Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
1-2
Rice
2-1
Ruiz's Multi-Homer Game Powers 'Cats Rout of Rice
2/15/2026 6:43:00 PM | Baseball
HOUSTON – Northwestern secured a 17-6 run-rule victory over Rice on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Reckling Park for its first win of 2026.
The Wildcats slugged five home runs in the 17-run outburst, their most runs in a game since defeating Ohio State, 17-2, on May 11, 2025, and most homers since going yard five times in a 9-7 victory at Nebraska on April 18, 2025.
INF Noah Ruiz slugged a pair of homers, his first two in a Wildcat uniform, to tally seven RBI in the win. Ruiz's seven RBI are the most by a Wildcat since OF Jackson Freeman recorded eight in an 18-8 win at Maryland on March 29, 2025.RUN-RULE DUB ?? pic.twitter.com/9fpT4gQ3TR
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) February 15, 2026
The Wildcats jumped on the Owls quickly, putting up four runs in the first inning. With runners on the corners, INF Ryan Kucherak drove in INF Owen McElfatrick for the first run of the game. Two batters later, Ruiz mashed his first homer of the game, a three-run blast to left to give NU a 4-0 lead.
After a scoreless bottom of the first by RHP Garrett Shearer in his return from injury, Northwestern continued its hot offensive start in the top of the second, adding another three runs. Freeman continued his blistering opening weekend, scoring INF Noah Brocklebank with an RBI single. Kucherak joined in on the action, scoring McElfatrick with an RBI single of his own. Ruiz collected his fourth RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Freeman and extending the Wildcat lead to 7-0.
Rice clawed its way back into the game with five runs on five hits and one walk in the home half of the second, capped off by a two-run homer by INF JC Davis to trim the deficit to two.
NU responded immediately in the top of the third, with Jackson Freeman slugging his third homer of the weekend, a two-run blast to center to stretch NU's advantage to four.
In the top of the fourth, OF Jack Lausch tallied his first homer of the season, a solo shot off the center-field batter's eye to put NU up 10-5.
JC Davis answered again for Rice in the bottom of the fourth, blasting his second homer of the day, a solo blast to cut NU's lead to four.
Ruiz's second homer of the day came in the top of the sixth, another three-run homer to bring around Freeman and INF Nick Barron. Ruiz's multi-homer game is his first as a Wildcat and the second by an NU player this season, joining Jackson Freeman, who went yard twice in Friday's opener.
Later that same inning, C Jay Slater slugged his second long ball of the season, a two-run jack to give NU a 15-6 lead.
In the top of the seventh, NU continued to add on, with Barron recording an RBI single and Slater drawing a bases-loaded walk in to pad NU's lead and cap off the scoring.
RHP Drew Dickson closed out the game to secure the win for the 'Cats, tossing 1.1 hitless innings.
RHP Matt Kouser (1-1) earned the win, working 3.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing one run on one hit and fanning one.
LHP Anthony Diaz (0-1) is credited with the loss, allowing six runs, all earned, on four hits in 1.1 innings of action.
Northwestern will travel to Spartanburg, S.C., for four games at Fifth Third Park, home of the Hub City Spartanburgers (Rangers High-A affiliate). The Wildcats will square off with Cornell on Friday, Feb. 20, at 11 a.m. CT and as the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 11 a.m. CT. NU will close the doubleheader against Boston College at 3 p.m. CT and will close out the weekend with a contest against the Eagles on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kouser, Matt (1-1)
L: Diaz, Anthony (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Ruiz, Noah 2 ; Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Slater, Jay 1
RBI: Ruiz, Noah 7 ; Barron, Nick 1 ; Freeman, Jackson 3 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 2 ; Slater, Jay 3
SF: Ruiz, Noah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ruiz, Noah 2 ; McElfatrick, Owen 2 ; Barron, Nick 3 ; Freeman, Jackson 4 ; Lausch, Jack 2 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Brocklebank, Noah 2 ; Slater, Jay 1
HBP: Lausch, Jack 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, Paul 1 ; Green, Cole 1 ; Davis, JC 1
HR: Davis, JC 2
RBI: Robson, Colin 1 ; Davis, JC 3 ; Bocachica, Jr., Hiram 1
SF: Bocachica, Jr., Hiram 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Robson, Colin 1 ; Green, Cole 1 ; Boehm, Garet 1 ; Davis, JC 2 ; Webb, Kutter-Gage 1
HBP: Bocachica, Jr., Hiram 1
