Texas Tech University Athletics
Baseball Battles No. 13 Nebraska This Weekend
March 20, 2002 | Baseball
March 20, 2002
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TECH HEADS NORTH TO FACE NO. 13 NEBRASKA
The Texas Tech Red Raiders will travel to Lincoln, Neb. this weekend for a three-game series with the No. 13 Nebraska Cornhuskers at the new Haymarket Park. Texas Tech, who faces its fourth Big 12 opponent of the season, will take a 20-10 overall mark and 4-5 record in Big 12 play to Lincoln to face a Nebraska team that is 12-6 on the year and 4-2 in the Big 12.
Texas Tech was scheduled to play New Mexico on Tuesday night at Dan Law Field but heavy rains forced the cancellation of that game. No makeup opponent or date has been set. Nebraska, however, didn't have to worry about weather problems as they took on Minnesota in two midweek games at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Nebraska won the first game easily 19-6 but lost the second 5-3.
The Red Raiders will have plenty of game experience on its side as the squad has already passed the halfway mark on the season having played 30 games. Nebraska, however, has suited up just 18 times this season and won't reach the halfway mark of the season until April 3 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Texas Tech was scheduled to take a 112- seat DC-9 aircraft to Lincoln this weekend but the charter company closed its doors on Monday afternoon. Approximately 80 fans who were taking the trip with the team will have their money refunded in the next week to them in the next week.
TEXAS TECH AT A GLANCE
- Texas Tech made its first appearance of the 2002 season in the ESPN/Baseball Weekly Top-25 Coaches Poll this week as the Red Raiders were ranked No. 23. Seven other Big 12 teams made the Top-25 list including Baylor, Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M
- Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays is just two wins away from becoming only the fourth coach in NCAA history to reach 1,300 career wins. Hays currently has 1,298 victories in his 32-year career as a college skipper. On Sunday against the Huskers, Hays will also reach another milestone in his career as he will coach his 2,000th game.
- Senior Nick Blankenship has a Big 12 best 11 home runs and 48 RBI. Blankenship's RBI total not only leads the Big 12 but the entire country.
- Texas Tech's .331 team batting average is second in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma State's .344 average.
- Junior outfielder Scooter Jordan was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on March 18 for his outstanding performances against Sam Houston State and Oklahoma State. Jordan hit .667 against the Bearkats and Cowboys going 12-of-18 at the plate.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE HUSKERS
No. 13 Nebraska enters the weekend series with Texas Tech after sweeping Texas A&M last weekend and going 1-1 against Minnesota in the midweek. The Huskers are 12-6 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play. Nebraska's only two conference losses came against Baylor in the Husker's Big 12 opening weekend in Waco.
Nebraska, who advanced to last year's NCAA College World Series, looks to be solid as the Huskers are hitting over .300 and have an ERA of 3.09. The Huskers offense is hitting .304 and is being led by center fielder Jeff Leise who is batting .400. Jed Morris, Drew Anderson and Matt Hopper all total batting averages over .300 with marks of .342, .305 and .303 respectively.
The Husker pitching staff has been dominating this year as the staff totals an ERA of 3.09. All-American Shane Komine leads the staff with an ERA of 1.22 and a record of 4-0. Jamie Rodrigue totals a 1.01 ERA and 3-0 mark solidifying the Husker 1-2 punch.
THE SERIES BREAKDOWN
Texas Tech and Nebraska are tied at 9-9 for the all-time series record between the two schools, however, Nebraska leads Tech 7-6 in games played since the formation of the Big 12 in 1997.
ON DECK
The Red Raiders will return home from Lincoln to face the Missouri Tigers in a three-game Big 12 series March 29-31 at Dan Law Field.
HAYS APPROACHING ANOTHER MILESTONE
Texas Tech Head Baseball Coach Larry Hays, currently the sixth winningest head coach in NCAA history and the fourth winningest active, is just two wins away from earning the 1,300th win of his 32-year career. Hays will become just the fourth college coach in the history of NCAA baseball to reach 1,300 wins.
