2000 PREVIEW
January 11, 2000 | Baseball
Jan. 11, 2000
Texas Tech's baseball program has enjoyed a rise to prominence during the late 1990's. That success will continue into the next century as the program is now a staple among college baseball's superpowers. Texas Tech's success speaks for itself. During the 1990's the Red Raiders have exploded for seven consecutive 40+ win seasons, appeared in five straight NCAA Regionals, hosted three NCAA Regionals in Lubbock and enjoyed three conference championships. Texas Tech earned the first No. 1 ranking for any sport in school history, head coach Larry Hays surpassed the 1,000-career victory mark and numerous players have earned various national and All America honors. The program has also seen drastic improvements in its facility, a tremendous rise in game attendance and season ticket sales and an all-time high commitment level from the community.
"We've come a long way during the 1990's," Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays said. "In 1990 we were trying to get to the level that we've been at for the last few years. The level I'm talking about is a team that's capable of winning it all- winning a conference championship, winning a national championship. We've had those things happen to us in the past and hopefully this year's team fits right in."
With that success has come high expectations. Last year's Texas Tech squad was able to live up to their goals. Texas Tech finished its 1999 campaign with a 42-17 record, its fifth straight season of finishing within the top three in conference play and earned the right to host an NCAA Regional for the program's third season in the last four years. But the new century and 2000 season ushers in a new era in the Texas Tech baseball program. Gone is long-time pitching coach Frank Anderson who spent nine years with the Red Raiders. Gone are two consensus All Americans in Josh Bard and Shane Wright. Gone are also 10 letterwinners.
But those losses have opened up new opportunities. Hays replaced Anderson with assistant coaches Daren Hays (hitting) and pitching coach Britt Smith. Bard, Wright and Ralston have been replaced by catcher Trey Lunsford and several new pitchers. And the 10 letterwinners lost have been replaced by 21 hungry newcomers.
"Our goals are always the same every year," Hays said. "We want to win the league, the regional and then get past that. If things click, we have a chance to do all those things. Other teams in the past had the ability to win it all and this year's team is in the same situation. We can go as far as we want as long as we perform."
It will be difficult for Texas Tech to replace the All America battery of catcher Josh Bard and pitcher Shane Wright. In his three-year career, Bard hit .366, collected 73 doubles, 43 home runs and drove in 232 RBI while Wright concluded his brilliant career with a 34-7 overall record, 3.92 ERA, 281 strikeouts and only 53 bases-on-balls in 368.2 innings pitched. Wright also earned the unique distinction of being the only Red Raider hurler to ever win 10+ games in three consecutive seasons. Both were two-year All Americans.
Also departed is school save recordholder Brad Ralston who put together a 9-2 season with a 4.35 ERA last year as a starter, outfield defensive ace/No. 2 batter Ryan Ruiz (.375, 35 SB), No. 3 hitter/outfielder Jon Weber (.356, 13 HR, 84 RBI) and third baseman Jason Huth (.298).
Six starters and 16 lettermen return to give Hays and the Red Raiders every indication that the success will continue.
"We've got some good players back but we've got to find some impact guys and we need our old guys to step up," Hays said. "Each year the key is always who you have coming in and how your pitching is going to be. We have some good players coming and our pitching staff should be deep."
Pitching depth looks to be a Texas Tech strength. The pitching staff returns the likes of senior closer Brandon Roberson (3-4, 2.45 ERA, 10 saves) who will likely fill the No. 1 starter role, No. 2 starter senior Kevin Tracey (9-1, 3.52 ERA) and bullpen aces junior Clancy Fossum and sophomore Steve Rowe. Senior Chad Reynolds returns from two years of injuries and sophomore Daniel Cole returns to add depth. Add in several talented newcomers in righthanders Chaz Ackerman, Cory Metzler, Josh Jones, J.J. Newman, Greg Schwenn and Aaron Tims along with lefties Blake McGinley and Matt Harbin and Tech has a formidable staff.
"We've got more pitching depth and more arms," Hays said. "I don't know if that adds up to us pitching better because we lost a couple of warriors in Shane Wright and Brad Ralston. Not only were they great pitchers, they had that stability factor after having been through it several times. They were senior pitchers, knew how to pitch, how to battle and all those things. I don't know how you replace two guys like that but we have some good guys back."
"Brandon Roberson's been in the closing role, he's had to go out there with the game on the line and Kevin Tracey got some good starting experience last year- his numbers speak for themselves. And of course, Clancy Fossum and Steve Rowe who both got opportunities last year. We've got a lot more potential numbers-wise on the mound but we'll have to make up for the loss of Wright and Ralston. This year's staff is more like the 1994 club in that we had a ton of arms and a lot of depth. Time will tell if our guys can do it or not. Potentially, we're better off than we were last year- more arms in the pen, two lefthanders, a little more balance out there than we've been having. Now we need all that to come together to help us."
