Rice University Athletics
Thursday, May 21
Clearwater, Florida
Noon
Rice University
vs
Wichita State
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Owls Open American Conference Tourney Against Shockers
5/20/2026 8:14:00 PM | Baseball
First pitch at noon
CLEARWATER, FL: Rice will open play in the 2026 American Conference Baseball Championship at noon on Thursday, after earning the third seed with a 16-11 record and owning the tiebreaker over UAB, which also finished 15-12. This is the first time in 28 conference tournaments that the Owls have been the third seed.
ON THE AIR: J.P. Heath will call the action on RiceOwls.com and the Varsity Network app throughout the tournament, while the coverage on ESPN+ will be split between two crews (Jeff Brightwell/Patrick Murray/Maria Trivelpiece and AJ Ricketts/Sean Salisbury/Savanna Collins) with Sunday's championship match moving to ESPN News.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
GAME NOTES
OWLS AND SHOCKERS: Wichita State leads the overall series between the schools 9-5, including taking two of three at home in late April. Wichita took the opener 5-1 and the finale 13-3, with Rice winning the middle game 3-2 as freshmen Ethan Sanders and Ty Thames combined to hold Wichita State in check and preserve an early lead. Sanders worked the first five, and his roommate on the road, Thames, handled the final four innings, scattering a combined seven hits and walking just two while combining for nine strikeouts. The Shockers lead the regular season games 8-3, but Rice has a 2-1 lead in postseason action. WSU ended Rice's first run in the NCAA Championship in the Regional Finale at Wichita, defeating the Owls, who had eliminated defending NCAA champion Cal-State Fullerton to reach the final 16-6 and advance to the College World Series. Seven years later, Rice turned the tables on the Shockers at the 2003 Regional at Reckling Park, defeating them twice to begin its march to the 2003 National Championship.
LATE SURGE LEADS TO HIGHEST SEED SINCE 2015: After dropping two of three at Wichita State from April 24-26, Rice was 8-10 in the American and sat in sixth. The Owls posted the best record in the conference over the last three weeks (8-1) to earn the third seed and a first-round bye. The third seed is the Owls' highest in a conference tournament since they were the top seed in the 2015 C-USA Championship. They were the fourth seed the following season, sixth in 2017, seventh in 2018 & 2019, and then the eighth seed in their last three conference postseasons (2023, 2024, 2025).
CONFERENCE SEEDINGS: Prior to earning its first-ever third seed this year, Rice has been the top seed 12 times in its history, posting a 41-16 record and winning eight championships (1997, 98, 99, 2006, 07, 11, 13, 14). They have been seeded second four times (6-6, 2009 C-USA title); fourth, four times (3-8); sixth, twice (8-0, 1996 SWC & 2017 C-USA title); seventh, twice (4-4); and eighth, four times (1-6).
OWLS IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Owls are 57-34 all-time in conference tournaments since making their debut in the 1981 SWC tournament. Rice was 6-12 all-time in the SWC event, winning its first-ever conference baseball title in the final event in SWC history in 1996. The Owls were 12-0 in three WAC tournaments from 1997 99 before the conference discontinued the tournament. Rice was 38-18 in the Conference USA event and won seven tournament titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2017). The Owls are 1-4 in two years at the American Conference tournament.
ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: The Owls are a +28 in run differential this year (315/287) and are looking to finish with a positive number for the first time since 2017, when they were +6 (382/375). Rice was a -145 last season (282/427) and has been a combined -458 from 2021 to 2025.
THE TURNAROUND: After falling in 11 innings to HCU 11-8 on February 24, Rice stood at 3-6, but starting with taking two of three after a long bus trip to face Abilene Christian—highlighted by their first win when trailing after eight innings in their last 89 games-- the Owls posted the best record in the American over the final 46 games. They closed the season 31-16, followed by ECU (29-17-1), UTSA (28-18), UAB (26-20), USF (25-19), Florida Atlantic (24-22), Charlotte (22-24), Wichita State (21-25), Memphis (19-26) and Tulane (19-28).
