Rice now wins on the internet too. Important, solid win.

Great win. Canterino could be something special.

About time! Wish I could have been there to see it but on Spring Break with family. Thanks everyone for the updates.

(03-10-2017 09:15 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  Rice's Dunlap lofts a long fly to deepest center field ... but it's caught on the warning track.

1-0, Rice, after 2.

"Lofts"? Andrew hit two laser shots, but both for outs. His first went 400+ feet to straightaway CF; the second was a rifle shot to CF, never going more than 20 feet in the air. Andrew should be our permanent DH against LHed pitching, and I'd love to see him in the lineup against some RHP as well.

That was the old stuff! Strikeout pitching, no errors, and some power hitting. Rice fight hasn't died yet.

(03-10-2017 11:24 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  Best game we've played this season.

By a country mile. Too bad many fans who had intended to attend never showed up due to the thunderstorm.

Great to see a well-pitched, clean, and fundamentally sound game by the Owls. Step 1 in turning this thing around....and none too soon.

Matt Canterino is going to be a stud for us. Second consecutive dominant performance. Love his poise and his ability to locate his pitches. Only threw a couple changeups, but was locating his fastball on the corners, and his late breaking, tight curveball is as filthy as Zech Lammon's hammer curve or Wade Townsend's knucklecurve. Offensively, we hit 6 or 7 hard outs. Sheppard is starting to play into form. His HR was a no-doubter, and he hit a couple other line drives.

Game Ball #1: Matt Canterino (W, 7.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 10 Ks)-- the stat line says it all. In total control throughout. He's now given up 1 run in his last 13.2 IP.

Game Ball #2: Darryn Sheppard (3-4, HR #2, 1 run, 1 RBI)-- provides us with a much-needed power threat, and he's a good baserunner to boot.

Game Ball #3: Glenn Otto (Save #2, 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 BB, 4 Ks)-- lost his control a bit in the 9th (and was pinched badly by the home plate umpire), but had the poise to pitch through it (thanks in part by a great catch by Moss against the fence in foul territory).

Now let's build on this one. Go Owls!

Amen. Lots of negativity on this board, much deserved.
It is however still a VERY LONG season & way too early to quit and run home crying to mommy about our aging coach, our conference, our money, our recruiting, whatever. We're still a program with pride, resources, and enough talent to get it done if we play better. Let's solve next year after this season but root hard now for this season and this bunch of young men.

(03-11-2017 12:03 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-10-2017 09:15 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  Rice's Dunlap lofts a long fly to deepest center field ... but it's caught on the warning track.

1-0, Rice, after 2.

"Lofts"? Andrew hit two laser shots, but both for outs. His first went 400+ feet to straightaway CF; the second was a rifle shot to CF, never going more than 20 feet in the air. Andrew should be our permanent DH against LHed pitching, and I'd love to see him in the lineup against some RHP as well.

Agreed. Dunlap needs to be in there. Moving Myers back to third base tonight and thus inserting another power threat in Dunlap certainly made our lineup feel more formidable.

Nice to see we have some Rice fight left in us. Canterino sounds like he'll be the Friday night starter from here out.

(03-11-2017 12:03 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-10-2017 09:15 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  Rice's Dunlap lofts a long fly to deepest center field ... but it's caught on the warning track.

1-0, Rice, after 2.

"Lofts"? Andrew hit two laser shots, but both for outs. His first went 400+ feet to straightaway CF; the second was a rifle shot to CF, never going more than 20 feet in the air. ...

Sorry, Walt.

As you know, I'm watching at home on the video stream, so I don't see the best angle for balls going to center field. I call 'em as I seem 'em, though. The action of the centerfielder to Dunlap's B2 ball that I thought was lofted -- going back steadily, but not urgently, to the warning track -- gave me the impression that it was hit very high, hence my use of "lofts". For sure, however, the actual trajectory of the ball was outside the view of the video-stream camera.

I appreciate and welcome all in-person assessments and adjustments.

Finally, some good national press...

From collegebaseballcentral...
https://collegebaseballcentral.com/rice-...ord/15196/

Quote:Rice Owls Bounce Back Against Stanford

TOPICS:Rice Owls
POSTED BY: HARRISON LEE MARCH 11, 2017
Through 14 games and a rain and lightning before , the Rice Owls had moments of good spliced between moments of frustration, but never anything consistent one way or the other. But on the fifteenth game, Rice found four runs, fourteen strikeouts, a tied series with Stanford, and a semblance of harmony.

In the wake of Rice’s fifth win of the season and most complete and well played game to date, head coach Wayne Graham seemed content.


