Rice University

Rice Baseball: 2026 Season Guide, Schedule, and Reckling Park

Date Published

Rice Baseball Falls in Series Opener as Wichita State Strikes Early

Rice Baseball enters the 2026 American Conference season under second-year head coach David Pierce, looking to climb back into the conference tournament after a 17–40 rebuilding year. The Owls open at home against Northwestern on February 13–15 at Reckling Park, the 5,368-seat stadium on the southwest corner of Rice University's campus that has hosted Owls baseball since 2000. This is your living guide to Rice Baseball — schedule highlights, the coaching staff, the venue, and where the program stands in Houston's college sports landscape. (For broader Rice University athletics coverage, see our hub.)

Pierce took over as head coach after the program parted ways with José Cruz Jr. mid-season in 2025. Rice was picked seventh in the American preseason coaches poll, a measured floor for a roster that returns young pitching depth and adds transfer infield help. The story of 2026 is whether the Owls can flip 8–10 of last year's one-run losses.

The 2026 Rice Baseball Schedule

Rice plays a 56-game regular season anchored by a balanced home-and-away conference rotation. Highlights from the published schedule:

  • Feb 13–15 — Northwestern at Reckling Park (season opener)
  • Feb 20–22 — Houston Christian University at Reckling Park (Houston rivalry weekend)
  • Mar 6–8 — at Texas A&M (non-conference signature road trip)
  • Mar 27–29 — Florida Atlantic at Reckling Park (American Conference opener)
  • Apr 2–4 — at UTSA (2025 American regular-season champion)
  • Apr 17–19 — Memphis at Reckling Park
  • May 1–3 — at UAB
  • May 14–16 — Tulane at Reckling Park (conference regular-season finale, first home close since joining the American)
  • May 19–24 — American Conference Tournament (Clearwater, Florida)

Head Coach David Pierce and the Staff

David Pierce is in his second year as Rice's head coach. Pierce previously led the University of Texas program to multiple NCAA Regionals and arrived at Reckling Park with a clear plan: rebuild pitching depth first, then layer in transfer infield production. The pitching staff is the cornerstone of the 2026 group, with a midweek rotation that develops younger arms ahead of weekend Friday-Saturday-Sunday matchups.

Pitching coach and recruiting coordinator hires followed Pierce from his previous stops. The full 2026 staff is listed on the official athletics site at riceowls.com/sports/baseball/coaches.

Reckling Park: The Home Venue

  • Capacity: 5,368 (one of the largest on-campus baseball venues in the American Conference)
  • Opened: 2000 — funded by a gift from the Reckling family
  • Surface: Natural grass, asymmetrical outfield dimensions (315 LF / 400 CF / 308 RF)
  • Address: 6100 Main Street, Rice University campus, south of Hermann Park
  • Notable feature: The Hertz Center pavilion seating along the third-base line and a permanent press box behind home plate

Parking on game day is free in West Lot 6 and the Greenbriar Lot. The stadium sits about a 10-minute walk from the Hermann Park/Rice U METRORail station. For a wider look at the campus and its surroundings, see our Montrose neighborhood guide (Rice borders Museum District and the Texas Medical Center).

Where Rice Baseball Fits in Houston

Houston has three Division I baseball programs — Rice, the University of Houston, and Houston Christian — and Rice carries the deepest tournament history of the three, with seven College World Series appearances and a 2003 national championship. The Owls' last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2017; the Pierce hire is the program's clearest commitment to getting back. For coverage of the cross-town University of Houston Cougars, the Big 12 program plays at Schroeder Park and historically meets Rice once per season.

How to Watch and Follow the Owls

  • Home games: Reckling Park (tickets at riceowls.com)
  • Streaming: ESPN+ for most American Conference home games
  • Radio: Selected games on KYST 920 AM in the Houston market
  • Social: @RiceBaseball on X for live scoring and roster updates

Looking Ahead

The 2026 season is a referendum on Pierce's rebuild plan. The conference tournament expanded its field this year, meaning a top-eight finish locks Rice into postseason play — a realistic target with the schedule front-loaded around home Conference series in March and April. Watch the pitching staff first; if the rotation holds its starters into the seventh inning, the rest of the roster has enough offensive ceiling to flip last year's record.