Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Turns Back The Clock As Nebraska Comes To Town
April 24, 2003 | Baseball
April 24, 2003
NEBRASKA (31-10; 13-5) at TEXAS TECH (24-18; 6-11)
Opponent: Nebraska
Series Location: Lubbock, Texas
Stadium: Dan Law Field
Capacity: 5,050
Dates: April 25-27
Game Times: 7 p.m./2 p.m./Noon
Radio: All Sports Radio Network (1340 KKAM); Mark Finkner (Play-By-Play); Jason Totman (Color)
Internet: www.texastech.com; Game Audio & Live Box Score
The Coaches
Mike Anderson (Nebraska)
Overall Record: 31-10 (First Season)
Record at Nebraska: Same
Larry Hays (Texas Tech)
Overall Record: 1,345-724-3 (33 Seasons)
Record at Tech: 650-343-2 (17 Seasons)
The Series: Nebraska leads 12-10
Pitching Rotations
Friday
Nathan Fouts (TT), RHP (3-4; 6.25 ERA)
vs. Aaron Marsden (NU), LHP (6-0; 1.81 ERA)
Saturday
Dusty Buck (TT), RHP (3-1; 4.73 ERA)
vs. Quinton Robertson (NU), RHP (5-1; 4.69 ERA)
Sunday
Steve Gooch (TT), RHP (4-3; 4.05 ERA)
vs. Zach Kroenke (NU), RHP (3-2; 2.23 ERA)
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TECH TURNS BACK THE CLOCK AS NEBRASKA COMES TO TOWN
Texas Tech will get another big test in Big 12 action this weekend as the 10th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers come to Dan Law Field for a three-game series beginning on Friday. The Red Raiders are in desperate need of a series win this weekend if they hope to maintain an already slim chance at making the postseason. Texas Tech enters the weekend with a record of 24-18 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12 as the Red Raiders have won just one league series (Texas A&M). Nebraska will come to Lubbock ranked as high as sixth in the nation and has a 31-10 overall record and is tied for first in the Big 12 with a 13-5 league mark.
The Red Raiders suffered a devastating series loss over the weekend at Kansas State as the Wildcats won the first two games of the series before Tech rallied on Sunday for an 8-1 win. The series loss to Kansas State marks the second-straight year that Tech lost the season series to the Wildcats. Kansas State's Friday night win over Tech snapped a 16-game losing streak.
Nebraska, on the other hand, comes into the weekend red-hot as the Huskers won 2-of-3 from Texas in Lincoln. The Huskers are 13-5 on the year in league play and are trying to win their second Big 12 Regular Season title in three years.
On Friday night, the Texas Tech Athletics Department will celebrate "Turn Back The Clock Night" as Texas Tech will wear replica uniforms from the 1926 season. The 1926 season was Tech's first on the baseball diamond. There will be numerous promotions going on through the night including reduced concession prices and a flashback to different musical era's. Ticket's for the series are on sale through the Texas Tech Athletic Ticket Office at (806) 742-TECH.
BRIEFLY
- Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays earned his 650th career win as the skipper of the Red Raiders on Sunday afternoon in Manhattan, Kansas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas State 8-1.
- Texas Tech needs just one more win to reach the 1,200 victory plateau. Texas Tech currently has an all-time record of 1,199-918-8 through 54 seasons of baseball.
- Junior RHP Steve Gooch will not start on Friday night for the first time this season. Gooch will get the nod on Sunday while Nathan Fouts will pitch the Friday game.
- Texas Tech's 6-11 mark in Big 12 play is the worst Big 12 record in school history.
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
The Nebraska Cornhuskers come to Lubbock on a hot streak as the team has now won 20 of its last 23 games including a 2-1 series win over defending national champion Texas last weekend. The Huskers are on a two-game win streak as Texas won on Sunday but the Huskers rebounded with midweek wins over Creighton (8-7) and South Dakota (9-1). The Huskers are 31-10 on the season and are currently tied for first place in the Big 12 standings with a 13-5 mark in league play.
Big 12 Player-of-the-Year candidate Matt Hopper leads the Husker offense with a .379 batting average through 38 games this season. The senior first baseman has eight doubles on the year and a Big 12 best 16 home runs along with 45 RBI. Nebraska has a total of eight players batting over .300 that help contribute to the .310 team batting average.
The Husker pitching staff totals a combined ERA of 3.50 as Nebraska has allowed just 139 earned runs through 357 2/3 innings. Friday night starter Aaron Marsden leads the staff with a 1.81 ERA and is a perfect 6-0 on the year with four no-decisions. The staff has walked just 98 batters on the year and has struckout 308.
