Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders 1998 Season-in-Review
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
December 15, 1998
LUBBOCK, Texas - Coming off a 1997 season which saw Texas Tech climb to the top of college baseball world, expectations were at a premium upon entering the new 1998 season. Any college baseball program in the country would have enjoyed Texas Tech's 1997 season. The Red Raiders earned the No. 1 ranking in the nation for several weeks, won the Big 12 Conference regular season title and hosted their second straight NCAA Regional. And the Red Raiders accomplished all of this with just one returning starter. Matching up to the accomplishments of the 1997 team would be no small chore.
But head coach Larry Hays' squad came close in 1998. They completed their sixth consecutive 40+ win season with a 44-20 record. They won the Big 12 Tournament championship and an automatic NCAA regional berth in Oklahoma City with only seven pitchers on staff. And they earned their fourth straight NCAA Regional berth while being ranked among the nation's top-25 teams all year long. With all that success, Texas Tech's baseball program reestablished itself as a national collegiate baseball power.
Upon entering the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., no one gave No. 3 seed Texas Tech much of a chance at winning. The Raiders, facing a possible five games, entered the tourney with only seven pitchers on staff. Nevertheless, Texas Tech used its pitching to the maximum and its offense heated up at the right time to won four of five games, including a 14-7 championship win against Texas A&M to claim the 1998 Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship.
Pitcher Shane Wright earned consensus All America honors including Collegiate Baseball First Team and NCBWA First Team All America honors while leading the Red Raiders on the mound. The junior righthander finished the season with a 14-1 record, a 2.71 earned run average along with nation leading marks in complete games (13) and innings pitched (152.2). In addition, Wright pitched complete games in his last eight starts, an incredible and necessary feat considering the Raiders had only seven pitchers.
Catcher Josh Bard built upon his 1997 Freshman All America campaign with a huge 1998 season. The sophomore batted .383 with 101 hits, 17 home runs and 71 RBI while earning three All America honors including First Team All America by the NCBWA.. Bard sparked Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference Tournament as the junior earned Most Valuable Player honors while leading Tech to the conference title in five games.
Leadoff hitter, 1997 consensus All America second baseman Keith Ginter concluded his outstanding Texas Tech career by being selected an All America by two agencies. The senior batted .371 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI along with a phenomenal .533 on-base percentage. He also shattered the Texas Tech and Big 12 Conference single season record for bases-on-balls.
Other Red Raiders stepped up with key seasons. Outfielder Jason Landreth provided leadership and came up with clutch hits when the Red Raiders needed them most. Landreth hit .343 with 11 home runs and led the team with 28 steals. Infielder Kevin Jordan displayed awesome power as he had two three-home runs games and finished the season with a .354 average, 17 home runs and a team leading 84 RBI. Centerfielder Ryan Ruiz led the Raiders with a .388 batting average and entertained fans with his all-out defensive play. Junior pitcher Monty Ward set virtually every Texas Tech strikeout record including single game (18 vs. Lindenwood), single season (151 Ks in 108.1 IP) and career strikeouts. Ward was 6-4 on the season with a 4.65 ERA. Designated hitter Brennan Burns transferred in from UCLA and immediately turned heads with his emotional play while completing a solid year that included a .354 average and 23 doubles. Reliever Brad Ralston, Texas Tech's career save leader, battled back from a shoulder injury which sidelined him for a month and a half of the season to save five games including a crucial victory against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament.
Texas Tech's season came to a conclusion in Miami, Fla. at the Atlantic I Regional. Behind a complete game from Wright, Texas Tech defeated North Carolina in first round action, 6-2. Game two against South Carolina was a heartbreaker as Tech built an 8-2 lead in the eighth inning, only to have the Gamecocks battle back to win 9-8. Miami ended Tech's season by handing the Raiders a 13-0 defeat.
"This team had a great year," Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays said. "We've overcome a tremendous amount of injuries. I'm proud of this team. They were an overachieving team, I thought, that went a lot farther than anyone guessed."
QUOTING PLAYERS
"This team is a very close knit group. We played well together and we don't have one guy carrying us. We have a bunch of guys stepping up and doing what it takes to win. The best team doesn't always win, the most talented team doesn't always win. It's the team that plays the best together."
