Tuesday, May 9
Houston, Texas
6:30 PM
Rice University
vs
UIW
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Owls Host UIW & Houston for Midweek Games
5/9/2023 2:51:00 PM | Baseball
2023 grads to receive diplomas prior to UIW game
Rice returns to Reckling Park for a pair of mid-week, non-conference games before the Owls are back on the road this weekend with their final C-USA road series of 2023 at WKU. The Owls welcome Incarnate Word to Reckling on Tuesday and then hosts Houston in the third and final game of the 2023 Silver Glove Series. Both games are scheduled for a 6:30 first pitch.
Watch CUSAtv
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Complete Game Notes
Pitching Matchup
Tuesday: RHP Ryland Urbanczyk (0-0, 4.15/1.38) vs. LHP Carson Rollins (1-1, 9.17/2.09)
Wednesday: TBA
Owl on the Hill
#25 Ryland Urbanczyk
6-1 207 Fr. College Station, Texas
Making his second career start and 12th appearance of the year... Has a 1.38 ERA in six home appearances, including his first career start vs. Charlotte on 4/16 when he opened the game with two scoreless innings (2,0,0,0,3,3)... Holding hitters to a .195 average on the season.. Worked two innings vs. Houston (2,1,2,1,2,2) and followed that with a career-high 4 shutout innings vs. Lamar on 4/11. ... Retired both hitters he faced vs. UTRGV... Struck out the side vs. Sam Houston on 2/28.
Unfinished Business
Prior to Tuesday's game with Incarnate Word, Rice President Reginald DesRoches will participate in a pregame ceremony to present diplomas two six Owls who were with the team in San Antonio and unable to participate in Rice's 110th Commencement last weekend:
Blake Brogdon (Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology)
Cristian Cienfuegos (Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology)
Cullen Hannigan (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Business Minor)
Krishna Raj (Master's Degree in Energy Economics)
Connor Walsh (Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management)
Garret Zaskoda (Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology)
Rice-UIW
This will be the fifth meeting between the schools with Rice having won each meeting, including a 15-12 comeback in 2021 that saw Rice rally from an early 10-2 deficit to force extra innings with three in the bottom of the ninth and then win it on a Braden Comeaux's three-run homer with one out in the 10th. Guy Garibay Jr. set the stage for the rally by striking out four in while blanking the Cardinals in the seventh and eighth innings. The schools met four times at Cameron Field during head coach Jose Cruz Jr.'s playing career at Rice and he was 3x10 with a triple, five RBI and a pair of steals in four games vs. UIW.
Returning Silver Glovers
Six current Owls were named to the 2022 All-Silver Glove Series team. Parker Smith was joined last year by outfielders Guy Garibay Jr. and Connor Walsh pitcher Garret Zaskoda, catcher Manny Garza and infielder Jack Riedel for their performance in the series. Smith started all three games of the series for Rice, working 10.2 innings and posting a 4.22 ERA. Zaskoda appeared in relief in each game of the series, compiling a 1.29 ERA in seven innings. He picked up the win in the finale, tossing 3.0 shutout innings as the Owls won 5-4 in 12 innings. Walsh hit .500 (4x8) and slugged 1.125 thanks to two doubles and a home run while scoring four runs. Garza started the final two games of the series and hit .375 (3x8) with a double and a triple and also threw out a pair of base runners. Riedel, who was selected at first base, hit .273 (3x11) with a double and his first career homer in the opening game of the series.
Speeding it Up
Rice has played 12 games this year in 2:30 or less, compared to only five in all of 2022. The Owls played a total of 29, nine-inning games that went at least three hours last year, 13 of them clocking in at 3:30 or longer, compared with just three this season. They had streaks of 11 and eight consecutive nine-inning games of longer than three hours in 2022 and have done that just twice this year.
Long Balls
Rice slammed seven home runs in the three games in San Antonio last weekend and has hit 47 this year, seven more than they hit in last year in 56 games. They are three shy from matching their 2021 total and eight from matching their most home runs since the NCAA adopted new bat standards in 2011 (55 in 2017).