Photo Rice Athletics
“It all starts with good pitching,” said Graham.”Matt Canterino was in control the whole game. When you’ve got something like that, you don’t want to mess with it. You want to nurture it and make sure it stays strong and makes it the year, because he’s really a dominant pitcher. He’s got four pitches, and a good enough fastball to make everything work.”

Everything did indeed work for Canterino. When the game began his ERA was 4.61; seven innings later, the freshman right-hander had allowed only two hits, one walk, and struck out ten and had his ERA down to 3.05.

“He was very talented coming out of high school,” said Graham. “We perceived that he was going to be a weekend starter. As a freshman. Having not pitched since last spring he’s been off the mound a long time. He got well quickly, and that speaks to his talent that he could that.”

Through his seven innings, Canterino seemed calmer than one would expect of a young man spinning a night of double digit strikeouts. Graham explained that was a positive.

“When he came out of high school he was too emotional. We said ‘we don’t want an exhibitionist, we want an exeuctioner. He’s adopted that frame of mind. He’s still got the fire in him, but he’s got it under control, and that’s all he needed, to get back on the mound and control the energy. That’s what life is about. Success is controlling energy. Criminals got energy, but they don’t control it the way people like.”

Canterino himself seemed relaxed given his performance and temporary stop to the struggles the Owls have had so far this season.

“It’s about finding that rhythm and getting it back started again,” said Canterino.

Pitching with very few mistakes, Canterino moved to 1-1 on the season, evidenced by his six strikeouts in the first three innings.

“I’m starting to come into my own with some of my off-speed stuff, so it’s just about capitalizing on those opportunities and working them for strikeouts. In the end, you’re just trying to get ahead, and that’s the mentality that [Rice pitching coach John Pope] coach Pope has going for us.”

Graham’s aforementioned mentions of his moundsman’s emotions were treated with something of an agreement by the pitcher himself.

“I guarantee that if you ask some of the guys on the team that they probably won’t say I’m as calm as I may appear to be on the mound. I’ve still got a lot of emotions in me. I love the game, I love playing for this team.”

...and from D1baseball...
https://d1baseball.com/roundup/d1-digest...-march-10/

Quote:Rice RHP Matt Canterino: We’ve written about Canterino already this season, but he was put in quite the spot going into Friday’s game against Stanford. Rice looked atrocious in the series opener against the Cardinal, but bounced back in impressive fashion with a 4-0 win on Friday. The talented freshman righty was the key, striking out 10, walking one and allowing two hits in seven shutout innings. Perhaps that’s the spark that will get Rice going.

BTW, I spoke with John Canterino, Matt's dad, at the tailgate before the game last night. He's originally from Brooklyn, having moved down to Houston 7 years ago. According to his dad, though his brother is at UT, Matt has long wanted to attend Rice-- as an engineering student first, before baseball even came into the picture. He loves it here, and is doing well academically.

^^
That is extremely impressive to be a weekend starter (as a freshman) as well as an engineering major at Rice.

Respect.

(03-11-2017 10:08 AM)wheredidmypantsgo Wrote:  ^^
That is extremely impressive to be a weekend starter (as a freshman) as well as an engineering major at Rice.

Respect.

Following in the footsteps of Ry-an Ber-ry, who I believe was a Chem E major, and both became Friday night starters in their 4th collegiate start.

(03-11-2017 10:12 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-11-2017 10:08 AM)wheredidmypantsgo Wrote:  ^^
That is extremely impressive to be a weekend starter (as a freshman) as well as an engineering major at Rice.

Respect.

Following in the footsteps of Ry-an Ber-ry, who I believe was a Chem E major, and both became Friday night starters in their 4th collegiate start.

Can-te-rin-o

Clap-clap-clap,clap,clap

Works for me.

(03-11-2017 10:12 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-11-2017 10:08 AM)wheredidmypantsgo Wrote:  ^^
That is extremely impressive to be a weekend starter (as a freshman) as well as an engineering major at Rice.

Respect.

Following in the footsteps of Ry-an Ber-ry, who I believe was a Chem E major, and both became Friday night starters in their 4th collegiate start.

I think Berry was Civil Engineering, if my memory serves.

(03-11-2017 04:36 PM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  

(03-11-2017 10:12 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-11-2017 10:08 AM)wheredidmypantsgo Wrote:  ^^
That is extremely impressive to be a weekend starter (as a freshman) as well as an engineering major at Rice.

Respect.

Following in the footsteps of Ry-an Ber-ry, who I believe was a Chem E major, and both became Friday night starters in their 4th collegiate start.

I think Berry was Civil Engineering, if my memory serves.

Correct. Travis Bradshaw was CHBE though.

I don't like the new "ChBE" degree label and won't use it. Nobody outside the hedges knows what the heck that is. "ChE" is a standard acronym