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SAN MARCOS – After a strong 2-1 start to the season, the Bobcats will look to take on No. 11 Rice at Reckling Park in Houston at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Owls may be playing extra hard to get longtime head coach Wayne Graham his 1,000^th career victory. Texas State, however, will be looking to earn Head Coach Ty Harrington his 480^th win of his NCAA Division I career.
 
Game Info: Texas State (2-1) at Rice (2-1)
Site: Reckling Park – Houston, Texas
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 17       
Time: 4:30 p.m.
 
Probable Pitching Matchup
#19 LHP Tyler Davenport (Debut) vs. #25 RHP Chase McDowell (4-2, 4.25, 26K, 53.0 IP in 2013)
 
The Series
Rice holds the advantage in the all-time series with a record of 47-13 against Texas State. The Owls just barely snuck one out against Texas State in the last meeting, surviving, 5-4, on May 14, 2013. In fact, both meetings in 2013 were one-run games with Rice winning the first, 4-3.
 
These two teams have been facing off since Feb. 14, 1985. Harrington is 7-21 against the Owls since he's been at Texas State. The team's last victory against Rice was March 6, 2012, a 3-2 Texas State victory in San Marcos.
 
On the Owls
Rice traveled to Stanford for opening weekend and started the 2014 season with two victories over the Cardinal. After winning 10-3 and 5-1, the Owls fell to Stanford Sunday, 12-3.
 
Skyler Ewing paced the Owls over the first weekend of play with seven hits and eight RBI, including two home runs, in 12 at bats for a .583 average. John Williamson wasn't far behind at .455, going 5-for-11 with two extra-base hits and one RBI. After that deadly duo, however, no other OWL with four at bats or more reached the .300 mark in batting average.
 
The Bobcats will be facing Chase McDowell, a senior righty for Rice. Last season he won four of six decisions and finished the year with a 4.25 ERA in 53 innings pitched. He struck out 26 and walked 20 his junior year.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State's 2-1 start saw many positives for the Bobcats. In 2013, Texas State had to wait 11 games before the first Bobcat knocked a run out then 11 more after that for the second one. This season, Tyler Pearson sent one out in the second game and Tanner Hill belted one to the softball outfield in the third game to prove the Bobcats have more power this season.
 
Two Bobcats showed out impressively on the mound as well. Junior pitchers Taylor Black and Austen Williams both pitched career highs in innings and tallied career highs in strikeouts, both finishing with eight. Williams only gave up two hits while Black only gave up four. Williams held Air Force to just an .080 batting average while Black allowed Washington a mere .148.
 
Senior closer Hunter Lemke showed he's still one of the best in the country, picking up his first victory of the season in the 10^th inning against Michigan and finishing Air Force off for the team's second win of the season.
 
A Look Ahead
After Rice, the Bobcats will return home to host UC Riverside at Bobcat Ballpark this weekend with games at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.