# 2021 Rice Owls baseball team

The 2021 Rice Owls baseball team represented Rice University in the sport of baseball for the 2021 college baseball season. The Owls competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and in Conference USA West Division. They played their home games at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas. The team was coached by Matt Bragga, who was in his third season with the Owls.
For the first time since joining Conference USA in 2005, Rice did not qualify for this season's conference tournament. The Owl's broke their 14-year appearance in the tournament. On May 24, 2021, Rice announced that coach Bragga was relieved from his coaching duties.

## Preseason
### C-USA media poll

The Conference USA preseason poll was released on February 11, 2021 with the Owls predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.
Media poll (West) :
| Predicted finish | Team | 1st Place Votes |
| 1 | Southern Miss | 10 |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech | 2 |
| 3 | Rice | - |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee | - |
| 5 | UTSA | - |
| 6 | UAB | - |

### Preseason All-CUSA team

* Braden Comeaux – Infielder

## Schedule and results

2021 Rice Owl baseball game log :
Regular season (23–29–1) :
February (2–4) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Attendance | Overall record | C-USA record |
| February 19 | Little Rock | Reckling Park Houston, TX | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled |
| February 20 | Houston Baptist | Reckling Park | L 7-8$^{10}$ | 994 | 0-1 | - |
| February 20 | Washington | Reckling Park | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled |
| February 21 | Houston Baptist | Reckling Park | W 9-3 | 946 | 1-1 | - |
| February 22 | Houston Baptist | Reckling Park | W 1-0 | 835 | 2-1 | - |
| February 24 | at Lamar | Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled |
| February 26 | at Louisiana | M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park Lafayette, LA | L 3-7 | 890 | 2-2 | - |
| February 27 | at Louisiana | M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park | L 3-5 | 911 | 2-3 | - |
| February 28 | at Louisiana | M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park | L 3-6 | 761 | 2-4 | - |
March (10–8) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Attendance | Overall record | C-USA record |
| March 3 | Prairie View A&M | Reckling Park Houston, TX | W 10-0 | 912 | 3-4 | - |
| Shriners Hospitals For Children College Classic |||||||
| March 5 | vs. Sam Houston State | Minute Maid Park Houston, TX | L 4-12 | | 3-5 | - |
| March 6 | vs. Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Minute Maid Park | W 16-5 | 1,000 | 4-5 | - |
| March 7 | vs. Texas State | Minute Maid Park | L 1-9 | 2,255 | 4-6 | - |
| March 9 | Houston Baptist | Reckling Park | W 3-1 | 923 | 5-6 | - |
| March 12 | Northern Illinois | Reckling Park | W 6-3 | 1,043 | 6-6 | - |
| March 13 (1) | Kansas State | Reckling Park | L 3-8 | 1,238 | 6-7 | - |
| March 13 (2) | Northern Illinois | Reckling Park | W 4-1 | 858 | 7-7 | - |
| March 14 | Kansas State | Reckling Park | W 1-0 | 1,041 | 8-7 | - |
| March 17 | at Texas State | Bobcat Ballpark San Marcos, TX | L 5-16$^7$ | 700 | 8-8 | - |
| March 19 | Southern | Reckling Park | W 14-2 | 1,131 | 9-8 | - |
| March 20 | Southern | Reckling Park | W 13-4 | 1,079 | 10-8 | - |
| March 21 | Southern | Reckling Park | L 4-6 | 1,012 | 10-9 | - |
