Rice University Athletics
Friday, April 24
Wichita, KS
6:05 PM
Rice University
at
Wichita State
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Owls Look To Reverse Course In Wichita
4/23/2026 10:33:00 PM | Baseball
Series opens at 6:05 p.m. on Friday
Rice looks to carry over its momentum from its last conference road series when the Owls meet Wichita State in a three-game series at Eck Stadium. The series opens at 6:05 on Friday, followed by a 2:05 start on Saturday and a 12:05 finale on Sunday. Rice swept its most recent conference road series, winning all three at Charlotte (April 10-12) and the Owls have won eight of the last 11 away from home.
ON THE AIR: J.P. Heath will call the action on Rice wls.com and the Varsity Network app.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: Tanner Wiggins (2-1, 3.24) vs. RHP Matthew Cuccias (3-2, 3.43)
Saturday: TBA vs. TBA
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
OWLS & SHOCKERS: Wichita State leads the overall series 7-4, including a 6-2 mark in regular-season games. They lead the series in Wichita 4-0, but Rice is 3-5 all-time at Eck Stadium, thanks its appearance in the 1996 Regional. The schools first met in a two-game series at Cameron Field in 1986, with the Shockers taking both. They met again in 1996 and for the first time in postseason play as Wichita State ended the Owls' improbable postseason run, one shy of earning their first trip to Omaha. Rice finished at the bottom of the SWC standings in the conference's final season, but took full advantage of all schools qualifying for final tournament. They blitzed the field to claim their first-ever Southwest Conference title in their final opportunity, earning a berth in the Wichita Regional, where they reached the final after eliminating defending CWS Champion Cal-State Fullerton before falling to the Shockers 16-2. Seven
THE STARTERS: Rice starting pitchers Tanner Wiggins, Ethan Sanders and Ryland Urbanczyk each worked at least six innings in 13 of 25 starts this year. They each worked at least six in their starts the last two weekends and in eight of the last nine American starts. Wiggins has worked at least six in five of six starts this year, including four of five conference series-opening starts (three quality starts). Sanders has worked at least six in five of 10 starts this season and in three of five American starts (two quality starts) and Urbanczyk has gone at least six in four of 10 this season and in three of five conference series finales (three quality starts).
OUT OF THE GATE: Rice reached seven wins in conference play in 12 games this season, the fewest number of contests since the Owls needed nine games in 2016. The Owls made it to Clearwater in each of its first two years in the American Conference despite starting 1-8 in 2024 and 1-9 in 2025. They did not reach seven wins in the American until their 16th game in 2024, eight wins in the 17th game in 2024 and nine wins until the 21st game that season. The Owls are 16-17 all-time in April in the American Conference.
UP NEXT: Rice returns to Reckling Park on Tuesday to open a four-game homestand with a midweek game vs. Lamar at 6:35, followed by a three-game series next weekend with UAB.
ON THE AIR: J.P. Heath will call the action on Rice wls.com and the Varsity Network app.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: Tanner Wiggins (2-1, 3.24) vs. RHP Matthew Cuccias (3-2, 3.43)
Saturday: TBA vs. TBA
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
OWLS & SHOCKERS: Wichita State leads the overall series 7-4, including a 6-2 mark in regular-season games. They lead the series in Wichita 4-0, but Rice is 3-5 all-time at Eck Stadium, thanks its appearance in the 1996 Regional. The schools first met in a two-game series at Cameron Field in 1986, with the Shockers taking both. They met again in 1996 and for the first time in postseason play as Wichita State ended the Owls' improbable postseason run, one shy of earning their first trip to Omaha. Rice finished at the bottom of the SWC standings in the conference's final season, but took full advantage of all schools qualifying for final tournament. They blitzed the field to claim their first-ever Southwest Conference title in their final opportunity, earning a berth in the Wichita Regional, where they reached the final after eliminating defending CWS Champion Cal-State Fullerton before falling to the Shockers 16-2. Seven
THE STARTERS: Rice starting pitchers Tanner Wiggins, Ethan Sanders and Ryland Urbanczyk each worked at least six innings in 13 of 25 starts this year. They each worked at least six in their starts the last two weekends and in eight of the last nine American starts. Wiggins has worked at least six in five of six starts this year, including four of five conference series-opening starts (three quality starts). Sanders has worked at least six in five of 10 starts this season and in three of five American starts (two quality starts) and Urbanczyk has gone at least six in four of 10 this season and in three of five conference series finales (three quality starts).
OUT OF THE GATE: Rice reached seven wins in conference play in 12 games this season, the fewest number of contests since the Owls needed nine games in 2016. The Owls made it to Clearwater in each of its first two years in the American Conference despite starting 1-8 in 2024 and 1-9 in 2025. They did not reach seven wins in the American until their 16th game in 2024, eight wins in the 17th game in 2024 and nine wins until the 21st game that season. The Owls are 16-17 all-time in April in the American Conference.
UP NEXT: Rice returns to Reckling Park on Tuesday to open a four-game homestand with a midweek game vs. Lamar at 6:35, followed by a three-game series next weekend with UAB.
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