Baseball Welcomes In Cal For Four-Game Stretch

LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 11 Red Raiders continue their six-game home stand with a four-game set with California, beginning Friday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

On Saturday, the Red Raiders (4-1) and the Golden Bears (2-1) will play a doubleheader, with the first game slated for noon. Sunday's series finale will also begin at noon.

Friday's contest will be Tech's first home television game of the year, aired live on FOX Sports Southwest, with Robert Giovannetti and Mike Gustafson on the call. The final three games of the weekend will be streamed on TexasTech.TV, while all four games can be heard on 97.3 FM. Live stats will also be available via TexasTech.Statbroadcast.com.

Last season was the first meeting between Texas Tech and Cal, and was shortened from a four-game series to a two-game set after heavy rains and storms invaded Berkeley during their weekend slate. The Golden Bears picked up a game one victory, 9-2, while the Red Raiders rebounded to take game two, 11-8, before the rest of the series was washed out.

The Red Raiders are off to a 4-1 start to the 2017 season after sweeping their opening weekend series with Western Illinois and splitting with Mississippi State. On Tuesday, Tech racked up 18 hits and 16 runs in a 16-1 rout of New Mexico State in the home opener.

Tech called upon freshman right-handed pitcher John Henry Gonzalez for the start in the Lubbock opener, who turned in 5.1 innings pitched, giving up only two hits and one run, while striking out five to earn his first win of his collegiate career. His one run came in the first inning and followed it up with four-straight scoreless frames. He was backed up by four other Red Raider pitchers over the final 3.2 IP, who combined for no hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.

At the plate, Red Raider hitters were explosive once again, as 11 different players combined for 18 hits, the third time this year Tech has reached double digit hit totals. Junior infielder Orlando Garcia put together a career day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two singles and two homers, along with four runs and seven RBI. His RBI total made him the first Red Raider to record seven in a single game since Chris Richburg in 2007. Garcia matched career-highs for hits in a game (four) and homers in a game (two), while becoming the second Red Raider this season with four hits in a game, joining senior infielder Hunter Hargrove.

Tech moved up in four of the polls after going 3-1 during the opening weekend. The Red Raiders are once again ranked the highest by D1 Baseball, which slotted Tech at No. 11 in this week's poll. The Red Raiders also cracked the top 20 in College Baseball Newspaper's rankings, while moving up to No. 21 by Baseball America and is receiving votes in the Perfect Game poll.

The offensive firepower was on display in Starkville, as the Red Raiders racked up 44 hits over the four-game set, the most by any Big 12 after the opening weekend of action. Senior infielder Hunter Hargrove led the charge, racking up eight hits, including three doubles and two home runs, along with seven RBI and five runs scored for a .444/.944/.474 line. Hargrove posted a career day in the first game of the year, going four-for-five with four hits, three extra base hits, which put him a triple shy of the cycle, four RBI, one walk and two runs scored.

Freshmen Josh Jung and Grant Little are out to a strong start to their collegiate careers, leading the Red Raiders with .500 and .450 batting averages, respectively. The duo also leads Tech in hits so far this season, with nine, joining Hargrove at the top. The two have combined for 14 runs scored, seven RBI and seven walks, while each putting up a team-leading four multi-hit games this season.

The Red Raiders will turn to the same sophomore rotation as the opening weekend, with right-hander Davis Martin on the mound for game one against the Golden Bears. Martin tossed 6.0 innings in game one of the Opening Day doubleheader, striking out seven Leatherneck hitters without issuing a walk, and giving up just one run on four hits to earn the game one win. Lefty Steven Gingery will get the nod for Saturday's first contest, who threw 7.0 innings, ringing up eight while also only allowing one run on four hits in the 5-2 win over Mississippi State. Right-hander Ryan Shetter will start the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, who had a career day against the Leathernecks on Feb. 18, going 6.0 IP, with six strikeouts and no walks in only his second career start. Sunday's finale will turn to lefty Erikson Lanning, who pitched the finale in Starkville, managing 2.1 IP with one strikeout against the Bulldogs.

After their weekend slate with the Golden Bears, the Red Raiders will wrap up their six-game home stand with a battle against New Mexico on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

We'll see you tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Rip Griffin Park! #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/P480g5BQ2d
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) February 23, 2017

Baseball Welcomes In Cal For Four-Game Stretch

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Players Mentioned

Orlando Garcia

Steven Gingery

John Henry Gonzalez

Hunter Hargrove

Josh Jung

Erikson Lanning

Grant Little

Davis Martin

Ryan Shetter