Well, that was another exciting down to the wire baseball contest!

Boo Memphis.

Okay, good series Memphis

We’ll getcha next year

Time to pull the plug.

8 runs in 3 1/2 games (33 innings) against a pitching staff with an even worse ERA and BAA than us, and against much worse competition.

(04-07-2024 01:21 PM)Swede Owl Wrote:  A lead off walk comes around on a WP and a double. Down 1-0, with runner on 2nd and no outs. Groundout and then a single scores another (goes to 2nd on the throw.). Now down 2-0 with runner on 2nd with one out.

Given the way we’ve been playing, that might be enough.

Strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out DP (thrown out at 3rd caught stealing) to end the inning.

Memphis’ pitcher is 6’ and 175 lbs, with an 88-91 mph fastball. If we can’t score on this guy, I’m not sure what can be said.

You know, Quasimodo predicted all of this….

You can't win without players. And Rice's players simply aren't as good as the opposition's players. As long as other schools can stack scholarships in ways that Rice cannot, Rice players will not be as good as the opposition. It is all about recruiting, and as long as you have a $20K/year handicap, you can't recruit with the opposition. I know I got to be a lot better coach when an all-American player showed up, and that's true of anybody. Say what you want about coaching, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. That is not to diss in Rice's current players. They are probably the best that Rice can recruit under current conditions, and they appear to be giving their all.

Even Wayne couldn't maintain against that handicap, as his last teams fell off dramatically. Bragga was a lost cause, as he tried exchanging Wayne's Earl Weaver approach of good pitcjing plus good defense plus 3-run home runs for an outslug and outscore them approach that failed miserably, and abandoned Wayne's Houston-area HS coaching contacts network.

Jose may not be the answer, but nobody is the answer as long as the scholarship stacking difference remains. And given my understanding of NCAA rules, it may not be fixable.

(04-08-2024 06:55 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  You can't win without players. And Rice's players simply aren't as good as the opposition's players. As long as other schools can stack scholarships in ways that Rice cannot, Rice players will not be as good as the opposition. It is all about recruiting, and as long as you have a $20K/year handicap, you can't recruit with the opposition. I know I got to be a lot better coach when an all-American player showed up, and that's true of anybody. Say what you want about coaching, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. That is not to diss in Rice's current players. They are probably the best that Rice can recruit under current conditions, and they appear to be giving their all.

Even Wayne couldn't maintain against that handicap, as his last teams fell off dramatically. Bragga was a lost cause, as he tried exchanging Wayne's Earl Weaver approach of good pitcjing plus good defense plus 3-run home runs for an outslug and outscore them approach that failed miserably, and abandoned Wayne's Houston-area HS coaching contacts network.

Jose may not be the answer, but nobody is the answer as long as the scholarship stacking difference remains. And given my understanding of NCAA rules, it may not be fixable.

All really good points (as they agree with my position LOL). My only issue with your comment is that I believe the $20K handicap is likely closer to 30K. Not many parents will opt for the higher cost. Rice education just not worth the difference anymore.

(04-08-2024 10:03 AM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 06:55 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  You can't win without players. And Rice's players simply aren't as good as the opposition's players. As long as other schools can stack scholarships in ways that Rice cannot, Rice players will not be as good as the opposition. It is all about recruiting, and as long as you have a $20K/year handicap, you can't recruit with the opposition. I know I got to be a lot better coach when an all-American player showed up, and that's true of anybody. Say what you want about coaching, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. That is not to diss in Rice's current players. They are probably the best that Rice can recruit under current conditions, and they appear to be giving their all.

Even Wayne couldn't maintain against that handicap, as his last teams fell off dramatically. Bragga was a lost cause, as he tried exchanging Wayne's Earl Weaver approach of good pitcjing plus good defense plus 3-run home runs for an outslug and outscore them approach that failed miserably, and abandoned Wayne's Houston-area HS coaching contacts network.

Jose may not be the answer, but nobody is the answer as long as the scholarship stacking difference remains. And given my understanding of NCAA rules, it may not be fixable.

All really good points (as they agree with my position LOL). My only issue with your comment is that I believe the $20K handicap is likely closer to 30K. Not many parents will opt for the higher cost. Rice education just not worth the difference anymore.

I don't disagree with either of you and agree that this is the thing holding us back from being good/great/elite, whatever you want to call it.

But it still doesn't explain why we are SO bad. We have players talented enough to be recruited and signed by Power 5 schools out of high school (UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana, etc.). We have others who signed with us but were top 100 players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams (guys like Garza, Becker, Devenny, Duffield, Stratton). We have others who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.

