Series Thread: Rice vs FAU - Mar 31st - Apr 2nd, 2017


What:      Rice (8-19, 1-5 C-USA) at Florida Atlantic (16-7-1, 5-1 C-USA)

When:     Fri, Mar 31st at 6:30 PM
               Sat, Apr 1st at 4:00 PM
               Sun, Apr 2nd at 12:00 PM


Where:    FAU Baseball Stadium

Stream:   CUSA.tv *FEE

Stats:       Here


Series:

Florida Atlantic has just one win in 10 tries against Rice, with that coming last season 10-3 in Houston.


Projected Starting Pitchers

Sat:       RU - RHP Matt Canterino  (2-1, 2.94 ERA)
             FAU - RHP Alex House (3-1, 4.34 ERA)

Sat:       RU - RHP Zach Esquivel (2-4, 2.88 ERA)
             FAU - RHP Mark Stewart (1-1, 4.87 ERA)

Sun:      RU - RHP Dane Myers (0-3, 4.67 ERA)
             FAU - LHP Jake Miednik (3-1, 4.93 ERA)


Game Notes

FAU

The Florida Atlantic University baseball team, winners of five of their first six Conference USA contests, returns to FAU Baseball Stadium to play Rice, with Saturday's middle game moved back to the normal 4 p.m. start time.

The Owls are first in the league and second nationally in on-base percentage, .427 to Kentucky's .431. They also continue to pace C-USA in walks (140, 11th in the country), slugging percentage (.495, 16th) and pitching strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.94, 22nd).

Their 43 times being hit-by-pitch is fifth-highest in DI, and they are 12th in home runs and home runs per game (34 and 1.42), 16th in runs per game (8.2) and 31st in batting average (.306). All of those marks rank second in C-USA as well.

FAU continues to have six batters at a season average of .300 or more, while all batters starting 12 games or more are getting on base at a clip of at least .371

Stephen Kerr is batting .346, trailing just Tyler Frank, at .350. David Miranda leads the team with six home runs, while Frank, Gary Mattis and Esteban Puerta have five each.

RHP Alex House moves back into the Friday role for FAU, with mark Stewart on the hill Saturday and Jake Miednik taking the Sunday role.


Rice

Dropping a series to FIU last weekend, Ford Proctor was 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs and Ryan Chandler added a pair of hits, to lead Rice past Sam Houston in midweek action on Tuesday night.

On Sunday against FIU junior second baseman Tristan Gray recorded a career-high seven defensive assists, the most by any player on the team this season. He also had a hand on all three Rice double plays.

Rice is hitting a combined .306 (33-for-108) in the third inning. The third and sixth innings are the team's best for scoring runs (19 in each frame). After just two steals in the team's first 14 games, they have now swiped 14 bases in the last 13 games.

Darryn Sheppard has been hot at the plate as of late, going 9-of-19 (.474) with a three doubles and a grand slam in his last five games for Rice.

Rice is just 2-9 away from Reckling Park  for the 2017 season with both coming against the Texas Longhorns.

Rice is holding Florida Atlantic hitless through two innings of play in the opener. They themselves scratch out a run as Alex House gets out of a bases loaded jam behind a double play.

Top 3rd

Rice 1  FAU 0

An RBI double by Rice makes it a 2-0 affair.

Bot 3rd

Homerun Esteban Puerta!

A two RBI shot to left, and it's all tied up after three full innings.

Rice 2  FAU 2

Labsan find his way to second with a double but is left on base.

End 4th

Rice 2  FAU 2

Miranda's RBI groundout puts Florida Atlantic on top in the bottom half of the fifth inning.

They have stranded five now for the contest.

Top 6th

Rice 2 FAU 3

House complete's his outing with one away on the top half of the sixth before the duo of Drew Peden (pickoff) and Weston Clemente (strikeout) finish the Rice side.

Florida Atlantic strands another runner during their turn.

Final line on House: 5IP, 5H, 2R, 4BB, 3K.

Kyle Marman now on the hill in a tight one.

Rice 2  FAU 3

Top 7th

Marman sets down Rice in 1-2-3 fashion for the first time tonight highlighted by a pair of K's.

Stretch time for game one.

Rice 2  FAU 3

The pace has finally picked up with Florida Atlantic also going in order before Marman retires Rice.

Bot 8th

3-2 FAU

Nothing doing offensively for Florida Atlantic in the 8th aside from a single from DeJongh.

Ragsdale on for his 6th save on the season.

Top 9th

Rice 2  FAU 3