Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Begins Play at Fiesta Bowl Tournament
February 07, 2002 | Softball
Feb. 7, 2002
TEMPE, Ariz. - Tech softball coach Bobby Reeves purposely scheduled a hard non-conference schedule so that his Red Raiders would be prepared for Big 12 Conference action and a run at the post season.
This weekend the schedule will be a murder's row of sorts as Tech will face the UCLA (3-0) Bruins which are ranked 2nd and last year's national runner-up at 9 a.m. and that is just the beginning.
The scarlet and black's second game of the day will be a match up with the only non-ranked team Tech will face this weekend in Mississippi State (0-0), which finished last season 19-11, at 3:30 p.m.
The second day of action will pit the Red Raiders against the first of six consecutive ranked teams in No. 24 UMass (0-0), 9:00 a.m., followed by #8 Arizona State (0-0) at 3:30 p.m.
The weekend tournament comes to a close with the 16th ranked Fresno State Bulldogs (0-0).
Tech has a young pitching staff that features three freshmen and a senior. Freshman Jennifer Vaught is 2-0 with a 6.52 ERA while freshman Kristina Blair is 1-0 with a team leading ERA of 2.03. After five games the hitting and defense has helped the Red Raiders to their 3-2 start.
So far this season Tech has only committed four errors, a trend that will have to continue for the Red Raiders to be successful this season. Leading the offensive charge for a Tech team that out scored its opponents 36-25 is senior Carmen Grindell who is batting at a .500 clip while sophomore Andrea Joachims leads the team in RBIs with eight and Eva Harshman has a hit in all five games this season and has hit safely in her last seven games dating back to the Regional Tournament last May.
Tournament Schedule
Friday vs. #2 UCLA 9:00 a.m. vs. Mississippi State 3:30 p.m.
Saturday vs. #24 UMass 9:00 a.m. vs. #8 Arizona State 3:30 p.m.
Sunday vs. #16 Fresno State 8:00 a.m.