And yet they come here and across the board, they don't perform. And I'm not saying they don't become all-conference players. No, they can't even hit .200. They may look like future all-conference players as freshman but then regress. The pitchers can't even go an inning without hitting and walking the whole lineup. We are an absolute bottomfeeder team, and I just don't agree that it is solely a talent issue.

There isn't nearly ENOUGH talent on campus, but there is SOME. But our record suggest there is NONE.

(04-08-2024 10:03 AM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  Rice education just not worth the difference anymore.

Especially not for someone who intends to primarily bank on his baseball connections... at least for the first few years after baseball ends.

They could be 3-10 years post graduation before anyone looks at their education... and even then, what happens during those 3-10 years could have an overcoming impact.

(04-08-2024 11:22 AM)RiceOwls2019 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 10:03 AM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 06:55 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  You can't win without players. And Rice's players simply aren't as good as the opposition's players. As long as other schools can stack scholarships in ways that Rice cannot, Rice players will not be as good as the opposition. It is all about recruiting, and as long as you have a $20K/year handicap, you can't recruit with the opposition. I know I got to be a lot better coach when an all-American player showed up, and that's true of anybody. Say what you want about coaching, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. That is not to diss in Rice's current players. They are probably the best that Rice can recruit under current conditions, and they appear to be giving their all.

Even Wayne couldn't maintain against that handicap, as his last teams fell off dramatically. Bragga was a lost cause, as he tried exchanging Wayne's Earl Weaver approach of good pitcjing plus good defense plus 3-run home runs for an outslug and outscore them approach that failed miserably, and abandoned Wayne's Houston-area HS coaching contacts network.

Jose may not be the answer, but nobody is the answer as long as the scholarship stacking difference remains. And given my understanding of NCAA rules, it may not be fixable.

All really good points (as they agree with my position LOL). My only issue with your comment is that I believe the $20K handicap is likely closer to 30K. Not many parents will opt for the higher cost. Rice education just not worth the difference anymore.

I don't disagree with either of you and agree that this is the thing holding us back from being good/great/elite, whatever you want to call it.

But it still doesn't explain why we are SO bad. We have players talented enough to be recruited and signed by Power 5 schools out of high school (UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana, etc.). We have others who signed with us but were top 100 players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams (guys like Garza, Becker, Devenny, Duffield, Stratton). We have others who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.

And yet they come here and across the board, they don't perform. And I'm not saying they don't become all-conference players. No, they can't even hit .200. They may look like future all-conference players as freshman but then regress. The pitchers can't even go an inning without hitting and walking the whole lineup. We are an absolute bottomfeeder team, and I just don't agree that it is solely a talent issue.

There isn't nearly ENOUGH talent on campus, but there is SOME. But our record suggest there is NONE.

Agree with this as well. The regression from projectible talent in HS to current level is a concern. It really should not be this BAD!!! If you are going to rely on development of projectible or raw talent, due to the cost/lack of stacked aid et. al, then the staff better be really good at it. Sadly they do not appear to have been able to unlock that talent.

I just dont understand why the hitting is so poor with Cruz in charge. I thought that would be his strong point instead the pitching seem to improve relative to last year but still not consistent.

(04-08-2024 01:54 PM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 11:22 AM)RiceOwls2019 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 10:03 AM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 06:55 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  You can't win without players. And Rice's players simply aren't as good as the opposition's players. As long as other schools can stack scholarships in ways that Rice cannot, Rice players will not be as good as the opposition. It is all about recruiting, and as long as you have a $20K/year handicap, you can't recruit with the opposition. I know I got to be a lot better coach when an all-American player showed up, and that's true of anybody. Say what you want about coaching, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. That is not to diss in Rice's current players. They are probably the best that Rice can recruit under current conditions, and they appear to be giving their all.

Even Wayne couldn't maintain against that handicap, as his last teams fell off dramatically. Bragga was a lost cause, as he tried exchanging Wayne's Earl Weaver approach of good pitcjing plus good defense plus 3-run home runs for an outslug and outscore them approach that failed miserably, and abandoned Wayne's Houston-area HS coaching contacts network.

Jose may not be the answer, but nobody is the answer as long as the scholarship stacking difference remains. And given my understanding of NCAA rules, it may not be fixable.

All really good points (as they agree with my position LOL). My only issue with your comment is that I believe the $20K handicap is likely closer to 30K. Not many parents will opt for the higher cost. Rice education just not worth the difference anymore.

I don't disagree with either of you and agree that this is the thing holding us back from being good/great/elite, whatever you want to call it.

