2021 Rice Owls baseball team explained

Mode:	baseball
Year:	2021
Team:	Rice Owls
Conference:	Conference USA
Division:	West Division
Short Conf:	C-USA
Record:	23–29–1
Conf Record:	11–20–1
Head Coach:	Matt Bragga
Asst Coach1:	Cory Barton
Asst Coach2:	Paul Janish
Asst Coach3:	Trevor Putzig
Stadium:	Reckling Park

The 2021 Rice Owls baseball team represented Rice University in the sport of baseball for the 2021 college baseball season. The Owls competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and in Conference USA West Division. They played their home games at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas. The team was coached by Matt Bragga, who was in his third season with the Owls.

For the first time since joining Conference USA in 2005, Rice did not qualify for this season's conference tournament. The Owl's broke their 14-year appearance in the tournament. On May 24, 2021, Rice announced that coach Bragga was relieved from his coaching duties.^[1]

Preseason

C-USA media poll

The Conference USA preseason poll was released on February 11, 2021 with the Owls predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.^[2]

Media poll (West)
1	Southern Miss	10
2	Louisiana Tech	2
3	Rice	-
4	Middle Tennessee	-
5	UTSA	-
6	UAB	-

Preseason All-CUSA team

• Braden Comeaux – Infielder

Schedule and results

2021 Rice Owl baseball game log
Regular season (23–29–1)
February (2–4) Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Attendance Overall record C-USA record February 19 Reckling Park Houston, TX Canceled ^[3] February 20 Reckling Park L 7-8^10 994 0-1 - February 20 Reckling Park Canceled February 21 Houston Baptist Reckling Park W 9-3 946 1-1 - February 22 Houston Baptist Reckling Park W 1-0 835 2-1 - February 24 at Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX Canceled February 26 M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park Lafayette, LA L 3-7 890 2-2 - February 27 at Louisiana M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park L 3-5 911 2-3 - February 28 at Louisiana M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park L 3-6 761 2-4 -
March (10–8) Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Attendance Overall record C-USA record March 3 Reckling Park Houston, TX W 10-0 912 3-4 - Shriners Hospitals For Children College Classic March 5 vs. Minute Maid Park Houston, TX L 4-12 3-5 - March 6 vs. Minute Maid Park W 16-5 1,000 4-5 - March 7 Minute Maid Park L 1-9 2,255 4-6 - March 9 Reckling Park W 3-1 923 5-6 - March 12 Reckling Park W 6-3 1,043 6-6 - March 13 (1) Reckling Park L 3-8 1,238 6-7 - March 13 (2) Northern Illinois Reckling Park W 4-1 858 7-7 - March 14 Kansas State Reckling Park W 1-0 1,041 8-7 - March 17 at Texas State Bobcat Ballpark San Marcos, TX L 5-16^7 700 8-8 - March 19 Reckling Park W 14-2 1,131 9-8 - March 20 Southern Reckling Park W 13-4 1,079 10-8 - March 21 Southern Reckling Park L 4-6 1,012 10-9 - March 23 at Blue Bell Park College State, TX W 2-1 1,334 11-9 - March 26 Reckling Park L 4-16 1,220 11-10 0-1 March 27 (1) UTSA Reckling Park W 10-8 1,009 12-10 1-1 March 27 (2) UTSA Reckling Park L 1-4 1,171 12-11 1-2 March 28 UTSA Reckling Park L 3-11 1,059 12-12 1-3
April (6–12–1) Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Attendance Overall record C-USA record April 1 Reese Smith Jr. Field Murfreesboro, TN L 1-4 200 12-13 1-4 April 2 (1) at Middle Tennessee Reese Smith Jr. Field L 3-4^9 200 12-14 1-5 April 2 (2) at Middle Tennessee Reese Smith Jr. Field W 4-1^7 200 13-14 2-5 April 3 at Middle Tennessee Reese Smith Jr. Field T 9-9^12 200 13-14-1 2-5-1 April 9 Reckling Park Houston, TX L 0-6 1,179 13-15-1 2-6-1 April 10 (1) No. 16 Louisiana Tech Reckling Park L 6-7^7 952 13-16-1 2-7-1 April 10 (2) No. 16 Louisiana Tech Reckling Park L 6-20^7 1,158 13-17-1 2-8-1 April 11 No. 16 Louisiana Tech Reckling Park L 4-13 1,180 13-18-1 2-9-1 April 13 Reckling Park W 15-12^10 1,045 14-18-1 - April 16 Bud Metheny Baseball Complex Norfolk, VA L 4-11 402 14-19-1 2-10-1 April 17 (1) at No. 22 Old Dominion Bud Metheny Baseball Complex L 2-11^7 402 14-20-1 2-11-1 April 17 (2) at No. 22 Old Dominion Bud Metheny Baseball Complex W 11-2^7 270 15-20-1 3-11-1 April 18 at No. 22 Old Dominion Bud Metheny Baseball Complex L 1-4 278 15-21-1 3-12-1 April 23 Roadrunner Field San Antonio, TX W 8-6 124 16-21-1 4-12-1 April 24 (1) at UTSA Roadrunner Field W 5-4^7 17-21-1 5-12-1 April 24 (2) at UTSA Roadrunner Field L 6-12^7 127 17-22-1 5-13-1 April 25 at UTSA Roadrunner Field L 4-12 136 17-23-1 5-14-1 April 30 (1) Reckling Park W 6-0^7 872 18-23-1 6-14-1 April 30 (2) No. 23 Southern Miss Reckling Park L 1-12^7 1,064 18-24-1 6-15-1
May (5–5) Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Attendance Overall record C-USA record May 1 (1) Reckling Park Houston, TX L 1-10 1,157 18-25-1 6-16-1 May 1 (2) No. 23 Southern Miss Reckling Park L 1-8 1,115 18-26-1 6-17-1 May 7 Jerry D. Young Memorial Field Birmingham, AL W 6-1 80 19-26-1 7-17-1 May 8 (1) at UAB Jerry D. Young Memorial Field L 1-2^7 80 19-27-1 7-18-1 May 8 (2) at UAB Jerry D. Young Memorial Field W 7-0^7 80 20-27-1 8-18-1 May 9 at UAB Jerry D. Young Memorial Field W 10-5 80 21-27-1 9-18-1 May 14 Reckling Park L 6-9 989 21-28-1 9-19-1 May 15 (1) No. 20 Charlotte Reckling Park W 11-8^7 1,146 22-28-1 10-19-1 May 15 (2) No. 20 Charlotte Reckling Park L 4-6^6 1,330 22-29-1 10-20-1 May 16 No. 20 Charlotte Reckling Park W 6-0^5 1,359 23-29-1 11-20-1 May 18 UFCU Disch–Falk Field Austin, TX Canceled

Schedule Source:^[4] *Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

External links

• Rice Baseball

Notes and References

1. Web site: Randy. McIlvoy. Rice AD announces coaching change for baseball program: Matt Bragga let go after three seasons. KPRC-TV. May 25, 2021. May 24, 2021.
2. Web site: 2021 Baseball Preseason Poll and Awards.
3. Web site: Ryan. Herrera. Weather postpones Rice athletic events. Houston Chronicle. April 13, 2021. February 18, 2021.
4. Owls Announce Baseball Schedule. Rice University Department of Athletics. January 19, 2021.