(08-05-2022 12:05 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:57 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-04-2022 05:49 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-03-2022 11:44 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 05:01 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  It's been in the works for awhile. Was supposed to be operational during the baseball season, but never got done. Supposedly, should be ready by the time players return to campus late August/early September. Will measure all the analytics and provide simulation of opposing pitchers.

I'm all for analytics, but they don't replace talent as was demonstrated by the much-hyped pitching lab last season. Recruiting is still the key.

The lab wasn’t a factor last year. It was completed mid February, the staff can’t implement that as a development tool beyond extremely surface level changes. It needs time to collect data before making changes. Everyone wanted immediate changes. Not going to happen for a program like Rice.

All true, but it didn't temper the hype. That's the problem.

Temper the hype? There is reality and there is recruiting material. Strike while the iron is hot for recruiting and have a realistic understanding behind the scenes of what’s happening.

The hype I'm referring to was toward the fan base, not recruits. As I said in the initial post, I'm all for analytics, but the pitching lab was seen by the much of the fan base as a shortcut back to prominence with much of that hype coming from the former pitching coach's numerous tweets. Would have been nice if he also could have done a better job coaching these kids and been smarter with his pitch calling during ball games. I just don't want to see the same happen with the hitting lab. Recruit and coach first. Use analytics to fine tune and improve, but the coaching and talent has to be there.

(08-05-2022 12:56 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:05 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:57 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-04-2022 05:49 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-03-2022 11:44 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  I'm all for analytics, but they don't replace talent as was demonstrated by the much-hyped pitching lab last season. Recruiting is still the key.

The lab wasn’t a factor last year. It was completed mid February, the staff can’t implement that as a development tool beyond extremely surface level changes. It needs time to collect data before making changes. Everyone wanted immediate changes. Not going to happen for a program like Rice.

All true, but it didn't temper the hype. That's the problem.

Temper the hype? There is reality and there is recruiting material. Strike while the iron is hot for recruiting and have a realistic understanding behind the scenes of what’s happening.

The hype I'm referring to was toward the fan base, not recruits. As I said in the initial post, I'm all for analytics, but the pitching lab was seen by the much of the fan base as a shortcut back to prominence with much of that hype coming from the former pitching coach's numerous tweets. Would have been nice if he also could have done a better job coaching these kids and been smarter with his pitch calling during ball games. I just don't want to see the same happen with the hitting lab. Recruit and coach first. Use analytics to fine tune and improve, but the coaching and talent has to be there.

??? What part of the fan base thought the pitching lab was going to be big impact on Year 1 performance, especially since it was not even operational until a couple weeks before the regular season commenced (after Fall Ball and most of Spring intrasquads)? And the majority of Bostick's tweets were aimed at recruits.

(08-05-2022 03:44 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:56 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:05 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:57 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-04-2022 05:49 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  The lab wasn’t a factor last year. It was completed mid February, the staff can’t implement that as a development tool beyond extremely surface level changes. It needs time to collect data before making changes. Everyone wanted immediate changes. Not going to happen for a program like Rice.

All true, but it didn't temper the hype. That's the problem.

Temper the hype? There is reality and there is recruiting material. Strike while the iron is hot for recruiting and have a realistic understanding behind the scenes of what’s happening.

The hype I'm referring to was toward the fan base, not recruits. As I said in the initial post, I'm all for analytics, but the pitching lab was seen by the much of the fan base as a shortcut back to prominence with much of that hype coming from the former pitching coach's numerous tweets. Would have been nice if he also could have done a better job coaching these kids and been smarter with his pitch calling during ball games. I just don't want to see the same happen with the hitting lab. Recruit and coach first. Use analytics to fine tune and improve, but the coaching and talent has to be there.

??? What part of the fan base thought the pitching lab was going to be big impact on Year 1 performance, especially since it was not even operational until a couple weeks before the regular season commenced (after Fall Ball and most of Spring intrasquads)? And the majority of Bostick's tweets were aimed at recruits.

Go back and re-read the pitching lab thread to refresh your memory.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-940721.html

A few tidbits...

