Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Host No. 23 New Mexico in Doubleheader Monday
March 10, 2012 | Softball
The Red Raiders host No. 23 New Mexico at 11 a.m. Monday morning.
March 10, 2012
Tech Notes | New Mexico Notes | Gameday Central | Promotions
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech will host its first ranked non-conference team since 2003 Monday when No. 23 New Mexico travels to Lubbock for a doubleheader at Rocky Johnson Field. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. with the second game set to begin 30 minutes following.
| SERIES INFORMATION | |
| Date | Monday, March 12, 2012 |
| Location (Facility) | Lubbock, Texas (Rocky Johnson Field) |
| Series Schedule | Game 1 - 11 a.m. (CT) | Gametracker | Watch Live Game 2 - 30 min. following | Gametracker | Watch Live |
| Radio | KTXT 88.1 FM (Lubbock) |
| Live Blog | Gameday Central |
INSIDE THE NEW MEXICO SERIES
The Red Raiders are 16-16 all-time against New Mexico after sweeping the two-game series last year in Lubbock. The series sweep last year snapped a three-game losing streak to the Lobos. Tech is 6-2 all-time when facing the Lobos in Lubbock thanks to wins in three of the last four contests. This will mark the first time Tech has faced a ranked New Mexico team in school history. The Red Raiders were ranked 19th nationally last year when the two teams met.
RED RAIDERS AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Texas Tech is 30-15 all-time against current members of the Mountain West Conference, including a 5-0 mark under head coach Shanon Hays. The Mountain West is currently just a five-team league with Boise State, San Diego State, UNLV, and Colorado State joining New Mexico as schools that participate in softball. The Red Raiders have already defeated one Mountain West school this season as Tech topped San Diego State, 5-4, in the season opener Feb. 9.
ON DECK
The Red Raiders will travel to the New York area next week for their final non-conference tournament of the season. Tech will face Stony Brook in a Wednesday doubleheader before opening the Seton Hall Classic next Friday. The Red Raiders return to Rocky Johnson Stadium March 27 for its final non-conference game of the year against Midwestern State.
LOOKING BACK
Texas snapped Tech's six-game winning streak Tuesday when the 6th-ranked Longhorns run-ruled the Red Raiders, 8-0, in the Big 12 Conference opener in Austin. The Longhorns went on to take clinch the season series with a 2-1 victory Wednesday. The two teams, who were opening Big 12 play against each other for the first time in history, will close the season series April 11 in Lubbock.
TECH AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Red Raiders will be looking for their first victory over a top 25 team in their last 14 tries Saturday as Tech's last win over a ranked opponent came on April 1 last year in a 5-0 victory over No. 14 Oklahoma. Tech is already 0-4 on the year against ranked teams with losses to No. 9 Stanford, No. 14 Tennessee, and No. 6 Texas. Prior to the losses to Stanford and Tennessee, Tech was 3-0 against non-conference ranked opponents during Shanon Hays' two seasons with wins over No. 19 Florida State (2-1) in 2010 and then No. 16 BYU (7-5) and No. 12 California (5-4) last season. Tech is also 9-27 against all ranked opponents during Hays' tenure. The New Mexico series will mark the first time Tech has hosted a ranked non-conference opponent since facing No. 2 Arizona on March 9, 2003 during the Red Raider Classic. The Wildcats took a 1-0 victory in that game, one day after defeating Tech, 10-0.
RED RAIDERS SEARCHING FOR HITS
If there was one constant during the 2011 season, it was that Tech could consistently put up runs even against the nation's top pitching staffs. After posting a Big 12 record .340 average last year that ranked fourth nationally, the Red Raiders have struggled to post just a .272 average through 24 games this year. Tech had six players (with 30 or more starts) post an average of .300 or better last year but has only two players (Adriana Perez, Sandy James) above the mark so far. Tech returned all six of those players from last year too.
KENNEY NEARING HOME RUN RECORD
With her home run Wednesday at Texas, Mikey Kenney needs just two more to become the school's all-time leader as she has 26 over two-plus seasons. The junior trails Kim Martinez (1997, 1999) by one heading into Saturday's doubleheader with New Mexico. Kenney has connected on four home runs in Tech's last eight games, including three during last weekend's Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic. She has a team-high seven home runs on the season which ranks second among Big 12 players.
WILLIAMS EMERGES IN LEFT FIELD
For the first three weekends of the season, Tech used a platoon of players in left field with Melisa Ryba, Taylor Powell, Kermitria Ward, and Katelyn Williams all seeing time. Over the past seven games, though, Williams has found her way into the lineup, marking the most-consecutive starts for a Tech player in left field this season. During that span, Williams has hit .263 at the plate (5-for-19) with her first career home run and a pair of doubles. She has also drove in seven RBI and scored two runs.
CUSTER ENTERS WEEK AS BIG 12 WINS LEADER
Cara Custer enters this weekend tied for the Big 12 lead with 10 wins so far as she is 10-5 on the year with a 2.05 earned-run average. Prior to suffering two losses at Texas this week, the freshman had picked up a victory in nine of her last 10 appearances with the lone exception being a no-decision against Texas State on Feb. 26. Custer went 3-0 last weekend against Binghamton and UT-Arlington while not giving up an earned run over 18.0 innings. She gave up 12 hits during that span while striking out 18 as well. Custer is also among the Big 12 leaders in innings pitched, strikeouts, appearances, games started, and complete games.
DON'T FORGET TALLEY
Even with Cara Custer's emergence early in the season, Tech would not be 17-7 on the year without the consistency of sophomore Brittany Talley. The left-hander, who provides a good 1-2 punch in the rotation with Custer, is 5-2 on the year with a team-leading 1.91 earned-run average. In seven starts this season, Talley has given up more than one earned run only once, which came when San Diego State put across three runs in the season opener. Since then, Talley has gone the distance in four of her next six starts while also making five appearances out of the bullpen. She gave up three runs, two of which were earned, in 14.0 innings last weekend against UT-Arlington and Binghamton. She appeared once during the Texas series, giving up three runs, two of which were earned, over the final three innings in the series opener Tuesday.
HAYS NEARING 100 VICTORIES AT TEXAS TECH
Head coach Shanon Hays enters this weekend needing just three victories to reach the 100-win plateau while at Texas Tech. Hays is 97-41 in two-plus season which already ranks second among five coaches all-time. The Lubbock native, who passed Bobby Reeves' (2001-04) 94 wins last weekend, trails only Renee Luers-Gillespie who went 138-159 from 1996-2000 after resurrecting the Tech program. He is 211-57 in four-plus seasons as a collegiate softball coach after beginning his career at nearby Lubbock Christian University.
PENCIL BLEDSOE IN THE LINEUP
During Cal Ripken, Jr.'s historic stretch with the Baltimore Orioles, he earned the iconic nickname "Iron Man" after breaking the major league record for 2,632 consecutive games played. While not nearing Ripken's mark, Emily Bledsoe has impressed many not just for her glove or bat but for her toughness as well as the Fulshear, Texas native has started in all 195 games since her freshman season in 2009. Already a regular in the Tech record book, the senior needs to appear in just one more game to enter the top 10 for games played in the school record book. With a start in the opener against New Mexico, Bledsoe will tie current volunteer assistant coach Leah Legler for 10th all-time with 196 games played.
