Rice University Athletics
Tuesday, April 21
Houston, Texas
6:35 PM
Rice University
vs
Houston
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Owls Celebrate Fleet Week by Hosting Houston
4/20/2026 8:59:00 PM | Baseball
Game Two of the Silver Glove Series
Rice and Houston meet for the second of three games in the 2026 Silver Glove Series as the Owls close out their current five-game homestand at 6:35 on Tuesday.
ON THE AIR: J.P. Heath will call the action on RiceOwls.com and the Varsity Network app Randy McIlvoy, Austin Davis and Alexis Pedraza will call the action on ESPN+.
PROMOTIONALLY SPEAKING: In addition to several special activities to celebrate Houston's first Fleet Week, including a Naval Band performing the National Anthem, ending with a flyover, and a demonstration by a working dog team, the first 250 fans through the gates will receive a Rice Baseball cap from Houston Methodist.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Ty Baker (0-0, 2.81) vs. Caden Cooper (1-1, 5.63)
SILVER GLOVE SERIES: The Rice-Houston series was branded the Silver Glove Series in 1998 and the schools have played the series in each season since (other than the 2020 and 2021 seasons that were impacted by the pandemic). Houston won the inaugural game on Feb. 11, 1998, as the Cougars broke a 6-6 tie with two runs in the seventh and held off a late charge by the fourth-ranked Owls to win 8-7. Rice came back to win the final three games to bring the Silver Glove South Main. Rice won the annual series again in 1999 and after Houston took two-of-three in 2000, the Owls held the trophy from 2001-13. Houston has won eight of the last 10 series, including the last four in a row. Rice leads the overall Silver Glove series 60-41 and the series of games at Reckling Park, 32-16. The Owls also lead the series at Houston, 27-20, while the Cougars took five of six games played at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.
FROM BOTH SIDES: David Pierce was 3-3 against Rice as an outfielder at Houston in 1985 & 86, while Rice was 10-6 against Houston in his two years as an assistant coach with the Cougars. Rice was 39-8 in regular and postseason games against Houston from 2003-11 when Pierce was on the Owls' staff.
HOME FRONT: Rice is 13-9 this season at Reckling Park and has won three of five home series (six of the last eight since last season). The Owls have not posted a winning season at home since they were 15-13-1 in 2018. In the 178 home games between 2019 and David Pierce's first home game as the Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach, Rice posted a .393 home winning percentage (70-108). The Owls are 21-17 (.553) at home under Pierce.
UP NEXT: Rice will take a three-game conference road winning streak with them to Wichita this weekend for a three-game series against the Shockers. The series opens at 6:05 on Friday, followed by a 2:05 start on Saturday and a 1:05 finale on Sunday. The Owls return to Reckling Park next Tuesday to open a four-game homestand with a midweek game vs. Lamar at 6:35.
ON THE AIR: J.P. Heath will call the action on RiceOwls.com and the Varsity Network app Randy McIlvoy, Austin Davis and Alexis Pedraza will call the action on ESPN+.
PROMOTIONALLY SPEAKING: In addition to several special activities to celebrate Houston's first Fleet Week, including a Naval Band performing the National Anthem, ending with a flyover, and a demonstration by a working dog team, the first 250 fans through the gates will receive a Rice Baseball cap from Houston Methodist.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Ty Baker (0-0, 2.81) vs. Caden Cooper (1-1, 5.63)
SILVER GLOVE SERIES: The Rice-Houston series was branded the Silver Glove Series in 1998 and the schools have played the series in each season since (other than the 2020 and 2021 seasons that were impacted by the pandemic). Houston won the inaugural game on Feb. 11, 1998, as the Cougars broke a 6-6 tie with two runs in the seventh and held off a late charge by the fourth-ranked Owls to win 8-7. Rice came back to win the final three games to bring the Silver Glove South Main. Rice won the annual series again in 1999 and after Houston took two-of-three in 2000, the Owls held the trophy from 2001-13. Houston has won eight of the last 10 series, including the last four in a row. Rice leads the overall Silver Glove series 60-41 and the series of games at Reckling Park, 32-16. The Owls also lead the series at Houston, 27-20, while the Cougars took five of six games played at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.
FROM BOTH SIDES: David Pierce was 3-3 against Rice as an outfielder at Houston in 1985 & 86, while Rice was 10-6 against Houston in his two years as an assistant coach with the Cougars. Rice was 39-8 in regular and postseason games against Houston from 2003-11 when Pierce was on the Owls' staff.
HOME FRONT: Rice is 13-9 this season at Reckling Park and has won three of five home series (six of the last eight since last season). The Owls have not posted a winning season at home since they were 15-13-1 in 2018. In the 178 home games between 2019 and David Pierce's first home game as the Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach, Rice posted a .393 home winning percentage (70-108). The Owls are 21-17 (.553) at home under Pierce.
UP NEXT: Rice will take a three-game conference road winning streak with them to Wichita this weekend for a three-game series against the Shockers. The series opens at 6:05 on Friday, followed by a 2:05 start on Saturday and a 1:05 finale on Sunday. The Owls return to Reckling Park next Tuesday to open a four-game homestand with a midweek game vs. Lamar at 6:35.
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