"Colter Bostick gave me a personal tour of the lab just before the bullpens this afternoon. Cameras are situated all around the lab, and the plates underneath the mound capture energy, torque, etc. Pitchers can see all Trackman data (velocity, spin rate, etc.) real time after each pitch. Bostick will get printouts of each pitchers analytics and video after each workout and will prepare ongoing reports for each pitcher (including whether tweaks in mechanics and delivery are recommended). The analytics measure motion and movements down to the fingertips. It is one awesome facility.

Though he's obviously biased, Bostick believes our conditioning program for pitchers is already second to none in college baseball. Some of you have read that in just the last week both Arkansas and USC last their staff ace and Friday starter to Tommy John Surgery. Tennessee just lost one of their weekend starter today.
Typically, 2 -3 pitchers come down with some type of injury or soreness during Fall Ball. We had none. Brogdon was injured over the Summer, which is why he didn't participate in Fall Ball, but Bostick says he's not only fully healthy, but looking really, really good, and promised he'd be ready for UT. Cooper Chandler (the RHP transfer from Pepperdine) tweaked his oblique, but is now fine. Everyone on the staff has improved their velocity between 2 - 4 MPH from the time they arrived on campus in late August.

They've already started game-planning for the season opener (down to how we're going to pitch to each batter), and Colter is confident we're going to be very competitive against him. The entire team is primed to take down the pre-season #1."

and

"I think I just teared up a little!!!"

but there were also some doses of reality...

"Seriously wondering will this help better than that digital QB thingy football spent all that money on a few years ago? Seems we haven't hear much about that technology recently. Does it work to make our football play better, or it does work and we'd be even worse without it? {shudder} Hope this one will help more, but then I have a lot more faith in the baseball program still than in football. Please, Coach Cruz, Jr., do your best, and then some. Go Owls."

and

"The lab is not making a bad pitcher good."

(08-05-2022 04:26 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 03:44 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:56 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:05 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:57 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  All true, but it didn't temper the hype. That's the problem.

Temper the hype? There is reality and there is recruiting material. Strike while the iron is hot for recruiting and have a realistic understanding behind the scenes of what’s happening.

The hype I'm referring to was toward the fan base, not recruits. As I said in the initial post, I'm all for analytics, but the pitching lab was seen by the much of the fan base as a shortcut back to prominence with much of that hype coming from the former pitching coach's numerous tweets. Would have been nice if he also could have done a better job coaching these kids and been smarter with his pitch calling during ball games. I just don't want to see the same happen with the hitting lab. Recruit and coach first. Use analytics to fine tune and improve, but the coaching and talent has to be there.

??? What part of the fan base thought the pitching lab was going to be big impact on Year 1 performance, especially since it was not even operational until a couple weeks before the regular season commenced (after Fall Ball and most of Spring intrasquads)? And the majority of Bostick's tweets were aimed at recruits.

Go back and re-read the pitching lab thread to refresh your memory.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-940721.html

A few tidbits...

"Colter Bostick gave me a personal tour of the lab just before the bullpens this afternoon. Cameras are situated all around the lab, and the plates underneath the mound capture energy, torque, etc. Pitchers can see all Trackman data (velocity, spin rate, etc.) real time after each pitch. Bostick will get printouts of each pitchers analytics and video after each workout and will prepare ongoing reports for each pitcher (including whether tweaks in mechanics and delivery are recommended). The analytics measure motion and movements down to the fingertips. It is one awesome facility.

Though he's obviously biased, Bostick believes our conditioning program for pitchers is already second to none in college baseball. Some of you have read that in just the last week both Arkansas and USC last their staff ace and Friday starter to Tommy John Surgery. Tennessee just lost one of their weekend starter today.
Typically, 2 -3 pitchers come down with some type of injury or soreness during Fall Ball. We had none. Brogdon was injured over the Summer, which is why he didn't participate in Fall Ball, but Bostick says he's not only fully healthy, but looking really, really good, and promised he'd be ready for UT. Cooper Chandler (the RHP transfer from Pepperdine) tweaked his oblique, but is now fine. Everyone on the staff has improved their velocity between 2 - 4 MPH from the time they arrived on campus in late August.

