Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Host Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic
March 01, 2012 | Softball
Texas Tech fans can take advantage this weekend of the over 500 seats added to Rocky Johnson Field.
March 1, 2012
Game Notes | Gameday Central | Promotions | Fan Information
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech opens the first of 22 games at Rocky Johnson Field this season when the Red Raiders host UT-Arlington and Binghamton in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic beginning Friday.
| TOURNAMENT INFORMATION | |
| Dates | Friday, March 2 - Sunday, March 4, 2012 |
| Location (Facility) | Lubbock, Texas (Rocky Johnson Field) |
| Tournament Schedule | Fri., March 2 UT-Arlington vs. Binghamton - 10:30 a.m. (CT) | Texas Tech vs. Binghamton - 1 p.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live Texas Tech vs. UT-Arlington - 3:30 p.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live Sat., March 3 Binghamton vs. UT-Arlington - 10:30 a.m. (CT) | Texas Tech vs. UT-Arlington - 1 p.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live Texas Tech vs. Binghamton - 3:30 p.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live Sun., March 4 Texas Tech vs. Binghamton - 10:30 a.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live Texas Tech vs. UT-Arlington - 1 p.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live |
| Radio | KTXT 88.1 FM (Lubbock) |
| Live Blog | Gameday Central |
TEXAS TECH IN HOME OPENERS
The Red Raiders are 10-6 all-time in home openers since softball was resurrected as an intercollegiate sport in 1996. Tech has won its home opener in each of the last two seasons with an 8-3 victory over Utah Valley last year and a 5-0 win over Maine in 2010. The Red Raiders had previously opened their home schedule during the month of February in both seasons under head coach Shanon Hays, making this the latest home opener in his three seasons.
THE SERIES
• Binghamton - This is the first meeting between the two schools.
• UT-Arlington - Tech is 4-4 all-time against the Mavericks with the Red Raiders winning three of the last four meetings, including a 3-2 victory at UTSA on Feb. 28, 2010. This is only UTA's second trip to Lubbock as the two teams previously split a April 22, 2008 doubleheader.
ON DECK
Barely a month in their season, the Red Raiders open Big 12 play next Tuesday with a two-game midweek series at 6th-ranked Texas. The Longhorns and Tech will play one game on both Tuesday and Wednesday in Austin before Texas travels to Lubbock April 11 to close out the season series. Tech will close next week with a two-game weekend series with No. 24 New Mexico at Rocky Johnson Field.
RED RAIDERS GET FINAL TEST BEFORE BIG 12 OPENS
Binghamton and UT-Arlington are the two final tests for the Red Raiders before Big 12 play opens next Tuesday night at Texas. Tech will face the Longhorns in a two-game midweek series that will mark the earliest the Red Raiders had ever played a conference game in school history. Texas travels to Lubbock April 11 to complete the season series.
TECH TO HONOR JEANNINE MCHANEY
This weekend's round-robin tournament is named after Jeannine McHaney, who is widely-considered the founder of women's athletics at Texas Tech. A pioneer of the 1970s and 80s, McHaney spent nearly a decade as the women's athletics director before the two departments combined in 1986. From there, she continued to be a top administrator in the athletics department before losing a year-long battle with cancer in 1994, a year after the Lady Raider basketball team won the 1993 NCAA National Championship. This marks the second-annual Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic which hopes to continue to be an annual event at Rocky Johnson Field.
"THE ROCK" GETS ADDITIONAL SEATING
Texas Tech fans will get the added comfort of not having to fight for a seat this season as over 500 seats were added to Rocky Johnson Field in the offseason. The seating addition replaced the grass berms that previously stood above both dugouts and over both bullpen areas. The facility, which opened in 2001, currently has seating for 1,165 fans with room to potentially add portable seating as well.
RED RAIDERS RETURN HOME ON A ROLL
After a disappointing 1-4 start to the season, the Red Raiders open their home schedule on a roll as of late, winning 10 of their last 11 contests with four of those wins coming over postseason teams from a year ago. Tech went a perfect 6-0 at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas before a 4-1 showing last weekend in Waco where the Red Raiders fell to Texas State, 3-1, in the tournament's championship game.
TECH PREPARES FOR 10 GAMES OVER NINE DAYS
The Red Raiders have a challenging stretch over the next two weeks as Tech will play six games this weekend in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic before taking on No. 6 Texas and No. 24 New Mexico in two-game series next week. All together Tech will play 10 games over a nine-day stretch with the Texas series being played in Austin.
CUSTER RETURNS HOME AS BIG 12 WINS LEADER
Cara Custer enters this weekend as the Big 12 wins leader as the freshman is 7-3 on the year with a 2.76 earned-run average. She has earned a decision in every outing this year besides last Sunday's Texas State game where the Red Raiders fell 3-1. Custer was pulled from that outing after giving up a run off two innings and five full innings of work. She also is among the league leaders in innings pitched, strikeouts, appearances, games started, shutouts, and complete games.
PEREZ CONTINUES TO SHINE IN CLEANUP ROLE
Through 12 games this season, Adriana Perez has already showed why she was the two-time California JUCO Catcher of the Year. The Lancaster, Calif. native is currently among the Big 12 leaders as she leads the team with a .386 average. Perez has homored three times so far while also driving in 11 RBI. With her emergence, Tech head coach Shanon Hays has been able to move Sandy James, last year's cleanup hitter, to the No. 3 hole since Perez is protecting her in the lineup.
NOTABLES
• Texas Tech's 16 game road trip to start the season marks the longest stretch away from Lubbock under Shanon Hays. The Red Raiders longest streak away from home to start the season was in 2009 when the Red Raiders opened with their first 22 games were at road tournaments.
• Tech built a 10-game winning streak before falling to Texas State in the championship game of the Texas Shootout last weekend in Waco. That streak is the Red Raiders' longest since running off 11-straight from March 11-20 last year as Tech closed the non-conference schedule.
• Sandy James, the Feb. 21 Big 12 Player of the Week, enters this weekend among the Big 12 leaders home runs (4) and RBI (13) along with total bases (29). The junior has reached base in each of the last 10 games.
• The Red Raiders have been aggressive on the base paths so far this season, swiping 18 bases in 23 attempts thus far. Kermitria Ward and Emily Bledsoe have helped lead the way as both players are among the conference leaders with six and five stole bases, respectively.
• Prior to giving up two runs to UTEP in the fifth inning last Saturday, the Red Raiders had gone 22-straight scoreless innings, falling just five innings shy of the school record that was set last season.
• Texas State's three runs in the tournament finale marked the most by a Tech opponent since Idaho State scored four in an 8-4 loss Feb. 18. The Red Raiders had previously held their opponents to two runs or less in eight of their last nine contests.
• That same Texas State game also marked a rarity for the Red Raiders under Shanon Hays. Tech was previously 56-4 under the third-year head coach when leading or tied following six innings.
