Texas Tech University Athletics
Preview: Red Dirt Rivalry on deck for No. 4 Tech
April 11, 2022 | Baseball
No. 4 TEXAS TECH vs. OKLAHOMA
April 12, 2022
STARTERS
After making its first appearance in Amarillo since 1979 last season, Texas Tech is back for the second season in a row to take on Oklahoma. HODGETOWN, home of the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks), will once again play host to the Red Dirt Rivalry for a nonconference showdown between the two Big 12 foes.
Television coverage will be provided via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The broadcast can be accessed from any desktop or laptop computer, any personal cellular device and television streaming services using the ESPN app. Registration for the subscription service can be found at ESPNPlus.com.
Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game over 46 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico as Geoff Haxton will have the call alongside analyst, Jamie Lent. Audio for Tuesday's ESPN+ broadcast will be simulcasted from the Texas Tech Sports Network feed.
TEXAS TECH IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
- D1Baseball: No. 4
- Baseball America: 4
- NCBWA: No. 5
- Collegiate Baseball: No. 8
- USA Coaches: No. 4
- Perfect Game: No. 6
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
- Tuesday, April 12: RHP Andrew Devine (7.00 ERA, 1-1) vs. RHP Braden Carmichael (8.20 ERA, 2-0)
RED DIRT RIVALRY RENEWED
Texas Tech and Oklahoma squared off last May in the first-ever Division I collegiate game at HODGETOWN in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 7,000 fans that saw the Red Raiders defeat the Sooners, 14-4, aided by four home runs. Tuesday's contest will go down in the books as a nonconference pairing as the two teams hook up for its three-game Big 12 series over the final weekend of the regular season, May 19-21, in Lubbock.
THREE-FOR-THREE
Texas Tech has started the 2022 Big 12 slate winning all three of its Big 12 series. The last time Tech won its first three Big 12 series was in 2016. That season, the Red Raiders won their first four Big 12 series before falling one game to three versus Texas in their fifth conference series of the year.
SCORING IN BUNCHES
Texas Tech ranks No. 1 in the nation in runs scored with 341 and Virginia is sitting behind with 329. Tech owns 14 different games of double-digit scoring this season and on March 15 in a 28-2 win against New Mexico, scored at least 28 runs in a game for just the seventh time in program history. Tech achieved that mark for the eighth time in program history less than three weeks later defeating Kansas 28-2.
WALK IT OUT
Texas Tech batters have registered 217 walks this season after 35 games, ranking No. 1 in NCAA DI baseball. Jace Jung leads the group drawing 34 walks alone, which ranks T-3rd in the nation.
SCOUTING - OKLAHOMA
- Oklahoma is 18-12. The Sooners are 5-5 in neutral site games this season, including a 4-2 mark at Globe Life Field. OU went 2-1 in the same State Farm Collegiate Showdown Texas Tech opened the season with. The Sooners also played three more games at Globe Life versus Texas, but those games are deemed home games for OU.
- Oklahoma played at Oklahoma State last time out. The Sooners won the Friday night affair but dropped the next two. OU is 4-5 this season in league play.
- Oklahoma is in its fifth season under the direction of head coach Skip Johnson (including the 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Johnson, who spent the 2017 season on staff as an assistant coach, has led the Sooners to a 130-92 record since taking over as head coach prior to the 2018 season.
- Oklahoma ranks 11th nationally in stolen bases with 65 (on 83 attempts).
- Three different Sooners own double-digit steals (Tredaway, Graham, Pettis); in comparison, Tech's leading base stealer owns four (Parker Kelly & Dillon Carter).
- In a vote of the league's head coaches, Oklahoma was selected to finish sixth in the 2022 Preseason Big 12 Baseball Coaches' Poll.
- Peyton Graham was the Sooners' one honoree on the Big 12 preseason team. He is hitting .310 this season and owns a team-leading 26 RBIs.
SERIES HISTORY
- Tuesday's meeting will be the 95th all-time between the two programs.
- Tuesday marks the second neutral-site regular season meeting between the two teams since the Big 12 was formed.
- Tech trails the all-time series 44-49-1 and is 5-10 in neutral-site contests.
- The two clubs will meet again next month for a three-game Big 12 series in Lubbock.
- The series dates back to 1976 as Oklahoma won six of the first nine games before the Big 12.
- Since the formation of the Big 12, Tech is 41-43-1 against the Sooners
- Since Tim Tadlock took over prior to 2013, Tech is 17-11 against the Sooners
- Tech has won 5-of-8 regular-season series against OU since 2013, including a sweep in Norman in 2019.
- Tech has won six of its last seven games against OU. The one Sooners' win was a one-run, 10th inning triumph.
THIS-N-THAT
- The Red Raiders are 18-1 in home games this season, and 9-7 in all other games (road & neutral).
- Texas Tech went 17-3 in the month of March.
- Tech is 18-5 this season when scoring first.
- Tech is 24-5 this season against unranked opponents.
- Tech has scored six runs or more in 25 of 35 games this season. TTU is 24-1 in those games, falling for the first time on April 6 vs. Grand Canyon after entering the ninth inning trailing 8-2 and scoring five in a comeback that fell short, 8-7.
- Tech has scored in double-digits 14 times out of 35 games.
- Tech leads the NCAA in runs scored with 341. Virginia is second with 329.
- Tech has hit five grand slams. If Tech hits a sixth this season, it would be the first time in a season to have six grand slams since 2004 - Blair (3), Brady (1), Fuller (1), Mask (3).
- Texas Tech is 21-4 this season when having at least one home run.
- Tech has scored in the first inning 17 times this season and is 14-3 when doing so.
--TECH--
