Owls' team total from 2021... He has not allowed a run in his first 4 appearances, and has struck out 37 in 15.2 innings (21.3 per nine innings). In his last five one-inning appearances he has not thrown more than 13 pitches (12, 12, 10, 12, 13). He worked a career- best three innings at LA Tech on Sunday, and struck out eight (also a career-high and one less than the season-high for any Owl in 2021). On the season, he is holding opposing hitters to a .111 batting average (6x54) with five of the six hits coming with no one on base. Opposing hitters are hitting .077 (1x13) with runners on base.
Hot Corner
Jack Riedel has made nine starts and third and has at least one hit in each start (15x33, .455). While his nine starts at third have not been consecutive, he ironically also has a current nine-game hitting streak with identical numbers (15x33, .455... His current hitting streak includes five starts at third, two starts at first and one pinch-hitting appearance.
Locking it Down
After having just one errorless game in their first 24 contents, the Owls have had six clean games in their last 10 and committed just a single error in the four other games.
Punchouts
Owls pitching topped double figures in strikeouts in three consecutive games vs. Marshall, the second time they have done so this year. The last time Rice pitchers topped double figures in more than three consecutive games was from 4/13-26/19 (Charlotte, MTSU-3, LA Tech)... Owls pitchers have reached double digits in 12 of the last 18 games. In their last 192 innings (22 games), Owls pitchers have fanned 207.
Doubling Up
Rice matched its season-high with six doubles vs. A&M CC on Wednesday and now has 61 in the first 34 games. The Owls finished 2021 with 67 in 53 games last year.
Getting it Done in a Pinch
Rice pinch hitters are hitting .355 (11x31) their most pinch hits since they collected 19 in 2007 (19x57). Nathan Becker (3x5) leads the team, matching Ben Dukes (3x10) total as the team leader last year. On the other side of the diamond, Rice pitchers have held opposing pinch hitters to a .207 average so far (6x29).
Coming in Bunches
Rice has scored at least three runs in an inning 19 times in the last 18 games after doing it only six times in the first 16 games.
Quick Hits
• Nathan Becker Leads the Owls with a .355 average and a .459 on-base percentage and is tied for second with a career-high 33 hits... While his on-base streak end on Sunday at 26 games (the longest streak by an Owl since 2017) when he was retired as a pinch hitter, he has reached base in all 24 of his starts this year.
• Austin Bulman Leads the Owls in doubles (10), homers (7) and total bases (66) and second with 27 RBI... Slammed a pair of homers at Marshall in his return to his home state. Owls' active career leader with 16 homers.. 12-game hitting streak this year was the longest by an Owl since 2018.
• Antonio Cruz Has seven hits in his last 29 at-bats.... was 2x5 with two doubles (career-best) and three RBI (tied career-best) after entering the game vs. Texas A&M CC... Has scored five runs in his last seven games.
• Pierce Gallo Has hit in 15 of his last 19...Drove in a career-high four runs vs. Sam Houston and has driven in 17 runs in his last 19 games after driving in just one in the first 14.
• Guy Garibay Jr. Leads the team in hits (40), multi-hit games (12), and runs (28), tied for second with nine doubles... Collected a career-best four hits vs. SFA and matched it the next night vs. Sam Houston... After hitting his first career homer at Louisiana on 2/28/21 he has hit his last nine homers at Reckling Park.
• Johnny Hoyle Has hit in eight of his last 11 (.293, 12x41) while scoring seven runs, driving in three and stealing three bases... Three hits in a start vs. Sam Houston were his career high.
• Hal Hughes Returned to action after recovering from a preseason injury and delivered an RBI single in his first at-bat (3/30 vs. A&M CC) and has hit in six of his first nine games.
• Justin Long leads the team with 22 walks, matching his career-high set last season... 2x3 in each of the last two games vs.LA Tech, doubling his multi-hit total for the season.. Picked up his first multi-RBI game of the year vs. Sam Houston driving in a pair on a sac fly when his bases-loaded drive to center was snagged by the diving Bearkats centerfielder.