They've already started game-planning for the season opener (down to how we're going to pitch to each batter), and Colter is confident we're going to be very competitive against him. The entire team is primed to take down the pre-season #1."

and

"I think I just teared up a little!!!"

but there were also some doses of reality...

"Seriously wondering will this help better than that digital QB thingy football spent all that money on a few years ago? Seems we haven't hear much about that technology recently. Does it work to make our football play better, or it does work and we'd be even worse without it? {shudder} Hope this one will help more, but then I have a lot more faith in the baseball program still than in football. Please, Coach Cruz, Jr., do your best, and then some. Go Owls."

and

"The lab is not making a bad pitcher good."

And where in all of that does it infer that it will have an immediate, Year 1 impact on performance?

(08-05-2022 12:56 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:05 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:57 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-04-2022 05:49 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-03-2022 11:44 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  I'm all for analytics, but they don't replace talent as was demonstrated by the much-hyped pitching lab last season. Recruiting is still the key.

The lab wasn’t a factor last year. It was completed mid February, the staff can’t implement that as a development tool beyond extremely surface level changes. It needs time to collect data before making changes. Everyone wanted immediate changes. Not going to happen for a program like Rice.

All true, but it didn't temper the hype. That's the problem.

Temper the hype? There is reality and there is recruiting material. Strike while the iron is hot for recruiting and have a realistic understanding behind the scenes of what’s happening.

The hype I'm referring to was toward the fan base, not recruits. As I said in the initial post, I'm all for analytics, but the pitching lab was seen by the much of the fan base as a shortcut back to prominence with much of that hype coming from the former pitching coach's numerous tweets. Would have been nice if he also could have done a better job coaching these kids and been smarter with his pitch calling during ball games. I just don't want to see the same happen with the hitting lab. Recruit and coach first. Use analytics to fine tune and improve, but the coaching and talent has to be there.

Sounds like the stupidity of an unrealistic fan base. Also, Bostick barely called pitches, Cruz was calling the pitches the majority of the season. The team struggled across all areas of the game. The lack of injuries, the underrated performances against a top 30 schedule despite almost no offensive output, I’d say he did a decent job with what he had. Pretty bold and idiotic to place the blame on just him. I think that has actually hurt the program in the long run when they let go of him with the recruits we lost, the 2 big pieces leaving and no energy on the recruiting side. Either understand what the process needs to be or abandon all hope. Rice isn’t the kind of program that can just turn things around. Too many impediments in the way of speed.

(08-06-2022 03:43 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:56 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 12:05 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:57 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(08-04-2022 05:49 PM)Exec_Owl Wrote:  The lab wasn’t a factor last year. It was completed mid February, the staff can’t implement that as a development tool beyond extremely surface level changes. It needs time to collect data before making changes. Everyone wanted immediate changes. Not going to happen for a program like Rice.

All true, but it didn't temper the hype. That's the problem.

Temper the hype? There is reality and there is recruiting material. Strike while the iron is hot for recruiting and have a realistic understanding behind the scenes of what’s happening.

The hype I'm referring to was toward the fan base, not recruits. As I said in the initial post, I'm all for analytics, but the pitching lab was seen by the much of the fan base as a shortcut back to prominence with much of that hype coming from the former pitching coach's numerous tweets. Would have been nice if he also could have done a better job coaching these kids and been smarter with his pitch calling during ball games. I just don't want to see the same happen with the hitting lab. Recruit and coach first. Use analytics to fine tune and improve, but the coaching and talent has to be there.

Sounds like the stupidity of an unrealistic fan base. Also, Bostick barely called pitches, Cruz was calling the pitches the majority of the season. The team struggled across all areas of the game. The lack of injuries, the underrated performances against a top 30 schedule despite almost no offensive output, I’d say he did a decent job with what he had. Pretty bold and idiotic to place the blame on just him. I think that has actually hurt the program in the long run when they let go of him with the recruits we lost, the 2 big pieces leaving and no energy on the recruiting side. Either understand what the process needs to be or abandon all hope. Rice isn’t the kind of program that can just turn things around. Too many impediments in the way of speed.

I’ve been a season ticket holder since before Reckling was built, so please, no lectures about the “impediments” Rice faces.

