Owls and Panthers Close out Season in Miami

The Rice Owls wrap up their 2022 season with three games in Miami against FIU from Thursday through Saturday.

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Pitching Matchups
Thursday: LHP David Shaw (2-2, 6.88) vs. RHP Patrick Pridgen (2-6, 4.48)
Friday: RHP Cooper Chandler (1-7, 5.72) vs. RHP Carlos Lequerica (1-1, 6.35)
Saturday: Both teams TBA

Owls on the Hill
#14 David Shaw
6-7 205, Fr. Houston, Texas
Making his fourth career start and his third consecutive in a weekend series opener.. Made his starting debut in a series-opener at Charlotte on 5/6… Tagged for a pair of homers in three innings in the loss after giving up only one homer in his first 27 innings... Has made 14 of his 21 appearances this season at home… Made his collegiate starting debut on 4.30 vs. WKU and worked the first five innings to pick up the win (5,3,2,1,1,3)… Moved into the rotation after posting a team-leading 18 appearances in relief... 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in his last six appearances (14,9,4,3,3,12)... Earned his first career win in relief at Sam Houston on 4/12... Came into a 2-1 game with two outs in the third and a runner at second to face the nation's leader in RBI (Carlos Contreras) and retired him on a fly ball to center...Made his collegiate debut at Texas on 2/20, striking out Trey Faltine with the bases loaded and two out.

#32 Cooper Chandler
6-2, 200, Gr. Frisco, Texas
Making his team-leading 13th start… Returned to the rotation after a week off when he faced MTSU on 5/14 but was not involved in the decision as the Owls rallied from a 4-1 deficit to force extra innings…. Worked a season-high seven innings in a 1-0 loss at then #6 Southern Miss on 4/22 (7,5,1,1,0,4)... First C-USA pitcher to work seven innings and hold Golden Eagles to only one run... Made the first 10 Friday starts, the most since Matt Canterino started all 15 Friday games in 2019)... 10 starts are two shy from his career-high of 12 when he was a Freshman All-American at Pepperdine in 2018...Has struck out a career-high 59 and is 17.1 innings away from matching his 2018 total...1-3 with a 4.93 ERA in six C-USA starts... Ranks 14th in C-USA in strikeouts in conference games (37)... 11th in C-USA with 12 struck out looking... 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 five of his last six starts... 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.

Rice-FIU Did You Know?
Rice leads the all-time series, which began with a pair of games in Miami in 1985, 20-8. Rice leads the C-USA series 12-7 overall (1-1 in the postseason). The Owls hold a 10-2 advantage in games in Miami while the teams have split a pair of meetings in the C-USA tournament. The first meeting between the schools in 1985 was part of a four-game Spring Break trip for the Owls where they defeated FIU twice and dropped two games at Miami.   RIce's last win in Miami came in dramatic fashion in the first game of a doubleheader on 5/18/18 as freshman Luis Aviles hit a pinch-hit grand slam to cap a five-run ninth-inning rally and give Rice a 6-2 win. Aviles homer was the last by an Owls' pinch hitter until Jack Riedel connected on Saturday in the ninth inning vs. Middle Tennessee. Not that we want to jinx things, but the schools have been forced to play doubleheaders in each of the last three series (2017-19).

Rice vs. FIU (20-8 overall, 10-2 in Miami)
      4/6/2019     Reckling Park          L     2 - 5
      4/6/2019     Reckling Park          L 7 - 13
      4/5/2019     Reckling Park        W     8 - 5
      5/18/2018   Miami, FL              W     6 - 2
      5/18/2018   Miami, FL                L     6 - 8
      3/26/2017   Reckling Park          L     5 - 7
      3/25/2017   Reckling Park        W    8 - 4
      3/25/2017   Reckling Park              L 3 - 4
      5/8/2016     Miami, FL              W 12 - 1(7)
      5/7/2016     Miami, FL              W     3 - 0
      5/6/2016     Miami, FL              W     2 - 0
      5/20/2015   Hattiesburg, Miss.    L     5 - 6
      5/16/2015   Reckling Park        W 3 - 2(7)
      5/16/2015   Reckling Park        W 7 - 4 (7)
      5/14/2015   Reckling Park          L 1 - 11
      5/21/2014   Hattiesburg, Miss. W    9 - 2
      3/16/2014   Miami, FL              W 11 - 7
      3/15/2014   Miami, FL              W 10 - 2
      3/14/2014   Miami, FL              W 3 - 2 (13)
      3/10/2013   Miami, FL                L 7 - 11
      3/9/2013     Miami, FL              W 6 - 5 (10)
      3/8/2013     Miami, FL              W     7 - 2
      2/19/2012   Reckling Park        W     8 - 1
      2/18/2012   Reckling Park        W 5 - 4 (12)
      2/17/2012   Reckling Park        W     6 - 2
      3/9/2011     Reckling Park        W 10 - 2
      3/3/1985     Miami, FL              W 17 - 3
      3/2/1985     Miami, FL              W    10 - 2

