Tuesday, March 28
Beaumont, TX
6 PM
Rice University
at
Lamar
Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics
Owls Open Five-Game Road Stretch at Lamar
3/28/2023 12:01:00 AM | Baseball
First pitch at 6 p.m.
Rice makes its first appearance in Beaumont since 2018 on Tuesday, opening a stretch of five games away from Reckling Park. Rice travels to Boca Raton this weekend for a three-game series against FAU at the same time the FAU men's basketball team comes to Houston for the Final Four. The road swing concludes next Tuesday (the day after the Final Four concludes) with the first game of 2023 Silver Glove Series between Houston and Rice. Rice returns home to Reckling Park on April 6 when the Owls open an eight-game homestand by hosting LA Tech for Thursday-Saturday on Easter Weekend, followed a return game with Lamar and a single game with McNeese before wrapping up with a three-game weekend series with Charlotte.
How to Follow:
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Online / Varsity Network JP Heath (play-by-play)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Pitching Matchup
RHP Justin Long vs. RHP Antonio Escano
Last Weekend: A win and two, one-run losses
UTSA posted a pair of one-run wins around a 13-8 Rice win on Saturday in the Owls' opening C-USA series at Reckling Park. The two schools came into the series tied for the early conference lead after sweeping their opening series. UTSA took 2-0 in either the first or second inning in each game, only to see Rice answer the following half-inning by tying the game on Friday, and taking a 4-2 lead on Saturday and a 3-2 lead on Sunday... Rice limited UTSA, which came into the series leading C-USA in batting (.336 ) slugging (.537) to a .254 (29x114) batting average and a.421 slugging percentage on the weekend.
Before My Time
Seven current members of the Owls were born after June 23, 2003 when Rice captured college baseball's national title: Jacob Devenny, Trey Duffield, Ben Royo, Christian Salazar, Paul Smith. Garrett Stratton and Ryland Urbanczyk and an eighth (Aaron Smigelski) was just one month old.
Power Surge
Rice slammed three home runs in back in the final two games of the UTSA series, the most by the Owls in consecutive games since they hit six on June 2-3, 2017 at the Baton Rouge Regional.
Bullish
Over the last seven games, the Owls bullpen is 3-3 with three saves and a combined 1.89 ERA (52.1, 35, 13, 11, 20, 55).
Formidable Slate
Rice faced the 52nd toughest schedule in the nation last year, the highest since they faced the 24th toughest in 2018. This year's lineup of 34 teams averaged 33 wins last year, highlighted by three games at Stanford (2022 CWS), two vs. Texas A&M (2022 CWS) and three-game series against NCAA tournament teams Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Dallas Baptist.
Season Sweep2 of Bearkats
Benjamin Rosengard's fourth-inning, opposite-field grand slam, Rice's first on the road in nearly four years, keyed a six-run fourth and set the course for an 11-4 win for Rice of Sam Houston at Don Sanders Stadium on 2/28. The win was the Owls' fourth consecutive win in the series and their sixth straight at Don Sanders Stadium. Rice has swept the series with Sam Houston in consecutive years for the first time since winning all three in 1996 and both games in 1997 & 1999.
Weekend Sweeps
In addition to the two-game sweep over Sam Houston, Rice has swept two three-game series this year. They took all three vs. HCU (3/10-12) and at UAB (3/17-19).
By Any Means
Rice has 15 bases-loaded RBI in the first 24 games without putting the ball in play. Aaron Smigelski has been hit by a pitch with the bases loaded three times in six plate appearances (twice on 2/28 at Sam Houston). Manny Garza, Christian Salazar and Connor Walsh have all been hit once with the bases loaded. Salazar has a pair of walks while Trey Duffield, Garza, Drew Holderbach, Max Johnson, Jack Riedel, Paul Smith and Connor Walsh have one free pass with the bases full.
How to Follow:
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Online / Varsity Network JP Heath (play-by-play)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Pitching Matchup
RHP Justin Long vs. RHP Antonio Escano
Last Weekend: A win and two, one-run losses
UTSA posted a pair of one-run wins around a 13-8 Rice win on Saturday in the Owls' opening C-USA series at Reckling Park. The two schools came into the series tied for the early conference lead after sweeping their opening series. UTSA took 2-0 in either the first or second inning in each game, only to see Rice answer the following half-inning by tying the game on Friday, and taking a 4-2 lead on Saturday and a 3-2 lead on Sunday... Rice limited UTSA, which came into the series leading C-USA in batting (.336 ) slugging (.537) to a .254 (29x114) batting average and a.421 slugging percentage on the weekend.
Before My Time
Seven current members of the Owls were born after June 23, 2003 when Rice captured college baseball's national title: Jacob Devenny, Trey Duffield, Ben Royo, Christian Salazar, Paul Smith. Garrett Stratton and Ryland Urbanczyk and an eighth (Aaron Smigelski) was just one month old.
Power Surge
Rice slammed three home runs in back in the final two games of the UTSA series, the most by the Owls in consecutive games since they hit six on June 2-3, 2017 at the Baton Rouge Regional.
Bullish
Over the last seven games, the Owls bullpen is 3-3 with three saves and a combined 1.89 ERA (52.1, 35, 13, 11, 20, 55).
Formidable Slate
Rice faced the 52nd toughest schedule in the nation last year, the highest since they faced the 24th toughest in 2018. This year's lineup of 34 teams averaged 33 wins last year, highlighted by three games at Stanford (2022 CWS), two vs. Texas A&M (2022 CWS) and three-game series against NCAA tournament teams Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Dallas Baptist.
Season Sweep2 of Bearkats
Benjamin Rosengard's fourth-inning, opposite-field grand slam, Rice's first on the road in nearly four years, keyed a six-run fourth and set the course for an 11-4 win for Rice of Sam Houston at Don Sanders Stadium on 2/28. The win was the Owls' fourth consecutive win in the series and their sixth straight at Don Sanders Stadium. Rice has swept the series with Sam Houston in consecutive years for the first time since winning all three in 1996 and both games in 1997 & 1999.
Weekend Sweeps
In addition to the two-game sweep over Sam Houston, Rice has swept two three-game series this year. They took all three vs. HCU (3/10-12) and at UAB (3/17-19).
By Any Means
Rice has 15 bases-loaded RBI in the first 24 games without putting the ball in play. Aaron Smigelski has been hit by a pitch with the bases loaded three times in six plate appearances (twice on 2/28 at Sam Houston). Manny Garza, Christian Salazar and Connor Walsh have all been hit once with the bases loaded. Salazar has a pair of walks while Trey Duffield, Garza, Drew Holderbach, Max Johnson, Jack Riedel, Paul Smith and Connor Walsh have one free pass with the bases full.
Players Mentioned
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