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Rice University Athletics
Friday, October 9
College Station, TX
Rice University
at
Texas A&M
Photo by: American Athletic Conference/Ben Soloman
Trip to College Station Opens Fall Exhibition Schedule
10/8/2026 8:29:00 PM | Baseball
First of three games during fall practices
One year ago, David Pierce opened his first set of fall practices looking to build on the lessons he learned after taking over as head coach midway through the 2025 season.
Three weeks into his second fall, the difference is notable thanks to a 35-win season, the best for the Owls in a decade. Whereas last year it was Pierce and staff trying to develop a winning mindset among both the returning players and newcomers while taking them through their first fall camp under his guidance, this year's new additions are surrounded by staff and players who can speak from personal experience.
"Last year, we didn't have much experience (with success), but we learned a lot about ourselves during the season and learned what's expected of this program. The players have done a great job just building on that, creating that environment in the clubhouse, and then carrying it over into the field," Pierce said.
"There are players in the clubhouse who are creating the standard that we expected. Now, the younger players are learning from guys who have had success. We got a taste of that (last season). Our next step is moving into the postseason and getting a taste of that. The older players create a vivid picture for the new players.
"We've made tremendous strides from last fall to this fall, from all aspects of the program, when you look at their bodies, how they're moving, their swing decisions, their decisions on the field, their confidence," Pierce added.
After three weeks of practices and intrasquad games, the Owls will take the field against unfamiliar faces for the first time on Friday night when they travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M in the first of three fall exhibition games. The initial intrasquad was bumped back a week due to rain, and now the Owls will play exhibitions over three consecutive weekends.
After the Aggies, Rice will host San Jacinto JC on Friday, October 16 at 3 p.m. and wrap up the fall exhibition games by hosting McLennan Community College on Saturday, October 24 at one p.m. and then wrap up drills with a Fall World Series.
Scrimmaging against teammates gives the staff a first look at players in competition, and while these initial evaluations are a valuable starting point, the real benefit comes from the clarity that comes from playing other teams.
"The hardest thing for a head coach during intrasquads is that there are days when you really hit, but then ask if we can pitch, and then when we pitch well, you start to wonder if we can really hit. You're always evaluating over and over, knowing each other's tendencies. So it's always fun to go play somebody else.
"The real value of playing outside competitions is that it really helps us assess the team and get a much better evaluation of everyone," Pierce noted.
Friday's match-up has the added dimension of playing on the road and on grass, giving the staff a chance to evaluate the Owls in an unfamiliar setting.
"I know it's fall, but it's good to see how guys respond to outside competition, on dirt and grass, on the road, in a different environment. It's going to be really good information for our team to learn from and continue to get better every day," he said.
The plan for each of the three intrasquads is to play a continuous up to 14 innings, with the score resetting after the first seven.
"Competition is what's important because you can only get better by throwing so many bullpens or taking so many swings in a cage. You need challenges during the course of a game to get better and test your limits."
Another subtle change to this year's fall routine was that the Owls opened team drills one week earlier than in the past. By ending fall work a week earlier, they will add an extra week to their strength-and-conditioning program to better prepare for the 2027 campaign, which opens on February 19 against defending Big 12 champion Kansas.
"The goal is to get in a really good six weeks of conditioning moving into the winter break and then transition to getting ready for the regular season," Pierce added.
"It's all about the big picture and the blueprint of having success. And I'm just so proud of our team because they're still learning every day, but they're learning with the right attitude and efforts, and that makes it fun to coach."
Three weeks into his second fall, the difference is notable thanks to a 35-win season, the best for the Owls in a decade. Whereas last year it was Pierce and staff trying to develop a winning mindset among both the returning players and newcomers while taking them through their first fall camp under his guidance, this year's new additions are surrounded by staff and players who can speak from personal experience.
"Last year, we didn't have much experience (with success), but we learned a lot about ourselves during the season and learned what's expected of this program. The players have done a great job just building on that, creating that environment in the clubhouse, and then carrying it over into the field," Pierce said.
"There are players in the clubhouse who are creating the standard that we expected. Now, the younger players are learning from guys who have had success. We got a taste of that (last season). Our next step is moving into the postseason and getting a taste of that. The older players create a vivid picture for the new players.
"We've made tremendous strides from last fall to this fall, from all aspects of the program, when you look at their bodies, how they're moving, their swing decisions, their decisions on the field, their confidence," Pierce added.
After three weeks of practices and intrasquad games, the Owls will take the field against unfamiliar faces for the first time on Friday night when they travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M in the first of three fall exhibition games. The initial intrasquad was bumped back a week due to rain, and now the Owls will play exhibitions over three consecutive weekends.
After the Aggies, Rice will host San Jacinto JC on Friday, October 16 at 3 p.m. and wrap up the fall exhibition games by hosting McLennan Community College on Saturday, October 24 at one p.m. and then wrap up drills with a Fall World Series.
Scrimmaging against teammates gives the staff a first look at players in competition, and while these initial evaluations are a valuable starting point, the real benefit comes from the clarity that comes from playing other teams.
"The hardest thing for a head coach during intrasquads is that there are days when you really hit, but then ask if we can pitch, and then when we pitch well, you start to wonder if we can really hit. You're always evaluating over and over, knowing each other's tendencies. So it's always fun to go play somebody else.
"The real value of playing outside competitions is that it really helps us assess the team and get a much better evaluation of everyone," Pierce noted.
Friday's match-up has the added dimension of playing on the road and on grass, giving the staff a chance to evaluate the Owls in an unfamiliar setting.
"I know it's fall, but it's good to see how guys respond to outside competition, on dirt and grass, on the road, in a different environment. It's going to be really good information for our team to learn from and continue to get better every day," he said.
The plan for each of the three intrasquads is to play a continuous up to 14 innings, with the score resetting after the first seven.
"Competition is what's important because you can only get better by throwing so many bullpens or taking so many swings in a cage. You need challenges during the course of a game to get better and test your limits."
Another subtle change to this year's fall routine was that the Owls opened team drills one week earlier than in the past. By ending fall work a week earlier, they will add an extra week to their strength-and-conditioning program to better prepare for the 2027 campaign, which opens on February 19 against defending Big 12 champion Kansas.
"The goal is to get in a really good six weeks of conditioning moving into the winter break and then transition to getting ready for the regular season," Pierce added.
"It's all about the big picture and the blueprint of having success. And I'm just so proud of our team because they're still learning every day, but they're learning with the right attitude and efforts, and that makes it fun to coach."
Wednesday, March 09
Saturday, December 04
Thursday, December 02