RE: Rice Baseball Fall Ball 2023
For those who have not seen this, the RBI Club sent out this e-mail earlier today, which includes a recap of the 2023 season and 2024 preview from Coach Cruz...
Greetings Rice Baseball Fans,
We hope this email finds you well and enjoying a pleasant holiday season. As our tremendous Rice Baseball student-athletes head home for a break, we have much to update you on as we prepare for their return in January, including a recap of 2023 and a look to 2024, as well as direction on how you can support the success of Rice Baseball through a gift to the RBI Club.
We are excited for year three under the leadership of Bixby Family Baseball Head Baseball Coach Jose Cruz, Jr. This season is our first in the American Athletic Conference, which resumes old rivalries against the likes of Tulane, Wichita State, and top squad ECU. Coach Cruz is also excited for another challenging non-conference schedule in which we’ll host defending national champs LSU, College World Series participant Stanford, and Notre Dame at Reckling Park while also traveling to Louisiana and Hawaii which renews an old WAC rivalry with the Fighting Rainbows. You can find the full schedule here.
For Rice Baseball to achieve our goal of excellence and return to national prominence, we need your continued support. From state-of-the-art technology to enhanced nutrition, and from facility upgrades to season ticket purchases, the RBI Club has always been a consistent means of support directly benefiting our student-athletes. On behalf of everyone associated with Rice Athletics and baseball, we thank you and encourage you to renew or make your gift to the RBI Club, and please spread the word to others!
Last year, the RBI Club raised nearly $200,000, an impressive show of support for what Coach Cruz is building at Reckling Park. This support enabled Coach to continue implementing his philosophy emphasizing student-athlete development in every phase of their lives. Key areas supported by RBI Club contributions included investments in a mental performance coach, technology (such as TruMedia for scouting and Hit Trax for training), enhanced team meals and daily nutrition aiding in performance and recovery, and facilities upgrades ensuring our student-athletes continue to train and compete in an excellent environment.
As you consider making a gift to the RBI Club, please note that we will have five donor levels available this year. The donor benefits associated with each level are as follows:
On behalf of our student-athletes, Coach Cruz and the RBI Board of Directors, we sincerely hope that you will consider making a gift to the RBI Club.
If you have any questions as you consider making a gift, please feel free to contact any member of our board or Senior Associate Athletics Director Tanner Gardner at (713) 348-8258.
2023 Rice Baseball Recap
In 2023, Rice Baseball returned to the postseason, as we hosted our final C-USA Championship at Reckling Park. Throughout the season, Parker Smith showcased his exceptional pitching skills, earning a spot on the All-CUSA first team and freshman Ben Royo led the team in home runs (13) and tacked on 40 RBIs, which was recognized by a spot on the All-Freshman team. The season's success continued even after the final pitch was thrown. In the MLB Draft, Justin Long, Matthew Linskey, and Hayden Durke were selected, making it the most Rice Owls to be chosen since 2019. The summer brought even more excitement as two Owls, Dane Myers and Tristan Gray, made their major league debuts, marking an unforgettable moment in their baseball careers.
Off the field, we also made great strides. Supporting our rigorous focus on player development, we continued our investment in technology, further refining our approach and adding key technologies including BATS (video analysis), Catapult (athlete load monitoring), and Zelus (baseball intelligence platform). The implementation of these state-of-the-art technologies was bolstered by our strengthened partnership with Rice’s Sports Management department and support from the department’s new Director of Applied Sports Science, John DeWitt . In the classroom, our Owls continued to excel. The team set a record for the highest all-time team GPA in both the fall (3.280) and spring (3.301), and the team was recently recognized in the NCAA Graduation Success Report with a graduation success rate of 100%!
2023 Fall Ball Recap
Last month, the team wrapped up a successful fall ball which created excitement for the 2024 season.
A number of players stuck out to Coach Cruz. On the mound, Parker Smith threw only one inning but quickly reminded why he earned All-Conference Honors last spring, striking out the side. Jack Ben-Shoshan set a personal record in velocity (94mph) and is competing for the closer role. Mauricio Rodriguez (who did not allow a run in the fall), Davion Hickson, and Tyler Hamilton all stood out as potential impact players. Finally, newcomers Karl Ralamb and Jackson Blank impressed and will be counted on this spring. At the plate, Kyte McDonald wowed by hitting .474 with 6 stolen bases while also displaying veteran leadership. Manny Garza hit .313 while displaying good form behind the plate (note he was rated the 5th best defensive catcher in the country for 2023!). Jack Riedel had a great fall, hitting .341 with three homers and held down 2B. Other standouts included Guy Garibay (4 home runs) and Ben Royo, Nathan Becker, and Trey Duffield, who all hit 3 home runs.
When the team returns in January, they’ll quickly start preparation for the exciting schedule ahead, and they look forward to seeing you in the stands to cheer them on!
Support Rice Baseball
RBI Contribution: To make your annual gift to Rice Baseball, please call Conor Glenn at 713-348-3966 or make your gift online by clicking HERE.
Annual Dinner: As we have already announced, the Rice Baseball First Pitch Dinner will be on Thursday, January 25th in the R Room at Rice Stadium. Please make your gift by the end of the year to ensure you receive preferred access to the event. More details to come!
Go Owls!
|
