TECH CLOSES SIX-GAME HOMESTAND AGAINST UNM
Texas Tech will close out a six-game season-opening homestand at Dan Law Field beginning on Tuesday as the Red Raiders host the New Mexico Lobos for a two-game midweek series. Tech enters the New Mexico series after a successful season opener this past weekend as the Red Raiders posted a 4-0 record with two wins each against Southern Utah and UT-Pan American. The New Mexico Lobos also come into the series after a successful opening weekend as they won 3-of-4 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Tech fans won't have another chance to see the Red Raiders at home until March 11 (Dallas Baptist) as they begin an eight-game road swing starting on Friday at Cal State Northridge. First pitch against the Lobos is set for 4 p.m. on Tuesday and 2 p.m. on Wednesday. THE TEXAS TECH-NEW MEXICO SERIES
The New Mexico Lobos come to Lubbock for what will be the first of four games against the Red Raiders. Texas Tech and New Mexico have met on the diamond in each of the last 11 seasons and 20 of the last 22 (did not play in 1989 and 1997). The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 56-33-1 and have won 36 of the last 46 contests between the two schools. Tuesday's game will mark the 90th all-time meeting since the Red Raiders and Lobos first tangled back on April 19, 1962 (a 6-3 Texas Tech win). SCOUTING THE LOBOS New Mexico makes the five hour trip to the South Plains fresh off a season-opening series win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Lobos were able to shake off a 13-3 setback to the Islanders on Friday and posted three consecutive wins to take the four-game series 3-1. New Mexico earned its first win of the season in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday by a three-run margin (4-1) and then blasted the Islanders 22-1 in game-two. The Lobo offense came to life again on Sunday to the tune of 14 runs to help New Mexico clinch the series with a 14-4 victory.
Offensively, the Lobos own a .364 team batting average and are led by first baseman Kevin Atkinson who hit .500 against TAMU-CC (8-of-16) and added two triples and five RBIs. Second baseman Mike Brownstein collected three doubles over the weekend and turned in five RBIs on his way to a .357 average.
On the mound, the Lobos allowed 19 runs in the four-game series and own a 4.00 staff ERA. Right-handed reliever Cole White leads the team with a perfect ERA (0.00) after logging two appearances and four innings of work. White, who didn't allow a hit in either game, struckout six but walked five. RED RAIDERS ON THE AIR
Texas Tech's entire schedule in 2009 including both regular-season and post-season action will be carried live on the flagship station of the Texas Tech Sports Network, KKAM-1340. The Texas Tech Sports Network begins its 16th season of full coverage of Red Raider Baseball. Robert Giovannetti will handle the play-by-play duties for the second year in a row and will be assisted by Matt Miller and Blayne Beal. Network pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch and concludes with a postgame show. Live audio streams will be available for all road games through RaiderVision All-Access while live video/audio will be available for all home games. TECH PITCHING STAFF IMPRESSIVE SO FAR
From the moment Dan Spencer arrived on the Texas Tech campus as an associate head coach back in 2007, Red Raiders fans knew that a drastic change on the mound was on the way. If the first four games of the 2009 season are any indication, that change may have come sooner than most expected and could give Tech fans plenty to be excited about this spring. Spencer along with pitching coach Ed Gustafson received four quality starts from all four starting pitchers this past weekend and got solid outings from six different relievers. Over the span of four games, the Tech staff allowed just 14 runs and that marked the fewest runs allowed by a Tech squad over the first four games of a season since 1999 (11).
Runs Allowed By Tech In First Four Games
2009 - 14
2008 - 19
2007 - 32
2006 - 24
2005 - 27
2004 - 18
2003 - 16
2002 - 17
2001 - 17
2000 - 36
1999 - 11 MILES FROM NOWHERE
Texas Tech fans probably did a double take on Saturday afternoon when Miles Morgan took the hill for the start against Southern Utah. Morgan, who was named the Big 12's Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2006, hadn't made an appearance on the mound in over two years prior to Saturday, much less a start. The great news for Texas Tech was that he looked every bit as good as he did as a freshman when he compiled a 6-7 record and most scouts were projecting him as a high draft pick. The senior right-hander from Lubbock Coronado has battled injuries over the last two seasons and made his first appearance on Saturday since Feb. 4, 2007, against Stephen F. Austin. Against Southern Utah, he logged six strong innings while giving up just two runs on four hits and struckout 11. His 11 strikeouts are tied as the third highest total in his career. RAMOS RETURNS TO THE MOUND
Senior right-handed pitcher AJ Ramos did something on Sunday that very few players with a UCL tear are able to accomplish in less than 12-18 months - make a successful return. The senior from Estacado underwent Tommy John surgery on April 30, 2008 and began immediate rehabilitation. In just less than 10 months, Ramos defied expectations and returned to the starting rotation where he got the nod in the Sunday finale against UT-Pan American. With a predetermined pitch count of 50, Ramos was able to give the Red Raiders three scoreless innings and in the process picked up his first win since March 8, 2008 (Northern Illinois). Ramos will return to the rotation again this weekend when the Red Raiders travel to Cal State Northridge. FIRST WIN FOR SPENCER
At 1:01 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, the Dan Spencer era at Texas Tech officially got underway and by 3:38 p.m. he had officially gone down in the record books with his first career win (14-3 over Southern Utah). He became the fifth consecutive head coach at Texas Tech to win his coaching debut. FRESHMAN MAKE AN IMPACT
Head coach Dan Spencer got exactly what he wanted from a talented group of freshmen this past weekend - quality play. Spencer's lineup featured at least two freshmen position players all four games and three in both games against Southern Utah. The three freshmen in the order on opening day marked the first time that had happened since 2006 when Roger Kieschnick, Willie Rueda and Drew Evans earned starting jobs. SHORT HOPS
- Senior second baseman Willie Rueda suffered a hamstring injury while running to first base in the second inning against Southern Utah on Saturday, Feb. 21. Rueda will be out indefinitely.
- Sophomore catcher Jeremy Mayo could to return to action as soon as this week after leaving the Southern Utah game on Feb. 21 with a dislocated thumb on his left hand.
- The Red Raiders laid down five sacrifice bunts over the weekend and that is two more than Tech had in the first 10 games of last season.
- Tech's nine stolen bases ranks third in the Big 12 behind Kansas State's 16 and Texas A&M's 12. Willie Rueda leads the league with five stolen bags.
- Junior outfielder Taylor Ashby was the offensive catalyst for the Red Raiders over the weekend as he drove in a team-high seven runs while going 6-for-15 at the plate for a .400 average.
- Robbie Kilcrease made his first career weekend start (against UTPA on Friday, Feb. 20) and went five strong innings allowing three runs on five hits and struckout five. Kilcrease replaced Nate Karns who was the scheduled starter.
- Senior RHP Brian Cloud earned just his second career win against UTPA on Friday. Cloud's only other win came against No. 2 Missouri last year on March 29. Cloud logged 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief and racked up four strikeouts.
- Texas Tech's 4-0 start to the season is the first for the Red Raiders since 2005 when that team won its first six games of the year.
- Tech completed its first series sweep at Dan Law Field since taking all three against Missouri May 12-14, 2006.
- Texas Tech was officially the first team in the Big 12 Conference to begin play in 2009. The Red Raiders threw the first pitch against Southern Utah at 1:01 p.m. on Feb. 20 while the Kansas Jayhawks started just four minutes later (1:05 p.m.) against Air Force.
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