Defensively, the Huskers are fielding at .965 as they have 54 errors on the year. Shortstop Joe Simokaitis has a team-high 17 errors on the year.
Nebraska is coached by Mike Anderson who is in his first season as head coach.
SERIES HISTORY
Texas Tech and Nebraska did not play on an annual basis until both schools joined the Big 12 in 1997. Through the course of the first three Big 12 seasons, Texas Tech led the series 5-2 but since 2000 it has been all Nebraska as the Huskers are 7-2 against the Red Raiders in regular-season games. Three wins by Nebraska last season (one in the Big 12 Tournament) gave the Huskers the all-time series lead 12-10.
UP NEXT FOR THE RED RAIDERS
The Red Raiders hit the road again next week as Texas Tech will travel to Albuquerque, N.M. for a Tuesday game with the New Mexico Lobos. The winner of Tuesday's game will earn bragging rights as the season-long series winner as that series is now tied at 2-2. Texas Tech will then travel to Norman, Okla. for a three-games series with Oklahoma, May 2-4.
SENIORS STEPPING UP ON THE BUMP
Texas Tech has been getting some much needed senior leadership on the mound lately as Nathan Fouts and Dusty Buck have turned in some of the best performances of their careers. Fouts pitched a complete game against Eastern New Mexico earlier this month and then pitched 7 1/3 innings of stellar relief against Kansas on April 12 to pick up the win. Against Kansas State on April 19, he threw a career-high 148 pitches over 7 1/3 innings but a lack of offense kept Fouts from earning the win.
Dusty Buck pitched a career-high eight innings and struckout a career-high eight batters against Kansas State on Sunday to help lead the Red Raiders to an 8-1 win. Buck improved to 3-1 on the year.
INJURY UPDATE
Evan Shahak - Made his first appearance since March 22 against Texas A&M on Sunday when he started as the DH against Kansas State. He had been sidelined due to a back injury and is now listed as probable.
Juan Razo - Out Three-Four Weeks - Elbow strain
Brock Johns - Out for the Season - Had season-ending surgery on April 10 to repair torn cartilage in his right shoulder. Will apply for medical redshirt.
Randy Gattis - Out for the Season - Suffered a blood clot in his throwing arm earlier this season. Will apply for medical redshirt
*Johns and Gattis are the only two freshmen pitchers on the Tech roster. Gattis was a 39th-round pick by the Yankees in 2002.
PLENTY OF SALUTES FOR COLONEL
Junior third baseman Christian Colonel has been earning the respect of opposing pitchers lately as his bat has been on fire. Over the last 11 games, he is batting .370 with nine RBI and three home runs. He became just the second player this year to hit two home runs in one game as he belted two in the Friday night game against Kansas State. He has made 17 starts in the last 18 games after seeing limited action at the start of the season due to a back injury.
FULLER BACK TO JUST BASEBALL
Sophomore outfielder Cody Fuller can now turn his complete attention to baseball as spring football workouts ended on Monday. Fuller played in nine games last season as a wide receiver for Mike Leach and finished with six catches for 60 yards.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
- The Texas Tech offense has been sluggish in Big 12 play as the Red Raiders are batting just .270 which ranks eighth in the league.
- The Red Raiders have a team batting average of .344 in 27 home games at Dan Law Field.
- Prior to the Big 12 season, Texas Tech was hitting .356 with runners in scoring position, but that number, however, has fallen drastically as the Red Raiders are hitting just .239 in league play. Tech also had a pinch hitting average of .393 (11-of-28) prior to league play but is 1-for-13 (.076) in the Big 12.
- Texas Tech tallied a three-game stretch in which the offense
- Texas Tech's seven-run win over Kansas State on Sunday equaled the combined amount of runs Tech had won by in its five previous Big 12 wins.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
- Texas Tech's .971 fielding percentage leads the Big 12 Conference.
- Texas Tech picked up its 16th errorless game of the year against Kansas State on Sunday.
- Texas Tech entered the Big 12 season with just 15 errors and a .982 fielding percentage through 22 games. Since then, Tech has committed 32 errors in 20 games for a fielding percentage of .959 through that stretch. Tech is fielding at .964 in Big 12 play which ranks in a second-place tie with Nebraska.
- Tech has rattled off two 30+ errorless inning stretches this year and one 27+ stretch.
- Texas Tech has turned 41 double plays this season and hit into 24.