• Jack Riedel Has hit nine straight and in 16 of his last 19 games…. Has made nine starts and third and has at least one hit in each game (.455, 15x33).
• Aaron Smigelski Has doubled in four of his last five games... Drove in a career-high five while going 3x5 vs. HBU on 4/5… Singled twice and drove in three runs in the Owls' 11-run fifth innings… Broke an 0x13 stretch with a double vs. A&MCC on 3/30... Collected a hit in 15 of the first 17 games of his college career (19x51), the first two as a pinch hitter and the last 13 as a starter... Has five homers in his last seven games at Reckling Park, including homers in three consecutive at-bats (his last vs. SFA and his first two vs. UAB)... His first homer against the Blazers was measured by StatCast at 444 feet, the longest by an Owl.
• Connor Walsh Was 4x12 with a triple and three RBI in the series with Marshall... Leads the Owls with four steals.
• Drew Woodcox Fourth on the team with six doubles and has eight extra base hits in his last 14 games after collecting none in his first 13 games.
Quick Pitches
• Thomas Burbank Picked up his first career win in a start vs. HBU on 4/5 (5,1,0,0,2,5) and came back five days later to work five innings in a start vs. LA Tech (5,7,3,3,0,2) to take a tough 3-1 loss.. Made his second appearance out of the bullpen on Sunday in the finale at Marshall and took the loss... Worked three innings in relief against Texas Tech on 3/11 and struck out a season-high four (3,2,1,1,1,4)... Made three starts on the weekend to open the year and has added three in midweek action.
• Brandon Deskins Worked a scoreless eighth in the win at Sam Houston on Tuesday... Tossed 3.2 innings in relief vs. A&M CC on 3/30, the longest relief stint by an Owl this year.
• Roel Garcia Tossed two scoreless innings out of the pen at Sam Houston on Tuesday...Worked a team-high 4.0 innings in relief vs. FAU on 4/2 (4,5,2,2,0,4) but was tagged with the loss... Picked up his first win of the year with three shutout innings in relief at Marshall on 3/26 (3,1,0,0,2,3)... Fanned six in two innings at LA Tech on 4/9... Opened the year with a relief outing at Texas and then made four weekend starts… Walked four in 2.1 innings vs. Longhorns, but has walked only five in his last 23.1 innings while striking out 25... Struck out a career-high nine in four innings in a start vs. Texas Tech on 3/12 (4,2,2,0,1,9).
• Mark Perkins Made his second start at Sam Houston on Tuesday (2.2, 2,1,1,4,0)... .Made his starting debut in his last outing (vs. A&MCC on 3/30: 2.1,1,3,3,3,2)… Picked up his first career win with a career-long three innings against SFA on 3/15. After being touched for a pair of doubles and walking a batter without recording an out in his debut at Texas, he's allowed two runs in 7.2 innings (five appearances).
• Parker Smith Has made six starts (three in the weekend rotation)... Worked a season-low one inning in his last start at Marshall (1,3,4,2,0,2)... Made his collegiate debut in relief against Texas on 2/20 (2,2,1,1,0,0) and followed that with a midweek start at HBU in the first meeting between former Rice road roommates and Astros teammates José Cruz Jr. and Lance Berkman. Smith worked six shutout innings in which he allowed a pair of hits and struck out four while throwing just 56 pitches as he and head coach Jose Cruz Jr. each earned their first collegiate wins. Smith prepped at Houston's Bellaire HS, the same school that sent Cruz to Rice in 1992.
• David Shaw Tied for the team lead with 14 appearances... Earned his first career win coming on in relief at Sam Houston on Tuesday... Came into a 2-1 game with two outs and a runner at second and retired the nation's leader in RBI (Carlos Contreras) and retired him on a fly ball to center.
• Tom Vincent Picked up his first career win in relief against Sam Houston on 3/16.
• Garrett Zaskoda Matched his season-high by working three innings vs. FAU on 4/1. Tied his career-high with four K's (in three innings) vs. Houston... Has worked at least an inning in 10 of 11 appearances.
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INF/OF
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P
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C
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INF
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INF
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P
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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