Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech vs. Texas A&M Baseball Game Notes
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
March 10, 1999
LUBBOCK, Texas - No. 17 Texas Tech (16-5, 5-1 Big 12) will host No. 3 Texas A&M (6-0, 16-3) for a three-game Big 12 weekend series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sundays game will be broadcast by Fox Sports Southwest, the first baseball game this season to be televised.
Texas Tech will enter the weekend after winning 11 of its last 12 games. Prior to Fridays Missouri game, Texas Tech had won a season-high eight straight games.
This weekends matchup pits the two conference regular season champions from the first two Big 12 seasons- Texas Tech (1997) and Texas A&M (1998). Three of the first four Big 12 championships have been won by either Texas Tech or Texas A&M. Texas Tech won the 1997 Big 12 regular season title and the 1998 Big 12 to urnament title while Texas A&M won 1998s Big 12 regular season crown. Last year Texas A&M won two of three games against Texas Tech in the regular season series in College Station but the Raiders rallied to defeat the Aggies 14-7 in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.
The Red Raiders are likely to throw All America Shane Wright (4-1), Kevin Tracey and Brad Ralston (4-0). Texas A&M is likely to counter with All America Casey Fossum, Chance Caple and Chris Russ or Shane King.
TEXAS TECH-A&M CONNECTIONS
There are several connections concerning both baseball teams this weekend. The series is particularly significant for the Fossum family of Waco, Texas. The Fossums have two sons playing on both sides of the series- older brother Casey Fossum for Texas A&M and younger brother Clancy Fossum for Texas Tech. Texas Techs Clancy played for Texas A&M last season but transferred to Tech in the off-season. His brother Casey is an All America and No. 1 starting pitcher at Texas A&M. Texas Techs All America catcher Josh Bard and All America pitcher Shane Wright played with Casey Fossum on the USA National team this past summer. Tech head coach Larry Hays coached Casey Fossum on the 1997 summer team and Bard and Wright are roommates with Clancy Fossum.
RAIDERS WIN 11 OF LAST 12 GAMES
Fridays 7-0 loss at Missouri snapped an eight-game Texas Tech winning streak, Techs longest of the young season. But the Red Raiders have still won 11 of their last 12 games dating back to the 6-2 victory at SDSU.
RED RAIDERS TOUGH AT HOME
Texas Tech is a tough team to beat at Dan Law Field. Already Tech has amassed a perfect 10-0 record at "The Law" this season.
Upon entering this weekend, the Red Raiders are currently riding a 16-game home winning streak since last losing at home 15-1 to Oklahoma on April 24, 1998.
Texas Tech has had six straight .800+ seasons at Dan Law Field. That proves that Dan Law Field is one of the toughest venues to win at for an opponent. See Page 9 of the Texas Tech media guide for more information.
WOOLEY BREAKS HOME RUN STREAK
TCUs Shaun Wooleys home run to centerfield was the first home run against Texas Tech pitching in 11 games and 100 1/3 innings. The last team to hit a home run off Texas Tech was San Diego State on March 18.
TEXAS TECH HAS ERROR-FREE SERIES
Texas Tech went three games against Missouri without commiting an error. The last time Texas Tech completed that "error-free" task was against Baylor in 1997 on March 21-23.
HAYS COACHES IN 1,800TH CAREER BASEBALL GAME
Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays coached in his 1,800th career baseball game Tuesday, a 16-3 victory against New Mexico.
BARD MOVES TO 2ND IN DOUBLES
Josh Bard has moved into second place on the Texas Tech school career doubles list. Upon entering this weekend, Bard has 12 doubles on the season, giving him 57 doubles in his career. Clint Bryant (1993-96) holds the career record for doubles- 73 in his three-year career.
CUNNINGHAM REACHES 20 STEALS
Leadoff hitter Marco Cunningham has stolen 20 bases through 22 games. He is on pace to break the season record of 51 set by Matt Kastelic.
