Former Rice Owls star and current Detroit Tigers coaching staff member Jose Cruz Jr. will be named the head baseball coach at Rice University, according to multiple sources close to the situation.
Cruz Jr. was a three-time All-American at Rice between 1993-1995, where Cruz Jr. set many Owls baseball records. Cruz Jr. played in Major League Baseball from 1997-2008 for multiple teams, including successful stints in Seattle, Toronto and San Francisco.
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The former Bellaire High School star is the son of Astros legend Jose Cruz and the father of recent Episcopal grad, Rice Owl and Detroit Tigers 3rd round draft pick Trei Cruz. Jose’s son Antonio is currently on the Owls roster.
Cruz spent the 2021 season on the coaching staff with the Detroit Tigers under A.J. Hinch as the team’s assistant hitting coach. Cruz worked for the Major League Baseball Players Association in the player services department for nearly a decade before joining the Tigers staff.