Nine innings with Rice pitcher Evan Kravetz
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Rice University’s baseball team will host Jewish Community Day on Sunday, March 24, when the Owls take on UTSA at 1 p.m. Kids can run the bases after the game, and community members can get an exclusive Jewish Community Day T-Shirt.
In honor of the second-annual Jewish Community Day, the JHV spoke with Rice’s Jewish star pitcher Evan Kravetz, who enters his senior season as one of Rice’s most reliable arms.
You’ve started the season off strong. What has been the key to your early success?
It really is a combination of a lot of things. I think I’ve gotten stronger, my stuff has gotten better and my pitches are crisper. I throw a fastball the majority of the time and I have a changeup and curveball that I will mix in. I also have good pitch calling, good sequencing and a good defense behind me. We have a new coaching staff and anytime that happens they are going to rely on upperclassmen to set the tone and make sure everyone knows what the standard is. There is an expectation of leadership from myself and some of the other seniors and juniors on the team and we’ve really embraced that.
How do you see your senior year playing out?
I want to finish my senior year with a bang. Last year we didn’t make a regional, which was tough. So, we certainly want to go out on a high note, making a regional and playing deep into the summer would be the goal. We want to leave this place better than we found it, playing a high level of baseball, making the postseason and making a run from there. Academically, I am graduating this spring. I am very much looking forward to that. It was a goal of mine when I first got to school to graduate in my class, in four years and on time ,and I will be accomplishing that in two months.
What are some of your best memories playing college baseball?
Getting to play in the Baton Rouge regional my freshman and sophomore year was really memorable, even though we fell a little short. Getting to play in front of 15,000 people at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge is certainly something you dream about when you decide to play college baseball. Those are memories that will last forever. Other road trips are also memorable. We went to Cuba my sophomore year and got to play against the Cuban Baseball Federation which was amazing. I don’t take those opportunities for granted and really appreciate and will remember them for a long time.
Left-handed pitchers have a reputation for sometimes being quirky. Do you have any routines you follow?
I wear the same uniform every time I pitch. The coaches let the starters pick the uniforms. I have a very comfortable pair of pinstripe pants. So, every time it is my turn to pitch, I will pick them no matter what the situation is whether we are home or on the road. The team understands on Saturday we are wearing pinstripes.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being 6-foot-8?
Baseball-wise, it comes at an advantage to be releasing the ball from a higher point. Muscle memory is a such a big thing when you pitch and sometimes at 6-foot-8, getting everything in sync can be a challenge for larger pitchers. But, it is something I will continue to work on. In life, I certainly enjoy being this height. My parents are relatively normal size – my dad is 5-11, my mom is 5-6, but this is just something that happened, and I am certainly grateful for it.
Did you grow up watching any Jewish baseball players?
I wore No. 32 in high school for Sandy Koufax. He was the gold standard being a Jewish lefty pitcher. Sandy Koufax is a little older than my time, but I defintely have watched videos of him pitching, and it was fun that I got to wear his number growing up. This is a good time for Jewish players in the Major Leagues. You have guys like Alex Bregman, Ryan Bruan, Ian Kinsler. I got to watch Team Israel play in the Baseball Classic, which was really cool.
As a Miami native, has Texas grown on you yet?
I think if I claim to be a “Texan,” all of the Texan guys on the team will be quick to defend their territory. I still don’t have cowboy boots and I’m still not a big country music guy. I think little by little I’m getting closer, but I still keep my Miami roots. But, I love being in school in Texas. I like being immersed in a totally different culture, and to make friends with people from different lifestyles has been great.
How has it been playing in the same city as a world champion baseball team?
The Astros are only 10 minutes away, so it’s been fun to follow them and go to games. Growing up in Miami, I’m a Marlins fan, but I guess I can admit to being a bandwagon Astros fan. It is certainly more fun now that they are doing really well and the stadium is packed every time I go.
I know you’ve been focused on pitching for four years, but how often do you pick up a bat and see if you can still hit a baseball?
We definitely don’t hit live pitching. We’ve had a few fun competitions on the side of practice, hitting off of a tee and I’m sure if you ask any of the guys, they would say I don’t have the prettiest swing in the world. I definitely wouldn’t put myself in the lineup, that is for sure, but it is fun every once in a while to just be a goofball and take some hacks, but it’s not something I will be doing in a Rice uniform any time soon.