| March 23 | at Texas A&M | Blue Bell Park College State, TX | W 2-1 | 1,334 | 11-9 | - |
| March 26 | UTSA | Reckling Park | L 4-16 | 1,220 | 11-10 | 0-1 |
| March 27 (1) | UTSA | Reckling Park | W 10-8 | 1,009 | 12-10 | 1-1 |
| March 27 (2) | UTSA | Reckling Park | L 1-4 | 1,171 | 12-11 | 1-2 |
| March 28 | UTSA | Reckling Park | L 3-11 | 1,059 | 12-12 | 1-3 |
April (6–12–1) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Attendance | Overall record | C-USA record |
| April 1 | at Middle Tennessee | Reese Smith Jr. Field Murfreesboro, TN | L 1-4 | 200 | 12-13 | 1-4 |
| April 2 (1) | at Middle Tennessee | Reese Smith Jr. Field | L 3-4$^9$ | 200 | 12-14 | 1-5 |
| April 2 (2) | at Middle Tennessee | Reese Smith Jr. Field | W 4-1$^7$ | 200 | 13-14 | 2-5 |
| April 3 | at Middle Tennessee | Reese Smith Jr. Field | T 9-9$^{12}$ | 200 | 13-14-1 | 2-5-1 |
| April 9 | No. 16 Louisiana Tech | Reckling Park Houston, TX | L 0-6 | 1,179 | 13-15-1 | 2-6-1 |
| April 10 (1) | No. 16 Louisiana Tech | Reckling Park | L 6-7$^7$ | 952 | 13-16-1 | 2-7-1 |
| April 10 (2) | No. 16 Louisiana Tech | Reckling Park | L 6-20$^7$ | 1,158 | 13-17-1 | 2-8-1 |
| April 11 | No. 16 Louisiana Tech | Reckling Park | L 4-13 | 1,180 | 13-18-1 | 2-9-1 |
| April 13 | Incarnate Word | Reckling Park | W 15-12$^{10}$ | 1,045 | 14-18-1 | - |
| April 16 | at No. 22 Old Dominion | Bud Metheny Baseball Complex Norfolk, VA | L 4-11 | 402 | 14-19-1 | 2-10-1 |
| April 17 (1) | at No. 22 Old Dominion | Bud Metheny Baseball Complex | L 2-11$^7$ | 402 | 14-20-1 | 2-11-1 |
| April 17 (2) | at No. 22 Old Dominion | Bud Metheny Baseball Complex | W 11-2$^7$ | 270 | 15-20-1 | 3-11-1 |
| April 18 | at No. 22 Old Dominion | Bud Metheny Baseball Complex | L 1-4 | 278 | 15-21-1 | 3-12-1 |
| April 23 | at UTSA | Roadrunner Field San Antonio, TX | W 8-6 | 124 | 16-21-1 | 4-12-1 |
| April 24 (1) | at UTSA | Roadrunner Field | W 5-4$^7$ | | 17-21-1 | 5-12-1 |
| April 24 (2) | at UTSA | Roadrunner Field | L 6-12$^7$ | 127 | 17-22-1 | 5-13-1 |
| April 25 | at UTSA | Roadrunner Field | L 4-12 | 136 | 17-23-1 | 5-14-1 |
| April 30 (1) | No. 23 Southern Miss | Reckling Park | W 6-0$^7$ | 872 | 18-23-1 | 6-14-1 |
| April 30 (2) | No. 23 Southern Miss | Reckling Park | L 1-12$^7$ | 1,064 | 18-24-1 | 6-15-1 |
May (5–5) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Attendance | Overall record | C-USA record |
| May 1 (1) | No. 23 Southern Miss | Reckling Park Houston, TX | L 1-10 | 1,157 | 18-25-1 | 6-16-1 |
| May 1 (2) | No. 23 Southern Miss | Reckling Park | L 1-8 | 1,115 | 18-26-1 | 6-17-1 |
| May 7 | at UAB | Jerry D. Young Memorial Field Birmingham, AL | W 6-1 | 80 | 19-26-1 | 7-17-1 |
| May 8 (1) | at UAB | Jerry D. Young Memorial Field | L 1-2$^7$ | 80 | 19-27-1 | 7-18-1 |
| May 8 (2) | at UAB | Jerry D. Young Memorial Field | W 7-0$^7$ | 80 | 20-27-1 | 8-18-1 |
| May 9 | at UAB | Jerry D. Young Memorial Field | W 10-5 | 80 | 21-27-1 | 9-18-1 |
| May 14 | No. 20 Charlotte | Reckling Park | L 6-9 | 989 | 21-28-1 | 9-19-1 |
| May 15 (1) | No. 20 Charlotte | Reckling Park | W 11-8$^7$ | 1,146 | 22-28-1 | 10-19-1 |
| May 15 (2) | No. 20 Charlotte | Reckling Park | L 4-6$^6$ | 1,330 | 22-29-1 | 10-20-1 |
| May 16 | No. 20 Charlotte | Reckling Park | W 6-0$^5$ | 1,359 | 23-29-1 | 11-20-1 |
| May 18 | at Texas | UFCU Disch–Falk Field Austin, TX | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled |
    Schedule Source:
*Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.