Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Close Regular Season On The Road
May 11, 2000 | Baseball
May 11, 2000
Texas Tech (32-20, 17-10) at
Oklahoma State (34-19, 12-12)
Friday, May 12 - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 13 - 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 14 - 2:00 p.m.
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium - Stillwater, Oklahoma
A QUICK LOOK AT TEXAS TECH
The Texas Tech Red Raiders wrap up the regular season schedule on the road at Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders, currently ranked No. 30 by Collegiate Baseball, have not played since May 3. Tech has won 10 of the last 12 games and 18 of the final 21 at home. Since losing a season-high five straight from 3/11-14, the Red Raiders have won 19 of 26 games. During that span, Tech has lost back-to-back games just one time.
Texas Tech won the final two home games on May 2-3 against UT-San Antonio. The Red Raiders won the first game 8-6 on Tuesday night before winning 15-12 on Wednesday afternoon. Tech hit a season-high (second time) four home runs in the first game and Kevin Tracey notched his sixth and seventh saves of the season out of the bullpen.
The Red Raiders won two of three games against Oklahoma in Lubbock on April 28-30. Texas Tech lost the series opener on Friday night 7-4, but came back to win the final two games, 8-7 and 15-14. Both of the wins came in extra innings as Tech won in 12 innings on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. In Sunday's game, Texas Tech erased a 12-2 deficit and won on David O'Keeffe's single that scored David Garza in the bottom of the 12th.
The Red Raiders posted a 13-4 record in April after going 9-8 in February and 8-8 in March. The Tech pitching staff has been the key, lowering their ERA each month. In February, the staff's ERA was 7.01 (116 ER/149.0 IP) followed by a 5.99 (91 ER/136.2 IP) mark in March. In April's 17 games, the ERA was 4.94 (84 ER/153.0 IP). In addition to the lowered ERA, Tech pitchers walked 38 batters in April (2.2 per 9.0 IP).
Texas Tech will make their fourth straight appearance in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Tournament next week. The tournament starts on Wednesday, May 17 and the winner will recieve the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
WHAT'S THE SCENARIO...
With one weekend left in conference play, Texas Tech has a chance to move up two spots from their current fifth-place position. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech could chage positions by the end of the weekend. The Longhorns, at 19-10 in fourth place, have finished their portion of the Big 12 schedule and host Sam Houston State in Austin. Oklahoma travels to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State in a three-game set.
For the Red Raiders to move up in the standings, Tech will have to sweep the three-game series in Stillwater. The best scenario for Texas Tech is a sweep at Oklahoma State and at least one loss by Oklahoma at Iowa State.
If this happens, the Red Raiders will move into third place. If Oklahoma and Texas Tech sweep their series, the Sooners will be third, Red Raiders will finish in fourth place and Texas will drop to fifth.
AT THE PLATE
Through 52 games, the Red Raiders have outscored opponents 456-349 ... Tech is averaging 8.8 runs and 10.9 hits per game ... they have reached the double-figure mark in runs 21 times this season, but just six times in the last 23 games ... as a team, Texas Tech is hitting .311 with 119 doubles, 21 triples, 54 home runs and 402 RBI ... Tech hitters have walked 299 times (5.8 BB per game) while opponents have walked 163 times ... with runners in scoring position, they are hitting .331 (211-637) and are averaging 8.7 runners left on base per game (451 in 52 games) ... when runners are on base, the team is batting .335 (331-989) and when the bases are empty the average drops to .282 (237-840) ... with the bases loaded, Tech is 31-86 (.360) ... the Red Raiders are hitting .314 (122-389) against lefties and .310 (446-1,440) against right-handers ... Tech pinch hitters are 18-49 (.367) ... the lineup broke the single-season school record with their 35th sacrifice fly on 4/25 vs. Wayland Baptist ... the record had stood since 1988 ... the Red Raiders have 37 sacrifice flys in 2000 ... the club also broke the hit by pitch record by being plunked 56 times this year ... Texas Tech has hit five grand slams and 10 Red Raiders have at least two home runs ... in the Oklahoma series: hit .325 (39-120) in the three games ... was outhit 51-39 and outscored 28-27, but won two of three games ... left 34 men on base ... walked 20 times compared to nine for Oklahoma ... successful in five of six stolen base attempts.
ON THE MOUND
The Tech pitching staff owns a 5.99 ERA (304 ER/456.2 IP) in 52 games this year ... Tech pitchers have walked just 18 batters over the last 102.0 IP (11 games) ... an average of 1.6 per 9.0 IP ... in Big 12 games, the staff holds a 1.5:1 (140 SO/95 BB) strikeout-to-walk ratio while in non-conference games, the rate is 2.3:1 (156 SO/68 BB) ... Red Raider pitchers are averaging 5.8 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (296 SO/456.2 IP) and own a 1.8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (296 SO/163 BB) ... starting pitchers have walked 90 batters in 268.1 IP (3.0 BB per 9.0 IP) and the bullpen is averaging 6.4 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (134 SO/188.1 IP) ... opponents are hitting .316 (590-1,870) with 129 doubles, 20 triples and 38 home runs ... right-handers are hitting .333 (405-1,218) while lefties are batting .284 (185-652) ... Tech pitchers have hit at least one batter in 33 games this year and at one point, hit a batter in 10 straight games (2/18-3/4) ... the Red Raiders are 19-14 in those 33 games ... in the Oklahoma series: used six pitchers ... posted a 8.13 ERA (28 ER/31.0 IP) on 51 hits ... allowed 21 extra-base hits, including 17 doubles ... the Sooners batted .375 (51-136) ... Kevin Tracey earned a pair of wins coming out of the bullpen on Saturday and Sunday.
