Cruz Announces Coach Staff Additions
1/18/2024 12:44:00 PM | Baseball
Season opens on February 16
Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach José Cruz Jr. has officially announced the elevation of two members of the staff to coaching positions who will join Cruz and pitching coach Parker Bangs in the dugout this season.
DC Arendas, who served last season as the director of player development, has been promoted to assistant coach, as has Justin Aspegren, who joined the Owls in the fall of 2023 as a quality control assistant. Cruz also announced the addition of Andrew Waters, who will become the new director of recruiting and player development.
"I am really pleased with the way this coaching staff has come together," Cruz said. "We were very fortunate to have DC and Justin already here in different roles, which has allowed us great continuity in our off-season program and maintained our momentum heading into the season. DC was with us last season and had a great understanding of our personnel, and Justin had an immediate impact when he first joined us in the fall. Andrew comes from Trinity in San Antonio, where he did a tremendous job assembling some talented teams. He's a Houston native who knows our program very well and the power of the Rice brand. He'll be a tremendous asset to our program."
Arendas was a three-year starter as an infielder and team captain at South Carolina from 2014-16 who played one season in the Los Angeles Angels' minor league system after a brief stint working in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots staffs post-graduation. In 2020 Arendas founded and established the Houston Baseball Initiative, which champions the mission of supporting, developing, and training young athletes, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. In February 2023, he joined the Owls as Director of Player Development. In addition to his duties with the team, Arendas initiated Rice Academy—a developmental program aimed at providing exemplary training to the youth baseball community in Houston by connecting the Rice players and staff to the local community.
Aspegren brings 16 seasons of coaching at the collegiate ranks to the Owls, the previous eight as the pitching coach at Appalachian State. During his tenure with the Mountaineers, he saw four of his pitchers drafted, including righthander Jack Hartman in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Pirates and saw catcher Chandler Seagle, a 30th-round selection in 2017, make his MLB debut with San Diego last summer. Prior to his time at App State, he was the Associate head coach and pitching coach at Santa Barbara City College from 2008 to 2015. At SBCC, he saw 16 of his players drafted, including Tyler Gilbert, who made his MLB debut as a reliever in 2021 and later that season became the second player in major league history to throw a no-hitter in his first career start (August 14, 2021 for Arizona vs. San Diego). He also coached for six years in the collegiate summer leagues and coached 31 players who reached the majors including former Owls Jon Duplantier and Glenn Otto.
A Houston native who played at Lamar High School, Waters comes to Rice from Trinity University in San Antonio where he was an assistant coach for five years after starring for the Tigers as an outfielder and leading the team to the 2016 Division III national title. He hit .421 as a senior with 47 RBI, 17 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs. He hit .353 in his career at Trinity. He began his coaching career at KIPP Houston High School in 2017, while working in private business and was a volunteer assistant coach at St. Thomas University in Houston in 2018. He returned to Trinity in 2019 as the Tigers' third base coach and recruiting coordinator.
Cruz and the Owls will open the 2024 season on February 16 when they host Notre Dame at Reckling Park for a three-game series. Formal practices open on January 26, and Rice will hold its annual Fan Fest on Sunday, January 28. Festivities begin at 11:15, followed by a scrimmage at 2 p.m. Admission is free, but fans are asked to RSVP in advance.
Season tickets for the Owls' historic first season in The American are currently on sale.
DC Arendas, who served last season as the director of player development, has been promoted to assistant coach, as has Justin Aspegren, who joined the Owls in the fall of 2023 as a quality control assistant. Cruz also announced the addition of Andrew Waters, who will become the new director of recruiting and player development.
"I am really pleased with the way this coaching staff has come together," Cruz said. "We were very fortunate to have DC and Justin already here in different roles, which has allowed us great continuity in our off-season program and maintained our momentum heading into the season. DC was with us last season and had a great understanding of our personnel, and Justin had an immediate impact when he first joined us in the fall. Andrew comes from Trinity in San Antonio, where he did a tremendous job assembling some talented teams. He's a Houston native who knows our program very well and the power of the Rice brand. He'll be a tremendous asset to our program."
Arendas was a three-year starter as an infielder and team captain at South Carolina from 2014-16 who played one season in the Los Angeles Angels' minor league system after a brief stint working in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots staffs post-graduation. In 2020 Arendas founded and established the Houston Baseball Initiative, which champions the mission of supporting, developing, and training young athletes, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. In February 2023, he joined the Owls as Director of Player Development. In addition to his duties with the team, Arendas initiated Rice Academy—a developmental program aimed at providing exemplary training to the youth baseball community in Houston by connecting the Rice players and staff to the local community.
Aspegren brings 16 seasons of coaching at the collegiate ranks to the Owls, the previous eight as the pitching coach at Appalachian State. During his tenure with the Mountaineers, he saw four of his pitchers drafted, including righthander Jack Hartman in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Pirates and saw catcher Chandler Seagle, a 30th-round selection in 2017, make his MLB debut with San Diego last summer. Prior to his time at App State, he was the Associate head coach and pitching coach at Santa Barbara City College from 2008 to 2015. At SBCC, he saw 16 of his players drafted, including Tyler Gilbert, who made his MLB debut as a reliever in 2021 and later that season became the second player in major league history to throw a no-hitter in his first career start (August 14, 2021 for Arizona vs. San Diego). He also coached for six years in the collegiate summer leagues and coached 31 players who reached the majors including former Owls Jon Duplantier and Glenn Otto.
A Houston native who played at Lamar High School, Waters comes to Rice from Trinity University in San Antonio where he was an assistant coach for five years after starring for the Tigers as an outfielder and leading the team to the 2016 Division III national title. He hit .421 as a senior with 47 RBI, 17 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs. He hit .353 in his career at Trinity. He began his coaching career at KIPP Houston High School in 2017, while working in private business and was a volunteer assistant coach at St. Thomas University in Houston in 2018. He returned to Trinity in 2019 as the Tigers' third base coach and recruiting coordinator.
Cruz and the Owls will open the 2024 season on February 16 when they host Notre Dame at Reckling Park for a three-game series. Formal practices open on January 26, and Rice will hold its annual Fan Fest on Sunday, January 28. Festivities begin at 11:15, followed by a scrimmage at 2 p.m. Admission is free, but fans are asked to RSVP in advance.
Season tickets for the Owls' historic first season in The American are currently on sale.
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