In Good Company
Ben Royo is tied for fifth in C-USA with five homers in conference games and he needs one more long ball to join a select list of Owls who have hit 10 or more homers as a freshman:
1. Anthony Rendon 20 2009
2. Aaron Luna 16 2006
3. Jose Cruz Jr. 13 1993
4. Bubba Crosby 12 1996
Vincent Sinisi 12 2002
Ben Royo 12 2023
Frosh Shortstop Sluggers
Royo is tied with 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.
Watch CUSAtv
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Complete Game Notes
Pitching Matchup
Tuesday: RHP Ryland Urbanczyk (0-0, 4.15/1.38) vs. LHP Carson Rollins (1-1, 9.17/2.09)
Wednesday: TBA
Owl on the Hill
#25 Ryland Urbanczyk
6-1 207 Fr. College Station, Texas
Making his second career start and 12th appearance of the year... Has a 1.38 ERA in six home appearances, including his first career start vs. Charlotte on 4/16 when he opened the game with two scoreless innings (2,0,0,0,3,3)... Holding hitters to a .195 average on the season.. Worked two innings vs. Houston (2,1,2,1,2,2) and followed that with a career-high 4 shutout innings vs. Lamar on 4/11. ... Retired both hitters he faced vs. UTRGV... Struck out the side vs. Sam Houston on 2/28.
Unfinished Business
Prior to Tuesday's game with Incarnate Word, Rice President Reginald DesRoches will participate in a pregame ceremony to present diplomas two six Owls who were with the team in San Antonio and unable to participate in Rice's 110th Commencement last weekend:
Blake Brogdon (Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology)
Cristian Cienfuegos (Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology)
Cullen Hannigan (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Business Minor)
Krishna Raj (Master's Degree in Energy Economics)
Connor Walsh (Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management)
Garret Zaskoda (Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology)
Rice-UIW
This will be the fifth meeting between the schools with Rice having won each meeting, including a 15-12 comeback in 2021 that saw Rice rally from an early 10-2 deficit to force extra innings with three in the bottom of the ninth and then win it on a Braden Comeaux's three-run homer with one out in the 10th. Guy Garibay Jr. set the stage for the rally by striking out four in while blanking the Cardinals in the seventh and eighth innings. The schools met four times at Cameron Field during head coach Jose Cruz Jr.'s playing career at Rice and he was 3x10 with a triple, five RBI and a pair of steals in four games vs. UIW.
Returning Silver Glovers
Six current Owls were named to the 2022 All-Silver Glove Series team. Parker Smith was joined last year by outfielders Guy Garibay Jr. and Connor Walsh pitcher Garret Zaskoda, catcher Manny Garza and infielder Jack Riedel for their performance in the series. Smith started all three games of the series for Rice, working 10.2 innings and posting a 4.22 ERA. Zaskoda appeared in relief in each game of the series, compiling a 1.29 ERA in seven innings. He picked up the win in the finale, tossing 3.0 shutout innings as the Owls won 5-4 in 12 innings. Walsh hit .500 (4x8) and slugged 1.125 thanks to two doubles and a home run while scoring four runs. Garza started the final two games of the series and hit .375 (3x8) with a double and a triple and also threw out a pair of base runners. Riedel, who was selected at first base, hit .273 (3x11) with a double and his first career homer in the opening game of the series.
Speeding it Up
Rice has played 12 games this year in 2:30 or less, compared to only five in all of 2022. The Owls played a total of 29, nine-inning games that went at least three hours last year, 13 of them clocking in at 3:30 or longer, compared with just three this season. They had streaks of 11 and eight consecutive nine-inning games of longer than three hours in 2022 and have done that just twice this year.
Long Balls
Rice slammed seven home runs in the three games in San Antonio last weekend and has hit 47 this year, seven more than they hit in last year in 56 games. They are three shy from matching their 2021 total and eight from matching their most home runs since the NCAA adopted new bat standards in 2011 (55 in 2017).
In Good Company
Ben Royo is tied for fifth in C-USA with five homers in conference games and he needs one more long ball to join a select list of Owls who have hit 10 or more homers as a freshman:
1. Anthony Rendon 20 2009
2. Aaron Luna 16 2006
3. Jose Cruz Jr. 13 1993
4. Bubba Crosby 12 1996
Vincent Sinisi 12 2002
Ben Royo 12 2023
Frosh Shortstop Sluggers
Royo is tied with 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.
Players Mentioned
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