And calling the Owl fan base stupid won’t win you any points either.

Kudos to Chieto for recognizing his mistake and cutting ties with Bostik. Bostik seemed more into self-promotion than coaching kids, and I suspect he was glad to move on.

Recruit, coach, repeat.

With O-Week starting on Sunday, it would appear that our hope of landing a truly impactful transfer has ended. I am more than a it shocked and disappointed we were unable to get a proven right-handed hitter out of the portal. (I know we were close to landing a good one from Tulane, but he elected to return to Tulane.)

David Shaw remains the lone Rice transfer who has landed. I wonder if any of the others wants to or is allowed to return to Rice. Woodcox is the only one of any consequence and upside potential, but from what I've hears I think he's burned his bridges at Rice.

(08-09-2022 07:44 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  With O-Week starting on Sunday, it would appear that our hope of landing a truly impactful transfer has ended. I am more than a it shocked and disappointed we were unable to get a proven right-handed hitter out of the portal. (I know we were close to landing a good one from Tulane, but he elected to return to Tulane.)

David Shaw remains the lone Rice transfer who has landed. I wonder if any of the others wants to or is allowed to return to Rice. Woodcox is the only one of any consequence and upside potential, but from what I've hears I think he's burned his bridges at Rice.

I think the cost of attendance coupled with NIL options elsewhere are going to continue to hamper Rice. You can't keep increasing tuition yearly and expect the partial scholarship sports to keep up. You end up with having players from the wealthy (tuition doesn't matter) to the lower income (Rice Investment kicks in). Not that this is not an option/strategy but it does limit the net you can cast. This is not just a Rice problem but it does lead to players in the portal having other options. IMO.

Nice scouting report on 2023 recruit, Tobias Motley...

https://twitter.com/RecruitMETx/status/1...7985905665

(08-10-2022 01:54 PM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(08-09-2022 07:44 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  With O-Week starting on Sunday, it would appear that our hope of landing a truly impactful transfer has ended. I am more than a it shocked and disappointed we were unable to get a proven right-handed hitter out of the portal. (I know we were close to landing a good one from Tulane, but he elected to return to Tulane.)

David Shaw remains the lone Rice transfer who has landed. I wonder if any of the others wants to or is allowed to return to Rice. Woodcox is the only one of any consequence and upside potential, but from what I've hears I think he's burned his bridges at Rice.

I think the cost of attendance coupled with NIL options elsewhere are going to continue to hamper Rice. You can't keep increasing tuition yearly and expect the partial scholarship sports to keep up. You end up with having players from the wealthy (tuition doesn't matter) to the lower income (Rice Investment kicks in). Not that this is not an option/strategy but it does limit the net you can cast. This is not just a Rice problem but it does lead to players in the portal having other options. IMO.

I see it as a potential advantage for the very reasons you note.... though it certainly creates a 'hole' in recruiting.

Baseball in the US is, by and large a game for those who can afford to play year round travel ball.... so the middle-upper middle class and above. There are certainly exceptions, especially in Latin America, but again... by and large...

Our sweet spot is going to be families that fit within the Rice Investment, which is a lot of them, but certainly not all of them. We can essentially get them close to a full scholarship... If they qualify for 70% tuition drop, we can give them a 30% baseball scholarship... and if they qualify for 100%, we can offer them none, but still have them get a 'free' education.

If we target those players and then are strategic about offering bigger scholarships (or getting NIL money for them) to those who are not wealthy enough to not care about the cost of education, but too wealthy to qualify for a tuition reduction... then we can outperform. Most schools don't have anything like 'The Rice Investment' to draw upon.

(08-13-2022 02:19 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(08-10-2022 01:54 PM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  

(08-09-2022 07:44 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  With O-Week starting on Sunday, it would appear that our hope of landing a truly impactful transfer has ended. I am more than a it shocked and disappointed we were unable to get a proven right-handed hitter out of the portal. (I know we were close to landing a good one from Tulane, but he elected to return to Tulane.)

David Shaw remains the lone Rice transfer who has landed. I wonder if any of the others wants to or is allowed to return to Rice. Woodcox is the only one of any consequence and upside potential, but from what I've hears I think he's burned his bridges at Rice.