RAIDERS SNAP MISSOURI SHUTOUT-LESS STREAK
Texas Techs 13-0 shutout of Missouri Sunday, Tech ended a four-year period in which Missouri had not been shut out. That shutout snapped a Missouri four-year shutout since 1995 when Missouri was shut out 8-0 by Oklahoma.
KU SERIES ATTENDANCE RANKS HIGH
Due to outstanding weather and superb baseball, Texas Tech drew 11,736 fans for the three-game weekend series, ranking it sixth all-time on Texas Techs list of top three-game series attendance. Saturdays attendance of 4,321 ranked 13th on the all-time Texas Tech top attended games list.
JON WEBER NICKNAMED THE "RBI MONGER"
Jon Weber has already made his mark at Texas Tech. The junior transfer from Lakewood, Calif. drove in 20 runs in his first four games as a Red Raider and was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week along with Big 12 Player of the Week honors for his accomplishments. Following this past weekend, Weber ran his RBI total to 44 in 21 games. Weber, who bats in Texas Techs third spot- in front of junior catcher Josh Bard, has been nicknamed the "RBI Monger" by the catcher because he drives in all the baserunners before Bard can even approach the plate.
WRIGHT DOESNT LOSE OFTEN...Shane Wright loses game for first time since March
Texas Tech All America starter Shane Wright lost his first game against Missouri and his first since last seasons loss at Texas A&M on Feb. 27, 1998. Wright had a string of 17 straight games started without a loss.
TECH DEFEATS TCU 6-5...Roberson shuts down Horned Frogs for save
No. 17 Texas Tech used clutch pitching and a four-run inning as it held on to defeat TCU 6-5 Tuesday at Dan Law Field. The victory gives Texas Tech its 11th win in its last 12 games and improves the Red Raiders to 17-5 overall. TCU drops to 11-10.
Texas Tech jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and second innings. The Red Raiders used a Josh Bard RBI single to drive home Marco Cunningham for its run in the first and took advantage of a Jason Huth RBI double for its run in the second. TCU charged right back. A Mark Silva RBI groundout and two singles from Mike Hamilton and Eric McLamore gave TCU its first run in the third. The Horned Frogs tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the fourth inning when Shaun Wooley connected on a home run to straightaway centerfield. The shot was the first home run against Texas Tech pitching in 12 games and 105 1/3 innings since the San Diego contest.
Tech then took advantage with its four-run fifth inning. Jason Huth led off the inning with a single followed by a Marco Cunningham single. The duo advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on Ryan Ruiz two RBI single. Jon Weber followed Ruiz with a double to rightfield which advanced Ruiz to third. Ruiz scored on a throwing error and Weber was waived home when the ball rolled into the TCU dugout.
TCU battled back again with a run in the sixth on an Erick Macha RBI groundout. The Horned Frogs added two runs in the eighth on an RBI double from Wooley and an RBI groundout. Texas Tech reliever Brandon Roberson entered the game in the eighth with no outs and shut down the Horned Frogs, earning his fourth save on the season. Starter Cade Allison (2-0) earned his second victory on the season while TCU starter Chad Durham (0-1) took the loss.
Tech was led by Ruiz 3-5, two run, two RBI plate performance. Jason Huth also had a near-perfect day going 3-4 with an RBI and a run. Marco Cunningham went 2-5 with a run and Lance Woodcock added 2-4 hitting. Texas Tech will host No. 3 Texas A&M in Lubbock this weekend. Game times are set for 7 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
TEXAS TECH 6 TCU 5
TCU (11-10) 001 101 020 5 10 1
Texas Tech (17-5) 110 040 00x 6 13 1
TCU: Durham, Harris (5) and Wooley (7) and Wooten, Phillips and Rogers. TTU: Allison, Stewart (6), Rowe (6), Sampson (8) and Roberson (8) and Bard. WP: Allison 2-0. LP: Durham 0-1. Save: Roberson (4). Doubles: TCU- Wooley (4); TTU- Cunningham (9), Weber (9), Huth (2). Triples: None. Home Runs: TCU- Wooley (6). Time: 2:39. Att: 1627.
