Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech to Continue Big 12 Play in Austin
April 07, 2016 | Softball
April 7, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas. -- Texas Tech softball will continue Big 12 play with a three-game series against the Texas Longhorns beginning with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday night at McCombs Field. Game two of the three game series will be Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by game three Sunday at Noon. All three games will be aired on the Longhorn Network.Texas Tech began the 2016 Big 12 season with a 3-0 sweep of Oklahoma State last weekend. The 3-0 start to conference play was the first time the Red Raiders began Big 12 play with a series sweep since the 2011-12 season when Tech defeated Iowa State in three straight games.
Texas Tech scored 34 runs in last weekend's sweep of Oklahoma State to mark the highest scoring weekend of the 2016 season for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech blasted seven home runs in last weekend's home stand, including a two run walk off home run by freshman Jessica Hartwell to mark the first walk-off home run since Adriana Perez hit a two run walk-off home run vs. Iowa State on April 1, 2012 to complete the sweep of the Cyclones.
Brittany Warnecke turned in an incredible weekend for the Red Raiders in the series sweep of the Oklahoma State. Warnecke recorded four runs on seven hits, while picking up nine RBI through the weekend. Warnecke's seven RBI in the second game of the series was one RBI shy of the school record eight RBI recorded by Sandy James against Iowa State on April 10, 2011.
Texas Tech has tested itself early facing some of the nation's best teams in the early part of the 2016 season. So far, the Red Raiders have played 14 games against teams in the top-25 with 10 of those games in true road games against Texas A&M, Arizona State, LSU and Louisiana Lafayette.
After bring picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 in the preseason coaches' poll, the Red Raiders enter the second week of conference play in second place in the Big 12 standings. Texas Tech has now won the last five Big 12 series dating back to last season. This past weekend's sweep of Oklahoma State marked the second consecutive sweep of the Cowgirls.
FRESHMAN BATS MAKING BIG IMPACT
Texas Tech is undoubtedly lead by its upperclassman in the locker room and in the field, but a case can be made for the freshman making an early mark on this team at the plate. The young talent on the Red Raider Roster was on full display last weekend as two freshman recorded the two biggest hits of the Oklahoma State series. In Friday night's thriller, freshman Jessica Hartwell connected on her fifth home run of the year in a two run walk-off homer to begin the series. In Sunday's game, freshman Kiani Ramsey hit a walk-off double with two outs to complete the series sweep of the Cowgirls.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas Tech and Texas will meet for the 43rd time in program history during Friday's series opener. The Longhorns have historically controlled the series against the Red Raiders with a 33-9 all-time advantage, including a 15-2 mark in games played in Lubbock. The Red Raiders last defeated the Longhorns in Austin with a 6-5 win during the 2014 season, but have never won a series against the Longhorns in Austin.
The Red Raiders claimed their first series title against the Longhorns last season when Tech claimed back-to-back wins against the Horns at Rocky Johnson Field to close out the three game set. The back-to-back wins marked the second time in series history that the Red Raiders emerged victorious against the Longhorns in consecutive games.
This season's matchup marks the second consecutive year where the two teams will meet as unranked teams. The two teams had not previously met as unranked teams before last season's meeting in Lubbock.
