Men's Baseball to Host TCU this Week

March 9, 1998

The Texas Tech baseball team will begin its week with a 13-7 overall and 3-2 Big 12 record after defeating Texas 6-3 on Friday and 17-6 on Saturday. Game three was cancelled due to snowy and windy conditions.

This week, Texas Tech will host TCU at Dan Law Field on Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m. and on Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m. Game times could be changed, weather permitting. After TCU, the Red Raiders are currently scheduled to host Oklahoma Panhandle State on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. There has been talk that this game will be cancelled. The media relations office will announce any cancellations. All three games will be carried on either KKAM 1340-AM or 790-AM via Mark Finkner.

With the Texas series, the Red Raiders began a stretch of 12 consecutive home games at Dan Law Field from March 6-March 24. Competition includes Texas, TCU, Panhandle State, New Mexico, Baylor and Eastern New Mexico in that stretch.

Jordan breaks school game total bases record with 5-6, three home run performance

In one amazing day against Texas, junior Kevin Jordan broke the single game Texas Tech total bases record with 14 total bases. He hit three home runs (good for 12 total bases) and also added two singles to make his record breaking total of 14. His record breaks the former record of 13 total bases, held by two people- Joe Dillon vs. Texas A&M in 1996 and Cecil Norris vs. UTEP in 1971.

Jordan's stats also take major hike
With that performances, Jordan also improved his batting average by 48 points (.225 to .273), his slugging percentage by 161 points (.282 to .442). Jordan finished the day with three home runs, a 5-6 hitting performance, four runs scored, five RBI and he even stole home on a double steal. All numbers were career highs for the third baseman.

Prior to the second game at Texas A&M, Jordan was on a streak where he had one hit in 28 at-bats and one hit in 32 plate appearances. He also failed to get a hit in five straight games. The problem wasn't making contact with the ball, it's been luck. During that streak, Jordan lined out six times and struck out only three times. Coach Hays and the coaching staff never lost confidence in the junior from Midland, Texas and waited patiently for him to break out of it. He sure did on Saturday.

Texas attendance tops out at 4,460 for Saturday game

Saturday's attendance of 4,460 ranked 10th on Texas Tech's all-time top attendance games list. The number one all-time top attended game at Dan Law Field is 5,814 against Southern California in the 1996 NCAA Regional.

Team Notes

Texas Tech has never swept Texas in a three-game baseball series. Sunday's cancelled game prolonged that streak one more year.

Texas Tech hit four home runs (three by Kevin Jordan and one by Mark Austry) on Saturday. That ties a previous team high of four home runs, also hit at TCU.

The two runs scored by Texas Tech in the ninth inning at Texas A&M on 3/1/98 avoided Texas Tech's first shutout of the year. In fact, Texas Tech has a streak of 109 games since it was last shutout. The last time the Red Raiders were shutout was on March 23, 1996 at Baylor when Tech lost 8-0.

The 11-2 loss at Texas A&M on Sunday was the Red Raiders' worst loss since losing 10-1 at TCU in last season's season opener on Feb. 11, 1997.

More Notes- Statistically speaking

Did you know...Josh Bard has not walked this year. He has gone 88 at-bats without a base-on-ball. In contrast, leadoff hitter Keith Ginter leads the team in bases on balls with 20. He has walked 20 times in 97 plate appearances.

Mark Austry's home run against Texas broke a streak of 50 at-bats and 53 plate appearances since he hit his last home run (at TCU).

Texas Tech has already played 20 games and if it weren't for rainouts and other cancellations, the Red Raiders would have played 25 games as of Monday. The season is already 1/3 of the way finished.

Texas Tech in the 1998 Polls
Week           CB      BA    BW    TSN
Preseason     17th    8th   9th   10th
Week 1 (2/2)    NP     NP    NP   10th      
Week 2 (2/9)  17th    9th    NP   12th
Week 3 (2/16) 17th    9th   9th    9th
Week 4 (2/23) 26th   16th  21st   15th
Week 5 (3/2)  29th   23rd    NR   25th

Key: CB=Collegiate Baseball; BA=Baseball America; BW=USA Today Baseball Weekly-ESPN; TSN=The Sporting News; NP=No poll conducted; NR=Not ranked

Texas Tech's Preseason/Season Honors:

Josh Bard- Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (for week of Feb. 16, 1998)

Baseball America projected Big 12 champion (coaches' vote)

Collegiate Baseball projected Big 12 champion (coaches' vote)

Keith Ginter- Collegiate Baseball First Team All America ... The Sporting News All America Second Team; Collegiate Baseball projected Player of the Year; Baseball America "Player to Watch"; Collegiate Baseball "Player to Watch"

Josh Bard- The Sporting News All America Second Team; Collegiate Baseball All America Third Team; Baseball America "Player to Watch"; Collegiate Baseball "Player to Watch"; USA Baseball invitee

Jason Landreth- Collegiate Baseball "Player to Watch"

Monty Ward- Baseball America "Player to Watch"; Collegiate Baseball "Player to Watch"

Brad Ralston- Collegiate Baseball "Player to Watch"

Miles Durham- USA Baseball invitee

Texas Tech University Athletics

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