Texas Tech University Athletics
Baseball Heads To Kansas For Three-Game Series
April 20, 2000 | Baseball
April 20, 2000
Texas Tech (25-18, 13-8) at Kansas (21-21, 7-14)
Friday, April 21 - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 22 - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 23 - 1:00 p.m.
Hoglund Ballpark - Lawrence, Kansas
A QUICK LOOK AT TEXAS TECH
The Texas Tech Red Raiders travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the Jayhawks in a three-game Big 12 series. Tech has won nine of their last 12 games and 13 of the last 15 at home. Last weekend, the Red Raiders won two of three games against Texas. After dropping the first game, 3-1, on Friday night, the Red Raiders won games two and three, 11-9 and 6-4. Texas Tech left the bases loaded on Friday night in the ninth inning. Tech defeated Southwest Texas State 19-4 on Tuesday at Dan Law Field.
The Red Raiders lead the Big 12 in runs (359), hits (448), doubles (99), runs batted in (310), walks (240) and sacrifice flys (30). Over the last nine games, the Tech pitching staff has posted a 3.94 ERA (35 ER/80.0 IP) and have walked just 22 batters (2.5 BB per 9.0 IP).
Texas Tech will return home for the final homestand of the season starting next Tuesday. The Red Raiders host Wayland Baptist on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Oklahoma Sooners will be in Lubbock next weekend for a three-game set and the final two home games of the year will be May 2-3 against UT-San Antonio.
AT THE PLATE
Through 43 games, the Red Raiders have outscored opponents 378-288 ? Tech is averaging 8.8 runs and 10.7 hits per game ? they have reached the double-figure mark in runs 18 times this season, but just three times in the last 14 games ? as a team, Texas Tech is hitting .307 with 100 doubles, 15 triples, 41 home runs and 328 RBI ? the team batting average is at the lowest point of the season ? Tech hitters have walked 253 times (5.9 BB per game) while opponents have walked 147 times ? with runners in scoring position, they are hitting .323 (169-523) and are averaging 8.5 runners left on base per game (364 in 43 games) ? when runners are on base, the team is batting .331 (267-806) and when the bases are empty the average drops to .278 (192-690) ? with the bases loaded, Tech is 31-78 (.397) ? the Red Raiders are hitting .309 (87-282) against lefties while going 372-1,214 (.306) against right-handers ? Tech pinch hitters are 18-45 (.400) ? the lineup has notched 31 sacrifice flys in 2000 ? the 1988 team set the school record with 34 ? Texas Tech has hit five grand slams and 10 Red Raiders have at least two home runs ? in the Texas series: hit .257 (26-101) in the three games ? defensively, committed just two errors in 123 chances (.984 FLD%) and turned four double plays ? was outhit 32-26, but outscored the Longhorns 18-16 ? left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth in Friday night's 3-1 loss ? Jason Rainey's two-homer game was the second multi-homer game this season (Eiguren, 3 HR, 2/22 at New Mexico) ? Landry and Rainey's back-to-back home runs were the third time this season (Eiguren-Rainey, 2/22 and Eiguren-Holzhauer, 2/8).
ON THE MOUND
The Tech pitching staff owns a 6.01 ERA (249 ER/372.2 IP) in 43 games this year ? in Big 12 games, the staff holds a 1.3:1 (109 SO/84 BB) strikeout-to-walk ratio while in non-conference games, the rate is 2.2:1 (140 SO/63 BB) ? Red Raider pitchers are averaging 6.0 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (249 SO/372.2 IP) and own a 1.7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (249 SO/147 BB) ? starting pitchers have walked 83 batters in 222.2 IP (3.4 BB per 9.0 IP) and the bullpen is averaging 6.5 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (108 SO/150.0 IP) ? opponents are hitting .311 (472-1,516) with 35 home runs, 17 triples and 99 doubles ? right-handers are hitting .324 (320-989) while lefties are batting .288 (152-527 ? Tech pitchers have hit at least one batter in 29 games this year and at one point, hit a batter in 10 straight games (2/18-3/4) ? the Red Raiders are 17-12 in those 29 games ? have not thrown a wild pitch in 11 games and Tech is 8-3 over that span ? in the Texas series: used just five pitchers ? posted a 4.67 ERA (14 ER/27.0 IP) on 32 hits ? ? struck out nine and walked nine ? Kevin Tracey earned his fifth save and fifth win in the series ? saved a game and tossed a complete game win for the second straight weekend.
