Friday, April 19
Tampa, FL
5:30 p.m.
Rice University
at
South Florida
Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics
Rice and South Florida Open First Series on Friday Night
4/19/2024 9:32:00 AM | Baseball
Weekend set opens at 5:30 on Friday
Rice and South Florida will meet for the first time in a weekend series and for only the second time ever when the Owls travel to Tampa to take on the Bulls from April 19-21. The schools previously met in 2002 at Reckling Park as part of the Coca Cola Rice Classic, which also featured Louisiana and Texas-Arlington.
.
Watch ESPN+
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Full Game Notes: RiceOwls.com
On the Air
J.P. Heath returns for his 16th season behind the mic calling Rice baseball and will have the radio call this weekend. All games will also be carried on ESPN+ with Jim Louk and Ryan Urquhart calling the action.
Pitching Matchups
Rice downed USF 6-2 on February 23, 2002 at Reckling Park in the only previous meeting between the schools in baseball. The game was part of the Coca-Cola Rice Classic which was one of two early-season round-robin events Rice baseball hosted at the start of the college season. Philip Humber and Wade Townsend combined to hold the Bulls to six hits with their runs coming on a two-run homer by Myron Leslie off Humber in the fourth to cut the Rice lead to 4-2. Vincent Sinisi was 3x4 on the day while Erice Arnold drove in three of the Owls' six runs with a homer and fielder's choice.
Rice Recently
Rice has won three of its last four, including its first AAC series win, taking two of three over UAB. Over that stretch, Owls' pitchers have combined for a 1.93 ERA (9 ER in 42 IP) and .183 batting average. During the recently-completed eight-game homestand which featured two 15-inning games, five one-run, and two, two-run games, the Rice pitchers posted a combined 3.21 ERA. Ben Dukes hit .469 in the eight games, followed by Jacob Devenny (.344) and Pierce Gallo (.333) while Treyton Rank drove in nine runs during the homestand.
Tense Ones
Seven of the eight games on the Owls' recent homestand were decided by two runs or less, five of them by one run. The homestand also saw the Owls split a pair of 15-inning games, both by 4-3 scores. Rice has not played multiple games of 15 innings or more since 2013 when they played a 17-inning game at Hawai'i and matched that with an epic 17-inning loss to North Carolina State in the Super Regional.
In the AAC Stats
Kyte McDonald is tied for the AAC lead with a career-high three triples... Jack Riedel leads the conference with 11 home runs and .30 home runs per game, and fourth with 84 total bases... Davion Hickson is tied for fourth with five saves... Manny Garza leads the AAC with 13 runners caught stealing, and second with 319 total chances, and 290 putouts... Treyton Rank leads the conference with 32 double plays, 338 chances and 305 putouts.
.
Watch ESPN+
Listen: Online / Varsity Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Full Game Notes: RiceOwls.com
On the Air
J.P. Heath returns for his 16th season behind the mic calling Rice baseball and will have the radio call this weekend. All games will also be carried on ESPN+ with Jim Louk and Ryan Urquhart calling the action.
Pitching Matchups
- Friday: RHP Parker Smith (3-3, 3.93/1.39) vs. RHP Hunter Mink (3-4, 5.29/1.39)
- Saturday: LHP J.D. McCracken (2-4, 4.71/1.63) vs. Jack Cebert (4-3, 5.40/1.36)
- Sunday: RHP Tucker Alch (0-2, 4.35/1.50) vs. TBA
Rice downed USF 6-2 on February 23, 2002 at Reckling Park in the only previous meeting between the schools in baseball. The game was part of the Coca-Cola Rice Classic which was one of two early-season round-robin events Rice baseball hosted at the start of the college season. Philip Humber and Wade Townsend combined to hold the Bulls to six hits with their runs coming on a two-run homer by Myron Leslie off Humber in the fourth to cut the Rice lead to 4-2. Vincent Sinisi was 3x4 on the day while Erice Arnold drove in three of the Owls' six runs with a homer and fielder's choice.
Rice Recently
Rice has won three of its last four, including its first AAC series win, taking two of three over UAB. Over that stretch, Owls' pitchers have combined for a 1.93 ERA (9 ER in 42 IP) and .183 batting average. During the recently-completed eight-game homestand which featured two 15-inning games, five one-run, and two, two-run games, the Rice pitchers posted a combined 3.21 ERA. Ben Dukes hit .469 in the eight games, followed by Jacob Devenny (.344) and Pierce Gallo (.333) while Treyton Rank drove in nine runs during the homestand.
Tense Ones
Seven of the eight games on the Owls' recent homestand were decided by two runs or less, five of them by one run. The homestand also saw the Owls split a pair of 15-inning games, both by 4-3 scores. Rice has not played multiple games of 15 innings or more since 2013 when they played a 17-inning game at Hawai'i and matched that with an epic 17-inning loss to North Carolina State in the Super Regional.
In the AAC Stats
Kyte McDonald is tied for the AAC lead with a career-high three triples... Jack Riedel leads the conference with 11 home runs and .30 home runs per game, and fourth with 84 total bases... Davion Hickson is tied for fourth with five saves... Manny Garza leads the AAC with 13 runners caught stealing, and second with 319 total chances, and 290 putouts... Treyton Rank leads the conference with 32 double plays, 338 chances and 305 putouts.
Players Mentioned
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