Friday, May 12
Bowling Green, KY
6 PM
Rice University
at
WKU
Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics
Owls Close Out C-USA Road Schedule at WKU
5/12/2023 12:44:00 PM | Baseball
First pitch at 6 p.m. Friday
Rice heads to Bowling Green, Kentucky this weekend for the Owls' final Conference USA road series. The Owls are 139-90-2 all-time in C-USA road series games since making their debut in the conference in 2006. The Owls won their first C-USA road contest, as the sixth ranked Owls defeated #11 Tulane 3-1 at Zephyr Field in Metairie, La. on 3/31/06. Rice is 98-48-5 in C-USA series since 2006.
Watch Facebook (links live prior to first pitch)
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Complete Game Notes
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Parker Smith (2-2, 2.42/1.06) vs. LHP Lane Diuguid (1-3, 3.19/1.32)
Saturday: LHP J.D. McCracken (1-3, 5.60/1.43) vs. LHP Devyn Terbrak (5-3, 3.51/1.28)
Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Dawson Hall (6-3, 3.04/1.09)
Owls on the Hill
#26 Parker Smith
6-4 230 So. Houston, Texas
vs.WKU (season & career) First appearance
Making his 13th consecutive start of the year, 12th in a series opener... 13 consecutive starts are the most since Matt Canterino started 13 in a row in 2019.
*1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in six road starts this year (36, 33, 11, 6, 9, 33) an
*3-1 with a 1.84 ERA in eight career road starts (58.2, 54, 22, 12, 11, 42)
*2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 career C-USA appearances (11 starts) (61, 52, 24, 18, 18, 59).
Ranks 12th in the nation and second in C-USA with a 2.45 ERA ... Third in the conference in innings pitched (67.1) and strikeouts (71), fifth in CUSA in opponent's batting average (.222), and third with three home runs allowed.. Saw his streak of 10 straight series-opening starts end at MTSU when he was pushed back to Saturday due to a forecast of rain on Friday... Has four starts against ranked opponents (#2 Stanford on 2/24; #15 Texas Tech on 3/3, #19 DBU on 4/28, and #22 UTSA on 5/5) and had no decision in either while posting a 2.45 ERA in those outings (6 ER in 22.0 IP)... First Owl since 2019 to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors (see page two)... Fanned a career-high 14 vs. Charlotte on 4/14, but took a tough 1-0 loss... Owls have scored 27 runs for him in his 12 starts, 14 in eight C-USA starts (10 in his last 5)... Has left seven of his starts with the lead... Rice is 5-7 in his starts...Earned his first win of the year over HCU on 3/10, 5-1 (5,5,1,1,3,4)... Averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings this year (73 in 72.1), 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)... 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 HBU… Worked six shutout innings to earn both his and his head coach Jose Cruz Jr.'s first career victories.
#29 J.D. McCracken
6-3 202 So. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
vs. WKU (season & career) First Appearance
Making his 11th start of the year (second on the team) and ninth consecutive... Struck out a career-high seven in his start vs. DBU... Ninth in the conference with a .235 opponents' batting average and second with 14 hit batters... Holding opposing batters to a .393 slugging percentage (70 bases in 178 at bats)... Struck out five in a start vs. UTSA on 3/25 (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.
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Formidable Slate
Rice's 2023 schedule ranked as the 39th toughest in Division I through games of May 10th. The Owls 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), three vs. Texas A&M (2022 CWS) and three-game series against NCAA tournament teams Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Dallas Baptist.
Fast Starts
Jack Riedel's three-run homer in the first inning vs. Houston marked the fifth time the Owls have scored in the first inning in the last seven games (12 total) compared with nine times in the first 42 games. The Owls have now out-scored their opponents 15-14 in the first.
Long Balls
Rice hit four home runs in a game in the win over Houston on Wednesday night, the third time this year the Owls have hit at least four in a game this year. The last time the Owls hit at least four home runs three times in a season was in 2017 when the Owls had two games with four long balls in addition to a seven-homer game at UAB. They have hit 11 in the last five games, including seven last weekend vs. UTSA. The Owls have hit 51 homers this year, four shy of their best total since the NCAA adopted new bat standards in 2011 (55 in 2017).
In Good Company
Ben Royo is second in C-USA with eight homers in conference games, sixth with 13 homers overall, and has moved into a tie for third with his head coach, Jose Cruz Jr., for the most home runs by a freshman in school history.
