Texas Tech University Athletics
Lobo Invitational Welcomes Tech
February 20, 2008 | Softball
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Feb. 20, 2008
LUBBOCK, Texas - Albuquerque, N.M. will be the locale for Texas Tech softball this weekend as the Red Raiders take on No. 22/23 Washington, New Mexico, Missouri and Wichita State as part of the Lobo Invitational. Tech is looking for its first win of the season amidst a tough schedule. The Red Raiders will open play with Washington Friday afternoon at 1:30 CT before taking on New Mexico in a 9:00 nightcap. Saturday, Tech will battle Missouri in a non-Big 12 game at 1:30 p.m. and then face Wichita State at 6:30 p.m. Sunday's action will be determined by how each team plays during the course of the weekend. A third-place game will be played at 11:30 a.m. and a championship game will be played at 2 p.m. If Tech is not one of the teams in those games, and if time and conditions allow, Tech will play New Mexico a second time following those games.
Scouting Washington
Washington enters the weekend with a 4-4-1 record on the season. UW was 2-3 last weekend at the Kajikawa Classic and is coming off a loss to No. 3/4 Texas A&M its last time out. The Huskies are hitting .323 as a team, while holding opponents to a .223 clip. Coach Heather Tarr is in her fourth season at Washington.
Scouting New Mexico
The Lobos are 4-3 on the season after finishing 2-2 at the Crimson Classic last weekend. UNM is hitting .282 on the season, while Lobo opponents are hitting at a .262 clip. Sara Loeffelholz leads the team with a .417 average and six RBI and Kelly Ninemire carries a 0.74 ERA in the circle. Former Missouri coach Ty Singleton is in his second season in Albuquerque.
Scouting Missouri
The Tigers were ranked in the preseason polls and are now among those receiving votes. They carry a 6-4 record into this weekend and are hitting .204 as a team on the season. Senior P/INF Jen Bruck leads the squad with a .357 average, three homeruns and eight RBI. Stacy Delaney leads Mizzou with a 0.80 ERA on the rubber.
Scouting Wichita State
The Shockers are 5-4 on the year after finishing 3-2 at the Stanford Invitational last weekend. WSU played No. 13/12 Stanford tough in its last outing before falling 2-0. On the season, the Shockers are hitting at a .259 clip, while their opponents are hitting .275. Katie McGeeney leads the team with a .400 avg, while Ashly Bright holds a 1.86 ERA and 52 strikeouts in just over 37 innings to lead WSU in the circle. Mike Perniciaro is in his third season leading the Shockers.
Going Deep
Three Tech players crushed their first homeruns of the season in Tempe, Ariz. last weekend. Montana Patin homered against Memphis, while Tye Coats went deep against Utah and Jennifer Bowers hit one out against California. For Coats, a freshman, it was her first career homerun.
Times in Albuquerque
Tech is no stranger to Albuquerque, N.M. The Red Raiders have played 19 games there and are 11-8 overall. They went 3-1 their last time there in 2006, claiming wins over South Dakota State (2) and New Mexico. The loss came at the hands of UC Riverside.
Tech vs. Washington
Friday's game will mark the second time this season the two have met. The Huskies won the first contest 8-1. They lead the overall series 5-1.
Tech vs. New Mexico
The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 13-12, including wins in their last two meetings with the Lobos. They last met on 3-19-06 with Tech claiming a 4-2 victory.
Tech vs. Missouri
The Tigers hold a 17-11 lead in the all-time series. Mizzou has won the last four contests. The last time the two met on a neutral site was Tech's last win over the Tigers, an 8-2 victory on 2/18/06.
Tech vs. Wichita State
Tech will look to even the overall series with the Shockers Saturday. WSU leads the series 4-3, with the Red Raiders winning two of the last three contests.
