Friday, April 21
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6 PM
Rice University
at
Middle Tennessee
Owls Return to Action in Murfreesboro
4/20/2023 8:11:00 PM | Baseball
Series opens at 6 p.m. Friday
Owls Back in Action at Middle Tennessee
After four days off, Rice returns to action by traveling to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a three-game series which will be Rice's last visit to Reese Smith Jr Field for a conference series. Games are set for 6 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Watch ESPN+: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Complete Game Notes
Pitching Matchup
Friday: RHP Parker Smith (2-2, 1.79/1.05) vs. Patrick Johnson (2-2, 3.68/1.29)
Saturday: LHP J.D. McCracken (1-3, 5.79/1.30) vs.Jaden Hamm (4-3, 3.78/1.34)
Sunday: Both teams TBD
Owls on the Hill
#26 Parker Smith
6-4 230 So. Houston, Texas
Making his 10th start of the year, all as the Friday starter... 10 consecutive Friday night starts match Cooper Chandler's total from last year, the last Owl to start more than 10 straight Fridays was Matt Canterino in 2019 (13)... 1-1 with an 0.90 ERA in three road starts this year (18.2, 19, 5, 2, 4, 18) and 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA in eight career starts away from Reckling Park (38, 34, 14, 6, 6, 25)... First Owl since 2019 to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors in his most recent road start at FAU (see page two)... Fanned a career-high 14 vs. Charlotte on 4/14, but took a tough 1-0 loss... Has had 21 runs scored for him in his nine starts, eight in five C-USA starts (4 in his last 3)... Allowed five of the first six to reach base in the first inning vs. LA Tech on 4/7, but escaped with only two runs allowed thanks to a bases-loaded double play and shut out the Bulldogs into the sixth as Rice rallied to take the lead... Eighth in the nation and second in C-USA with a 1.79 ERA ... Fifth in CUSA in opponent's batting average (.221) innings (55.1), fourth in strikeouts (60), and leads the league with only one home run allowed.. Rice is 4-4 in his starts...3-2 with a 2.11 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) vs. C-USA foes (38.1, 34, 13, 9, 10, 41)... Earned his first win of the year over HCU on 3/10, 5-1 (5,5,1,1,3,4)... Averaging 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings this year (60 in 55.1), compared with 4.8 as a freshman (23 in 43)... 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)... 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… Winning pitcher in the Owls' first and last wins of 2022… Made his collegiate debut at Texas on 2/20/22 and his starting debut three days later against HBU… Worked six shutout innings, allowed a pair of hits, and struck out four 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)… 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven games (five starts) on the road while holding hitters to a .226 batting average.
#29 J.D. McCracken
6-3 202 So. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Returning to his hometown to make his eighth start of the year (second on the team) and sixth consecutive... Seventh in the conference with a .224 opponents' batting average and leads with 12 hit batters... Holding opposing batters to a .295slugging percentage (43 bases in 146 at-bats)... Struck out five in a start vs. UTSA on 3/25 (the third time this year he has reached that mark) while picking up his first career win and the second by an Owls' starter this year... Matched his career high with five strikeouts (4.1 innings) in a start vs. UAB on Saturday... Set career highs with 5.1 innings and five strikeouts vs. Texas A&M on 3/8... Transfer from Tennessee who made three appearances for the Vols in 2022…Gave up three runs in 0.1 innings in his debut vs. Bellarmine on 4/19 but did not allow a run in three innings over his final two appearances… Struck out a pair vs. Alabama A&M on 5/3.
Coming off a Break
With no midweek games scheduled this week, the Owls are coming off their longest break between games so far this year. They have not had more than two days off at any point this season. They will have four days off next week as well before returning to action for a home series with Dallas Baptist next weekend.
After four days off, Rice returns to action by traveling to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a three-game series which will be Rice's last visit to Reese Smith Jr Field for a conference series. Games are set for 6 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Watch ESPN+: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Complete Game Notes
Pitching Matchup
Friday: RHP Parker Smith (2-2, 1.79/1.05) vs. Patrick Johnson (2-2, 3.68/1.29)
Saturday: LHP J.D. McCracken (1-3, 5.79/1.30) vs.Jaden Hamm (4-3, 3.78/1.34)
Sunday: Both teams TBD
Owls on the Hill
#26 Parker Smith
6-4 230 So. Houston, Texas
Making his 10th start of the year, all as the Friday starter... 10 consecutive Friday night starts match Cooper Chandler's total from last year, the last Owl to start more than 10 straight Fridays was Matt Canterino in 2019 (13)... 1-1 with an 0.90 ERA in three road starts this year (18.2, 19, 5, 2, 4, 18) and 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA in eight career starts away from Reckling Park (38, 34, 14, 6, 6, 25)... First Owl since 2019 to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors in his most recent road start at FAU (see page two)... Fanned a career-high 14 vs. Charlotte on 4/14, but took a tough 1-0 loss... Has had 21 runs scored for him in his nine starts, eight in five C-USA starts (4 in his last 3)... Allowed five of the first six to reach base in the first inning vs. LA Tech on 4/7, but escaped with only two runs allowed thanks to a bases-loaded double play and shut out the Bulldogs into the sixth as Rice rallied to take the lead... Eighth in the nation and second in C-USA with a 1.79 ERA ... Fifth in CUSA in opponent's batting average (.221) innings (55.1), fourth in strikeouts (60), and leads the league with only one home run allowed.. Rice is 4-4 in his starts...3-2 with a 2.11 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) vs. C-USA foes (38.1, 34, 13, 9, 10, 41)... Earned his first win of the year over HCU on 3/10, 5-1 (5,5,1,1,3,4)... Averaging 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings this year (60 in 55.1), compared with 4.8 as a freshman (23 in 43)... 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)... 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… Winning pitcher in the Owls' first and last wins of 2022… Made his collegiate debut at Texas on 2/20/22 and his starting debut three days later against HBU… Worked six shutout innings, allowed a pair of hits, and struck out four 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)… 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven games (five starts) on the road while holding hitters to a .226 batting average.
#29 J.D. McCracken
6-3 202 So. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Returning to his hometown to make his eighth start of the year (second on the team) and sixth consecutive... Seventh in the conference with a .224 opponents' batting average and leads with 12 hit batters... Holding opposing batters to a .295slugging percentage (43 bases in 146 at-bats)... Struck out five in a start vs. UTSA on 3/25 (the third time this year he has reached that mark) while picking up his first career win and the second by an Owls' starter this year... Matched his career high with five strikeouts (4.1 innings) in a start vs. UAB on Saturday... Set career highs with 5.1 innings and five strikeouts vs. Texas A&M on 3/8... Transfer from Tennessee who made three appearances for the Vols in 2022…Gave up three runs in 0.1 innings in his debut vs. Bellarmine on 4/19 but did not allow a run in three innings over his final two appearances… Struck out a pair vs. Alabama A&M on 5/3.
Coming off a Break
With no midweek games scheduled this week, the Owls are coming off their longest break between games so far this year. They have not had more than two days off at any point this season. They will have four days off next week as well before returning to action for a home series with Dallas Baptist next weekend.
Players Mentioned
WBB: 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