A TALE OF TWO TEAMS
At the friendly confines of Dan Law Field, Texas Tech posts a record of 25-7, but on the road the Red Raiders are 7-13 ... however, Tech's fielding percentage on the road is .975 (18 E/723 TC) compared to a .964 mark (47 E/1,312 TC) at home ... in Lubbock, the pitching staff is averaging 6.0 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (195 SO/291.0 IP) ... away from home, the staff averages 5.5 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (101 SO/165.2 IP) ... designated hitter Chaz Eiguren is hitting .421 (53-126) with 51 RBI at Dan Law Field and is 26-80 (.325) on the road ... Marco Cunningham owns a .344 (44-128) average at Dan Law Field compared to a .253 (19-75) mark on the road ... opponents are hitting .330 (227-688) on the road off Tech pitchers.
INJURY REPORT
Starting pitcher J.J. Newman will miss the remainder of the season with tendinitis in his right (throwing) shoulder. He joins Brandon Roberson and Chaz Ackerman with arm injuries.
Outfielder Miles Durham is scheduled to return to the lineup at Oklahoma State. He has been sidelined throughout much of the season with a pulled hamstring. He first injured the hamstring on 2/15 at TCU. In two attempts to comeback, at Texas A&M and Iowa State, Durham reinjured the leg.
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 1,255 victories ... Hays has 1,231 career wins.
The 2000 Texas Tech team set the single-season sacrifice fly record with 37 ... the Red Raiders have also set the hit-by-pitch record with 56 in 2000 ... their current fielding percentage of .968 is tied for third all-time ... Tech's 119 doubles this season rank sixth all-time.
Mark Austry moved into eighth place on the career games played list at 163.
Brennan Burns needs just one double to move into a tie for 17th place with 29.
Marco Cunningham has moved into seventh on the stolen base list with 53 in his career ... he needs three more to tie Keith Ginter (1997-98) ... Cunningham is tied for 12th in doubles with 34 and is 12th with 127 runs.
Miles Durham is tied for 16th all-time in stolen bases with 35.
Chaz Eiguren's career batting average of .370 (111-300) puts him in ninth place all-time and his .630 (189 TB/300 AB) slugging percentage is ranked 11th.
Jason Rainey's eight triples tie the single-season mark held by three others ... Jon Weber (1999), Stubby Clapp (1996) and Ronnie Mattson (1975) are the others ... he is also ranked second on the single-season chart with 56 strikeouts.
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 11th complete game ... is also tied for fifth with seven career saves ... Tracey is 15th with 58 walks and 13th with 81 earned runs ... in the single-season records, Tracey is tied for fourth with 24 appearanes, tied for ninth with seven complete games and tied for third with seven saves.
Steve Rowe is tied for fifth on the single-season appearance list with 23.
GIVE ME THE BALL
Throughout the season, Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays has called upon right-hander Kevin Tracey in every situation a pitcher can face. Tracey is the only pitcher in Big 12 history to record at least seven complete games and seven saves in a single season. In six of the eight conference series, Tracey has appeared in at least two games. At Texas A&M and Nebraska, he pitched in two games on the same day. In two consecutive weekends against Iowa State and Texas, he saved the Saturday game and tossed a complete game victory on Sunday.
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.
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.
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.
Red Raiders vs. Cowboys
The Series
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 10-9. Tech and Oklahoma State played each other for the first time in 1983. Prior to the Big 12, the Cowboys won six of the nine meetings. Since then, the Red Raiders are 6-4 against Oklahoma State including their only Big 12 tournament meeting in 1997. Last season, the Cowboys won two of three games at Dan Law Field.
| Overall | OSU leads 10-9 |
| 1st meeting | 3/4/83 |
| in Lubbock | Tech leads 5-4 |
| in Stillwater | OSU leads 6-3 |
| at a Neutral site | Tech leads 1-0 |
| Last 5 meetings vs. OSU | 2-3 |
| Last Tech win | 4-3, 5/14/99 |
| Last OSU win | 12-11, 5/16/99 |
| Biggest Tech win | 10-6, 3/28/98 |
| Biggest Tech loss | 18-4, 4/13/86 |
A Quick Look at Oklahoma State
The Oklahoma State Cowbiys enter the weekend series at 34-19 overall and 12-12 in the Big 12. They are sixth in the conference and will be the sixth seed in next week's Big 12 Tournament. Last weekend, the Cowboys swept Iowa State and have won seven of their last eight games.
Head coach Tom Holliday is in his fourth season as the head coach at Oklahoma State with a record of 132-61. In three full seasons, Holliday has led the Cowboys to three 40-win seasons and last year's College World Series.
At the plate, the Cowboys are hitting .309 with 62 home runs, 26 triples and 112 doubles in 53 games. Outfielder Carlos Gautreaux leads the Big 12 in hitting with a .399 average. Junior Luke Scott has hit 10 home runs and 16 doubles while driving in a team-high 54 runs.
Left-hander Matt Smith leads a pitching staff that holds a 4.40 ERA. Smith is 7-6 with a 3.39 ERA while fellow lefty Josh Merrigan is 7-2 with a 3.03 ERA.