A TALE OF TWO TEAMS
At the friendly confines of Dan Law Field, Texas Tech posts a record of 20-6, but on the road the Red Raiders are 5-12 ? however, Tech's fielding percentage on the road is .972 (17 E/606 TC) compared to a .966 mark (36 E/1046 TC) at home ? in Lubbock, the pitching staff is averaging 6.4 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (166 SO/233.0 IP) ? away from home, the staff averages 5.3 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (83 SO/139.2 IP) ? designated hitter Chaz Eiguren is hitting .412 (42-102) at Dan Law Field, but is 21-67 (.313) on the road ? Marco Cunningham owns a .362 (38-105) average at Dan Law Field compared to a .190 (12-63) mark on the road ? pitcher J.J. Newman's ERA at home is 5.03 (27 ER/48.1 IP) and on the road it is 9.00 (15 ER/15.0 IP).
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays became the ninth coach in NCAA Division I history to tally 1,200 career wins on Feb. 2 with a 14-3 victory over West Texas A&M. In his 30th season, Hays is one of only four active NCAA Division I skippers to reach the 1,200-victory plateau. Against Kansas State, Coach Hays moved into eighth place among all-time coaches in career victories ahead of Al Olgetree.
Coach Hays is Texas Tech's all-time winningest coach. He has led the Red Raiders to three conference championships and posted winning seasons in 12 of his 13 years. The Red Raiders have put together a streak of seven straight 40-plus win seasons and five NCAA Regional appearances under Hays. In 1998, he guided Tech to the Big 12 Tournament Championship with just seven pitchers.
He was named 1997 Big 12 Coach of the Year after the Red Raiders won the conference title with a 23-7 Big 12 mark. Texas Tech also claimed the No. 1 ranking in collegiate baseball for several weeks, the first time a Red Raider sport was ranked No. 1 in school history. In the summer of 1997, he was an assistant coach for the USA National Team. In 1995, Texas Tech set a school record with 51 wins and advanced to the Midwest I NCAA Region championship game.
In 29 full seasons at the collegiate level, Coach Hays has led teams to 12 league titles and guided his 1983 Lubbock Christian University team to the NAIA national championship.
FOR THE RECORD
- Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays moved into eighth place among all-time winningest coaches with his 1,219th victory on 4/2 vs
- Kansas State ? he is also fourth in victories among active coaches ? ahead of Hays on both lists is Wichita State's Gene Stephenson at 1,250 victories ? Hays has 1,224 career wins.
- Mark Austry has moved into a tie for 11th on the career games played list with 154 ? he is tied with Jimmy Zachry (1980-84).
- Brennan Burns needs just one double to move into a tie for 17th place with 29.
- Marco Cunningham has moved into eighth place on the stolen base list with 50 in his career ? he needs three more to pass Mike Kinney (1992-93) and move into the seventh spot ? Cunningham is tied for 15th in doubles with 30 and is 16th with 115 runs.
- Miles Durham is tied for 16th all-time in stolen bases with 35.
- Chaz Eiguren's career batting average of .361 (95-263) puts him in 12th place all-time and his .639 (159 TB/249 AB) slugging percentage is ranked 11th.
- Brandon Roberson is fifth all-time with a 2.34 ERA and second all-time with 10 saves.
- Kevin Tracey moved into eighth place with his 10th complete game ? is also sixth with five career saves ? Tracey is tied for 15th with 53 walks and tied for 13th with 76 earned runs.
INJURY REPORT
Tech outfielder/first baseman Chad Landry will be out of the Kansas series after recovering from mid-week surgery. Landry had his appendix removed on Tuesday evening.