UP NEXT: The winner of Thursday's game will play East Carolina at 8 a.m. on Friday, while the loser will play the loser of the game between UTSA and the winner of Thursday's game between UAB and Memphis in the fourth and final game on Friday night.
ON THE AIR: J.P. Heath will call the action on RiceOwls.com and the Varsity Network app throughout the tournament, while the coverage on ESPN+ will be split between two crews (Jeff Brightwell/Patrick Murray/Maria Trivelpiece and AJ Ricketts/Sean Salisbury/Savanna Collins) with Sunday's championship match moving to ESPN News.
HOT LINKS
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
GAME NOTES
OWLS AND SHOCKERS: Wichita State leads the overall series between the schools 9-5, including taking two of three at home in late April. Wichita took the opener 5-1 and the finale 13-3, with Rice winning the middle game 3-2 as freshmen Ethan Sanders and Ty Thames combined to hold Wichita State in check and preserve an early lead. Sanders worked the first five, and his roommate on the road, Thames, handled the final four innings, scattering a combined seven hits and walking just two while combining for nine strikeouts. The Shockers lead the regular season games 8-3, but Rice has a 2-1 lead in postseason action. WSU ended Rice's first run in the NCAA Championship in the Regional Finale at Wichita, defeating the Owls, who had eliminated defending NCAA champion Cal-State Fullerton to reach the final 16-6 and advance to the College World Series. Seven years later, Rice turned the tables on the Shockers at the 2003 Regional at Reckling Park, defeating them twice to begin its march to the 2003 National Championship.
LATE SURGE LEADS TO HIGHEST SEED SINCE 2015: After dropping two of three at Wichita State from April 24-26, Rice was 8-10 in the American and sat in sixth. The Owls posted the best record in the conference over the last three weeks (8-1) to earn the third seed and a first-round bye. The third seed is the Owls' highest in a conference tournament since they were the top seed in the 2015 C-USA Championship. They were the fourth seed the following season, sixth in 2017, seventh in 2018 & 2019, and then the eighth seed in their last three conference postseasons (2023, 2024, 2025).
CONFERENCE SEEDINGS: Prior to earning its first-ever third seed this year, Rice has been the top seed 12 times in its history, posting a 41-16 record and winning eight championships (1997, 98, 99, 2006, 07, 11, 13, 14). They have been seeded second four times (6-6, 2009 C-USA title); fourth, four times (3-8); sixth, twice (8-0, 1996 SWC & 2017 C-USA title); seventh, twice (4-4); and eighth, four times (1-6).
OWLS IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Owls are 57-34 all-time in conference tournaments since making their debut in the 1981 SWC tournament. Rice was 6-12 all-time in the SWC event, winning its first-ever conference baseball title in the final event in SWC history in 1996. The Owls were 12-0 in three WAC tournaments from 1997 99 before the conference discontinued the tournament. Rice was 38-18 in the Conference USA event and won seven tournament titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2017). The Owls are 1-4 in two years at the American Conference tournament.
ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: The Owls are a +28 in run differential this year (315/287) and are looking to finish with a positive number for the first time since 2017, when they were +6 (382/375). Rice was a -145 last season (282/427) and has been a combined -458 from 2021 to 2025.
THE TURNAROUND: After falling in 11 innings to HCU 11-8 on February 24, Rice stood at 3-6, but starting with taking two of three after a long bus trip to face Abilene Christian—highlighted by their first win when trailing after eight innings in their last 89 games-- the Owls posted the best record in the American over the final 46 games. They closed the season 31-16, followed by ECU (29-17-1), UTSA (28-18), UAB (26-20), USF (25-19), Florida Atlantic (24-22), Charlotte (22-24), Wichita State (21-25), Memphis (19-26) and Tulane (19-28).
UP NEXT: The winner of Thursday's game will play East Carolina at 8 a.m. on Friday, while the loser will play the loser of the game between UTSA and the winner of Thursday's game between UAB and Memphis in the fourth and final game on Friday night.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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