Nice Opener
Rice opened this stretch of four road games to conclude the 2022 season by defeating Houston 5-4 in 12 innings on Tuesday night. After leading 3-1, the Owls scored a run in the ninth to tie it, then won it thanks to an RBI single by Jack Ben-Shoshan in the 12. Rice had been 0-38 in 2022 when trailing after eight innings before posting the win in the final game of the annual Silver Glove Series.

Solid Up the Middle
As a team, Rice leads C-USA and ranks 33^rd nationally with 42 double plays this season, thanks in large part to the combined work of Hal Hughes and Pierce Gallo. In 18 games since Hughes returned to the starting lineup at short (after missing 25 games with a preseason injury) and Gallo moved from shot to second, the duo has handled 165 chances with only one error while turning 10 double plays. The Owls had 11 combined errors at the two positions in the first 25 games. Gallo has committed one error in 86 chances at second while Hughes has not committed one in his last 129 chances (30 games) dating back to last year.

Tough Slate
Rice's 2022 schedule ranks as the 30th toughest in the country and second in C-USA in the most recent tabulation by the NCAA. The Owls' past opposition had compiled a .569 winning percentage through May 6. Middle Tennessee led C-USA schools with a .575 winning percentage for its past competition (24th overall).

End of an Era
Last weekend's series with Middle Tennessee was the final set of games played on natural grass at Reckling Park, where the Owls compiled a final record of 510-213 on the sod. Rice announced plans on May 9 to replace the natural grass field with a state-of-the-art Act Global TM NR34 synthetic turf playing surface in time for the opening of drills in the fall of 2022. The renovation of the 23-year-old facility's playing surface was made possible by a lead gift from former Owl and World Series champion Anthony Rendon and his wife Amanda, through their foundation Husky Owl, along with support from Rice alumni JC and Jen Kneale, the RBI Club and Rice University. Texas-based sports field construction company Ryan-Sanders Sports Services, (RS3 Turf) will be the installer for the project. Rice will become the RS3 Turf signature NCAA Division I baseball field featuring its new NR34 system manufactured by Act Global. Features of the NR34 system include a natural ball bounce, reduced infill splash, and a ball pace that closely simulates a natural grass playing surface. The feature infill will be an organic Brockfill (wood chips as opposed to rubber) specifically designed to reduce surface heat in the summer. A Brockpad will also be featured to help reduce surface impact and promote player safety. RS3 (parent company Ryan Sanders) has been based in Texas for the past 22 years. In addition to serving as the home field for five of the Owls' seven College World Series teams, Reckling Park has hosted 10 NCAA Regional, five NCAA Super Regionals, and a pair of Conference USA Championships since it first opened in 2000. The original field was renovated after the 2007 season to install an upgraded drainage system that vastly increased the facility's ability to withstand the impact of thunderstorms.

Getting it Done in a Pinch
Thanks to Jack Riedel's pinch-hit home run on Saturday, Rice pinch hitters are now hitting .325 (13x40) the Owls' most pinch hits since they collected 19 in 2007 (19x57). Riedel's pinch homer was the first by an Owl since Luis Aviles drilled a grand slam in the top of the ninth at FIU on 5//18/18 and was the first by an Owl at Recking since Chase McDowell on 2/22/11 vs. Lamar. Nathan Becker leads the team with four pinch hits this year. The last Owl to have four pinch hits in a season was Grayson Lewis (4x15). The last to have more than four was Keenan Cook, who was 5x9 in 2012.   On the other side of the diamond, Rice pitchers have held opposing pinch hitters to a .233 average so far (10x43).

Solid Up the Middle
As a team, Rice leads C-USA and ranks 33rd nationally with 42 double plays this season, thanks in large part to the play of Pierce Gallo who has started 51 of 53 games this season (32 at short and 19 at second base). He opened the year at short and then moved to second for 19 games when Hal Hughes returned from an injury and moved back to shortstop for the Charlotte series. Gallo leads Conference USA with 155 assists and is tied for second with 31 double plays.