Offensively Texas Tech returns six lineup starters including outfielder/leadoff hitter Marco Cunningham (.355, 3 HR, 37 SB), infielders Scott Holzhauer (.314, 4 HR, 12 SB) and Lance Woodcock (.317, 5 HR, 13 SB), first baseman Mark Austry (.275, 16 RBI) and designated hitter Chaz Eiguren (.340, 7 HR, 24 RBI. Several other returnees have started in the past including outfielder Miles Durham (.276, 5 HR, 21 RBI), first baseman/third baseman David O'Keeffe (.310, 3 HR, 26 RBI) and utility player Brennan Burns (.286, 17 RBI).
"Every year I'm worried about the offense," Hays said. "You don't know who is going to be the guys to have a breakthrough year. We know what Mark Austry, David O'Keeffe, Marco Cunningham, Chaz Eiguren and Scott Holzhauer can do- they all had good numbers last year. With Trey Lunsford and Brennan Burns, we know what they're going to do offensively pretty well. Cunningham and Durham are going to be at the top of our order at 1 and 2. We lost Ryan Ruiz last year and he was an impact No. 2 hitter but I think we'll be pretty good there with Durham who's looked really good in the fall. Hopefully with maturity, Cunningham will be better than he was a year ago. It looks like Shaun Larkin could be our three hole guy and Chaz Eiguren is our best power hitter at the DH spot. We still have to work it all out."
POSTION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN
CATCHER - Texas Tech will look to replace three-year starter and All America catcher Josh Bard, who departed for a professional baseball career after his junior season. Filling Bard's shoes will be difficult considering the All American hit .353 with 13 home runs and 92 RBI during the 1999 season, but the Red Raiders have several players to do the job.
"Josh Bard was one of those special players," Hays said. "We knew Josh was going to leave and we've always felt good about Trey Lunsford. Brennan Burns is going to be backing him up. It's not a new position for him, he's caught all the way through his career off and on."
Junior Trey Lunsford will take over the starting catching duties. A standout defensive catcher with a rocket arm and ability to lead a pitching staff, Lunsford played in 18 games as Bard's backup last year. On the season he made 37 putouts and six assists. As a freshman Lunsford led Grayson J.C. to the Junior College World Series and a 47-19 record. He has been drafted two times.
Serving as Lunsford's backup will be junior Brennan Burns. Burns, who redshirted as a catcher at UCLA before transferring to Texas Tech, adds pop and clutch performances. A crowd favorite at Dan Law Field for the last two seasons, Burns earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All America honorable mention honors as a freshman after hitting .354 with 23 doubles and two home runs. Burns has also played first base, third base and batted in the designated hitter role for the Red Raiders.
Transfer Daron Bertillion joins the Red Raiders after hitting .341 his freshman year at McLennan C.C. in Waco, Texas.
FIRST BASE - For the last several seasons first base has proved to be one of Texas Tech's deepest positions and 2000 will be no exception. Two platooning starters return in seniors Mark Austry and David O'Keeffe. Austry, a lefthanded batter started against righthanded pitchers while O'Keeffe played against lefties. The duo combined for .291 hitting (72-247) along with 52 runs, 22 doubles, four home runs and 42 RBI.
Austry had an outstanding fall for the Red Raiders. He hit .275 with 13 doubles last year in 49 games and is a career .300 hitter and experienced defensive player. Look for Austry to have a breakout season in his final year at Texas Tech.
O'Keeffe is a versatile player who can play in a variety of positions including third base. A former junior college All America, O'Keeffe finished the 1999 campaign with a .310 average, nine doubles and 26 RBI. O'Keeffe has the ability to produce even more with the new season.
Junior Chad Landry (Nederland, Texas) will also action at first base after hitting 20 home runs and batting .380 at Seminole State J.C. last year. Senior Chaz Eiguren, listed as Texas Tech's starting designated hitter, can also step in at first base if needed.
SECOND BASE - Senior Scott Holzhauer returns to the Red Raiders as the returning starter at second base. Last year Holzhauer started 50 games and hit .314 with four home runs and 31 RBI. In addition, Holzhauer was selected as a Collegiate Baseball/Redline national defensive player of the year runner-up and earned All Regional honors. He also provided outstanding defense at second as the Long Beach, Calif. native commited only three errors and concluded the 1999 season with a .987 fielding percentage- second among Texas Tech second basemen in the 1990's.
Holzhauer will probably see action at third base this season because of his versatility.
