Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Softball to Begin 2016 Campaign in Las Vegas
February 10, 2016 | Softball
Feb. 10, 2016
Lubbock, Texas -Texas Tech will open the 2016 season Thursday afternoon against a formidable foe from the Mountain West in UNLV. The Rebels finished the 2014-15 season with a 25-30 overall record including an 11-3 mark in conference play. First pitch for Thursday's contest in scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT.The Red Raiders enter the five game weekend under second year head coach Adrian Gregory. In just her first year as head coach, Gregory guided the Red Raiders to a 25-26 record including a 9-9 mark in conference play. After a tough start to her first conference season in Lubbock, Gregory rallied her team to end the 2015 campaign with three Big 12 series victories including taking two of three from Texas for the first time in a single season in Texas Tech softball history.
The 2016 season marks the 15th straight season that the Red Raiders have opened the season on the road including the second consecutive season opener against a Mountain West opponent. In the 14 game stretch, the Red Raiders have amassed a 7-7 record, including a 6-1 mark in the last seven season openers.
In Adrian Gregory's mind, "to be the best, you have to play the best." The second-year head coach is putting that motto to the test this season as Texas Tech again boasts one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. During the 2016 season, the Red Raiders will face seven teams ranked in the NFCA Coaches preseason top-25. Texas Tech will see their first ranked opponent on Feb. 12, when the team will face off against No. 20 Washington before turning around a day later to face 14th ranked Minnesota. Just one week later, the Red Raiders will face another ranked opponent in No. 21 California on Feb. 20 at the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego, Calif., before traveling to Lafayette, La., for a double header against No. 11 ULL on Feb. 25.
The Red Raiders closed out the conference season in 2015 winning nine of their last 12 games to finish the year with a 9-9 record in conference play. The Red Raiders will look to carry that momentum into the 2016 campaign beginning with the five game stretch at the Sportco Kickoff Classic.
Series Information
UNLV
Texas Tech and UNLV will be meeting for the tenth time on Thursday night with the Rebels entering the contest holding a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series record. The last meeting between the two squads came in 2014 where the Red Raiders claimed a dominating 7-2 victory behind a three RBI effort from Cassie McClure. The Red Raiders outhit the Rebels in the March 15, 2014, meeting 10-3 with Sydni Emmanuel and McClure both recording multiple hits in the contest.
UTAH VALLEY
Texas Tech's second game of the 2016 Sportco Kick Off Classic features a familiar opponent in Utah Valley. The Red Raiders and Wolverines met twice in the 2015 season each team claiming a win pushing Texas Tech's overall series lead to four games to one. Saturday's meeting will mark the first time the Red Raiders and Wolverines have met outside of Rocky Johnson Field.
WASHINGTON
The Red Raiders will meet Washington for the 11th time in program history on Saturday night. The Red Raiders and Huskies last met in the 2015 season in Seattle where Washington stole a pair of wins. In the final meeting of the 2015 season the Red Raiders out hit Washington 8-6, but could not overcome an early 4-0 deficit and ended up losing the contest 8-5.
LONG BEACH STATE
The Red Raiders will meet Big West foe Long Beach State Saturday in their fourth appearance in the 2016 Sportco Kick Off Classic. The Beach, who were picked to finish first by the Big West coaches in the preseason poll, enter the 2016 season fresh off a 28-24 finish in the 2015 campaign. The Red Raiders and Beach have met four times prior to Saturday's contest with Long Beach State holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series record including a 4-1 victory in the last meeting between the two squads in 2014.
MINNESOTA
Texas Tech will close out the 2016 Sportco Kick Off Classic against No. 14 Minnesota on Sunday. The Gophers and Red Raiders will be meeting for the fourth time in program history and first time since the 2013 Sportco Kick Off Classic that saw Texas Tech record a 5-3 win.
