Tuesday, May 20
Clearwater, FL
11:53
Rice University
vs
UTSA
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Owls Open AAC Tournament Play on Tuesday
5/19/2025 4:17:00 PM | Baseball
Rice faced top seed UTSA
OWLS RETURN TO AAC CHAMPIONSHIP AS EIGHTH SEED: Rice opens play in the 2025 American Baseball Championship presented by Regions on Tuesday when the Owls take on regular-season champion UTSA in the second game of the tournament. The winner of Tuesday's game will advance to play the winner of the Florida Atlantic-Tulane game, which opens the tournament on Tuesday and Thursday, while the losers of Tuesday's first two games will meet on Wednesday at noon (central) in an elimination game.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
AAC TOURNAMENT GAME NOTES
ON THE AIR: Voice of the Owls J.P. Heath will call all the action from Clearwater on RiceOwls.com and the Varsity app, and all games will also be available on ESPN+
PITCHING MATCHUPS:
Tuesday RHP Davion Hickson (2-6, 3.70) vs. RHP Braylon Owens (7-2, 4.67)
POST SEASON HISTORY: This will be the Owls' 27th appearance in a postseason overall, the third straight appearance, which includes both seasons as members of the AAC. Rice is 58-33 all-time in conference tournaments dating back to its first appearance in the SWC tournament in 1981. Rice went 2-12 in its first six SWC postseason events before sweeping the field as the lowest seed in the final SWC tournament in 1996 (led by current volunteer coach Lance Berkman). Rice was 12-0 in three WAC tournaments from 1997-1999 before the conference discontinued the event. The Owls returned to conference tournament action when they joined C-USA for the 2006 season and went on to post a 39-19 record while winning seven titles between 2006 and 2017. Rice made the postseason tournament every year its conference held one from 1994 to 2019, and after the cancellation of the 2020 season, Rice did not qualify in 2021 or 2022, before returning in its final year in C-USA in 2023.
AAC POSTSEASON: Rice is 1-2 at the AAC tournament, dropping two games to East Carolina while shutting out UAB in its inaugural appearance in 2024. The 9-0 shutout of UAB last season was the first nine-inning postseason shutout in school history for the Owls. Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach David Pierce is 3-4 in his career at the AAC championship, leading Tulane to the postseason in 2016 & 2017, reaching the championship game in 2017 before losing to Houston.
AAC HONORS: Blaine Brown and Davion Hickson were named to the 2025 All-AAC Baseball team on Monday.
TWIN KILLINGS: After turning just seven double plays in the first 21 games, Rice has 36 in the last 34 and leads the AAC with 29 in conference games.
RUNNING OWLS: The 53 stolen bases by the Owls this season is their highest total since they finished the 2010 season when they nabbed 60. Freshman Hiram Bocachica Jr. leads the Owls with 13 stolen bases, the most for an Owl since Will Karp finished 2021 with 13 and the most by a Rice freshman since Will Ford had 18 in 1996. Tyler Henley (12 in 2005) was the last freshman to lead the Owls in steals. Anthony Rendon was the last Owl to steal 14 (2010).
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
AAC TOURNAMENT GAME NOTES
ON THE AIR: Voice of the Owls J.P. Heath will call all the action from Clearwater on RiceOwls.com and the Varsity app, and all games will also be available on ESPN+
PITCHING MATCHUPS:
Tuesday RHP Davion Hickson (2-6, 3.70) vs. RHP Braylon Owens (7-2, 4.67)
POST SEASON HISTORY: This will be the Owls' 27th appearance in a postseason overall, the third straight appearance, which includes both seasons as members of the AAC. Rice is 58-33 all-time in conference tournaments dating back to its first appearance in the SWC tournament in 1981. Rice went 2-12 in its first six SWC postseason events before sweeping the field as the lowest seed in the final SWC tournament in 1996 (led by current volunteer coach Lance Berkman). Rice was 12-0 in three WAC tournaments from 1997-1999 before the conference discontinued the event. The Owls returned to conference tournament action when they joined C-USA for the 2006 season and went on to post a 39-19 record while winning seven titles between 2006 and 2017. Rice made the postseason tournament every year its conference held one from 1994 to 2019, and after the cancellation of the 2020 season, Rice did not qualify in 2021 or 2022, before returning in its final year in C-USA in 2023.
AAC POSTSEASON: Rice is 1-2 at the AAC tournament, dropping two games to East Carolina while shutting out UAB in its inaugural appearance in 2024. The 9-0 shutout of UAB last season was the first nine-inning postseason shutout in school history for the Owls. Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach David Pierce is 3-4 in his career at the AAC championship, leading Tulane to the postseason in 2016 & 2017, reaching the championship game in 2017 before losing to Houston.
AAC HONORS: Blaine Brown and Davion Hickson were named to the 2025 All-AAC Baseball team on Monday.
TWIN KILLINGS: After turning just seven double plays in the first 21 games, Rice has 36 in the last 34 and leads the AAC with 29 in conference games.
RUNNING OWLS: The 53 stolen bases by the Owls this season is their highest total since they finished the 2010 season when they nabbed 60. Freshman Hiram Bocachica Jr. leads the Owls with 13 stolen bases, the most for an Owl since Will Karp finished 2021 with 13 and the most by a Rice freshman since Will Ford had 18 in 1996. Tyler Henley (12 in 2005) was the last freshman to lead the Owls in steals. Anthony Rendon was the last Owl to steal 14 (2010).
Players Mentioned
WBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09
VB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02