The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
UAB Travels to Houston for Series with Rice
4/30/2026 6:09:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Baseball hits the road for a brief 3-game road trip to Houston as the Blazers take on the Rice Owls in Houston.
Who: UAB (28-16, 12-6 - American) at Rice (26-20, 8-10 - American)
Where: Reckling Park – Houston, Texas
Watch: ESPN+
On The Call: JP Heath (PxP Fri. and Sun.), Matt Pederson (PxP Sat.), Enrique Cruz (Analyst Fri.), Sam Kaman (Analyst Sat. and Sun.)
Series: Rice leads, 41-20
In Houston: UAB leads, 22-7
Last Meeting: April 27, 2025 (Rice won, 12-10)
Friday (6:35 p.m.)
Probable Starters
UAB: Mason Steele (5-2, 3.60 ERA), RHP, Junior OR Chase Ingram (2-3, 6.00 ERA), RHP, Senior
Rice: Tanner Wiggins (2-2, 3.65 ERA), RHP, Redshirt Sophomore OR Brayden Sharp (3-2, 4.62 ERA), LHP, Redshirt Sophomore
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Saturday (2:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters
UAB: Carter Samuelson (4-2, 4.89 ERA), RHP, Freshman
Rice: Ethan Sanders (3-5, 3.98 ERA), RHP, Freshman
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Sunday (1:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters
UAB: TBA
Rice: TBA
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Through 46 games, the Owls have put together one of the best pitching staffs in the American Conference. Rice boasts the second-best ERA in the league at 4.61, third-fewest runs allowed with 237, third-fewest walks with 69, and the third-best batting average against at .257. The Owls also have 42 double plays this season which is tops in The American and have caught 18 runners stealing, a total that ranks second in the conference. Tanner Wiggins carries the eighth-best ERA into the weekend. Ethan Sanders is the Owls' strikeout leader with 52 which ranks sixth-best in The American. Ty Thames has five saves in his 14 appearances out of the bullpen.
THINGS TO KNOW
- The 2026 squad is just the fifth team in UAB history to hit more than 60 home runs in a single season. This year's Blazers are one home run behind the 1996 team and two behind the 2004 team for fourth- and third-most in school history.
- UAB's 62 home runs pace The American.
- John Paul Head goes into the weekend tied for the sixth-most home runs in a single season in school history with 16. Two more long balls puts Head in a tie for third-most all-time.
- The Green and Gold remain at the top of the American Conference with a 12-6 record in conference games. UAB is tied with East Carolina and UTSA at the top of the league.
- In conference play, three Blazers, John Paul Head, Landon Beaver, and Andrew Hunt have an OPS over 1.000.
- Overall this season, UAB has eight players with five home runs or more. Additionally, the Blazers are one of two teams in the American Conference with seven players totaling 40 hits or more.
- The UAB pitching staff has allowed four earned runs or fewer in 10 of the Blazers' 12 wins in conference play.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
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