Shortstop Scott Holzhauer's eardrum was ruptured in practice on Wednesday after he was hit by a ball. The batted ball caught Holzhauer in the side of his head after it ricocheted off a screen during batting practice. He is listed as probable.
Outfielder Miles Durham will be out of the Kansas series with a pulled hamstring. He originally injured the leg on Feb. 15 at TCU and reinjured it at Texas A&M and Iowa State. He will be out at least two more weeks.
TEXAS TECH ON THE AIR
For the eighth consecutive season, the entire Texas Tech baseball schedule will be broadcasted live on the Red Raider Baseball Network. Voice of Texas Tech Baseball Sam Stephens will handle the play-by-play duties. Stephens has a 20-minute pregame show and interviews players and coaches following each game. Games will be carried on Texas Tech's hometown station, KXTQ-950 AM as well as Texas Tech's official website www.texastech.com.
COACH HAYS ON THE AIR
Coach Hays' morning radio show will run on Thursday mornings on KKAM-1340 AM. Coach Hays will talk with Tech basketball broadcaster Jack Dale from 8-9 a.m. starting March 16.
The 1998 season marked the debut of The Larry Hays' Show, coach Hays' weekly television show. In its third season, the show will air on Sunday nights through May 14. It will be broadcasted on ABC-affiliate KAMC at 11:00 p.m. and CBS-affilate KLBK at 11:30 p.m. Hays is one of just seven collegiate coaches to have a weekly television show.
ROBERSON AND ACKERMAN TO SIT OUT REMAINDER OF SEASON
Right-handed starting pitchers Brandon Roberson and Chaz Ackerman have decided to sit out the remainder of the 2000 season.
Roberson, Texas Tech's opening day starter, injured his right elbow in his first start of the season on February 2 against West Texas A&M. He was slated to be Texas Tech's number one starter after being named first team All-Big 12 and setting the single-season school save record last season.
Ackerman, a junior-college transfer from Connor J.C., has been diagnosed with a microfracture in his right elbow. He injured the arm in his third start on 2/13 vs. USC.
Texas Tech will appeal to the Big 12 Conference for a medical redshirt on both player's behalf. According to the NCAA, a student-athlete may be granted an additional year of competition for reasons of "hardship." Hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from an injury that has occurred under the following conditions: (1) The injury occurs prior to the completion of the first half of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship in that sport. (2) The injury occurs when the student-athlete has not participated in more than two contests or dates of competition or 20 percent of the institution's completed contests or dates of competition in his sport.
EIGUREN NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Texas Tech senior Chaz Eiguren was named Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week by a select panel of media covering Big 12 baseball for games played Feb. 21-27. The designated hitter blasted five home runs and 16 RBI in Tech's four games that week. He was 13-21 (.619) at the plate and owned a 1.381 slugging percentage with 29 bases in 21 official trips. Eiguren tied an NCAA record last Tuesday with two home runs in the same inning. Against New Mexico, he hit a two-run homer and a grand slam in the Red Raiders' 10-run fifth inning. In his next at bat, the Broomfield, Colorado native sent a solo shot over the right-center field wall. For the game, he went 4-6 with three home runs and seven RBI.
In three games against Missouri, Eiguren hit .600 (9-15) with two home runs, a double and nine RBI. In Friday night's extra-inning loss, he tied the game with at three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. His final home run of the week came in the first inning on Sunday when he hit a two-run homer to put Tech up 2-0. Eiguren tallied three hits in all three games as he went 3-6 on Friday with five RBI, 3-4 on Saturday and 3-5 with four RBI on Sunday. Eiguren is the first Texas Tech Big 12 Player of the Week since Jon Weber was honored for the week of Feb. 1 last year. Shane Wright and Kevin Tracey were named conference Pitchers of the Week on Feb. 22 and Mar. 8, respectively.
BIG 12 ON THE TUBE
On Feb. 29, Regional Sports Networks, LLC., announced the debut of the COLLEGE SPORTS Southwest network beginning April 1, 2000. The network will cater to the members of the Big 12 Conference and will be on Cox Cable affiliates throughout Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. It will provide coverage of more than 31 live conference baseball and softball games in addition to live and replay coverage of the 2000 Big 12 Phillips 66 baseball tournament from Oklahoma City.
