Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Opens Big 12 Play at No. 6 Texas
March 05, 2012 | Softball
The Red Raiders will face Texas in a two-game series beginning Tuesday in Austin.
March 5, 2012
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech opens Big 12 play Tuesday night with the start of a two-game midweek series against No. 6 Texas at McCombs Field in Austin.
| SERIES INFORMATION | |
| Dates | Tuesday, March 6 - Wednesday, March 7 |
| Location | Austin, Texas (McCombs Field) |
| First Pitch | 8 p.m./4 p.m. (CT) |
| Radio | None |
| TV | Longhorn Network |
TEXAS TECH IN BIG 12 OPENERS
The Red Raiders have historically struggled when opening Big 12 play as Tech is only 6-26 all-time in its first conference series of the year. Tech is 1-3 when opening Big 12 play under Shanon Hays as the Red Raiders split a 2010 series with Iowa State before being swept by Missouri last year. Both of those series were played in Lubbock. Tech has not gone on the road to open conference play since 2006 when the Red Raiders were swept at the hands of No. 19 Baylor on March 25-26 in Waco. Tech has never opened up its league schedule against Texas in school history.
THE TEXAS ALL-TIME SERIES
Texas Tech is 5-25 all-time against in-state rival Texas with a 2-10 record in games played in Austin. The Longhorns have won each of the last seven meetings between the two schools, including a series sweep last year in Lubbock. Tech last defeated Texas on March 27, 2008 when the Red Raiders claimed a 5-4 victory in Lubbock. Texas has won each of the last six games played in Austin dating back to Tech's last win at McCombs Field which came April 26, 2005 in a 2-0 victory. The Red Raiders' only other win in Austin was May 2, 2001 in an 8-3 victory.
ON DECK
The Red Raiders return to Lubbock this weekend to resume their non-conference slate against No. 24 New Mexico in a two-game series that begins at 6 p.m. Friday evening. The two teams close the series at 11 a.m. Saturday morning at Rocky Johnson Field.
TECH, TEXAS FACING OFF EARLIER THAN USUAL
Texas Tech and Texas will be facing each other much earlier than normal as the two-game series is the earliest the two squads have met since playing a non-conference game on Feb. 12, 2000 during the Paradise Classic in Honolulu, Haw. Tech won that game, 4-0, behind a shutout performance from Amanda Renfro. This is also the earliest Tech has played a Big 12 Conference game in school history. The two schools moved up part of their three-game series in order to not interfere with May finals during the originally scheduled date. The Longhorns will return to Lubbock April 11 to close the series.
RED RAIDERS ROLLING AS BIG 12 PLAY BEGINS
Texas Tech enters the midweek series as winners of 16 of its last 17 contests, including a perfect 6-0 showing last weekend during the home-opening Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic. The Red Raiders' only blemish during that stretch is a 3-1 to Texas State Feb. 26 in the championship game of the Texas Shootout in Waco. Since the start of the season, Tech has played eight schools that advanced to a NCAA Regional last year, posting a 5-3 record in those games with two of those losses coming to schools ranked in the top 10 nationally.
OFFENSE SHINES IN OPENING WEEKEND
After hitting just .240 over the first 16 games of the season, the Red Raiders responded with a .386 average over six games last weekend against Binghamton and UT-Arlington, bringing their season average up 42 points in the process. Tech, which ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense and batting average last year, had at least 10 hits in four of six games en route to an undefeated weekend. Mikey Kenney led the way with a .533 average on the weekend that included three home runs and four stolen bases. Logan Hall trailed close behind after going 11-for-21 with three RBI and six runs scored. Tech is 13-1 this year when scoring three or more runs.
KENNEY NEARING HOME RUN RECORD
With her three home runs last weekend, Mikey Kenney needs three more to become the school's all-time leader as she has 25 over two-plus seasons. The junior trails Kim Martinez (1997, 1999) by two heading into the midweek series against Texas. Kenney connected on home runs in each of Tech's first three games of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic before suffering a sore shin that kept her out of the Saturday game against Binghamton. She has a team-high six dingers on the season which also ranks second among Big 12 players this season.
RED RAIDERS PREPARE FOR TWO TOP 25 TEAMS
Texas Tech will face two top 25 teams this week in No. 6 Texas and then No. 24 New Mexico this weekend. Tech is 0-2 against ranked squads this season with losses to No. 14 Tennessee and No. 9 Stanford during the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic. The Red Raiders are 9-25 against ranked opponents during Shanon Hays' two-plus seasons. Tech last topped a ranked opponent April 1 last year in a 5-0 series-opening victory over No. 14 Oklahoma.
HAYS NEARING 100 VICTORIES AT TEXAS TECH
Head coach Shanon Hays enters this week needing just three victories to reach the 100-win plateau while at Texas Tech. Hays is 97-39 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 211-55 in four-plus seasons as a collegiate softball coach after beginning his career at nearby Lubbock Christian University.
CUSTER ENTERS WEEK AS BIG 12 WINS LEADER
Cara Custer enters this week as the Big 12 wins leader as she is 10-3 on the year with a 1.92 earned-run average. The freshman has 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 17-5 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 1.75 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.
PEREZ CONTINUES TO SHINE IN CLEANUP ROLE
Through 17 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 team-high .369 average. Perez has homored five times so far while also driving in 16 runs. 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.
