The sixth annual Jimmy Disch Sport Analytics Award has been presented to Lucca Ferraz and Nathaniel Ascher, both graduating members of the Class of 2026.
The Disch Award is voted on by professors and given to graduating seniors who have shown a strong commitment to academic excellence and earned exceptional practical experience in Sport Analytics throughout their time at Rice University.
This award is named after longtime Department of Sport Management Associate Professor James "Jimmy" Disch, Ph.D., whose passion for sports and data inspired his creation of the Sport Analytics program.
Ferraz grew up in North Carolina and was attracted to Rice’s Sport Management program in high school. He originally discovered the program while browsing for colleges on Niche, which has ranked Rice as the best college for sports management in America seven years in a row.
During his time as an Owl, Ferraz interned with Rice’s Division I football program in the analytics, video operations, and scouting and recruiting departments. For the 2025-26 academic year, he was promoted to Student Director of Football Analytics.
Beyond the hedges, Ferraz was a 2025 finalist and the 2026 winner of the NFL Big Data Bowl, one of the most prestigious sport analytics competitions in the world. He also participated in the 2024 Carnegie Mellon Statistics & Data Science Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, and he spent eight months in 2025 as a Baseball Research & Development Intern with the Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball.
“Lucca's ability to tackle complex analytical problems with both rigor and creativity is rare, and his win at the NFL Big Data Bowl is a testament to that,” Assistant Professor Hua Gong said. “Competing and succeeding on that stage demonstrates not only his technical proficiency, but also his ability to frame real-world football questions in innovative ways and communicate his findings to a professional audience.”
Ferraz expressed gratitude for the support and resources provided by the Department of Sport Management. For example, he said the Big Data Bowl class that Assistant Professor Scott Powers offered in Fall 2025 helped him succeed in the nationwide competition.
“The class provided a structured way to get feedback throughout the process, shoot ideas off of [Powers], and do check-in presentations throughout the semester,” Ferraz said. “That was really great for keeping me on track, especially throughout the school year as classes start to pile up. I wouldn’t have been able to do the project without a lot of the things I’ve learned in the classroom through both Dr. Powers’ and Dr. Gong’s classes.”
Powers spoke highly of Ferraz, both in the classroom and beyond it.
“Lucca always brings a positive attitude that brightens the room,” Powers said. “It’s been a pleasure to spend so much time around him over the past three years, and he has represented Rice extremely well beyond the campus.”
Upon his graduation, Ferraz will join the University of Pittsburgh’s athletic department as a Data Scientist. He’ll be working with the Pitt football team’s analytical models to help the program win games in a competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.
Ferraz’s emergence as one of the brightest young minds in football analytics can inspire others, and he encouraged undergraduate students seeking a career in the industry to dream big and work hard.
“No goal is too small,” Ferraz said. “If you told me two years ago that I’d be a two-time Big Data Bowl finalist, had won it, and would be courting NFL teams as I was preparing to graduate, I would have told you you were crazy. But the Department of Sport Management’s connections and knowledge in the field make no dream unattainable if you’re willing to put the work in.”
Ferraz said that he was honored to win this award alongside Ascher, as the two seniors added their names to a long list of Rice alumni with track records full of success in the sport analytics industry.
“There are so many talented people in this program, so many hard workers, so many people that could just as easily qualify for this award,” Ferraz said. “To be recognized for the award, and to be able to share it with Nathaniel—one of the hardest-working people I know and someone whom I have watched blossom in baseball—was an honor. It meant the world to me.”
Similar to Ferraz, Ascher arrived on campus in Fall 2022 and knew he wanted to major in Sport Analytics. He began interning with Rice’s Division I baseball program in his first semester as a freshman, took high-level Sport Analytics and Statistics courses, and attended industry events such as Saberseminar in Chicago, Illinois, and the Diamond Dollars Case Competition at the SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I learned a lot, especially in Dr. Powers’ Baseball Analytics class, that really helped me with competing in SABR last year and attending Saberseminar this past August,” Ascher said. “I learned a lot about baseball analytics and statistical methods in general, like pitch models, how to extract signal and noise, and mixed effects models. All of that was crucial for getting me prepared for conferences.”
Ascher was ultimately promoted to Rice's Student Director of Baseball Analytics for his senior year. Ascher oversees the program’s statistical and data processing projects, leads a group of over a dozen undergraduate interns, and travels with the team to provide support to the coaching staff during road series.
Professor in the Practice Stephanie Wilka spoke highly of Ascher’s ability to conduct himself with a blend of intelligence, kindness, and respect.
“Nathaniel [has] demonstrated a level of intelligence and kindness that is unmatched,” Wilka said. “At a base level, he has the intelligence and work ethic to carry him, but he is also humble and respectful.”
Ascher has also gained plenty of practical experience outside of Rice. In 2023, he joined the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League as a Baseball Analytics Intern, and he was promoted to Baseball Analytics Coordinator for the 2024 season. In Summer 2025, he completed a baseball operations internship with Major League Baseball's New York Yankees.
Upon the conclusion of Rice’s 2026 baseball season, Ascher will relocate to the Midwest for a full-time role as a Junior Data Scientist in the Chicago Cubs’ Baseball Analytics Department. He believes his previous practical experience has prepared him well for his position with the Cubs.
“I’ll be working with a lot of data, which I was able to do at Rice and with the Crushers,” Ascher said. “Also, working this past year to evaluate and retrain the models we have at Rice [Baseball]—location models, Stuff models, and our three hitting models—has really benefitted me and will translate to the similar work I’ll be doing with the Cubs.”
Gong envisions plenty of success in Ascher’s future as he makes the leap to a Major League Baseball front office.
“What will set Nathaniel apart is his ability to bridge the gap between analytics and operations,” Gong said. “Through his work with Rice Baseball, he's developed something many aspiring analysts lack early in their careers: experience translating data into actionable insights for coaches and players. That practical mindset, combined with his strong work ethic and willingness to put himself in real-world settings, positions him to thrive in the sport industry.”
Ascher said that he is grateful for the Department of Sports Management’s national prominence, as well as the resources it provides to students.
“It’s no secret that Rice Sport Management is ranked No. 1,” Ascher said. “Employers are excited to attract Rice students to their jobs, and I think it’s helped me stand out in such a competitive industry—being part of the Sport Management department and learning many lessons through classes from our professors, the connections I’ve made with them, and the experiences I’ve been able to have outside of the classroom.”
Ascher acknowledges the significance of receiving the Jimmy Disch Sport Analytics Award as he follows in the footsteps of other talented industry professionals.
“It means a lot, especially to be recognized with Lucca, who is a good friend of mine and an incredibly bright sports analytics mind,” Ascher said. “To see my work and achievements be recognized was really amazing, and I couldn’t be more thankful to Dr. Jimmy Disch and the entire Sport Management department for everything they’ve done for me.”
Andersen Pickard, a senior from New Hampshire, is studying Statistics and Sport Analytics while serving as the Student Assistant Director of Analytics for Rice Baseball.