The Sunday game against Nebraska will also be another highlight in his career as he will coach in his 2,000th game.
Hays is currently 1,298-696-3 overall and has a 603-315-3 mark at Texas Tech.
MOVIN' ON UP
The Red Raiders have been doing their George Jefferson imitation over the last three weeks in what is THE most important rankings concerning college baseball---the RPI's. Texas Tech debuted in the RPI's three weeks ago at No. 37 and has since jumped up 10 spots to No. 27. Last week, the Red Raiders were at No. 31 but two wins on the road against No. 21 Oklahoma State moved Tech into the Top-30. Texas Tech has an ISR (Iterative Strength Ranking) of No. 20 having fallen six spots from last week's ranking of No. 14. The ISR rankings combine wins/losses and strength of schedule. The RPI and ISR rankings are according to Boyd Nation of the website boydsworld.com.
HOME IS ON THE HORIZON
Texas Tech, who has played 17 of its 30 games on the road, eagerly awaits an eight-game homestand that begins next weekend against Missouri. Texas Tech will play 20 of its last 23 games at Dan Law Field with remaining home series against Kansas State, Missouri, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas Pan-American, Oklahoma and Baylor.
JUST FIVE MORE
Senior preseason All-American Nick Blankenship is starting to feel like last year's Texas Ranger pitching staff. He just keeps getting hit. Blankenship needs just five more hit-by-pitches to tie the Big 12 record of 24 set by Billy Gasparino of Oklahoma State during the 1999 season.
JORDAN NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior outfielder Scooter Jordan became the first Tech player to pick up the Big 12 Player of the Week award this season. Jordan batted .667 (12-for-18) in five games for the Red Raiders last week as Tech took a pair of road encounters on the road at Oklahoma State in Big 12 play. He scored eight runs, drove in another eight runs, was a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases, notched a .944 slugging percentage with 17 total bases, walked five times, executed four sacrifice hits, and had a 1.000 fielding percentage on 10 tries afield. The junior outfielder set the tone for the weekend wins at OSU by going 5-for-8 (.625) in the first two contests.
ALL-AMERICAN PACE
Texas Tech sports two legitimate All-America candidates in senior Nick Blankenship and junior Jon Slack. Blankenship currently leads both the Big 12 and the nation (unofficially) with an amazing 48 RBI and has tallied 12 multiple RBI games this season. Blankenship also leads the Big 12 with 11 home runs which is one more than he had the entire season in 2001. Junior outfielder Jon Slack is also making his case for All-American honors as he is batting a team-best .411 and has hit safely 46 times in 112 at-bats and has drawn a league-high 29 walks. Slack leads the Big 12 in number of hits (46) and runs scored (40).
THIS AND THAT
- The Texas Tech offense has tallied 10-plus hit games in 23 of the team's 30 games. Tech has also gotten 10-plus hits in 18 of its last 19 games.
- Leadoff hitter Jon Slack has hit safely in 27 of 30 games this season while two-hole hitter Scooter Jordan has hit safely in 21 of 28 games. Willie Durazo, the three-hole hitter, has hit safely in 24 of 29 games.
- The Red Raiders have the fourth-best fielding percentage in the Big 12 at .964.
- Senior shortstop Gera Alvarez has an 11-game hitting streak that ties his career-best set last season.
- Texas Tech is 4-4 against ranked opponents this season.
- Texas Tech will pay homage to its past next Friday night in the series opener against Missouri. Texas Tech will wear "retro" uniforms on Friday night in what is beinng coined "Turn Back The Clock Night" by the Texas Tech Athletic Deparment. The Red Raiders will flashback to 1928 to sport the look worn by the first Red Raider baseball team. The uniforms were purchased by the Tech Heckers at a cost of over $3,000.
