Texas-Rice May Become Weekend Series

"The most intense baseball rivalry in the Lone Star State could take on a more important meaning as early as 2011."

This could take the rivalry to another level, taking away the excuse of not wanting to throw starters in a midweek game. A weekend series would also add one more weekend of elite competition to both teams' schedules.

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but I remember Augie talking about the lack of desire to drop a weekend series like Stanford to add Rice. If the season does add another week, which I think is a good idea, it would be great to play a three-game series against Rice. This is a great idea and hopefully it happens.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jul 6, 2009 5:20 PM CDT reply actions

Explanation...

I’m still pretty green to college baseball…could some explain the significance of a game being on the weekend? Why is a weekend game any more important than midweek game…just TV ratings?

by pleaseplaykindle on Jul 6, 2009 10:16 PM CDT reply actions

You can play a 3-game series on the weekend

Can’t do that with midweek games, though you can occasionally get in 2 games during the week. Especially when it’s 2 perennial baesball powers like Texas and Rice, you’d rather do a 3-game weekend series than play them once in Austin and then again in Houston several weeks later.

The starting pitching argument below is also important. Doing the midweek games has always benefitted Rice. Because Rice plays in a weaker conference, they need the RPI points that come with beating Texas, and since they have typically been able to dominate their conference with their #2 and #3 pitchers, they don’t always have to save their ace for the weekend. They have had occasion to use their best pitchers against our #4 starter because we have to save our best for conference series on the weekend.

A 3-game series would put us on equal footing in terms of pitching and probably make the series more attractive for TV since FSN or CSTV or ESPNU could send a crew down in one trip and get 3 games instead of just 1.

by bassale47 on Jul 7, 2009 9:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Instead of playing a couple games scattered throughout

the season started by a weekend starter on short rest or a midweek starter, the weekend series would feature the aces of both teams going against each other and would present a better picture of which team is better. It’s a good measuring stick earlier in the season and probably big for recruiting in the Houston area when played at Rice. Not to mention valuable in terms of selling out all three games for whichever school is hosting.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jul 6, 2009 10:30 PM CDT reply actions