But it still doesn't explain why we are SO bad. We have players talented enough to be recruited and signed by Power 5 schools out of high school (UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana, etc.). We have others who signed with us but were top 100 players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams (guys like Garza, Becker, Devenny, Duffield, Stratton). We have others who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.

And yet they come here and across the board, they don't perform. And I'm not saying they don't become all-conference players. No, they can't even hit .200. They may look like future all-conference players as freshman but then regress. The pitchers can't even go an inning without hitting and walking the whole lineup. We are an absolute bottomfeeder team, and I just don't agree that it is solely a talent issue.

There isn't nearly ENOUGH talent on campus, but there is SOME. But our record suggest there is NONE.

Agree with this as well. The regression from projectible talent in HS to current level is a concern. It really should not be this BAD!!! If you are going to rely on development of projectible or raw talent, due to the cost/lack of stacked aid et. al, then the staff better be really good at it. Sadly they do not appear to have been able to unlock that talent.

Sorry, but it's even worse than that. As I pointed out in a previous post, every single returning player from last year's squad, save for Becker, has declined in performance this year, and most have done so precipitously. Both pitchers and position players. If that's not on the coaching or lack thereof I don't know what is. The inability to lay down a sac bunt...the inability to put a ball in play with runners in scoring position and less than two out....the ridiculously high frequency of BBs and HBPs by our pitchers. That's on the coaching.

(04-08-2024 02:00 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  I just dont understand why the hitting is so poor with Cruz in charge. I thought that would be his strong point instead the pitching seem to improve relative to last year but still not consistent.

How has the pitching improved? Parker Smith has gone from a Top 3 round draft pick to a guy likely returning to school next year. Suddenly, after two season, he can't throw strikes. McCracken has stayed about the same, but is walking and hitting more batters. The only improvement is the addition of Hickson and Alch. The bullpen, aside from Hickson, is a dump fire.

I really think that NIL and the transfer portal is probably the final straw on breaking the back on what was already a broken pipedream camel that Rice could compete in D1 Athletics in the big 3 (which pays the bills for all of the other programs). Baseball overcame the lack of effort since the 60's through Wayne's genius and the benefit of a Rice degree, but the out of pocket costs have gotten way out of hand since the glory days of 1996 to 2008 and even counting the following few years.

Sorry, I just don't see with 13 scholarships to share within baseball, the "right now" approach to BSKB, and what it takes to compete in FB that there will ever be a return to glory.

I hope i am wrong, because I bleed as blue and gray as anyone, but it is getting harder and harder to be optimistic. The small window that might have been there 20 or 30 years ago was never properly exploited, if there really was a chance and I think these factors have cemented it closed. Whoever declined the offer from the SEC, if that was real, should be embarrassed.

Frankly BSKB had its chances but transfers (thanks to ranger rick and the portal) killed it. Pera would have been a decent coach in the slow build era of college bskb-think of his teams without transfers. Or imagine if Rhodes had stayed 1 more year.

(04-08-2024 03:26 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 01:54 PM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 11:22 AM)RiceOwls2019 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 10:03 AM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 06:55 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  You can't win without players. And Rice's players simply aren't as good as the opposition's players. As long as other schools can stack scholarships in ways that Rice cannot, Rice players will not be as good as the opposition. It is all about recruiting, and as long as you have a $20K/year handicap, you can't recruit with the opposition. I know I got to be a lot better coach when an all-American player showed up, and that's true of anybody. Say what you want about coaching, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. That is not to diss in Rice's current players. They are probably the best that Rice can recruit under current conditions, and they appear to be giving their all.

Even Wayne couldn't maintain against that handicap, as his last teams fell off dramatically. Bragga was a lost cause, as he tried exchanging Wayne's Earl Weaver approach of good pitcjing plus good defense plus 3-run home runs for an outslug and outscore them approach that failed miserably, and abandoned Wayne's Houston-area HS coaching contacts network.

Jose may not be the answer, but nobody is the answer as long as the scholarship stacking difference remains. And given my understanding of NCAA rules, it may not be fixable.

All really good points (as they agree with my position LOL). My only issue with your comment is that I believe the $20K handicap is likely closer to 30K. Not many parents will opt for the higher cost. Rice education just not worth the difference anymore.

I don't disagree with either of you and agree that this is the thing holding us back from being good/great/elite, whatever you want to call it.

But it still doesn't explain why we are SO bad. We have players talented enough to be recruited and signed by Power 5 schools out of high school (UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana, etc.). We have others who signed with us but were top 100 players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams (guys like Garza, Becker, Devenny, Duffield, Stratton). We have others who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.

