Wiggins and Smith Lead Owls Past Tulane

Thursday, May 14

Reckling Park

6:35 pm

Rice University

32-22, 14-11

Tulane

25-29, 10-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Tulane	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Rice	3	0	1	4	4	0	X	12	18	0

Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics

5/14/2026 10:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Game two set for 6:35 on Friday

By: Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)

Houston: Tanner Wiggins tossed a three-hit shutout while Paul Smith led an 18-hit attack with two singles, a double, and his 12^th home run of the year, as Rice rolled to a 12-0 win over Tulane at Reckling Park on Thursday night.

How it Happened: Rice burst from the gate in the opening inning with three runs as Zachary Daigre led off with a single and Colin Robson was hit by a pitch. JC Davis laid down a bunt to move them up, but reached and moved to second on an errant throw that scored Daigre. Smith followed with a single to drive in Robson with the first of his four RBI, and Kutter-Gage Webb brought home Davis with a sacrifice fly, the first of three for him during the game. Armed with a three-run cushion, Wiggins worked around a pair of base runners with two outs in the second and then cruised through the next three innings while the Owls continued to build the lead. Webb's second sac fly extended the lead to 4-0 in the third, and then the Owls broke it open with four runs in the fourth and fifth. Wiggins retired 12 in a row at one point until a two-out walk in the sixth. He allowed a one-out single in the seventh before completing the shutout.

Next Up: Rice will look to take the series against Tulane in the second game of the series on Friday at 6:35 before wrapping up the regular season at 1:05 on Saturday.

Notes

Rice improved to 32-22 on the season, 18-10 at home, 14-11 in the American Conference, and 11-3 in series openers.
The Owls have won five straight games at home.
The win clinched the Owls' first winning season in the American after they won a combined 21 games in their first two seasons in the conference.
Rice and UAB, which defeated UTSA 7-6 in San Antonio, moved to within two games of the Roadrunners and remained one game behind ECU (a 7-5 win at FAU) in the race for the top four seeds in the conference championship. Memphis, which defeated Charlotte 9-4, is one game behind the Owls and Blazers.
The 12-run margin was the largest for the Owls in a shutout since they blanked Southwest Louisiana 15-0 and the 2016 Baton Rouge Regional.
It was the largest shutout margin in a conference game since the Owls blanked Marshall 13-0 in 2013.
Rice's 18 hits were the most by the Owls in a conference game since they had 20 vs. ODU in 2018.
Wiggins tossed the Owls' first shutout since Davion Hickson tossed a one-hit, nine-inning shutout against Charlotte on 5/2/25 and the first seven-inning shutout since Blake Brogdon at UAB in 2021.
Wiggins worked into the seventh inning for the sixth time in his last seven starts and has worked at least six innings in nine of his 10 series-opening starts.
Smith, who was one of nine Owls who participated in a pregame Commencement ceremony, matched his career high with four hits and drove in four runs to increase his team-leading total to 48…He is hitting .419 over his last 21 games with six homers and 23 RBI.
Daigre was back in the leadoff spot for a second consecutive game and has led off both games for Rice with singles…He finished 3x5 and has hit in 11 of his last 12 games (.500; 19x38) since he was moved into the starting lineup.