Junior transfer Shaun Larkin arrives at Texas Tech after earning 1999 All America junior college honors. The junior from Cypress College, the same junior college 1997-98 Texas Tech All America second baseman Keith Ginter played, earned Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year honors after hitting .399, nine home runs and driving in 49 RBI.
Backing up Larkin and Holzhauer will be TCU transfer Eric McLamore and redshirt freshman David Garza (Mount Pleasant, Texas).
SHORTSTOP - Senior Lance Woodcock returns to the Red Raiders for his final season. An ace defender last year, Woodcock thrilled Texas Tech fans in 1999 with his ability to make outstanding plays. Woodcock finished off last season with a .960 fielding percentage and only 10 errors in 253 total chances. That mark was the best fielding percentage for a shortstop during the 1990's at Texas Tech and earned him a spot on the Collegiate Baseball/Redline national defensive player of the year runner-up honors. The Shingle Springs, Calif. native also contributed .317 hitting, 10 doubles, five home runs, 39 RBI (third on team) and 13 stolen bases on offense. He also provides outstanding athleticism to the position.
Senior TCU transfer Eric McLamore who started 50 games at middle infield for the Horned Frogs will be Woodcock's backup.
THIRD BASE - Texas Tech will look to replace two-year starter and 1999 senior Jason Huth. Last year's starting second baseman Scott Holzhauer is the leading candidate to replace Huth along with TCU senior transfer Eric McLamore. Holzhauer makes the move to third base after finishing the 1999 campaign with a .987 fielding percentage.
McLamore started 50 games last season in the middle infield at TCU. The senior also hit .302 with 13 doubles, five home runs and drove in 39 RBI in 55 games played. The transfer also adds a dimension of speed as he led the Horned Frogs in stolen bases with 17.
Backing up Holzhauer and McLamore at third base will be senior David O'Keeffe, freshman Dusty Buck (Lubbock, Texas/Monterey) and junior backup catcher Brennan Burns. O'Keeffe and Burns started a combined 10 games at third base last year in place of Huth.
"We still don't have third worked out but the people we can put over there are Holzhauer and McLamore and they're probably the two key guys," Hays said.
OUTFIELD - Even though Texas Tech lost hard-nosed 1999 senior Ryan Ruiz, the Red Raiders return a pair of proven outfielders with a combination of speed and power in senior Marco Cunningham and junior Miles Durham.
Cunningham returns for his second season at Texas Tech after hitting .355 with 72 runs scored, 83 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 34 RBI as the Red Raider's leadoff hitter. As Texas Tech's starting centerfielder in '99, Cunningham also led the Big 12 Conference in stolen bases with 37 in 45 attempts and ranked 22nd nationally in steals. The senior concluded the 1999 season with a spendid NCAA Regional as he was named to the All Regional team. Cunningham had a stellar summer as he was named the MVP of the NBC tournament and led his team, the Dallas Phillies to the national title. He will bat in Texas Tech's leadoff position and play in either center or left field.
Durham will likely take over as Texas Tech's centerfielder. Often described as college baseball's "fastest player," Durham provides outstanding defense and is able to cover large chunks of space in the outfield. Durham started as Texas Tech's rightfielder as a freshman and has career totals of .300 batting average, 10 home runs and 30 stolen bases . He will fill the No. 2 spot in the lineup behind Cunningham.
"Miles and Marco both had outstanding falls," Hays said. "They're two of the better outfielders in the league offensively because they can run the bases and steal."
Texas Tech will look to find a new rightfielder. Leading candidates for the position are junior transfer Grant Culver (Wichita, Kansas) and senior transfer Cory Sellars (Orange, Texas). Culver is a righthanded hitter who was selected a preseason junior college All America player prior to his 1999 season at Butler County Junior College. He hit .351 with eight home runs and 40 RBI as a sophomore. Sellars is a lefthanded batter out of Connors Junior College who was named All Region after hitting .375 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI in 1998.
Other players to watch in the outfield include senior Mark Austry and junior transfer Jason Rainey (Cooper, Texas/Paris J.C.).
DESIGNATED HITTER - After toying with several designated hitter options during the 1999 season, Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays turned to Chaz Eiguren. And Eiguren didn't disapoint. The first baseman added power to the lineup as the No. 4 hitter and concluded the season hitting .340 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 34 games and 25 games started. A six-foot-five Eiguren also displayed discipline at the plate as he drew 22 bases on balls. He also torched Big 12 pitching for a .442 average (23-52) with six home runs and 15 RBI in only 16 games played.
Several other players could get an opportunity to DH including clutch hitter Brennan Burns, David O'Keeffe, Mark Austry and pitcher Chaz Ackerman.