Doubling Up
Owls hitters have 96 doubles in 53 games, 29 more than they totaled in 53 games last year.

Coming in Bunches
Rice has scored at least three runs in an inning 27 times in the last 37 games after doing it only six times in the first 16 games.

Quick Hits
• Nathan Becker 3x8 with a double vs. MTSU... Leads the Owls with a .325 average and a .412 on-base percentage and is third with a career-high 52 hits... Opened the season by reaching base in 26 games (the longest streak by an Owl since 2017) and has reached in 37 of his 41 starts overall and 21 of 23 starts in conference, while also going 4x6 as a pinch hitter, the most pinch-hits by an Owl since 2015.
• Jack Ben-Shoshan Drove in the winning run vs. Houston on Tuesday with a single in the 12th inning after Entering the game as a pinch runner... 1x3 in one start vs. MTSU and also appeared as a pinch runner.. Moved into the starting role in center vs. UTSA and singled in his first at-bat, breaking an 0-22 streak after singling in his first career at-`bat on 2/19. Hit safely in all three games vs. UTSA (4x12) along with his first two RBI and his fourth stolen base.
• Austin Bulman 4x11 vs. MTSU... Leads the Owls in homers (9), doubles (15), RBI (37) extra-base hits (26), slugging percentage (.495 and total bases (102)... Has hit in 23 of 27 conference games and has five of his seven multi-RBI games in C-USA action... Slammed a pair of homers at Marshall in his return to his home state. Owls' active career leader with 16 homers... Has three of the Owls' nine homers on the road...12-game hitting streak this year was the longest by an Owl since 2018.
• Antonio Cruz 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.
• Justin Dunlap 1x5 in a start vs. MTSU on 5/14... Made his first start since 3/12 at Southern Miss on 4/24 and was 1x3 with a walk... Started vs. Houston on 5/9 and was 1x5.
• Pierce Gallo 2x10 vs. MTSU... Leads the Owls with a .305 average in C-USA games (32x105) and with 10 steals in all games... Became the second Owl this season with a pair of four-hit games when he was 4x5 vs. WKU on 4/30... Collected four RBI in the same game and leads the team with three games with four RBI (two of them in C-USA play)... Has driven in 28 runs in his last 38 games after driving in just one in the first 14.. Has started 34 games at short and 19 at second base.. Leads C-USA with 155 assists overall... Tied for 2nd with 31 double plays in all games.
• Guy Garibay Jr. 4x13 in three games vs. MTSU... Hitting .339 and slugging .551 at Recking Park (10 doubles, five homers) and 31 of his 34 RBI... Hit his first road home run at Charlotte since his career opening series against Louisiana last season... Had gone 113 at-bats on the road without a homer since connecting for the first of his career at Louisiana on 2/28/21… Leads the team in hits (58), multi-hit games (16), walks (30) and runs (39) and is second in RBI (34) and doubles (14),... All totals are career highs... Collected a career-best four hits vs. SFA and matched it the next night vs. Sam Houston.
• Manny Garza 5x11 in three games vs. MTSU... Has hit in 11 of 14 starts (21x48) since returning to action after missing 30 games with an injury... Has six multi-hit games in 11 C-USA starts and has also thrown out 10 base runners in conference play (tied for third)... Hit his first career triple and added a double vs. Houston on 5/3... Started two of three at Southern Miss and threw out all three attempting to steal... Returned to the lineup vs. UTSA on 4/16 with a splash, collecting a career-high four hits (4x4), including his first career double.
• Johnny Hoyle Has made 17 starts this year (4 at 3B, 10 at 2B, 2 in CF, 1 at 1B). Three hits in a start vs. Sam Houston were his career-high.
• Justin Long 1x9 in three games vs.MTSU... Hitting .300 in 16 road games (12x40)... Seven of his last nine starts have been at third... 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 who was unable to regain his footing in time to hold the runners.
• Jack Riedel 1x5 in two games vs. MTSU... Slugged the Owls first pinch hit homer since 2018 and the first at home since 2011 to start a two-out rally vs. Middle Tennessee to force the game into extra innings. Has collected three hits in a game three times (tied for third on the team).
• Benjamin Rosengard 1x2 with an RBI and also walked in Game Two of the Silver Glove Series 11 starts this season (5 at third, 3 at second and 3 at short).
• Aaron Smigelski 0x2 vs. Middle Tennessee… Leads the team with eight multi-RBI games, is tied for second in homers (6) and is third in RBI (31)...Looking to become the first freshman to lead the Owls in RBI since Trei Cruz tied for the lead with 45 in 2018... 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... Slugged 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 at home this season.
• Connor Walsh 3x12 with a triple vs. Middle Tennessee... Has started the last nine in center and is hitting .393 over that stretch (13x33) with 10 runs and eight RBI... Set career-highs for hits (4), runs (3), home runs (2), and RBI (5) at Charlotte and matched his run total while collecting a career-best two doubles at Houston on 5/17… Homers at Charlotte were his first in over a year and the second was measured by StatCast at 466 feet.

