Brown & Hickson Earn All-Conference Honors
5/19/2025 2:22:00 PM | Baseball
Bocachica, Brown and Zito named to all-freshman team
Blaine Brown and Davion Hickson have been selected by AAC coaches for the 2025 All-AAC Baseball team, and Brown was joined by Hiram Bocachica Jr. and Michael Zito in earning all-freshman honors.
Brown was named to the first team as the designated hitter while Hickson was named to the second team as a starting pitcher.
In his first collegiate season, Brown led the Owls in hitting (.294), hits (59), doubles (12), home runs (10), slugging (.502) and RBI (38) while making a team-leading 52 starts. He is the first Rice freshman position player since Anthony Rendon in 2009 to earn first-team all-conference honors and the first freshman overall since pitcher Austin Kubitza was named to the All-C-USA first team in his first season (2011).
Hickson stepped in as the Owls' Friday night starter from the beginning of the season after making the jump from the bullpen as a sophomore. He ranks fourth in the conference with a .213 opponents' batting average, fifth with 83 strikeouts, and eighth in ERA (3.70) while tying for the lead in fewest home runs allowed (4).
Bocachica's team-leading 13 stolen bases are the most by a Rice freshman since Will Ford had 18 in 1996 and he also leads the Owls in runs (37) and walks (29) while leading the conference in assists (137).
Zito has been one of the most consistent hitters in the conference in his first season. He led the Owls in AAC games by hitting .306 and hit in 24 of 27 conference games during the year, including 23 of the last 24.
Rice will meet AAC regular season champion UTSA on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2025 American Baseball Championship presented by Regions. The Owls and Roadrunners will play 47 minutes after the completion of the tournament's opening game between Florida Atlantic and Tulane, which begins at 8 a.m. (central).
Brown was named to the first team as the designated hitter while Hickson was named to the second team as a starting pitcher.
In his first collegiate season, Brown led the Owls in hitting (.294), hits (59), doubles (12), home runs (10), slugging (.502) and RBI (38) while making a team-leading 52 starts. He is the first Rice freshman position player since Anthony Rendon in 2009 to earn first-team all-conference honors and the first freshman overall since pitcher Austin Kubitza was named to the All-C-USA first team in his first season (2011).
Hickson stepped in as the Owls' Friday night starter from the beginning of the season after making the jump from the bullpen as a sophomore. He ranks fourth in the conference with a .213 opponents' batting average, fifth with 83 strikeouts, and eighth in ERA (3.70) while tying for the lead in fewest home runs allowed (4).
Bocachica's team-leading 13 stolen bases are the most by a Rice freshman since Will Ford had 18 in 1996 and he also leads the Owls in runs (37) and walks (29) while leading the conference in assists (137).
Zito has been one of the most consistent hitters in the conference in his first season. He led the Owls in AAC games by hitting .306 and hit in 24 of 27 conference games during the year, including 23 of the last 24.
Rice will meet AAC regular season champion UTSA on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2025 American Baseball Championship presented by Regions. The Owls and Roadrunners will play 47 minutes after the completion of the tournament's opening game between Florida Atlantic and Tulane, which begins at 8 a.m. (central).
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