No. 7 Red Raiders Host No. 14 OSU in Big 12 Opener

LUBBOCK, Texas – Big 12 baseball returns to Lubbock this weekend as No. 7 Texas Tech baseball plays host to No. 14 Oklahoma State in a three-game series at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

The first conference series since the 2019 season begins Friday with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. Tech and OSU will battle again at 2 p.m. on Saturday and conclude the series with a 2 p.m. finale on Sunday.

The entire series can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with John Harris and Mike Gustafson on the call. As always, fans can also tune in to the radio call from Geoff Haxton and Jamie Lent on the Texas Tech Sports Network.

Fans are encouraged to check www.TexasTech.com for ticket availability for upcoming home games. Season ticket holders who are unable to attend a game in which they have tickets are encouraged to utilize Texas Tech's mobile ticketing transfer platform to ensure their seats are used on gameday.

The Red Raiders (14-3) enter Friday's contest on a 14-game winning streak after a four-game sweep of UConn last weekend. Tech had an open midweek for the first time in three weeks.

Oklahoma State (11-3-1) got off to its best start in nine seasons under head coach Josh Holliday with a 9-0 record. The Cowboys, however, dropped 2-of-3 to No. 2 Vanderbilt last weekend and suffered a 13-6 loss to UL-Monroe in a midweek tilt Tuesday at Globe Life Field.

PITCHING MATCHUP
Texas Tech will remain with the same starting rotation for the third consecutive week in RHP Brandon Birdsell on Friday, LHP Patrick Monteverde on Saturday and LHP Mason Montgomery on Sunday. Oklahoma State's rotation is undecided.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday's meeting will be the 84^th between the two programs in a series that dates back to 1983. The Red Raiders have been on a tear against the Pokes recently, winning nine of the last 10 contest to pull within a game of OSU in the all-time series at 42-41. The two teams last met in the 2019 Super Regional as Tech won 2-of-3 games to advance to the College World Series. The Red Raiders have swept the last two regular-season series against the Cowboys and lead series, 38-36, since the formation of the Big 12.

HEAD COACHES AT THEIR ALMA MATERS
Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock and Oklahoma State skipper Josh Holliday are two of 10 head coaches in the power conferences to currently lead their alma maters. Tadlock was a shortstop for the Red Raiders from 1991-92, while Holliday was a catcher, third baseman and utility player for the Cowboys from 1996-99. Both Tadlock and Holliday took over at their alma maters in 2013. Texas Tech is 16-10 against Oklahoma State since 2013.

TADLOCK 3 AWAY FROM 2^ND PLACE
In 2016, Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock took over the No. 3 spot in the all-time career wins records at Texas Tech. He entered 2021 just 16 wins away from matching Kal Segrist for the No. 2 spot at 317 wins. Now at 14-3, a series win over Oklahoma State would put Tadlock in a tie for second place with Segrist, and a series sweep would move him into sole possession of second place, trailing only the legendary Larry Hays, who has 813 career wins.

11^th ANNUAL BROOKS WALLACE MEMORIAL CLASSIC
The weekend set will serve as Texas Tech's 11th annual Brooks Wallace Memorial Classic. Brooks Wallace played shortstop for the Red Raiders from 1977-80 and was later an assistant coach. He died in 1985 at the age of 27 after a battle with Leukemia.

BIG 12 OPENERS
Texas Tech opens Big 12 play at home for the first time under head coach Tim Tadlock, and the first time overall since 2009. Tech is 9-14 all-time in Big 12 openers, but 4-3 under Tadlock. Tech has won its conference-opening series four times in seven seasons under Tadlock with an 11-10 record overall. This will be the first time Tech has opened Big 12 play against OSU.

STREAKING
Tech enters Friday's Big 12 opener on a 14-game winning streak. It is only the fifth time a Red Raider team has won 14 consecutive games. The 2018 and 1995 clubs won 14 in a row, the 1996 and 1988 teams won 15 consecutive games, and the 2002 club won a school-record 16 consecutive games. This is the fifth time in the last six years under Tadlock that Tech has compiled a double-digit winning streak.

HOME WINNING STREAK
Texas Tech is off to an 11-0 start at home for the second straight year and has won 23 straight at Rip Griffin Park dating back to 2019. It is the second longest home winning streak in school history, surpassing the mark of 21 consecutive games during the 1999 season. The longest home winning streak is 24 games, which occurred during the 1996 season from February 22-April 26.

NATIONAL RANKINGS (TEAM)
Texas Tech ranks among the top 10 nationally in six categories. Defensively, Tech ranks second in the nation with 18 double plays this year. Offensively, the Red Raiders are third in runs and base on balls, fourth in doubles, sixth in home runs and ninth in on base percentage. Tech is also in the top 25 nationally in slugging percentage, hits, scoring, stolen bases and hit by pitches.

NATIONAL RANKINGS (INDIVIDUAL)
Four different Red Raiders enter the weekend with numbers that rank among the nation's best offensively. Jace Jung leads the country in RBI and ranks in the top 10 in total bases (7^th), home runs (8^th) and base on balls (9^th). Additionally, Dru Baker ranks 2^nd nationally in runs, Cal Conley ranks 7^th nationally in hits, and Dylan Neuse is tied with Jung at 9^th nationally in base on balls.

NATIONAL POLLS
This is Tech's fifth straight week to be ranked in the top 10 by at least one of the six major polls to star the 2021 season. The Red Raiders moved in all but one poll this week, including to No. 7 in the D1Baseball poll. Tech re-entered the top five in the NCBWA rankings (4) and the Collegiate Baseball rankings (5) and rose to No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 7 in Baseball America's rankings. Perfect Game dropped the Red Raiders a spot to No. 8 after their 6-0 week. Tech has been ranked in the top 10 of at least one poll a combined 54 weeks since 2017.

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No. 7 Red Raiders Host No. 14 OSU in Big 12 Opener

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Players Mentioned

Dru Baker

Brandon Birdsell

Cal Conley

Jace Jung

Patrick Monteverde

Mason Montgomery

Dylan Neuse

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