Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Set for Midweek Doubleheader at UTEP
March 10, 2015 | Softball
The Red Raiders will take part in their first midweek series of the season Wednesday as Texas Tech will face UTEP in a 2 p.m. CT doubleheader in El Paso.
March 10, 2015
LEADING OFF...
? This will be the first of two midweek trips for the Red Raiders this year as Texas Tech will head to the greater northwest next week to face Seattle on March 18 and then No. 18 Washington the following day.
? Texas Tech will be stepping outside of tournament action for the second-straight year Wednesday as the Red Raiders swept a March 19 doubleheader with North Texas. Tech followed up by sweeping a three-game series with Texas State on March 21-22. All five games were at Rocky Johnson Field.
? Texas Tech will be making its first trip to El Paso since 2009 when the Red Raiders were swept in an April 23 doubleheader. Tech also traveled to UTEP in 2004 when the Red Raiders defeated the Miners, 4-0, on March 16.
? Texas Tech and UTEP met during the fall season with the Red Raiders pulling off a pair of routs, defeating the Miners, 15-2 and then 16-2, in El Paso.
? The UTEP doubleheader begins a busy next eight days for the Red Raiders, who will play nine games during that stretch, four of which that will come this weekend in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic held at Rocky Johnson Field.
? The Red Raiders head into the doubleheader riding a three-game winning streak that was highlighted by a 13-5 run-rule victory over UT Arlington Sunday afternoon to close out the Texas Tech Invitational.
? The Texas Tech offense enters the UTEP doubleheader averaging just over 11 runs per game over its last three contests. The Red Raiders have combined for 34 runs during that span and 55 runs in the past seven games.
? The Red Raiders have turned into one of the top offenses in the Big 12 this season as Texas Tech currently ranks third with 145 runs scored and fourth in the league with a .308 batting average. Tech is currently on pace to finish with a batting average over .300 for just the third time in school history.
? Texas Tech is on pace to snap its single-season school record for stolen bases for a second-straight year as the Red Raiders have swiped 54 bags through the first 24 games of the season. Tech had only 45 stolen bases at this point a year ago before eventually finishing with 92 overall.
INSIDE THE UTEP SERIES
Texas Tech will be making its third trip all-time to El Paso on Wednesday afternoon as the Red Raiders previously traveled to face the Miners during the 2004 and 2009 seasons. Tech leads the all-time series against UTEP with a 6-2 advantage but is just 1-2 against the Miners in El Paso. The Red Raiders shut out UTEP, 4-0, in its first ever meeting in El Paso on March 16, 2004, but was swept, 2-1 and 5-1, in an April 23, 2009, doubleheader during its most-recent visit. The two schools last faced each other in 2012 when the Red Raiders handed UTEP a 5-2 setback during the Texas Shootout tournament held in Waco. This will be the fourth time where the two schools have met in a same-day doubleheader as the two schools also met in 2008 as well with the Red Raiders winning both games in Lubbock.
| Texas Tech, UTEP All-Time Series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Winner | Score | Site |
| Feb. 18, 2004 | Texas Tech | 9-3 | Lubbock, Texas |
| Feb. 18, 2004 | Texas Tech | 5-4 | Lubbock, Texas |
| March 16, 2004 | Texas Tech | 4-0 | El Paso, Texas |
| March 25, 2008 | Texas Tech | 9-1 | Lubbock, Texas |
| March 25, 2008 | Texas Tech | 504 | Lubbock, Texas |
| April 23, 2009 | UTEP | 2-1 | El Paso, Texas |
| April 23, 2009 | UTEP | 5-1 | El Paso, Texas |
| Feb. 25, 2012 | Texas Tech | 5-2 | Waco, Texas |
ON DECK
Texas Tech returns to Rocky Johnson Field this weekend for the fifth-annual Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic where the Red Raiders will host both Mississippi Valley State and Tulsa. Tech will face both schools in doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday before returning to the road once again to face both Seattle University and No. 18 Washington on March 18-19.
