Spartans Baseball Earns In-State Transfer OF

Rice is a native of Macomb, Michigan, just a few hours southeast of Michigan State's campus. He spent his first two collegiate seasons close to home with the Golden Grizzlies in the Horizon League and is now seeking to take that next step into a Power Four conference.

The soon-to-be Spartan repped a batting average of .253 last season with 46 hits, 11 doubles and four home runs. It was an exponentially better season than his freshman year, when he appeared in 55 of the team's 58 games. There is a ton of Division I experience in the veteran outfielder.

Two of the Spartans' three outfielders from last year recently wrapped up their final days of college baseball as left fielder Nick Williams and center fielder JT Sokolove will both be exiting the program. That leaves room for Rice to immediately come in and earn a starting position at either spot.

Rice primarily played right field last year for Oakland, holding a fielding percentage of .962 with just four errors and five assists in 55 games. With over 100 games played at the highest level of college baseball, the Spartans will be earning a veteran who has elite potential.

Rice is coming from a mangled Oakland program that won just 19 games last season but went 2-2 in the Horizon League tournament. Rice had at least one hit in each game along with four RBIs across the tournament, being the prototypical leadoff batter for first-year head coach Brian Nelson.

There is a good chance that Rice enters the starting lineup on Day 1 as one of the first two batters in the lineup or rounds out the starting nine as the last hitter.

The Spartans will be getting a blossoming bat at the plate and a stud outfielder that will make some sensational plays at McLane Stadium next spring. For a program that has made the Big Ten Tournament twice in the past three years, head coach Jake Boss Jr. is showing improvement every year.

Make sure to follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, and give us your thoughts on Rice's commitment WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our lively community group, Go Green Go White, as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.