Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Host Illinois In Four-Game Series
March 05, 2008 | Baseball
March 5, 2008
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
(5-5; 0-0 Big 12)
Larry Hays (1,489-835-4)
THE OPPONENT
Illinois Fighting Illini
(2-4; 0-0 Big Ten)
Dan Hartleb (62-60)
GAME/SERIES LOCATION
Dan Law Field (5,050)
Lubbock, Texas
DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 7: 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 8: 1 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, March 9: 10:30 a.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 1-0
LAST MEETING
Texas Tech 4, Illinois 1
March 12, 2004
TELEVISION
None
RADIO
Texas Tech Sports Network
KKAM-1340 AM in Lubbock
Robert Giovannetti (Play-by-Play)
Matt Miller (Color)
Steve Pitz (Engineer)
LIVE STATS
www.texastech.com
LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO
Live audio and video will be available through RaiderVision All-Access at texastech.com.
TICKETS
(806) 742-TECH or www.texastech.com
Complete Texas Tech Release in PDF Format 
SETTING THE SCENE
The Texas Tech Red Raiders will look to add to their current two-game win streak this weekend as the Illinois Fighting Illini come to Dan Law Field for a four-game series. Friday's game will mark just the second all-time meeting between the two programs as the two schools met for the first time back in 2004 at the Round Rock College Classic at Dell Diamond. Texas Tech won that contest 4-1. The series is set to get underway at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon which is a time change from the previously announced schedule. The game is being moved up due to forecasted cooler weather during the evening hours. The series will resume with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and will conclude at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Sunday's game was moved up one hour to accommodate Illinois' travel schedule.
Texas Tech evened up its overall record during the midweek as the Red Raiders swept a two-game series with Central Arkansas to improve to 5-5 on the season. The Red Raiders rallied from a five-run deficit on Tuesday night and posted 14 unanswered runs to take a 15-6 win over the Bears in the series opener. Tech completed the sweep on Wednesday afternoon as Roger Kieschnick contributed five RBIs and a home run to lead the Red Raiders to an 8-3 win.
All four-games of the weekend series against Illinois will be carried live on the Texas Tech Sports Network with Robert Giovannetti and Matt Miller calling the action from Dan Law Field. The games are carried in Lubbock on the flagship station for the Texas Tech Sports Network, KKAM 1340 AM. Texas Tech will offer webcast's of the Friday afternoon game, the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday's finale. Tickets are available for all four games and can be purchased by calling the Texas Tech Athletics Ticket Office at (806) 742-TECH or by logging on to www.texastech.com.
RED RAIDERS TRIUMPHANT IN RETURN TO DAN LAW FIELD
Texas Tech's much anticipated return to Dan Law Field on Tuesday night got off to a rocky start but ended with a 15-6 triumph over the Central Arkansas Bears. Tech's home opening win marked the 11th-straight for the Red Raiders and the game against Central Arkansas marked the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
Notes From The Central Arkansas Series
- Tech improved to 24-8 all-time in home openers with the 15-6 win on Tuesday night.
- The series sweep marked the first by the Red Raiders since taking all three games of the Missouri series back on May 12-14, 2006.
- Three different players extended hit streaks including Taylor Ashby who is now riding a career-high 10-game streak. Roger Kieschnick pushed his streak to nine game while Joey Kenworthy has hit safely in eight-straight contests.
- Roger Kieschnick paced the Tech offense with a .667 average along with one double, two home runs and seven RBIs.
LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG NUMBERS
The Texas Tech middle infield may look like a scene from the Wizard of Oz but shortstop Chris Hall (5-8; 172) and second baseman Joey Kenworthy (5-5; 158) certainly have not played like a couple of "munchkins." Hall and Kenworthy have been huge (no puns intended) components both offensively and defensively for the Red Raiders so far this season and their numbers prove it. Hall is currently third on the team with a .351 average (13-of-37) and didn't commit an error in the first seven games of the season. Kenworthy is currently fourth on the squad with a .316 average.
This weekend in Houston, Kenworthy was named to the Houston College Classic All-Tournament team as the second baseman. For the weekend, he posted a .417 average and led the squad with five RBIs.
RICHBURG OUT APPROXIMATELY SIX WEEKS
Junior outfielder Chris Richburg will miss approximately six weeks after suffering a fracture in his left fibula. He sustained the injury on Tuesday night against Central Arkansas while trying to slide back into second base.
ON THE CUSP
Texas Tech certainly had higher hopes of starting the season off better than 5-5, however, that record may be a little deceiving. The Red Raiders are on the cusp of becoming a solid ball club as Tech has dropped three one-run ball games, including a 5-4 heartbreaker to No. 6 Rice on Sunday. Tech's scheduled has included then No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette, Army, now No. 24 Oral Roberts, UTSA, New Mexico, Houston, Tennessee, No. 6 Rice and Central Arkansas.
KIESCHNICK HAS BIG WEEKEND IN HOUSTON
Anyone who questioned Roger Kieschnick and his possible draft status, had those questions answered in Houston over the weekend at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. Kieschnick, who was projected as the No. 41 college prospect at the beginning of the season by Baseball America, put up big numbers in the tournament and was rewarded as an all-tournament selection in the outfield. Over three games, he hit. 455 with three doubles, one mammoth home run to center field and three RBIs.
HE'S A KEEPER
Freshman RHP Chad Bettis, a product of Lubbock Monterey High School, turned in his second-straight solid start on Sunday against No. 6 Rice. Bettis, an eighth-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2007, pitched a no-decision against the Owls as he logged 6 2/3 strong innings allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and struckout three. After giving up three runs in the bottom of the first, the freshman showed maturity as he regrouped and threw three shutout innings that gave the Tech offense the momentum to grab a 4-3 lead during that stretch. He currently leads the Tech staff with a 2.84 ERA through 12 2/3 innings and allowed just four earned runs.
A LOOK AT ILLINOIS
The Illinois Fighting Illini come to Dan Law Field with a 2-4 overall record after losing all three games this past weekend at the QTI Baylor Classic in Waco. The Illini dropped decisions of 20-6 to Baylor, 8-7 against Stephen F. Austin and 7-4 against Illinois-Chicago. They opened the 2008 season by winning 2-of-3 at the Al Ogletree Classic in Edinburg and the weekend trip to Lubbock will mark their third straight to the state of Texas.
Offensively, Illinois has a team batting average of .256 and has yet to hit a triple or a home run. Kyle Hudson leads the way with a .421 average while Brandon Wikoff is the RBI leader with five. On the mound, the Illini have posted a 5.92 staff ERA and have 34 strikeouts compared to 10 walks. Mike Stankiewicz (Saturday's scheduled starter) leads the team with 13 2/3 innings pitched and has a 3.29 ERA. Illinois is led by Dan Hartleb who is in his third season at the helm.
