Friday, March 31
Boca Raton, FL
5:30 PM
Rice University
at
FAU
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Battle of Owls Resumes in Boca Raton
3/30/2023 9:54:00 PM | Baseball
Series opens at 5:30 on Friday
Rice and FAU open a three-game series on Friday in Boca Raton, the fourth series between the schools at FAU Baseball Stadium. The series opens at 5:30 on Friday while Saturday's game has been moved up to a 2 p.m. start because of FAU's game with San Diego State in the first semifinal of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston. The series wraps up with an 11 a.m. game on Sunday.
How to Follow:
Watch: CUSAtv
Listen: Online / Varsity Network JP Heath (play-by-play)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Full Game Notes
Pitching Matchup
Friday: RHP Parker Smith (1-1, 2.18, 1.21) vs. LHP Hunter Cooley (3-3, 5.20/1.40)
Saturday: TBA vs. RHP Jacob Josey (3-2, 3.06, 1.42)
Sunday; TBA vs. TBA
Owl on the Hill
#26 Parker Smith
6-4 230 So. Houston, Texas
Making his seventh start of the year, all as the Friday starter... Worked a career-best 6.1 innings in his last start vs. UTSA (6.1,5,3,2,1,6)... Gave up a two-run HR in the first, his first runs this year in the opening inning... Fourth in C-USA with a 2.18 ERA, eighth with 33 innings and 10th with 32 strikeouts... Rice is 3-3 in his starts… Did not face FAU as a freshman... 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) vs. C-USA foes (21.2, 24, 12,8,9,18)... Named to the 2023 Shriners College Classic All-Tournament team after he tossed six shutout innings against Texas Tech, which came into the game hitting .351 and scoring 12.1 runs per game (6,3,0,0,1,8).... Averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings this year (26 in 26.2), compared with 4.8 as a freshman (23 in 43)... 32 strikeouts are a career-high... .Earned his first win of the year over HCU on 3/10, 5-1 (5,5,1,1,3,4)... Went 5.2 innings against #2 Stanford on 2/24, allowed six hits, four runs (one earned), walked one, and struck out five… Worked six innings against Louisiana in his debut in the Friday starting slot (6,5,3,31,5)... Appeared in 13 games with 10 starts (tied for second on the team) in his freshman campaign… Finished the season with a 2-3 record and a 4.19 ERA, tops among the starters… Was 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in four games (three starts) in Conference USA action… Winning pitcher in the Owls' first and last wins of 2022… Made his collegiate debut at Texas on 2/20 and his starting debut three days later against then-HBU… Worked six shutout innings, allowed a pair of hits, and struck out four while throwing just 56 pitches to earn both his and his head coach Jose Cruz Jr.'s first career victories... Closed the season with a win at FIU in the season finale, (5.1, 3,1,0,1,0)… 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven games (five starts) on the road while holding hitters to a .226 batting average.
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.
Making Progress
Rice is 13-12 through 25 games, compared with an 8-17 record at the same point last year, and finished 2022 at 17-39.
Calming Influence
After six conference games, Rice leads C-USA with a combined 2.68 ERA despite facing two of the two three hitting teams in conference action (UTSA and UAB)... Last weekend, 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.
Long Ball Owls
In Tuesday's 9-3 win at Lamar, Rice homered twice and has15 homers in the last eight games (13 in the last five) after hitting just nine long balls in the first 17 games this year. Rice has hit multiple homers in three consecutive games for the first time since 3/30-4/2 /19… The last time Rice had four straight multi-homer games was from 4/1-5/09 vs. DBU (1 game) and Tulane (3 games).
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.
Bullish
Over the last eight games, the Owls bullpen is 3-3 with three saves and a combined 2.15 ERA (58.2, 42, 16, 14, 24, 65).
How to Follow:
Watch: CUSAtv
Listen: Online / Varsity Network JP Heath (play-by-play)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Full Game Notes
Pitching Matchup
Friday: RHP Parker Smith (1-1, 2.18, 1.21) vs. LHP Hunter Cooley (3-3, 5.20/1.40)
Saturday: TBA vs. RHP Jacob Josey (3-2, 3.06, 1.42)
Sunday; TBA vs. TBA
Owl on the Hill
#26 Parker Smith
6-4 230 So. Houston, Texas
Making his seventh start of the year, all as the Friday starter... Worked a career-best 6.1 innings in his last start vs. UTSA (6.1,5,3,2,1,6)... Gave up a two-run HR in the first, his first runs this year in the opening inning... Fourth in C-USA with a 2.18 ERA, eighth with 33 innings and 10th with 32 strikeouts... Rice is 3-3 in his starts… Did not face FAU as a freshman... 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) vs. C-USA foes (21.2, 24, 12,8,9,18)... Named to the 2023 Shriners College Classic All-Tournament team after he tossed six shutout innings against Texas Tech, which came into the game hitting .351 and scoring 12.1 runs per game (6,3,0,0,1,8).... Averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings this year (26 in 26.2), compared with 4.8 as a freshman (23 in 43)... 32 strikeouts are a career-high... .Earned his first win of the year over HCU on 3/10, 5-1 (5,5,1,1,3,4)... Went 5.2 innings against #2 Stanford on 2/24, allowed six hits, four runs (one earned), walked one, and struck out five… Worked six innings against Louisiana in his debut in the Friday starting slot (6,5,3,31,5)... Appeared in 13 games with 10 starts (tied for second on the team) in his freshman campaign… Finished the season with a 2-3 record and a 4.19 ERA, tops among the starters… Was 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in four games (three starts) in Conference USA action… Winning pitcher in the Owls' first and last wins of 2022… Made his collegiate debut at Texas on 2/20 and his starting debut three days later against then-HBU… Worked six shutout innings, allowed a pair of hits, and struck out four while throwing just 56 pitches to earn both his and his head coach Jose Cruz Jr.'s first career victories... Closed the season with a win at FIU in the season finale, (5.1, 3,1,0,1,0)… 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven games (five starts) on the road while holding hitters to a .226 batting average.
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.
Making Progress
Rice is 13-12 through 25 games, compared with an 8-17 record at the same point last year, and finished 2022 at 17-39.
Calming Influence
After six conference games, Rice leads C-USA with a combined 2.68 ERA despite facing two of the two three hitting teams in conference action (UTSA and UAB)... Last weekend, 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.
Long Ball Owls
In Tuesday's 9-3 win at Lamar, Rice homered twice and has15 homers in the last eight games (13 in the last five) after hitting just nine long balls in the first 17 games this year. Rice has hit multiple homers in three consecutive games for the first time since 3/30-4/2 /19… The last time Rice had four straight multi-homer games was from 4/1-5/09 vs. DBU (1 game) and Tulane (3 games).
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.
Bullish
Over the last eight games, the Owls bullpen is 3-3 with three saves and a combined 2.15 ERA (58.2, 42, 16, 14, 24, 65).
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ 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