Webb Keys Opening Day Sweep

Friday, February 13

Houston, Texas

2:30 pm

Rice University

1-0

Northwestern

0-1

Northwestern

Rice

Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics

2/13/2026 11:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Owls take a pair from Northwestern

By: by Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)

Houston-Kutter-Gage Webb's two-run single broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth to lead Rice a 3-2 win over Northwestern and a sweep of a season-opening doubleheader at Reckling Park on Friday. The Owls blasted four home runs in the first game, including back-to-back solo homers in their first two at-bats of the season to break a seven-year losing streak on Opening Day.

How it Happened:
Game One: Colin Robson set the early tone for the Owls by fouling off seven two-strike pitches on the season's first at-bat before launching the 13^th offering from Wildcat starter Sam Hliboki over the right field wall for his second career home run. J.C. Davis followed with a homer to right on the third pitch from Hliboki to stake Rice starter Brayden Sharp to 2-0 lead. Northwestern answered with a pair of homers in the second, but Rice grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the third on a two-run homer by Paul Smith. The Owls extended their lead to 7-3 on a solo home run by Webb in the fourth and back-to-back RBIs by Cole Green and Webb in the fifth. Sharp worked into the sixth before the Wildcats closed to 7-5, but freshman Ethan Sanders calmed Northwestern's threat in the seventh and then worked around a run in the eighth to record a save in his collegiate debut.

Game Two: After seeing the teams combine for seven home runs in the opener, the crowd of 1,627 was treated to a tense pitcher's duel in the nightcap. Northwestern's Ryan Weaver held the Owls scoreless through seven innings on only three singles, while Ryland Urbaczyk and Ty Thames held Northwestern in check through five. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead on a solo homer in the sixth, and after Jeremiah Arnett held them scoreless in the seventh and eighth, the Owls struck for three in the bottom of the eighth. Robson opened the inning with a walk, and he moved to second on a sacrifice by Davis. One out later, Mason Ashlock reached on an error that brought home Robson with the tying run. Green was then hit by a pitch, and Webb dropped a single near the foul line in right to score pinch runner Tobias Motley and Green and give the Owls their first lead in the nightcap. Tanner Wiggins came on in the ninth and worked around a leadoff double to earn his first career save and complete the sweep.

Next Up: The teams will close the series on Sunday at 1:05. Rice remains home with games on Tuesday vs. Louisiana and Wednesday vs Purdue to close out the opening homestand.

Notes

Rice won on Opening Day for the first time since 2018 and the first time since they defeated Stanford 5-1 to open the 2013 season.
The Owls won an Opening Day doubleheader for the first time since 1997 when they took a pair from SW Texas State.
Rice improved to 15-12 in its first home game of the season at Reckling Park, and to 6-7 in season openers at Reckling.
David Pierce improved to 10-4 in his career on Opening Day.
Rice improved to 18-6 against the original members of the Big Ten.
The Owls four home runs in game one matched their season high from last season (4/8 vs. Houston). The last time Rice has homered more than four times in a game was in 2017 when they hit seven vs. UAB.
The last time Rice opened a season 2-0 was in 2014, and the last time the Owls opened 3-0 was in 2012 when the Owls won their first nine.
Both of Robson's two career home runs have led off games; he also led off the game vs. Wichita State on 5/9/25 with a long ball, and the Owls are 2-0 when he leads off a game with a homer.
Davis' home run came in his first career at bat for the Owls.
Davis was 4x7 in the two games.
Webb drove in two runs in each game and was 3x7.
Rice pitchers fanned 15 in the first two games, while Owls hitters struck out only five times in 16 innings on Friday.