-1998 senior Jason Landreth after winning the Big 12 Tournament title
"I feel so blessed to be a part of this team. It has been a tough year for all of us. We've had our inconsistencies but we put it all together. It feels so good to win the championship for our players who put their hearts into it all year."
-1998 sophomore Josh Bard after winning the Big 12 Tournament title
"We felt we had a good team to win the Big 12 Conference regular season and we didn't. We came up a little short. But we had a good surge at the end and coming into the tournament we felt we had a good chance to win it. Going out with a ring for the second year in a row is a great feeling."
-1998 senior Keith Ginter after winning the Big 12 Tournament title
"I've said one thing about this team all year long and that is that we will battle. We learned how to do that throughout the season. These guys have made the commitment. And since we've had that attitude, I don't know if we've been a good team, but we've been a competitive team."
-Head coach Larry Hays on the 1998 team
1998 HONORS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
1998 TEAM HONORS
Finished season with 44-20 record
Won Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Earned fourth straight NCAA Regional berth
Earned ring for second straight season
Ranked among nation's top-25 all season long
Texas Tech's sixth consecutive 40+ win season
Texas Tech ranked third in nation in overall average attendance
Texas Tech ranked first in nation in overall average attendance increase
3,600 season tickets sold
1998 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
ALL AMERICA HONORS
#149; TPX/Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball
First Team- Shane Wright-RHP
Third Team- Josh Bard-C, Keith Ginter-2B
#149; American Baseball Coaches' Association/Rawlings
First Team- Shane Wright-RHP, Josh Bard-C
Third Team- Keith Ginter-2B
#149; Collegiate Baseball Freshman All America
Honorable Mention- Brennan Burns-INF
#149; National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
First Team- Shane Wright-RHP, Josh Bard-C
Second Team- Keith Ginter-2B
#149; Baseball America All America
Third Team- Shane Wright-RHP, Josh Bard-C
#149; The Sporting News
Second Team- Shane Wright-RHP
#149; USA Baseball Weekly
Second Team- Shane Wright-RHP
#149; Golden Spikes Award
Nominees- Shane Wright-RHP, Josh Bard-C, 2 of 46 nominees
#149; Smith Super Team and NCBWA "Player of the Year" nominees
Nominees: Josh Bard-C, Keith Ginter-UT, Kevin Jordan-3B, Shane Wright-RHP
#149; Rotary Smith Award (National Player of the Year)
Nominees: Keith Ginter-UT, Monty Ward-RHP, 2 of 142 nominees
#149; Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week
Monty Ward-RHP (week of March 16, 1998)
#149; USA Baseball Invitees
Josh Bard-C, Shane Wright-RHP, Miles Durham-OF
#149; USA Baseball players
Josh Bard-C, Shane Wright-RHP
ALL REGION/DISTRICT HONORS
#149; ABCA/Rawlings All Midwest Region
First Team- Shane Wright-RHP, Josh Bard-C, Keith Ginter-2B
#149; GTE Academic All District 6
First Team: Brandon Buckley-C
Nominee: Monty Ward-RHP
ALL CONFERENCE HONORS
#149; All Big 12 Conference (coaches' vote)
First Team: Josh Bard-C, Keith Ginter-2B, Shane Wright-RHP
Second Team: Kevin Jordan-INF, Jason Huth-SS, OF- Ryan Ruiz-OF
Honorable Mention: Monty Ward-RHP
#149; Big 12 Tournament MVP:
Josh Bard-C
#149; All Big 12 Tournament Team
Josh Bard-C, Keith Ginter-2B, Jason Landreth-OF, DH Brennan Burns-DH, Shane Wright-RHP
