The 2026 Rice Owls baseball team represents Rice University during the 2026 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Owls play their home games at Reckling Park as a member of the American Conference. They are be led by second-year head coach David Pierce.

Previous season

The Owls are coming off a 17–40 (10–17) season, which saw head coach, José Cruz Jr. fired mid-season. The Owls did not qualify for the conference tournament. Preseason Coaches poll The coaches poll was released on December 30, 2025. Rice was selected to finish seventh in the conference.

Coaches' Poll 1 East Carolina 75 (4) 2 UTSA 70 (4) 3 Charlotte 62 4 Tulane 57 5 South Florida 54 6 Florida Atlantic 45 7 Rice 45 8 Wichita State 24 9 Memphis 19 10 UAB 16

Game log 2026 Rice Owls baseball game log (35–24) Preseason: 3–1 (Home: 1–1; Away: 2–0; Neutral: 0–0) Preseason: 3–1 (Home: 1–1; Away: 2–0; Neutral: 0–0) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Preseason Amer. October 11 at Louisiana* Russo ParkLafayette, LA W 6–4 2,563 1–0 —October 11at Louisiana*Russo ParkW 6–52,7142–0— October 26 McLennan CC Reckling ParkHouston, TX L 2–3 Bowers Urbanczyk Doty 875 2–1 — October 26 McLennan CC Reckling Park W 5–3 Sanders Stribling Fernandez 894 3–1 — January 31 Rice Alumni Reckling Park 933 — Regular season: 34–22 (Home: 20–10; Away: 13–11; Neutral: 1–1) February: 5–6 (Home: 5–3; Away: 0–3; Neutral: 0–0) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Amer. February 13 ESPN+ Northwestern* Reckling ParkHouston, TX W 7–6 Sharp (1–0) Hliboki (0–1) Sanders (1) 1,627 1–0 — February 14 ESPN+ Northwestern* Reckling Park W 3–2 Arnett (1–0) Kouser (0–1) Wiggins (1) 1,627 2–0 — February 15 ESPN+ Northwestern* Reckling Park L 6–17 Kouser (1–1) Diaz (0–1) — 1,334 2–1 — February 17 Louisiana* Reckling Park L 0–3 Pruitt (1–0) Blank (0–1) Brasch (1) 1,327 2–2 — February 18 ESPN+ Purdue* Reckling Park W 5–2 Arnett (2–0) Klug (1–1) Thames (1) 1,315 3–2 — February 20 B1G+ at USC* Dedeaux FieldLos Angeles, CA L 0–5 Edwards (2–0) Sharp (1–1) Lauridsen (1) 1,118 3–3 — February 21 B1G+ at USC* Dedeaux Field L 1–4 Govel (2–0) Urbanczyk (0–1) Troy (3) 1,097 3–4 — February 22 B1G+ at USC* Dedeaux Field L 2–4 Johnson (2–0) Sanders (0–1) Troy (4) 1,265 3–5 — February 24 ESPN+ Houston Christian* Reckling Park L 8–11 Norton (1–0) Thames (0–1) Feltman (1) 1,342 3–6 — February 27 ESPN+ Harvard* Reckling Park W 11–7 Sharp (2–1) Colasante (0–2) Fuentes (1) 1,908 4–6 — February 28 ESPN+ Harvard* Reckling Park W 2–1 Diaz (1–1) McHugh (0–1) Atchley (1) 1,493 5–6 — March: 13–6 (Home: 5–1; Away: 7–4; Neutral: 1–1) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Amer. March 1 ESPN+ Harvard* Reckling Park W 9–0 Sanders (1–1) Abler (0–1) — 1,363 6–6 — March 4 ESPN+ at Lamar* Vincent–Beck StadiumBeaumont, TX W 4–1 Fuentes (1–0) Fritcher (0–1) Thames (2) 961 7–6 — March 6 at Abilene Christian* Crutcher Scott FieldAbilene, TX W 5–4 Diaz (2–1) Whiteaker (1–2) Wiggins (2) 443 8–6 — March 7 at Abilene Christian* Crutcher Scott Field W 8–6 Thames (1–1) Coe (0–1) — 401 9–6 — March 8 WACI at Abilene Christian* Crutcher Scott Field L 1–4 McGarrh (2–1) Sanders (1–2) Wallace (1) 408 9–7 — March 10 B12N+ at Houston* Schroeder ParkHouston, TX L 1–13 Cooper (1–0) Arnett (2–1) — 1,024 9–8 — March 13 vs. St. Mary's (CA)* Brazzell FieldPhoenix, AZ W 6–5 Traeger (1–0) Gardini (0–2) — 101 10–8 — March 13 MWN at Grand Canyon* Brazzell Field W 16–5 Diaz (3–1) Ahern (1–3) — 336 11–8 — March 14 MWN at Grand Canyon* Brazzell Field W 13–2 Urbanczyk (1–1) Frey (0–4) — 251 12–8 — March 15 vs. St. Mary's (CA)* Brazzell Field L 8–11 Romero (1–0) Atchley (0–1) — 106 12–9 — March 17 ESPN+ UTRGV* Reckling Park W 7–3 Atchley (1–1) Vercoe (0–3) — 1,371 13–9 — March 20 ESPN+ at South Florida Red McEwen FieldTampa, FL W 5–4 Wiggins (1–0) Alicea (4–1) Atchley (2) 675 14–9 1–0 March 21 ESPN+ at South Florida Red McEwen Field L 0–2 Senay (4–0) Urbanczyk (1–2) Sutton (4) 568 14–10 1–1 March 22 ESPN+ at South Florida Red McEwen Field L 2–7 Smith (3–1) Sanders (1–3) — 534 14–11 1–2 March 25 ESPN+ at Houston Christian* Husky FieldHouston, TX W 10–7 Atchley (2–1) Kendall (0–2) — 377 15–11 — March 27 ESPN+ Florida Atlantic Reckling Park L 2–6 Litman (4–2) Wiggins (1–1) Kilny (1) 1,429 15–12 1–3 March 28 ESPN+ Florida Atlantic Reckling Park W 5–2 Thames (2–1) Adetuyi (1–2) — 1,620 16–12 2–3 March 29 ESPN+ Florida Atlantic Reckling Park W 8–1 Urbanczyk (2–2) Grant (1–2) — 1,293 17–12 3–3 March 31 ESPN+ UTRGV* Reckling Park W 6–4 Atchley (3–1) Gonzalez (0–1) Arnett (1) 1,202 18–12 — April: 6–10 (Home: 1–4; Away: 5–6; Neutral: 0–0) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Amer. April 2 ESPN+ UTSA Reckling Park W 3–2Sharp (3–1) Simmons (6–2) — 1,519 19–12 4–3 April 3 ESPN+ UTSA Reckling Park L 0–8Myles (4–1) Sanders (1–4) — 1,476 19–13 4–4 April 4 ESPN+ UTSA Reckling Park L 0–13Gutierrez (1–0) Thames (2–2) — 1,516 19–14 4–5 April 7 ESPN+ Texas A&M–Corpus Christi* Reckling Park W 18–4Atchley (4–1) Shea (1–3) — 1,543 20–14 — April 10 ESPN+ at Charlotte Hayes StadiumCharlotte, NC W 7–5Wiggins (2–1) Cooper (3–2) — 607 21–14 5–5 April 11 ESPN+ at Charlotte Hayes Stadium W 6–2Sanders (2–4) Taylor (4–4) Thames (3) 659 22–14 6–5 April 12 ESPN+ at Charlotte Hayes Stadium W 3–2Urbanczyk (3–2) Carson (2–2) Thames (4) 674 23–14 7–5April 15 ESPN+ Sam Houston* Reckling Park W 5–3 Atchley (5–1)Alarid (0–2)Blank (1)1,33624–14— April 17 ESPN+ Memphis Reckling Park L 1–4Howell (4–5)Sharp (3–2)Fair (7)1,808 24–15 7–6 April 18 ESPN+ Memphis Reckling Park L 6–10Case (3–6)Sanders (2–5)Fair (8)1,534 24–16 7–7 April 19 ESPN+ Memphis Reckling Park L 5–6Rushing (1–2)Thames (2–3)—1,579 24–17 7–8 April 21 ESPN+ Houston* Reckling Park L 3–4Roman (2–0)Blank (0–2)—2,258 24–18 — April 24 ESPN+ at Wichita State Eck StadiumWichita, KS L 1–5Cuccias (4–2)Wiggins (2–2)—2,621 24–19 7–9 April 25 ESPN+ at Wichita State Eck Stadium W 3–2Sanders (3–5)Sharp (0–2)Thames (5)1,689 25–19 8–9 April 26 ESPN+ at Wichita State Eck Stadium L 3–13Hayashi (1–1)Urbanczyk (3–3)—1,433 25–20 8–10 April 28 ESPN+ Lamar* Reckling Park W 6–5Diaz (4–1)Fritcher (3–4)Sharp (1)1,642 26–20 — May: 8–2 (Home: 6–0; Away: 2–2; Neutral: 0–0) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Amer. May 1 ESPN+ UAB Reckling Park W 16–9Wiggins (3–2) Ingram (2–4) — 1,867 27–20 9–10 May 1 ESPN+ UAB Reckling Park W 12–2Sanders (4–5) Samuelson (4–3) — 28–20 10–10 May 3 ESPN+ UAB Reckling Park W 10–3Urbanczyk (4–3) Hicks (2–4) — 1,323 29–20 11–10 May 8 ESPN+ at East Carolina Clark–LeClair StadiumGreenville, NC W 10–5Sharp (4–2) Webb (6–5) — 4,173 30–20 12–10 May 9 ESPN+ at East Carolina Clark–LeClair Stadium W 5–3Sanders (5–5) Norby (5–3) Thames (6) 4,462 31–20 13–10 May 10 ESPN+ at East Carolina Clark–LeClair Stadium L 0–3Rose (3–1) Urbanczyk (4–4) Hoagland (1) 4,087 31–21 13–11 May 12 B12N+ at Houston* Schroeder Park L 3–14Solis (3–2) Arnett (2–2) — 849 31–22 — May 14 ESPN+ Tulane Reckling Park W 12–0Wiggins (4–2) Rodriguez (5–3) — 1,835 32–22 14–11 May 15 ESPN+ Tulane Reckling Park W 10–6 Thames (3–3) Larson (2–3) — 1,738 33–22 15–11 May 16 ESPN+ Tulane Reckling Park W 6–5 Kuhn (1–0) Devenney (0–1) — 1,424 34–22 16–11 Postseason: 1–2 (Home: 0–0; Away: 0–0; Neutral: 1–2) : 1–2 (Home: 0–0; Away: 0–0; Neutral: 1–2) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall ACT Record Source May 21 ESPN+ vs. (7) Wichita State (3) BayCare BallparkClearwater, FL W 5–4 Fetchel (1–0) Hamilton (3–8) — 35–22 1–0 Report May 22 ESPN+ vs. (2) East Carolina (3) BayCare Ballpark L 3–4 Towers (7–3) Sanders (5–6) Norby (1) 35–23 1–1 Report May 22 ESPN+ vs. (4) UAB (3) BayCare Ballpark L 6–9 Miller (5–0) Thames (3–4) — 35–24 1–2 Report Legend:      = Win      = Loss      = CanceledBold = Rice team memberRankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

Schedule Notes

Rankings

References