The first live telecast was March 31 when Texas played at Oklahoma. Texas Tech will be featured April 21-23 when they play at Kansas.
In addition to the COLLEGE SPORTS package, FOX Sports Net will broadcast a number of Big 12 baseball games for the four consecutive season. Texas Tech opened the FOX Sports broadcast season on March 19 in Lubbock. The games will be a regional broadcast on FOX Sports Southwest, Midwest and Rocky Mountain. The Big 12 Tournament Championship game will be nationally broadcasted on May 12.
NEW ADDITIONS
Texas Tech baseball welcomes 17 new players and two new assistant coaches to the program this season. In July, Larry Hays hired Daren Hays and Britt Smith.
Daren Hays returns to Texas Tech after serving as the head coach at Lubbock Christian the past eight seasons. He spent the 1991 season as a Tech assistant where he was the hitting coach. While at LCU, Coach Hays compiled a 356-163 record and became the first LCU coach to win 300 games in just seven seasons. He will work with Red Raider outfielders and hitters.
Britt Smith also comes to Texas Tech from Lubbock Christian where he was the pitching coach last year. Prior to LCU, Smith played and coached at West Texas A&M. He played all nine positions for the Buffalos. Coach Smith has assisted three other former assistants of Larry Hays - Jimmy Shankle (former LCU head coach), Todd Howey (Tech grad and current West Texas A&M head coach) and Daren Hays. He will work with the Texas Tech pitching staff.
PRESEASON HONORS
RHP Brandon Roberson was named preseason third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. The senior right-hander was Texas Tech's opening day starter. Roberson was named first team All-Big 12 last year after setting the single season school save record (10) in 1999.
The Dallas Morning News picked the Red Raiders third in a preseason Big 12 poll and named outfielder Marco Cunningham and designated hitter Chaz Eiguren to the all-conference team.
Outfielder Miles Durham was cited by Baseball America as one of the top 100 in the college class of 2000. Durham was ranked 58th by the magazine's writers and major league scouting directors. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1997 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Red Raiders at Jayhawks
The Series
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 9-3. The two schools first played each other in the 1981 Pan American tournament. The Red Raiders have won the last four meetings and five of the last six.
| Overall | Tech leads 9-3 | |
| 1st meeting | 3/17/81 | |
| in Lubbock | Tech leads 5-1 | |
| in Lawrence | Tech leads 2-1 | |
| at a Neutral site | Tech leads 2-1 | |
| Last 5 meetings vs. KU | 4-1 | |
| Last Tech win | 13-5, 2/28/99 | |
| Last KU win | 4-1, 4/11/98 | |
| Biggest Tech win | 18-3, 4/10/98 | |
| Biggest Tech loss | 4-1, 4/11/98 |
A Quick Look at Kansas
The Kansas Jayhawks enter the weekend series at 21-21 overall and 7-14 in the Big 12. They are in ninth place in the race for the Big 12 tournament. Last weekend, the Jayhawks lost two of three games to Oklahoma in Lawrence.
Head coach Bobby Randall is in his fifth season at Kansas and owns a career record of 423-456-1. Prior to coaching the Jayhawks, Randall was the head coach at Iowa State from 1984-95. Assistant coach Mike Bard is a 1993 graduate of Texas Tech and brother of former Red Raider standout Josh Bard. Mike was an assistant at Tech from 1992-95.
As a team, Kansas is hitting .287 with 71 doubles, two triples and 22 home runs. The Jayhawks have swiped 76 bases in 95 attempts. They are lead at the plate by Ryan Klocksien with a .344 average, 11 doubles, four home runs and 34 RBI.
On the mound, the Jayhawk pitching staff owns a 4.97 ERA and has fanned 219 batters while walking 125 in 357.0 IP. Left-hander Pete Smart leads the staff with a 3.57 ERA and 6-7 record.