Quick Pitches
• Thomas Burbank Second on the team with ten starts and has made four relief appearances... Worked a career-best 3.2 innings in relief to close out the game at Charlotte on 5/6 (3.2,3,1,1,1,4). His four strikeouts were his most as a reliever. Made his first career Friday start vs. WKU on 4/29 and took the loss (2.2,2,2,2,2,3)… 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.. Worked three innings in relief against Texas Tech on 3/11 and struck out a season-high four (3,2,1,1,1,4).
• Micah Davis Has not allowed a run in two of his last four appearances and has six strikeouts in his last four innings.. Worked a season-high two innings vs. Houston on 5/3 (2,2,0,0,1,2).
• Alex DeLeon 18 appearances this year, 10 in relief along with a career-high eight starts...Worked five innings in relief against MTSU on 5/13 (5,5,3,3,1,4)... Picked up his team-leading third win in a start against WKU on May Day (5,2,1,1,2,2)... 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...Tossed the Owls' last complete-game shutout, holding Charlotte, off the scoreboard on 5/16/21 (5,3,0,0,1,2) in a shutout shortened to five innings to close out the 2021 season for Rice.
• Brandon Deskins Has made a career-high 22 appearances this season, including four starts… Second on the team with 53 strikeouts (20 looking, T9 in CUSA) ... Broke a four-game losing streak by picking up the win in relief vs. UTSA on 4/17, matching his season-high with 3.2 innings out of the pen while giving up one hit and fanning three... Worked a scoreless eighth in the win at Sam Houston on 4/12.
• Roel Garcia Second on the team with a 3.77 ERA at home (13 ER in 31 IP)... Tied for second on the team with a career-high 50 strikeouts... Tossed two scoreless innings out of the pen at Sam Houston on 4/12... 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… Struck out a career-high nine in four innings in a start vs. Texas Tech on 3/12 (4,2,2,0,1,9).
• Matthew Linskey Tied for 10th in C-USA with four saves, which is two shy of the Owls' team total from 2021, but has not had a save opportunity since 3/26 at Marshall (10 games)... Did not allow a run in his first 14 appearances and has struck out 47 in 27 innings (15.7 per nine innings)... He worked a career-best three innings at LA Tech on 4/10 and struck out
eight (also a career-high and one less than the season-high for any Owl in 2021)... Has worked three innings in each of his last two appearances... On the season, he is holding opposing hitters to a .222 batting average (22x99).
• Mark Perkins   Worked a career-best four innings in relief at Charlotte on 5/7 (4,3,2,2,2,1).... Pitched two scoreless innings in relief vs. UTSA on 4/16 and has allowed just three runs over his last 13.0 relief innings (eight appearances).. Made his second start at Sam Houston on 4/12 (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.
• Parker Smith Made his ninth start of the year and his third consecutive in the Silver Glove Series on 5/17 and tossed 5.1 innings, his longest outing since his first career start vs. HBU... First Owl to start three Silver Glove games in the same year since Josh Baker started three of the four games in 2004... Wade Townsend made three starts vs. Houston in 2003 and added a fourth in Game Three of the 2003 Super Regional to send the Owls on to Omaha ... Smith has made six starts in midweek games and three in the weekend rotation) and a pair of relief appearances... 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 on 2/23 in the first meeting between former Rice road roommates/Astros teammates José Cruz Jr. and Lance Berkman. Smith worked six shutout innings, allowed a pair of hits, and struck out four while throwing just 56 pitches. Joined his head coach in earning his first career collegiate win in a 6-2 win.
• Garret Zaskoda Picked up his first win of the year working three scoreless frames in extra innings vs. Houston on 5/17 (3,2,0,0,1,1)...Worked a season-high 4.0 innings vs. Louisiana on 5/10 (4.0,6,2,1,0,6) and struck out a career-high six batters... Leads the team with a 3.60 ERA at home (10 ER in 25 IP) has four outings this year of at least three innings... had four K's (in three innings) vs. Houston... Has worked at least an inning in 14 of 17 appearances.

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