And yet they come here and across the board, they don't perform. And I'm not saying they don't become all-conference players. No, they can't even hit .200. They may look like future all-conference players as freshman but then regress. The pitchers can't even go an inning without hitting and walking the whole lineup. We are an absolute bottomfeeder team, and I just don't agree that it is solely a talent issue.

There isn't nearly ENOUGH talent on campus, but there is SOME. But our record suggest there is NONE.

Agree with this as well. The regression from projectible talent in HS to current level is a concern. It really should not be this BAD!!! If you are going to rely on development of projectible or raw talent, due to the cost/lack of stacked aid et. al, then the staff better be really good at it. Sadly they do not appear to have been able to unlock that talent.

Sorry, but it's even worse than that. As I pointed out in a previous post, every single returning player from last year's squad, save for Becker, has declined in performance this year, and most have done so precipitously. Both pitchers and position players. If that's not on the coaching or lack thereof I don't know what is. The inability to lay down a sac bunt...the inability to put a ball in play with runners in scoring position and less than two out....the ridiculously high frequency of BBs and HBPs by our pitchers. That's on the coaching.

So what’s the solution? Do you think a coaching change should be made at the end of the season? If not can we expect the same or worse next season? New recruits may help but the lack of current development we discussed does not give me hope new crop will excel.

To paraphrase Musicowl:

Rice has pitchers talented enough to be Tuesday starters for UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana--when they are seniors. Rice has others who were top 100 HS players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams, and some who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.

None of that explains why they are so much worse this year.

It may be that Cruz is a great person and a great player, but he just can’t coach. It happens. Look at Penny Hardaway at Memphis. Look at Larry Izzo. There are countless examples of great players who were terrible coaches

Walt:

Against Memphis the relief pitching gave up one earned run in 15.2 innings. Hardly a “dump fire”.

(04-08-2024 08:49 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  To paraphrase Musicowl:

Rice has pitchers talented enough to be Tuesday starters for UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana--when they are seniors. Rice has others who were top 100 HS players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams, and some who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.

None of that explains why they are so much worse this year.

That's total B.S. Stop assessing talent when you have not been to or watched a Rice game in years. Parker Smith would have been a weekend starter last year on just about any program in the country.

(04-08-2024 10:40 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 08:49 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  To paraphrase Musicowl:
Rice has pitchers talented enough to be Tuesday starters for UNC, Florida State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Indiana--when they are seniors. Rice has others who were top 100 HS players in the state of Texas and were recruited by some other good teams, and some who were very good players at schools like Wichita State and Princeton.
None of that explains why they are so much worse this year.

That's total B.S. Stop assessing talent when you have not been to or watched a Rice game in years. Parker Smith would have been a weekend starter last year on just about any program in the country.

I don't have to sit through this in the stands when I can see the results. And you don't know when I've been to a Rice game. And for somebody who has at least claimed to have been to a lot of games, your analyses haven't exactly impressed me.

(04-08-2024 03:38 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  I really think that NIL and the transfer portal is probably the final straw on breaking the back on what was already a broken pipedream camel that Rice could compete in D1 Athletics in the big 3 (which pays the bills for all of the other programs). Baseball overcame the lack of effort since the 60's through Wayne's genius and the benefit of a Rice degree, but the out of pocket costs have gotten way out of hand since the glory days of 1996 to 2008 and even counting the following few years.

Sorry, I just don't see with 13 scholarships to share within baseball, the "right now" approach to BSKB, and what it takes to compete in FB that there will ever be a return to glory.

I hope i am wrong, because I bleed as blue and gray as anyone, but it is getting harder and harder to be optimistic. The small window that might have been there 20 or 30 years ago was never properly exploited, if there really was a chance and I think these factors have cemented it closed. Whoever declined the offer from the SEC, if that was real, should be embarrassed.

Frankly BSKB had its chances but transfers (thanks to ranger rick and the portal) killed it. Pera would have been a decent coach in the slow build era of college bskb-think of his teams without transfers. Or imagine if Rhodes had stayed 1 more year.

This is a good post. I'm afraid you're right. Unless serious parameters are set, NIL payments will be impossible for Rice to compete against. That, or the SEC and BIG10 break away from the NCAA, and the rest of us are left competing for real amateur collegiate championships without them.

It's hard for me to enjoy college athletics anymore, even Rice. NIL has ruined everything. The schools with hundreds of thousands of supporters will thrive, while the rest of us wither away.