GAME NOTES: TCUs Shaun Wooleys fourth inning home run was the first HR against Texas Tech pitching in 105 1/3 innings and the first since the San Diego game. Lance Woodcock extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Texas Tech has won 11 of its last 12 games.
WRIGHT STRIKES OUT CAREER-HIGH 12 BATTERS AGAINST KANSAS
Shane Wright loves pitching against Kansas. Last year he struck out a career-high 11 batters against the Jayhawks and broke that career-high this season with 12 strikeouts Friday evening. He also pitched his 10th complete game in his last 13 starts against KU.
WRIGHT BREAKS TEXAS TECH SCHOOL RECORD FOR CAREER VICTORIES
Senior pitcher Shane Wright (Topeka, Kansas) broke the Texas Tech school career record for victories with his win against TCU on Tuesday, Feb. 9. His victory, along with a 9.0 inning complete game win against UCLA, gave him a 27-3 overall career record.
Wright surpassed Matt Millers old record of 25 career wins set from 1994-96.
BURNS HITS HOMER AGAINST UCLA
Brennan Burns home run against UCLA snapped a 158 at-bat and 174 plate appearance streak without a home run. But Burns shot meant that much more to the sophomore from Orange, Calif. It came against UCLA, the school Burns played at during the 1997 season. Burns was a redshirt freshman for the Bruins that season before transferring to Texas Tech. He knew several of the Bruin players along with head coach Gary Adams. Burns has nothing but respect for the UCLA coaching staff and players and says that he wouldnt ge at Texas Tech if it werent for his one year at UCLA. Burns hit only two home runs last year as a freshman last year.
WEBER SETS BIG 12 SERIES RBI MARK...Weber finishes weekend with 20 RBI in four games!
Junior outfielder Jon Weber set a Big 12 Conference RBI record for a series against Howard when he drove in 20 RBI in the four-game series.
RAIDERS TIE SCHOOL WALKS RECORD
Texas Tech ties school game bases-on-balls record with 17 walks on Saturday vs. Howard
Howard pitching yielded 17 bases-on-balls Saturday in Texas Techs 16-5 victory against the Bison. The 17 walks ties the Texas Tech school record of 17 walks also set on Feb. 14, 1995 vs. West Texas A&M and on March 23, 1996 vs. Baylor.
HONORS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS
HONORS EARNED
Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week
Jon Weber (week of February 1)
Big 12 Baseball Player/Pitcher of the Week
Jon Weber (week of February 1)
Shane Wright (week of February 22)
Collegiate Baseball Preaseason All America
Shane Wright (First Team), Josh Bard (Second Team)
Baseball America Preseason All America
Josh Bard (Second Team)
Baseball America Preseason All Big 12
Josh Bard, Shane Wright, Miles Durham, Brennan Burns
Collegiate Baseball Preseason "Players to Watch"
Shane Wright, Josh Bard, Brad Ralston, Ryan Ruiz
Baseball America Preseason Top Prospects (1999)
Josh Bard
Baseball America Preseason Top Prospects (2000)
Miles Durham
Baseball America Best Big 12 Tools
Best Pure Hitter- Josh Bard; Fastest Runner- Chris Sampson; Catcher/Best Arm- Josh Bard; Best Control- Shane Wright
SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN
Shane Wright- career victories
Shane Wright- career complete games
Texas Tech, game bases-on balls vs. Howard, 2/6/99 (17)
BIG 12 RECORDS BROKEN
Jon Weber- Big 12 RBI (series), 20 vs. Howard (4 games)
Texas Tech, game bases-on-balls vs. Howard, 2/6/99 (17)
TEXAS TECH IN THE 1999 POLLS
Week CB BA BW TSN
Preseason 13 19 20 N/A
Feb. 8 13 19 N/A N/A
Feb. 15 13 22 17 N/A
Feb. 22 17 23 19 N/A
March 2 18 18 13 N/A
March 8 21 18 17 N/A
