Rice freshman RHP Ethan Sanders emerged as a rotation anchor in 2026
In the 2026 season, Ethan Sanders became one of Rice’s most important arms, earning American All-Freshman honors after leading the Owls with 64 strikeouts and 83 innings while tying for the team lead with five wins. He is a real starter’s starter: durable, composed, and the kind of freshman coaches trust in big innings—he logged 14 starts, posted a 3.91 ERA in conference play, and even fired 11 strikeouts in a game, the most by a Rice freshman since Matt Canterino. If you want a young right-hander with polish, workload tolerance, and upside, he’s absolutely worth the attention.