To purchase tickets to Rice’s Jewish Community Day, visit riceowls/jcd19.
In honor of the second-annual Jewish Community Day, the JHV spoke with Rice’s Jewish star pitcher Evan Kravetz, who enters his senior season as one of Rice’s most reliable arms.
You’ve started the season off strong. What has been the key to your early success?
It really is a combination of a lot of things. I think I’ve gotten stronger, my stuff has gotten better and my pitches are crisper. I throw a fastball the majority of the time and I have a changeup and curveball that I will mix in. I also have good pitch calling, good sequencing and a good defense behind me. We have a new coaching staff and anytime that happens they are going to rely on upperclassmen to set the tone and make sure everyone knows what the standard is. There is an expectation of leadership from myself and some of the other seniors and juniors on the team and we’ve really embraced that.
How do you see your senior year playing out?
I want to finish my senior year with a bang. Last year we didn’t make a regional, which was tough. So, we certainly want to go out on a high note, making a regional and playing deep into the summer would be the goal. We want to leave this place better than we found it, playing a high level of baseball, making the postseason and making a run from there. Academically, I am graduating this spring. I am very much looking forward to that. It was a goal of mine when I first got to school to graduate in my class, in four years and on time ,and I will be accomplishing that in two months.
What are some of your best memories playing college baseball?
Getting to play in the Baton Rouge regional my freshman and sophomore year was really memorable, even though we fell a little short. Getting to play in front of 15,000 people at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge is certainly something you dream about when you decide to play college baseball. Those are memories that will last forever. Other road trips are also memorable. We went to Cuba my sophomore year and got to play against the Cuban Baseball Federation which was amazing. I don’t take those opportunities for granted and really appreciate and will remember them for a long time.
Left-handed pitchers have a reputation for sometimes being quirky. Do you have any routines you follow?
I wear the same uniform every time I pitch. The coaches let the starters pick the uniforms. I have a very comfortable pair of pinstripe pants. So, every time it is my turn to pitch, I will pick them no matter what the situation is whether we are home or on the road. The team understands on Saturday we are wearing pinstripes.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being 6-foot-8?
Baseball-wise, it comes at an advantage to be releasing the ball from a higher point. Muscle memory is a such a big thing when you pitch and sometimes at 6-foot-8, getting everything in sync can be a challenge for larger pitchers. But, it is something I will continue to work on. In life, I certainly enjoy being this height. My parents are relatively normal size – my dad is 5-11, my mom is 5-6, but this is just something that happened, and I am certainly grateful for it.
Did you grow up watching any Jewish baseball players?
I wore No. 32 in high school for Sandy Koufax. He was the gold standard being a Jewish lefty pitcher. Sandy Koufax is a little older than my time, but I defintely have watched videos of him pitching, and it was fun that I got to wear his number growing up. This is a good time for Jewish players in the Major Leagues. You have guys like Alex Bregman, Ryan Bruan, Ian Kinsler. I got to watch Team Israel play in the Baseball Classic, which was really cool.
As a Miami native, has Texas grown on you yet?
I think if I claim to be a “Texan,” all of the Texan guys on the team will be quick to defend their territory. I still don’t have cowboy boots and I’m still not a big country music guy. I think little by little I’m getting closer, but I still keep my Miami roots. But, I love being in school in Texas. I like being immersed in a totally different culture, and to make friends with people from different lifestyles has been great.
How has it been playing in the same city as a world champion baseball team?
The Astros are only 10 minutes away, so it’s been fun to follow them and go to games. Growing up in Miami, I’m a Marlins fan, but I guess I can admit to being a bandwagon Astros fan. It is certainly more fun now that they are doing really well and the stadium is packed every time I go.
I know you’ve been focused on pitching for four years, but how often do you pick up a bat and see if you can still hit a baseball?
We definitely don’t hit live pitching. We’ve had a few fun competitions on the side of practice, hitting off of a tee and I’m sure if you ask any of the guys, they would say I don’t have the prettiest swing in the world. I definitely wouldn’t put myself in the lineup, that is for sure, but it is fun every once in a while to just be a goofball and take some hacks, but it’s not something I will be doing in a Rice uniform any time soon.
To purchase tickets to Rice’s Jewish Community Day, visit riceowls/jcd19.