STARTING PITCHING - Texas Tech returns two of its top four pitchers from last year in 1999 closer Brandon Roberson and No. 2 starter Kevin Tracey. Roberson will take over from Wright as Texas Tech's No. 1 starter after being named to the All Big 12 First Team as a junior. Drafted in the 19th round by the Seattle Mariners in this summer's Major League Baseball draft, Roberson elected to return to Texas Tech for his senior season. Last year Roberson finished with a 3-4 record, led the Big 12 Conference with 10 saves and struck out 77 batters and walked only 29 in 69.2 innings pitched. His 2.45 earned run average ranked 13th nationally and led the Big 12 while his 10 saves ranked 15th nationally.
"It looks like we're throwing a lot of pressure on him putting him in the No. 1 role," Hays said. "But this can't be any tougher than the role he filled last year. We're looking at him being our Friday night guy. He's got the ingredients and hopefully he'll get off to a great start."
Tracey also had a stellar 1999 season. He went 9-1 record with a 3.52 ERA and struck out 54 batters in 87.0 innings pitched as Texas Tech's No. 2 starting pitcher. The senior started 16 games and had outstanding outings against San Diego State and Texas A&M.
The Red Raiders have a host of players who could fill the No. 3 and No. 4 starter roles including junior transfers Chaz Ackerman (Billings, Montana), Cory Metzler (Oklahoma City, Okla.) Blake McGinley (Bakersfield, Calif.), J.J. Newman (Idaho, Falls, Idaho) and sophomore Matt Harbin (Houston Baptist).
Ackerman, who draws comparison to Shane Wright, threw four shutouts and a no-hitter and was named All Region at Connors Junior College as both a freshman and sophomore. Metzler was named all region and all conference after completing an 7-2, 1.97 earned run average season for Hutchinson Junior College while Newman struck out 75 batters in 56.1 innings pitched with a 4-5 record and 3.85 ERA at Seward County Junior College last year.
The two lefties- Harbin and McGinley- both offer different looks. Harbin throws sidearmed and finished last season with a 13-2 record while McGinley was an all conference selection after completing an 8-4, 3.30 ERA season at Bakersfield J.C.
"We'll need all of those new pitchers to step up," Hays said. "Those five guys- Ackerman, Metzler, Harbin, Newman, McGinley- they all have the ability to help us."
THE BULLPEN - The challenge in the bullpen will be finding a short reliever to replace Roberson. But Texas Tech's 2000 relief staff will be deeper and more experienced than last year's squad. Returning are two proven righthanded relievers in junior Clancy Fossum and sophomore Steve Rowe. Fossum, a sidearmed throwing righty, finished his first season with a 4.50 ERA and 1-0 record. Rowe came through in several crucial situations for Texas Tech last year and finished with a 4-1 record, one save and a 6.98 ERA. Both will be looked upon to provide stability out of the pen for Texas Tech.
Sophomore Daniel Cole returns to the Red Raider bullpen after completing last year with a 3.50 ERA. Cole struck out 20 batters in 19.0 innings pitched last year.
The Red Raiders will also be looking for the emergence of two injured players from last year- senior Chad Reynolds and redshirt freshman Ben Long. Reynolds has not seen game action since 1996 and two surgeries ago but threw during fall practice and impressed. Long has battled injures since transferring from Tulane in 1999.
Texas Tech will also get much-needed help from seven newcomers including LSU transfer Josh Jones (Ben Wheeler, Texas), sophomore transfer/lefty Joseph Hudson (Houston, Texas/Florida Atlantic), freshmen Aaron Tims (Fort Worth, Texas/Eastern Hills), Greg Schwenn (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos), Dusty Buck (Lubbock, Texas/Monterey) and lefty Casey Morton (Lubbock, Texas/Monterey) and senior transfers Clyde Tedrick (Midland, Texas/Wayland Baptist) and Richard Simon (El Paso, Texas/Southwestern J.C.).
WHAT TEXAS TECH RETURNS IN 2000
PITCHING - 35.6% (21 of 59) of starts, 40.4% (17 of 42) of the wins, 47.0% (243.1 of 517.2) of innings pitched, 45.3% (197 of 435) of strikeouts, 91.2% (11 of 12) of saves
BATTING - 53.8% (359 of 667) of hits, 47.5% (29 of 61) of home runs, 45.0% (218 of 484) of RBI, 58.9% (73 of 124) of stolen bases
FIELDING - 59.8% (929 of 1553) of putouts, 64.9% (454 of 700) of assists, 39.7% (27 of 68) of errors, 60.8% (1411 of 2321) of total defense
PLAYERS - 66.7% (24 of 36) of last year's roster, 46.2% (6 of 13) of pitchers who pitched in '99, 55.5% (10 of 18) of hitters who batted in '99, 60.0% (6 of 10) of total starters (including DH), 55.5% (5 of 9) of field starters