#149; Dallas Morning News All Big 12
First Team: Keith Ginter-2B, Josh Bard-C, Shane Wright-RHP
Second Team: Ryan Ruiz-OF
#149; Austin American Statesman All Big 12
First Team: Josh Bard-C, Keith Ginter-2B, Shane Wright-RHP
Second Team: Monty Ward-RHP
#149; Big 12 Conference Player/Pitcher of the Week
Shane Wright-RHP (for week of March 23, 1998)
Josh Bard-C (for week of Feb. 16, 1998)
Josh Bard-C (for week of April 20, 1998)
#149; All Big 12 Academic
First Team: Brandon Buckley-C, Brad Ralston-RHP, Monty Ward-RHP
1998 TEXAS TECH PLAYERS DRAFTED BY MLB
Monty Ward, Kansas City Royals, No. 107, 4th Round
Keith Ginter, Houston Astros, No. 302, 10th Round
Kevin Jordan, Houston Astros, No. 332, 11th Round
Duane Price, Cincinnati Reds, No. 590, 20th Round
Eric Cooper, Cincinnati Reds, No. 710, 24th Round
Brandon Buckley, Houston Astros, No. 872, 29th Round
Junior Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Jesse Cornejo, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Hudson Valley Renegades
Steve Watkins, San Diego Padres, No. 472, 16th Round
Jason Landreth, Lubbock Crickets
TEXAS TECH IN THE 1998 NATIONAL RANKINGS
Shane Wright, 1st in innings pitched (152.2)
Shane Wright, 1st in complete games (13)
Shane Wright, 2nd in victories (14-1)
Monty Ward, 3rd in strikeouts (12.5 per 9IP)
Keith Ginter, 3rd in bases-on-balls (1.22 pg)
Keith Ginter, 9th in runs scored (1.52 pg)
Brennan Burns, 17th in toughest to strikeout (1:19.2)
Brennan Burns, 18th in doubles (0.47 pg)
Shane Wright, 23rd in ERA (2.71)
Texas Tech, 8th in doubles (2.69 pg)
Texas Tech, 11th in batting average (.344)
Texas Tech, 14th in stolen bases (2.26 pg)
Texas Tech, 19th in slugging pct. (.565)
Texas Tech, 27th in triples (0.42 pg)
Texas Tech, 32nd in won-loss pct. (.686)
Texas Tech, 37th in scoring (9.11 pg)
1998 NATIONAL RECORDS BROKEN/TIED
Texas Tech, game doubles (12 vs. Valley City State), ranks No. 3 all-time
1998 BIG 12 RECORDS BROKEN/TIED
Keith Ginter, season bases-on-balls (78)
Josh Bard, game total bases (15 vs. Kansas)
Texas Tech, game doubles (12 vs. Valley City State)
Texas Tech, inning home runs (4 vs. Sul Ross State)
1998 SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN/TIED
Shane Wright, season complete games (13)
Shane Wright, season victories (14)
Shane Wright, career complete games (17)
Shane Wright, season innings (152.2)
Keith Ginter, game hits (6 vs. Kansas)
Keith Ginter, season bases-on-balls (78)
Monty Ward, game strikeouts (18 vs. Lindenwood)
Monty Ward, season strikeouts (151)
Monty Ward, career strikeouts (356)
Monty Ward, career K's per 9IP (11.85)
Keith Ginter/Josh Bard, game doubles (3)
Miles Durham, game stolen bases (4 vs. NM Highlands)
Kevin Jordan, season hit by pitch (11)
Texas Tech, game doubles (12 vs. Valley City State)
Texas Tech, 33-game winning streak vs. non-Division I opponents
TEXAS TECH IN THE 1998 NATIONAL POLLS
Week CB BA USA 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 Week 6 (3/9) 27th 22nd 23rd 23rd Week 7 (3/16) 26th 23rd 21st NR Week 8 (3/23) NR 22nd 24th NR Week 9 (3/30) 26th 20th 22nd 23rd Week 10 (4/6) 28th 20th 19th 20th Week 11 (4/13) 28th 21st 19th 19th Week 12 (4/20) 25th 21st 21st 21st Week 13 (4/27) 22nd 21st 21st 22nd Week 14 (5/4) 27th 22nd 22nd 23rd Week 15 (5/11) 27th 21st 19th 23rd Week 16 (5/18) 25th 17th 15th 18th Week 17 (5/23) 29th 25th N/A 24thKey: CB-Collegiate Baseball
BA-Baseball America
USA-USA Baseball Weekly
TSN-The Sporting News
