MACOMB - An official visit earlier this month only confirmed what Trent Rice already knew.

Oakland is the perfect place for the Cardinal Mooney junior to go to college.

“Everything went well,” the 57th-ranked 2023 in Michigan said of his trip to the Horizon League school, his third time visiting the campus, once after receiving an offer and the second time to check out the pre-medicine department which Rice plans to major in at Oakland. “Something just clicked when I went there. I love everything about it. It’s 30 minutes from home so my parents loved it. (Head) Coach (Jordan) Banfield is already changing the culture.”

The 5-11 155-pound outfielder brings a lot of athleticism to the table.

“I think my speed will be a big factor,” Rice pointed out. “I’m also a smart hitter for contact. I believe my IQ will be a big asset for them.”

Oakland has confidence that the 10th-rated junior outfielder in the state will benefit the program.

“The main thing they mentioned they like is my speed in the outfield,” Rice said. “I can also help with stealing bases. My hitting is another thing. I’m not much of a power threat, but I can go gap-to-gap and use my speed.”

That relates into a top-of-the-order player.

“I’ve been that guy most of my life,” Rice noted. “That’s what I think of myself as.”

Recent improvement helped the cause when it came to his recruitment, with Rice recording the best time in the 60 at the Michigan Top Prospect Games back in June.

“My speed has always been there,” Rice related. “What I’ve been working on a lot is my quickness and footspeed in the outfield. That’s really shown in tracking down balls. I’ve also been working on hitting for more power.”

Recruitment included an offer from Saginaw Valley and talks with Michigan State before Oakland moved to the front.

“It was very stressful at times,” Rice admitted about the recruiting process. “It’s something a kid dreams about, getting recruited and going on those visits. But that takes a toll on you. You have to be mentally strong to go through the recruiting process.”

The thought of playing baseball at the next level was a more recent development for the 23rd ranked player from Michigan’s 2023 class to make a college commitment..

“When I was younger I wanted to play college basketball,” Rice related. “But then going into ninth grade it hit me that I have what it takes to play college baseball. I just went to work from there.”

With no freshman season due to Covid, the confidence of moving on after high school did not become realistic until the summer heading into sophomore year.

“I really worked hard,” Rice reflected. “I knew I had to do that to be noticed in the spring and summer after that.”

Uncle Mike Rice, who has been his coach since the age of six and is currently his high school coach at Cardinal Mooney, has been the biggest influence when it comes to baseball according to Rice.

“I wasn’t that good when I was younger at eight or nine,” Rice reflected. “He just let me do what I did, watched me and taught me everything I know.”    

The fourth junior in the state to commit to Oakland, who carries a 4.1 GPA, admits to a feeling of comfort after making the decision to attend Oakland.

“It was awesome,” Rice related. “When you say those words that you’re committed all the stress falls off you.”

After losing in the Division 4 state championship last season, Rice not only looks forward to his last two years on the ball field at Mooney, but also ahead to his days at Oakland.

“Playing there will feel like I’m at home,” Rice said of the university in Rochester Hills. “The culture with the team has changed. I could feel that on my visit. I’ve talked to a few of the guys in the 2022 and 2023 classes and everyone’s looking forward to getting to work and making friends.”