1. Anthony Rendon 20 2009
2. Aaron Luna 16 2006
3. Jose Cruz Jr. 13 1993
Ben Royo 13 2023
Frosh Shortstop Sluggers
Royo's 13th homer on Wednesday moved him one ahead of Wehiwa Aloy of Sacramento St. for second in the nation in home runs by freshmen shortstops. Alex Lodise of North Florida leads the pack with 16. His 13 homers are the most for an Owl since Andrew Dunlap hit 13 in 2019… The last Owls with more than 13 in a season were Anthony Rendon (26) and Rick Hague (16) in 2010.
Watch Facebook (links live prior to first pitch)
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Complete Game Notes
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Parker Smith (2-2, 2.42/1.06) vs. LHP Lane Diuguid (1-3, 3.19/1.32)
Saturday: LHP J.D. McCracken (1-3, 5.60/1.43) vs. LHP Devyn Terbrak (5-3, 3.51/1.28)
Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Dawson Hall (6-3, 3.04/1.09)
Owls on the Hill
#26 Parker Smith
6-4 230 So. Houston, Texas
vs.WKU (season & career) First appearance
Making his 13th consecutive start of the year, 12th in a series opener... 13 consecutive starts are the most since Matt Canterino started 13 in a row in 2019.
*1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in six road starts this year (36, 33, 11, 6, 9, 33) an
*3-1 with a 1.84 ERA in eight career road starts (58.2, 54, 22, 12, 11, 42)
*2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 career C-USA appearances (11 starts) (61, 52, 24, 18, 18, 59).
Ranks 12th in the nation and second in C-USA with a 2.45 ERA ... Third in the conference in innings pitched (67.1) and strikeouts (71), fifth in CUSA in opponent's batting average (.222), and third with three home runs allowed.. Saw his streak of 10 straight series-opening starts end at MTSU when he was pushed back to Saturday due to a forecast of rain on Friday... Has four starts against ranked opponents (#2 Stanford on 2/24; #15 Texas Tech on 3/3, #19 DBU on 4/28, and #22 UTSA on 5/5) and had no decision in either while posting a 2.45 ERA in those outings (6 ER in 22.0 IP)... First Owl since 2019 to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors (see page two)... Fanned a career-high 14 vs. Charlotte on 4/14, but took a tough 1-0 loss... Owls have scored 27 runs for him in his 12 starts, 14 in eight C-USA starts (10 in his last 5)... Has left seven of his starts with the lead... Rice is 5-7 in his starts...Earned his first win of the year over HCU on 3/10, 5-1 (5,5,1,1,3,4)... Averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings this year (73 in 72.1), 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)... 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 HBU… Worked six shutout innings to earn both his and his head coach Jose Cruz Jr.'s first career victories.
#29 J.D. McCracken
6-3 202 So. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
vs. WKU (season & career) First Appearance
Making his 11th start of the year (second on the team) and ninth consecutive... Struck out a career-high seven in his start vs. DBU... Ninth in the conference with a .235 opponents' batting average and second with 14 hit batters... Holding opposing batters to a .393 slugging percentage (70 bases in 178 at bats)... Struck out five in a start vs. UTSA on 3/25 (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.
.
Formidable Slate
Rice's 2023 schedule ranked as the 39th toughest in Division I through games of May 10th. The Owls 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), three vs. Texas A&M (2022 CWS) and three-game series against NCAA tournament teams Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Dallas Baptist.
Fast Starts
Jack Riedel's three-run homer in the first inning vs. Houston marked the fifth time the Owls have scored in the first inning in the last seven games (12 total) compared with nine times in the first 42 games. The Owls have now out-scored their opponents 15-14 in the first.
Long Balls
Rice hit four home runs in a game in the win over Houston on Wednesday night, the third time this year the Owls have hit at least four in a game this year. The last time the Owls hit at least four home runs three times in a season was in 2017 when the Owls had two games with four long balls in addition to a seven-homer game at UAB. They have hit 11 in the last five games, including seven last weekend vs. UTSA. The Owls have hit 51 homers this year, four shy of their best total since the NCAA adopted new bat standards in 2011 (55 in 2017).
In Good Company
Ben Royo is second in C-USA with eight homers in conference games, sixth with 13 homers overall, and has moved into a tie for third with his head coach, Jose Cruz Jr., for the most home runs by a freshman in school history.
1. Anthony Rendon 20 2009
2. Aaron Luna 16 2006
3. Jose Cruz Jr. 13 1993
Ben Royo 13 2023
Frosh Shortstop Sluggers
Royo's 13th homer on Wednesday moved him one ahead of Wehiwa Aloy of Sacramento St. for second in the nation in home runs by freshmen shortstops. Alex Lodise of North Florida leads the pack with 16. His 13 homers are the most for an Owl since Andrew Dunlap hit 13 in 2019… The last Owls with more than 13 in a season were Anthony Rendon (26) and Rick Hague (16) in 2010.
Players Mentioned
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