No. 6 Tech Squares Off With K-State In Manhattan

LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 6 Texas Tech baseball team heads to Manhattan for its third road conference series of the year, taking on Kansas State on April 13-15, at Tointon Family Stadium.

Thursday & Friday's games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. starts, while Saturday's getaway day is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch. All three games will be available on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app, as well as on the Texas Tech Sports Network on 97.3 FM & the TuneIn app. Live stats will also be available via TexasTech.Statbroadcast.com.

The Red Raiders (29-7, 6-3) and the Wildcats (16-16, 1-8) have each played three conference series so far in 2017. Tech began the Big 12 schedule with a three-game sweep over then-No. 21 Texas, while picking up one win at then-No. 15 Oklahoma before a series victory over then-No. 29 Baylor last weekend.

The Wildcats picked up one win at Oklahoma State last weekend, while dropping all three contests against TCU and Texas. This series will mark the second home Big 12 set for the Wildcats this year.

Last season, Tech swept K-State in Lubbock behind scores of 10-3, 10-4 and 6-5 over the three-game set. The Red Raiders ride a six-game win streak against the Wildcats into Thursday's tilt, thanks to wins in the final two games of the road series in 2015 and an 8-5 win at the Big 12 Tournament last season. Tech is 9-1 over the last 10 meetings between the two programs and hold the all-time advantage in the series, 37-26-1.

The Wildcats are hitting .257 as a team this year, with Cameron Thompson & Will Brennan leading the way with .346 and .340 batting averages, respectively. Thompson has recorded a team-high 45 hits, while scoring 24 runs, while Brennan earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for his performance last week.

On the mound, K-State turn to Justin Heskett, Parker Rigler and Hudson Treu to start this weekend's slate of games. Heskett leads the trio with a 2.66 ERA and a 3-2 record, with Rigler closely behind at 2.70 at 2-3. The two have each rung up 30+ batters this season, while Treu will make his second start of the year in Saturday's finale.

Tech will counter with a .301 team-batting average, as six different Red Raiders have recorded clips above the team average in: Grant Little (.358), Hunter Hargrove (.342), Ryan Long (.333), Michael Berglund (.320), Tanner Gardner (.308) and Josh Jung (.304). Hargrove is not only the team leader in hits (52), but also tops the Big 12, which includes 16 doubles, two triples and four homers. Orlando Garcia holds the top spot in the conference in homers with eight after adding four last weekend against Baylor, while also taking over the team-lead in RBI with 37.

Garcia's week helped him earn Big 12 Player of the Week and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. He is the first Red Raider to earn a national honor this season and the sixth conference accolade recipient.

On Wednesday, two more honors rolled in for the Red Raiders. Steven Gingery was added to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, one of 40 in the country to make the list. Hargrove was also named Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Player of the Week for the second time this year, who was placed on the award's watch list at the beginning of the season.

The Red Raiders are coming off a 12-4 victory over New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon. Tech racked up 10+ runs for the 10^th time this season behind 11 hits and two Lobo errors. Four different Red Raiders threw down multi-hit performances, as Jung and Michael Davis both drove in three runs and Kholeton Sanchez crossed home plate three times. It was the second time this season Tech has defeated New Mexico, picking up a 7-2 win on Feb. 28. The two teams will meet again in a couple weeks in Albuquerque for a two-game midweek series.

Tech went 3-1 last week, throwing down a 15-4 victory over New Mexico State in Las Cruces on April 4. The Red Raiders followed it with a series win over then-No. 29 Baylor at Rip Griffin Park, picking up a 13-2 win in game one & a 5-3 victory in the second contest to clinch the series. Tech dropped a heartbreaker in Sunday's finale, 10-9, allowing the Bears to salvage the trip to Lubbock.

Tech's 3-1 week moved the Red Raiders up to No. 6 in all six polls in this week's rankings. It is the first time this season Tech has been placed in the same slot by all of the national publications. The Red Raiders have been ranked inside the top six of at least one poll in each of the last two years.

After the early weekend series, Tech will head out to Midland for its final game of the year against New Mexico State on Tuesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at Security Bank Ballpark.

No. 6 Tech Squares Off With K-State In Manhattan

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Players Mentioned

Michael Berglund

Michael Davis

Orlando Garcia

Tanner Gardner

Steven Gingery

Hunter Hargrove

Josh Jung

Grant Little

Ryan Long

Kholeton Sanchez