Rice
Midweek Preview: Rice
3/25/2024 6:01:00 PM | Baseball
Sam Houston (16-9, 3-3 CUSA) vs Rice (9-15, 1-2 AAC)Â
6:30 PM | Don Sanders Stadium (Huntsville)Â
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Friday, March 22 | 6:30 PM | ESPN+Â
Projected StartersÂ
SHSU: RHP Ryan Peterson (3-1, 1.76 ERA, 30.2 IP, 30 K, 9 BB)Â
RICE: RHP Robert Fernandez (3-0, 2.18 ERA, 33.0 IP, 49 K, 4 BB)Â
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats will try to pick up its home midweek victory of the season on Tuesday night when they host the Rice Owls and Don Sanders Stadium.  Â
Tuesday's game vs the Owls will be aired on ESPN+ with Jason Barfield on the call. Â
The Bearkats are coming off a tough series vs nationally-ranked DBU, walking off the Patriots on Sunday to salvage the series. Tuesday will put an end to a stretch of five consecutive home games for the Kats as they will return to the road this weekend when they jump back into CUSA play with a series at Liberty.Â
SERIES NOTES vs RICEÂ
- The Kats and Owls have played every year since 1975, with the exception of the COVID-altered 2020 campaign.Â
- Sam Houston has dropped each of its last 5 meetings with the Owls, which is the longest winless streak for SHSU in the series since losing 12 in a row between the 1995 and 1999 seasons.Â
- The Kats will be looking for their first win over the Owls at The Don since a 12-4 win in 2019.Â
BEARKAT NOTES FOR THE WEEKENDÂ
- Walker Janek had his 23-game hit streak to open 2024 snapped on Saturday, a streak which extended to 27 games dating back to the final 4 games of 2023. The 23 games marks the longest hit streak to open a season in program history, while the 27 games in a row over the 2 seasons is the third longest streak in program history. Â
- As good as Janek has been for the Kats, his Gregory-Portland HS teammate Malachi Lott has come on strong in recent weeks. Lott's average had dipped to just .193 before the Kats went to No. 4 Texas A&M; however, he has hit safely in 8 of 9 games since with 5 multi-hit games and 12 RBI in that span, upping his average to .307 entering the DBU series.Â
- In fact, the GP duo has been nearly unstoppable during this 6-game stretch. The pair of Janek/Lott has hit in the 2-3 hole in each game and has combined to go 30-for-65 with 20 runs scored, 6 homers and 23 RBI between them.Â
- Hunter Autrey is also turning in a big start to his season with a team-best 7 home runs. He enters the DBU series having hit safely in 18 straight games and had an 8-RBI game in Game 2 at NM State, a mark tied for the second most RBI in a single game in program history. Â
- The Kats' pitching staff is issuing just 3.05 walks per nine innings, a mark ranking fifth in the nation. Â
- Sam Houston's 4.07 ERA ranks 29th in the nation and third in CUSA. But take away the Kats' lopsided 19-2 loss to Oklahoma State on Opening Weekend and that number drops nearly by a run per game, down to an ERA of 3.43 in the other 24 games of the year. Â
- Reliever Wyatt Tucker has been an incredible find for the Kats in 2024, joining the team after 3 years at Texas A&M. The righty has a 3.10 ERA and struck out 22 and walked just 6 in 20.1 innings with a team best 3 saves. He has a win and 2 saves in his last4 appearances, striking out 10 hitters in 5.2 innings in that span. Â
A QUICK LOOK AT THE OWLSÂ
- The Owls will be opening a stretch of five consecutive road games on Tuesday against the Kats, a game they will follow with a series at Wichita State.Â
- Rice put an end to a four-game losing streak on Sunday with a 4-2 win over Tulane, salvaging a game from the Green Wave in the opening series of American Athletic Conference play.Â
- Rice will give the ball to right-hander Robert Fernandez for his fifth start of the year. He worked 2.0 innings in the Owls' 7-3 win over the Kats on 2/20.
