Prospect Review: Rice, Sam Houston State

RICE

During the Owls recent scrimmage against Sam Houston State, one of my focus players was Rice shortstop Trei Cruz. Cruz had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and showed improvements from a defensive standpoint. He carried that confidence and success over to this scrimmage. Catcher Justin Collins continues to impress behind the plate with his athleticism. And Rice has plenty of other steady position players to watch.

• Cruz looks ready to have a monster 2020 campaign. He was certainly an offensive player for the Owls last season. And while he was a solid defender much of the time, he was also inconsistent, often making errors on throws or easy plays in the infield. However, he showed improvements in the field over the summer, and looked much, much better last Friday against SHSU. Cruz was confident, instinctual, made all the routine plays look very easy, and made a couple of terrific plays on hits that weren’t necessarily easy. We know Cruz is going to hit and that he has a good frame. Now, the defensive side of his game is coming along nicely, making him one of the nation’s premier prospects for the upcoming draft.

• Junior catcher Collins has long been one of...