(03-06-2024 12:18 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  Why would you keep Cruz another year if this is another disaster year. Brag was let go after his third year I think.

(03-06-2024 09:51 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-06-2024 09:50 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(03-06-2024 09:37 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-06-2024 09:36 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Feelings regarding hiring David Pierce after he is fired by Texas (which seems more likely game by game as they head to the SEC). Of course would he he even want the job now?

Would hire Pierce without question, but then again, I would have hired Hallmark the last time.

What makes y’all think there will be an opening at Rice?

Never said there would be. My guess is the Jose gets at least one more year (2025) to turn it around.

I think Cruz has and deserves a somewhat longer leach. Bragga was dismissed not only due to performance, but also because he was very clearly a fish out of water at Rice. He just didn't fit. Begs the question how/why he was ever hired in the first place. Personally speaker, as much as I liked him as a person, I could tell from the first time I met and spoke at length with Bragga that he was out of his elements at Rice.

Wayne always had pitching. Bragga tried to outslug everybody and neglected pitching. That plus the $20,000 or so difference in sticker price for a baseball partial scholarship athlete at Rice compared to Baylor, TCU, LSU, TexasU and aTm, has pretty much decimated Rice pitching. Cruz is having to build back from nothing, and even with the Rice Investment he is still battling uphill versus the competition for recruits.

The reason Rice pitchers are walking so many hitters and hitting so many with pitches is because, quite frankly, they are all diamonds in the rough, and that's about what Rice is limited to recruiting.

(03-06-2024 01:46 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Wayne always had pitching. Bragga tried to outslug everybody and neglected pitching. That plus the $20,000 or so difference in sticker price for a baseball partial scholarship athlete at Rice compared to Baylor, TCU, LSU, TexasU and aTm, has pretty much decimated Rice pitching. Cruz is having to build back from nothing, and even with the Rice Investment he is still battling uphill versus the competition for recruits.

The reason Rice pitchers are walking so many hitters and hitting so many with pitches is because, quite frankly, they are all diamonds in the rough, and that's about what Rice is limited to recruiting.

Agree with this. Hate to continue to be a downer on this but Rice will likely never be an Omaha or possibly even a regional participant unless a way can be found to decrease the extremely wide difference in cost of attendance (even with scholarship). At least allow academic and athletic aid to be combined!!! Why is that not allowed??? Most private schools allow this with the partial scholarship sports. From what I heard Vandy allows this but I've not confirmed.

(03-06-2024 01:46 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Wayne always had pitching. Bragga tried to outslug everybody and neglected pitching. That plus the $20,000 or so difference in sticker price for a baseball partial scholarship athlete at Rice compared to Baylor, TCU, LSU, TexasU and aTm, has pretty much decimated Rice pitching. Cruz is having to build back from nothing, and even with the Rice Investment he is still battling uphill versus the competition for recruits.

The reason Rice pitchers are walking so many hitters and hitting so many with pitches is because, quite frankly, they are all diamonds in the rough, and that's about what Rice is limited to recruiting.

Rice should look at this kid: https://twitter.com/SamStevens2024

Watched him against a solid Austin Westlake team Saturday night.

We don't even try to recruit top players anymore. A younger cousin of mine is the top infielder in Texas (top twenty overall nationally at all positions per PG) in an upcoming recruiting class and hasn't heard from a Rice coach.

He's been recruited from every program we used to compete with-and better yet-would likely qualify for some of Rice's aid packages. But nada.

(03-06-2024 03:37 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  We don't even try to recruit top players anymore. A younger cousin of mine is the top infielder in Texas (top twenty overall nationally at all positions per PG) in an upcoming recruiting class and hasn't heard from a Rice coach.

He's been recruited from every program we used to compete with-and better yet-would likely qualify for some of Rice's aid packages. But nada.

I've seen this as well. Rice has a very limited presence at most of the bigger showcase events. One player that attended a Rice camp said Jose made a token appearance and then was not seen again. I guess he left it up to his assistants to evaluate. I've known several very good players, in the past, that have reached out to Rice via social media or email and had no response. And this was all during the contact period so there was no excuse to not at least acknowledge the contact. This was for players in last years class. I can't speak to this years (2024) class. As stated above, these were players being recruited by universities and top Juco's that have had way more recent success than Rice. If a player reaches out the least the staff can do is respond (i.e. come to a camp, great to hear from you, hope your season is going well, look forward to meeting you at our next camp etc...). No response is unacceptable. I know they may get many emails (unsure if this is true for Rice) but set up a system whereby at least a secretary or assistant lets the player know you got the email and that you appreciate the interest in Rice. These player talk and you never know what snubbing one player will do to the interest of other.