Looking at Rice as a team, they are 9-10 overall. Slow start, but we saw this same thing last season. Wayne Graham will have his team ready for conference play and they’ll likely find their way into another regional. It’s the way of life in Houston.
We all know who Ford Proctor is. If he is on your team, you love him, if he’s not, you likely have a strong disdain. The kid can play the position, but I can’t stand him. He is hitting .429 with 1 home run and 17 RBI. He’s the top draft prospect in the conference.
Dominic Dicaprio was a stud at catcher for Rice in 2017, hitting .366. He is the fifth ranked prospect in the league, but he has not played since March 2nd, and has only played in four games this year. If Tech avoids him this weekend, that’s big.
Braden Comeaux has been exceptional at third base. He is hitting .368 with 1 home run and 13 RBI. He’s a really good draft prospect for the 2019 draft.
Ryan Chandler is the third and final Owl hitting over .300 with a .345 average. Chandler is a speed guy that can really run. He only has four stolen bases but plays a great CF. He is the 12th ranked prospect in the conference.
As a team, Rice is hitting .280 with a .371 on-base percentage. They are averaging 5.2 runs per game.
On the mound, Friday night starter Matt Canterino is a stud. He is one of the best strikeout pitchers in the country. He might have the best slider in America to go along with a power fastball that will be 92-94. He’s only a sophomore and will be a high draft pick in 2019.
Behind Canterino, the Owls are looking for answers.
Ricardo Salinas was expected to be the Saturday starter, but he missed a lot of time in 2017 and has really struggled thus far. He hasn’t pitched since March 3rd and has an 8.64 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched.
Kendal Jefferies will likely get a start. He has a 1.76 era in 15.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 14 hits and struck out 13. He tossed 6.1 innings and allowed only 1 earned run against Gonzaga last weekend.
Willy Amador will also see some time on the mound. He has a 2.16 era in 16.2 innings pitched.
Roel Garcia dominated TCU for 6.1 innings on Tuesday night. I’m not sure if he’ll be available before Sunday or not, but he has a 2.38 era in 11.1 innings pitched. He can run it up to 96 with his fastball.
Garrett Gayle has a 3.00 era in 12 innings pitched this season. He has 19 strikeouts. That’s what a 98 MPH heater will do for you.
Addison Moss is a guy that saw innings early on, but hasn’t appeared since March 4th. He could be out due to injury, but in 16 innings he has a 1.69 era. His fastball is 92-93.
Bad bodied left hander Evan Kravitz is back for his junior season. He’s a left hander, he’ll be in there this weekend. Graham loves him, but I’m not sure why. He has an up 80s fastball.
If it sounds like the Owls are dealing with a plethora of injuries on the mound, then you’re right. That is nothing new for a Wayne Graham squad. He’ll abuse arms with the best of them.
In all, Rice probably has 10-12 draft prospects on this squad. For comparison, Tech has maybe 3-4.
Banged up or not, Tech is in for its biggest challenge of the year. Rice will continue running arm after arm after arm at Tech all weekend. All have talent. I am interested to see what Tech’s bats can do. It’s a big weekend for a team that in my opinion still has a lot of questions.
We all know who Ford Proctor is. If he is on your team, you love him, if he’s not, you likely have a strong disdain. The kid can play the position, but I can’t stand him. He is hitting .429 with 1 home run and 17 RBI. He’s the top draft prospect in the conference.
Dominic Dicaprio was a stud at catcher for Rice in 2017, hitting .366. He is the fifth ranked prospect in the league, but he has not played since March 2nd, and has only played in four games this year. If Tech avoids him this weekend, that’s big.
Braden Comeaux has been exceptional at third base. He is hitting .368 with 1 home run and 13 RBI. He’s a really good draft prospect for the 2019 draft.
Ryan Chandler is the third and final Owl hitting over .300 with a .345 average. Chandler is a speed guy that can really run. He only has four stolen bases but plays a great CF. He is the 12th ranked prospect in the conference.
As a team, Rice is hitting .280 with a .371 on-base percentage. They are averaging 5.2 runs per game.
On the mound, Friday night starter Matt Canterino is a stud. He is one of the best strikeout pitchers in the country. He might have the best slider in America to go along with a power fastball that will be 92-94. He’s only a sophomore and will be a high draft pick in 2019.
Behind Canterino, the Owls are looking for answers.
Ricardo Salinas was expected to be the Saturday starter, but he missed a lot of time in 2017 and has really struggled thus far. He hasn’t pitched since March 3rd and has an 8.64 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched.
Kendal Jefferies will likely get a start. He has a 1.76 era in 15.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 14 hits and struck out 13. He tossed 6.1 innings and allowed only 1 earned run against Gonzaga last weekend.
Willy Amador will also see some time on the mound. He has a 2.16 era in 16.2 innings pitched.
Roel Garcia dominated TCU for 6.1 innings on Tuesday night. I’m not sure if he’ll be available before Sunday or not, but he has a 2.38 era in 11.1 innings pitched. He can run it up to 96 with his fastball.
Garrett Gayle has a 3.00 era in 12 innings pitched this season. He has 19 strikeouts. That’s what a 98 MPH heater will do for you.
Addison Moss is a guy that saw innings early on, but hasn’t appeared since March 4th. He could be out due to injury, but in 16 innings he has a 1.69 era. His fastball is 92-93.
Bad bodied left hander Evan Kravitz is back for his junior season. He’s a left hander, he’ll be in there this weekend. Graham loves him, but I’m not sure why. He has an up 80s fastball.
If it sounds like the Owls are dealing with a plethora of injuries on the mound, then you’re right. That is nothing new for a Wayne Graham squad. He’ll abuse arms with the best of them.
In all, Rice probably has 10-12 draft prospects on this squad. For comparison, Tech has maybe 3-4.
Banged up or not, Tech is in for its biggest challenge of the year. Rice will continue running arm after arm after arm at Tech all weekend. All have talent. I am interested to see what Tech’s bats can do. It’s a big weekend for a team that in my opinion still has a lot of questions.