THOMEY BOASTS STRONG WEEKEND AT THE PLATE TO OPEN HOME SLATE
Perhaps no Red Raider had a stronger home opening weekend than Devon Thomey during the Texas Tech Invitational. Thomey, who was playing at Rocky Johnson Field for the first time as a Red Raider, hit a team-leading .647 (11-for-17) over the weekend to go along with nine RBI, four of whcih that came this past Sunday off her first career grand slam against UT Arlington. Thomey finished with at least two hits in each of Tech's final three games, beginning with a career-best 4-for-5 performance Saturday afternoon against UT Martin. Her four hits marked a career high and were also matched the most for a Red Raider this season. In addition to posting at least two hits in each of the final three games, Thomey also recorded at least two RBI during that span as well. She enters the UTEP doubleheader having hit safely in nine of her past 12 at-bats.
FULTZ, THOMEY BOTH CONNECT ON GRAND SLAMS AGAINST UT ARLINGTON
Texas Tech's ability to hit the long ball was on full display this past Sunday against UT Arlington as the Red Raiders went deep three times, highlighted by a pair of grand slams by Ashley Fultz and Devon Thomey, the first in each of their careers. Fultz erased an early two-run deficit with her grand slam in the first inning. Thomey, meanwhile, provided the game-winning runs, breaking up a 5-5 tie in the fourth with her grand slam to center field that was part of a nine-run inning for the Red Raiders. It is believed to be the first time in school history where Tech has connected on two grand slams in the same game.
BETTIOL'S IMPRESSIVE START PLACES HER AMONG BIG 12 LEADERS
Jordan Bettiol enters this week as the Big 12 leader in hits as she has totaled 35 base knocks already over the first 24 games of the season. Bettiol, who is third currently in the conference with a .461 batting average, leads Tech with 11 multiple-hit games already this year, four of which that have come in the past five games. Like teammate Devon Thomey, Bettiol also recorded a successful weekend during the Texas Tech Invitational, hitting .529 overall (9-for-17) with four RBI and three stolen bases. In addition to leading the conference in hits, Bettiol also ranks among the league leaders in runs scored (21), stolen bases (9), walks (14) and on-base percentage (.544).
MILES RECORDS CAREER-HIGH SIX RBI AGAINST UT MARTIN
Kierra Miles recorded her best performance as a Red Raider to date last Saturday in Texas Tech's 13-9 come-from-behind victory over UT Martin as she finished 4-for-5 against the Skyhawks while driving in a career-high six RBI. Miles, who ended just a home run shy of the cycle, also notched a career high for hits with a two-run triple in the third, a RBI single in the fourth and then a pair of doubles in the sixth and seventh innings. Her big day at the plate pushed Miles to 22 RBI for the season, which is tied for seventh currently in the Big 12. She is second on the team for RBI as Devon Thomey currently ranks third in the conference after driving in 25 runs already this season.
TEXAS TECH OFF TO THE RACES - AGAIN
Since taking over the Texas Tech softball program last summer, Adrian Gregory has insisted she wants the Red Raiders to be among the most aggressive teams in the country on the base paths. Through the first five weekends of the season, the first-year head coach has succeeded on that goal as the Red Raiders are currently second in the Big 12 Conference with 54 stolen bases, eight of which that came Feb. 28 against Memphis, tying the Tech single-game record that was previously set on March 17, 2001, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Tech is well on pace to snap the single-season school record for a second-straight year as well as its 54 stolen bases are nine more than the Red Raiders had totaled through 24 games in 2014. Tech has had 12 different players swipe a bag so far this season, led by Brooke Scott who already has a career-high 13 stolen bases.
| Tracking Red Raider Stolen Bases During 2014 & 2015 Seasons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of Games | 2014 | 2015 |
| Through 24 Games | 45 | 54 |
| Through 25 Games | 48 | - |
| Through 26 Games | 51 | - |
RED RAIDERS FINDING WAYS TO COME FROM BEHIND
Texas Tech has proved no lead is safe this year as the Red Raiders have rallied from deficits to win six times already this year, including three times last weekend alone. Tech trailed by as many as five runs last Saturday in its 13-9 come-from-behind victory over UT Martin. It marked the second time this season where the Red Raiders have overcome a five-run deficit to win as Tech previously trailed UT Arlington by a similar margin on Feb. 20 before pulling off a 10-6 victory. The five-run comeback against UT Arlington marked the largest deficit Tech has overcome in a victory since the Red Raiders rallied from a similar five-run deficit to defeat No. 19 Texas A&M on April 18, 2012.
