Rice will face at least nine teams that advanced to last year’s NCAA Tournament as part of a 54-game 2012 regular-season baseball schedule released Monday.
The Owls open the season with a three-game series Feb. 17-19 against Florida International at Reckling Park.
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Coach Wayne Graham enters his 21st season at Rice with 912 victories.
The opening month of the season also includes the Owls’ annual participation in the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park and series against 2011 NCAA super regional qualifiers Dallas Baptist and Stanford. The Owls also visit Texas A&M, coming off its first trip to the College World Series in 12 years, April 17.
Conference USA play begins with a three-game series at Memphis March 23-25.
Rice has won or shared 16 consecutive conference championships since 1996.
Eighteen of the Owls’ first 23 games will be played in Houston. In all 31 games will be played at Reckling Park, including a three-game series against cross-town rival Houston (May 4-6) for the Silver Glove Trophy.
“You can’t predict exactly how your R.P.I. will finish out, but we’ve put together what should be another strong schedule,” Rice coach Wayne Graham said. “Our schedule last year helped us host a regional, and our schedule this year could be as good or better. A number of teams we have on the schedule are going to better than they were a year ago. We have highly-rated non-conference games, and our conference opponents are very strong. We have a good schedule, but that is only part of it. You then have to win the games.”
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Date |
Opponent | Location | Time | |
| Feb. 17 | Florida International | Reckling Park. | 4:30 p.m. | |
| Feb. 18 | Florida International | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. | |
| Feb. 19 | Florida International | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. |
Comment: Rice coach Wayne Graham begins 21st season with Owls.
| Feb. 21 | New Mexico State | Reckling Park | 4:30 p.m. | |
| Feb. 22 | New Mexico State | Reckling Park | 4:30 p.m. | |
| Feb. 24 | Dallas Baptist | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Feb. 25 | Dallas Baptist | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. | |
| Feb. 26 | Dallas Baptist | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. |
Comment: Patriots advanced to NCAA super regionals last season.
| Feb. 28 | Houston | Cougar Field | 6:30 p.m. |
Comment: The Owls have won 15 in a row and 20 of the last 21 in the Silver Glove Series.
| March 2-4 | Houston College Classic | Minute Maid Park | TBA |
Comment: Field includes Rice, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee. The Owls are 24-9 all-time in the classic.
| March 6 | Texas State | San Marcos | 6:30 p.m. |
Comment: Bobcats tied a school record with 41 victories and made fifth NCAA postseason appearance.
| March 7 | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 9 | Stanford | Palo Alto, Calif. | 7:30 p.m. | |
| March 10 | Stanford | Palo Alto, Calif. | 3 p.m. | |
| March 11 | Stanford | Palo Alto, Calif. | 3 p.m. |
Comment: Owls likely to see possible No. 1 MLB draft pick Mark Appel in series.
| March 13 | Arizona | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 14 | Arizona | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 17 | Grambling State | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. | |
| March 18 | Grambling State | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. |
Comment: Two-game series was late addition due to Washington scheduling problems.
| March 20 | Texas-San Antonio | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 21 | Lamar | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 23 | * Memphis | Memphis, Tenn. | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 24 | * Memphis | Memphis, Tenn. | 2 p.m. | |
| March 25 | * Memphis | Memphis, Tenn. | 1 p.m. |
Comment: Owls begin quest for 17th straight conference championship.
| March 27 | Lamar | Beaumont | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 30 | * Southern Miss | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| March 31 | * Southern Miss | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. | |
| April 1 | * Southern Miss | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. |
Comment: Golden Eagles shared last year’s C-USA regular-season title with Rice.
| April 3 | Sam Houston State | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. |
Comment: First meeting against former Rice assistant coach David Pierce.
| April 5 | * Tulane | New Orleans | 6:30 p.m. | |
| April 6 | * Tulane | New Orleans | 6:30 p.m. | |
| April 7 | * Tulane | New Orleans | 2 p.m. | |
| April 10 | Texas State | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| April 13 | * Marshall | Charleston, West Virginia | 1:05 p.m. | |
| April 14 | * Marshall | Charleston, West Virginia | 1:05 p.m. | |
| April 15 | * Marshall | Charleston, West Virginia | 9:05 a.m. | |
| April 17 | Texas A&M | College Station | 6:35 p.m. |
Comment: Aggies coming off first College World Series appearance in 12 years; move into newly-renovated Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
| April 20 | * East Carolina | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| April 21 | * East Carolina | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. | |
| April 22 | * East Carolina | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. | |
| May 2 | Texas Southern | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| May 4 | * Houston | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| May 5 | * Houston | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. |
Comment: Owls have won 15 straight over their crosstown rivals.
| May 6 | * Houston | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. | |
| May 8 | Stephen F. Austin | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| May 11 | * UAB | Reckling Park | 6:30 p.m. | |
| May 12 | * UAB | Reckling Park | 2 p.m. | |
| May 13 | * UAB | Reckling Park | 1 p.m. | |
| May 15 | Sam Houston State | Huntsville | 6:30 p.m. | |
| May 17 | * Central Florida | Orlando, Fla. | 5:30 p.m. | |
| May 18 | * Central Florida | Orlando, Fla. | 5:30 p.m. | |
| May 19 | * Central Florida | Orlando, Fla. | Noon |
Comment: Knights began C-USA play last season with series win at Reckling Park.
| May 23-26 | Conference USA Tournament | Pearl, Miss. | TBA | |
| June 1-3 | NCAA Regionals | TBA | TBA | |
| June 8-11 | NCAA Super Regionals | TBA | TBA | |
| June 16-27 | College World Series | Omaha, Neb. | TBA |
* Denotes Conference USA game