Rice University Athletics
Friday, February 13
Houston, Texas
2:30 pm
Rice University
vs
Northwestern
Baseball is Back!
2/12/2026 10:10:00 PM | Baseball
2026 opens with five at Reckling Park
OWLS OPEN 2026 AGAINST NORTHWESTERN: Rice opens its 111th season of college baseball as the Owls welcome Northwestern to Reckling Park in the first meeting between the schools in baseball. Due to the expected inclement weather for Houston on Saturday, the season's Opening Day will now be a doubleheader with the first pitch of the season set for 2:35 p.m. and game two starting no earlier than 6:35 on Friday. Sunday's finale is set for 1:05.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday (2:30) LHP Brayden Sharp vs. RHP Sam Hliboki
(6:30) RHP Ryland Urbanczyk vs. RHP Garrett Shearer
Sunday (1:00) LHP Anthony Diaz vs. RHP Matt Kouser
DOUBLING UP AT THE START: The Opening Day doubleheader with Northwestern will mark the first time the Owls opened a season with a twinbill since 1997 when Rice at Southwest Texas (now Texas State) scheduled a pair of games on February 5 and the Owls took both games, 7-5 & 15-14. Bubba Crosby's three-run homer in the first inning of the season staked the Owls to an early lead in game one, but the Wildcats homered five times and took a 12-4 lead in the second game before the Owls rallied to win it with four in the bottom of the ninth. Steven Bess won it in relief while Matt Anderson earned the save.
FOR OPENERS: Rice is 14-12 in opening games at Reckling Park, including a 5-7 record in season openers at the stadium since it opened in 2000. Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach David Pierce is 9-4 in his career in season-opening games, including wins in nine of the last 11. Two of his wins (2020 & 2022) and one of his losses (2017) came against Rice as head coach at Texas.
OPENING DROUGHT: Rice has dropped its last seven season openers since defeating Samford 8-7 in Orlando to open the 2018 campaign. The Owls have dropped openers to Rhode Island (2019), Texas (2020), HBU (2021), Texas (2022), Louisiana (2023), Notre Dame (2024), and Villanova (2025). The Owls have lost six consecutive opening series since taking two of three against Rhode Island in 2019.
VS. THE BIG TEN: Northwestern is the sixth of the original lineup of schools in the Big Ten to face Rice in baseball, and the Owls are 16-6 against those schools (Indiana, 2-0; Michigan, 2-1; Michigan State, 0-1; Minnesota, 8-3; and Purdue, 4-1). Rice is 43-22 all-time against the current members of the Big Ten Conference, with Nebraska (17-11) the most common opponent. The Wildcats are the first of three Big Ten teams on the Owls' schedule in the first eight games, as Rice will meet Purdue at Reckling Park next Wednesday and then travel to Los Angeles for a three-game series with USC next weekend. David Pierce is 3-1 in his career vs. Northwestern, with all games coming in 2018 in Austin. The Wildcats won the opener, 3-1, before the Longhorns came back to win the final three, 10-7, 16-3, and 12-1. Pierce is 16-8 in his career vs. the Big Ten (Illinois, 2-1; Indiana, 3-1; Nebraska, 0-1, Northwestern, 3-1; Purdue, 3-1; UCLA, 4-1, Washington, 1-2).
UP NEXT: The season-opening homestand continues at the start of next week as the Owls host Louisiana on Tuesday and Purdue on Wednesday. They will wrap up a stretch of seven games against teams from the Big Ten next weekend when they travel to Los Angeles to face USC.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday (2:30) LHP Brayden Sharp vs. RHP Sam Hliboki
(6:30) RHP Ryland Urbanczyk vs. RHP Garrett Shearer
Sunday (1:00) LHP Anthony Diaz vs. RHP Matt Kouser
DOUBLING UP AT THE START: The Opening Day doubleheader with Northwestern will mark the first time the Owls opened a season with a twinbill since 1997 when Rice at Southwest Texas (now Texas State) scheduled a pair of games on February 5 and the Owls took both games, 7-5 & 15-14. Bubba Crosby's three-run homer in the first inning of the season staked the Owls to an early lead in game one, but the Wildcats homered five times and took a 12-4 lead in the second game before the Owls rallied to win it with four in the bottom of the ninth. Steven Bess won it in relief while Matt Anderson earned the save.
FOR OPENERS: Rice is 14-12 in opening games at Reckling Park, including a 5-7 record in season openers at the stadium since it opened in 2000. Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach David Pierce is 9-4 in his career in season-opening games, including wins in nine of the last 11. Two of his wins (2020 & 2022) and one of his losses (2017) came against Rice as head coach at Texas.
OPENING DROUGHT: Rice has dropped its last seven season openers since defeating Samford 8-7 in Orlando to open the 2018 campaign. The Owls have dropped openers to Rhode Island (2019), Texas (2020), HBU (2021), Texas (2022), Louisiana (2023), Notre Dame (2024), and Villanova (2025). The Owls have lost six consecutive opening series since taking two of three against Rhode Island in 2019.
VS. THE BIG TEN: Northwestern is the sixth of the original lineup of schools in the Big Ten to face Rice in baseball, and the Owls are 16-6 against those schools (Indiana, 2-0; Michigan, 2-1; Michigan State, 0-1; Minnesota, 8-3; and Purdue, 4-1). Rice is 43-22 all-time against the current members of the Big Ten Conference, with Nebraska (17-11) the most common opponent. The Wildcats are the first of three Big Ten teams on the Owls' schedule in the first eight games, as Rice will meet Purdue at Reckling Park next Wednesday and then travel to Los Angeles for a three-game series with USC next weekend. David Pierce is 3-1 in his career vs. Northwestern, with all games coming in 2018 in Austin. The Wildcats won the opener, 3-1, before the Longhorns came back to win the final three, 10-7, 16-3, and 12-1. Pierce is 16-8 in his career vs. the Big Ten (Illinois, 2-1; Indiana, 3-1; Nebraska, 0-1, Northwestern, 3-1; Purdue, 3-1; UCLA, 4-1, Washington, 1-2).
UP NEXT: The season-opening homestand continues at the start of next week as the Owls host Louisiana on Tuesday and Purdue on Wednesday. They will wrap up a stretch of seven games against teams from the Big Ten next weekend when they travel to Los Angeles to face USC.
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