Texas Tech Athletics
UT Arlington
Preview: No. 22 Tech, UTA midweek tilt lies ahead
March 13, 2023 | Baseball
UT ARLINGTON at No. 22 TEXAS TECH
Lubbock, Texas | Rip Griffin Park
March 14-15, 2023
- Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.: Watch | Listen | Stats | Tickets
- Wednesday, 2 p.m.: Watch | Listen | Stats | Tickets
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS
- Tuesday
- Throwback Night:Â Players will be wearing throwback uniforms while Oldies tunes will spin throughout the evening.
Texas Tech and UT Arlington are set to square off for the first time since 2017 for a two-game midweek series, March 14-15. However, the Red Raiders will host the Mavericks at Rip Griffin Park for the first time since 2013.
Coverage will be provided via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Chris Sylvester will be on the mic for play-by-play duties while former Red Raider baseball player Mike Gustafson will provide the analysis for both games. All broadcasts can be accessed from any desktop or laptop computer, 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 well as on the web via the Varsity App. Geoff Haxton will have the call alongside Jamie Lent for each contest.
TEXAS TECHÂ IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Red Raiders are back in all six primary national baseball Top 25 rankings, as of Monday, March 13. While the Red Raiders never dropped from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect Game or the coaches poll ... the Red Raiders fell from the D1Baseball poll after its 3-2 loss to Rice and 16-inning, 4-2, loss to Texas A&M. The 3-1 weekend defeating New Mexico and then-No. 23 Iowa, has vaulted Texas Tech back inside at No. 22 in the latest D1Baseball rankings.
- D1Baseball: 22
- Baseball America: 20
- NCBWA: No. 18
- Collegiate Baseball: 16
- USA Coaches: No. 19
- Perfect Game: No. 12
Â
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
- Tuesday, March 14: RHP Zane Petty (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Lucas (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
- Wednesday, March 15: TBAÂ vs. TBA
STAT MACHINES
Through the first 17 games, the Red Raiders rank in the NCAA Top 10 in nine different statistical categories, including two that Texas Tech leads the nation in as they are No. 1 in double plays (24) and sacrifice flies (22). Tech ranks No. 2 in walks (126), No. 2 in double plays per game (1.41), No. 3 in triples (11), No. 5 in runs (175), No. 7 in triples per game (0.65), No. 7 in doubles (42) and No. 8 in hits (188).
WAY TOO EARLY RPI UPDATE
Texas Tech moved up 96 spots in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. The Red Raiders last appeared at No. 164 and checked in at No. 68 on March 12. Defeating Iowa, twice in its three-game series, aided the jump as the Hawkeyes climbed in the RPI from No. 18 to No. 10 despite losing two of three to the Red Raiders. Tech has the ability to continue to vault up the rankings as its next two opponents UT Arlington (No. 86) and Oklahoma State (No. 26) both reside in the Top 100 of the 305-team RPI field.Â
PEAKING AHEAD
The two midweek games against UTA serve as the final two nonconference games for the Red Raiders before opening Big 12 play at home, Friday-Sunday, versus Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders and Cowboys enter their respective nonconference contests this week with identical 14-3 records and are two of the three teams ranked in the Top 25 in the conference. OSU has one game before traveling to Lubbock, a March 14 date at home versus Dallas Baptist.Â
SERIES HISTORY - UT ARLINGTON
- Tuesday will be the 29th meeting between the two programs; Wednesday the 30th.
- The Red Raiders lead the all-time series, 22-6.
- Tech has won 18 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams.
- The last two meetings, 2016 & 2017, were at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.
- The Red Raiders are 15-1 all-time in home games versus the Mavericks.
- The lone loss in Lubbock since the first meeting in 1977 came in a heartbreaking 13-12 loss in 2013 - Tadlock's 17th game into his first year as head coach of the program.
- The Red Raiders are 3-2 all-time against UTA under head coach Tim Tadlock.
RECENT HISTORY WITH MAVERICKS
The last two times Texas Tech and UT Arlington faced off was at Globe Life Park. The matchup in 2016 was the Red Raiders' first game inside the major league ballpark since 2004 - a place the team has recently been very active in as the Big 12 Championship tournament moved there last season in addition to participating the College Baseball Showdown in 2021 and 2022. The park has not been too friendly, given the Red Raiders are 2-6 in the facility since the initial 2016 meeting with the Mavericks.
The 6-4 victory in 2016 victory for the Red Raiders was powered by Tyler Neslony connecting for a grand slam in the second inning. The slam capped a six-run inning, which would be all the scoring for Texas Tech in this game but it was enough as UT Arlington scored a run in the third inning, two in the fifth and one more in the seventh before future big leager Robert Dugger retired the final six Mavericks in order over the final two frames. Dugger struck out three of the six hitters he faced to earn the save. The following season, the Red Raiders entered the game ranked No. 4 in the nation but were held to just two hits, scoring one run in the third, in their first midweek loss of the season. The Mavericks tallied three runs in the second frame, followed by one in the fifth an eighth for the 5-1 marker.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPÂ
The 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, will be hosted at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 24-28. For info on attending and tickets, visit Big12Sports.com.
Â