I think the cost of attendance coupled with NIL options elsewhere are going to continue to hamper Rice. You can't keep increasing tuition yearly and expect the partial scholarship sports to keep up. You end up with having players from the wealthy (tuition doesn't matter) to the lower income (Rice Investment kicks in). Not that this is not an option/strategy but it does limit the net you can cast. This is not just a Rice problem but it does lead to players in the portal having other options. IMO.

I see it as a potential advantage for the very reasons you note.... though it certainly creates a 'hole' in recruiting.

Baseball in the US is, by and large a game for those who can afford to play year round travel ball.... so the middle-upper middle class and above. There are certainly exceptions, especially in Latin America, but again... by and large...

Our sweet spot is going to be families that fit within the Rice Investment, which is a lot of them, but certainly not all of them. We can essentially get them close to a full scholarship... If they qualify for 70% tuition drop, we can give them a 30% baseball scholarship... and if they qualify for 100%, we can offer them none, but still have them get a 'free' education.

If we target those players and then are strategic about offering bigger scholarships (or getting NIL money for them) to those who are not wealthy enough to not care about the cost of education, but too wealthy to qualify for a tuition reduction... then we can outperform. Most schools don't have anything like 'The Rice Investment' to draw upon.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the combined income for the Rice Investment (50%) is 200K. While 200K is a good salary, consider that on a gross basis that you are asking a family to pay 38% of their GROSS income to educate ONE child. Throw in a brother or sister and somethings got to give. Now you can add the partial scholarship (ex. 30%) and you can get up to 80% but again only if you make 200K or less. Once you cross that threshold the cost becomes prohibitive and the 30% a non-factor. Frankly I do not believe any college education is worth 75K/year which is what Rice is approaching. Just my opinion of course..

(08-13-2022 03:09 PM)Musicowl1965 Wrote:  Frankly I do not believe any college education is worth 75K/year which is what Rice is approaching. Just my opinion of course..

You can certainly get a good one that will set up to do well in the real world for a whole lot less. And the networking opportunities for say an Aggie far exceed that of a Rice grad just based on sheer numbers of Aggies in the workplace. I’m just glad I graduated from Rice when it was still relatively affordable.

After seeing all our in-state rivals securing big time commitments the past week, we finally landed one ourselves today-- 2024 LHP (6'4", 210lbs), Nolan Roycraft, from the Woodlands and the Bandito Scout team...

https://twitter.com/NolanRoycraft/status...3664047104

...but we lost another big 2014 LHP (Jordan Stribling) to UT.

Based on Cheito's tweet, it appears we just landed someone, and one that was not expected...

https://twitter.com/cruz22/status/1574115487700889600

(09-25-2022 04:59 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Based on Cheito's tweet, it appears we just landed someone, and one that was not expected...

https://twitter.com/cruz22/status/1574115487700889600

Caleb Williams (6'2", 190 lbs), RHP/1B/3B/OF, Class of 2023, from Taylorsville, NC...

https://twitter.com/CWilliams_46/status/...1919235072

(09-30-2022 04:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 04:59 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Based on Cheito's tweet, it appears we just landed someone, and one that was not expected...

https://twitter.com/cruz22/status/1574115487700889600

Caleb Williams (6'2", 190 lbs), RHP/1B/3B/OF, Class of 2023, from Taylorsville, NC...

https://twitter.com/CWilliams_46/status/...1919235072

Looks like he was committed to Davidson and is following our new pitching coach.

One of our 2023 recruits decommitted today.

(10-03-2022 04:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  One of our 2023 recruits decommitted today.

Have you attended Rice's Elite Prospect Camp before? There's one in November when I may be in town. Curious if worth checking out. This one adds "Juco and transfer portal," which I don't recall seeing before.

(10-03-2022 04:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  One of our 2023 recruits decommitted today.

Any insight as to why? Typically when you see this it's and indication that the school may have either pulled or possibly lowered the scholarship offer. Not saying that was done here but I have seen that with other schools. Could just be the player decided it was not a good fit.

(10-03-2022 04:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  One of our 2023 recruits decommitted today.

Which recruit?