Texas Tech Athletics
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Preview: No. 24 Tech set for big stage in Houston
March 02, 2023 | Baseball
SHRINERS CHILDREN'S COLLEGE CLASSIC
March 3-5, 2023
Houston, Texas | Minute Maid Park
Friday, March 3
11:00 a.m. — No. 24 Texas Tech vs. RiceÂ
Watch | Listen | Stats | Tickets
Saturday, March 4
11:00 a.m. — Michigan vs. No. 24 Texas Tech Â
Watch | Listen | Stats | Tickets
Sunday, March 5Â
7:00 p.m. — No. 15 Texas A&M vs. No. 24 Texas Tech Â
Watch | Listen | Stats | Tickets
(home team listed second/all times CST)Â
Texas Tech Game Notes (PDF) | Rice Game Notes (PDF) | Michigan Game Notes (PDF) | Texas A&M Game Notes (PDF)
STARTERS
Texas Tech will take its perfect 10-0 record on the road for the Shriners Children's College Classic, hosted at Minute Maid Park. Over a three-day span, the Red Raiders will see Rice, Michigan and Texas A&M.
Coverage will be provided via AT&T SportsNet SW. Gerald Sanchez (Friday), Brett Dolan (Saturday) and Butch Alsandor (Sunday) will be on the mic for play-by-play duties while Pat Combs will provide analysis for all three games.
2023 SHRINERS CHILDREN'S COLLEGE CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS
- No. 14 Louisville
- Michigan
- Rice
- No. 10Â TCU
- No. 15Â Texas A&M
- No. 24Â Texas Tech
ALL NINE GAMES TO BE TELEVISED AND STREAMED
All nine of the tournament games will be televised on AT&T SportsNet SW and available on the channel in the entirety of the Astros five-state viewing area. On Saturday and Sunday, the 3:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. games will be shown on the AT&T SportsNet SW Alternate channel, due to a scheduling overlap with the Houston Rockets.
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Additionally, all nine games will also be streamed live without a paywall on Astros.com and on the Astros Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and the MLB app.
2023 SHRINERS CHILDREN'S COLLEGE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, March 3
No. 24 Texas Tech vs. Rice, 11Â a.m.
No. 10Â TCU vs. Michigan, 3 p.m.
No. 14Â Louisville vs. No. 15 Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 4
Michigan vs. No. 24 Texas Tech, 11 a.m.
No. 14 Louisville vs. No. 10Â TCU, 3 p.m.
Rice vs. No. 15 Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 5
Michigan vs. No. 14Â Louisville, 11 a.m.
Rice vs. No. 10 TCU, 3 p.m.
No. 15 Texas A&M vs. No. 24 Texas Tech, 7 p.m.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
- March 3 vs. Rice: RHP Brendan Girton (2-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. RHP Parker Smith (0-1, 3.09 ERA)
- March 4 vs. Michigan: LHP Mason Molina (1-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. TBA
- March 5 vs. Texas A&M: LHP Taber Fast (0-0, 5.14 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Cortez (1-0, 5.40 ERA)
TEXAS TECHÂ IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Once the 2022 season came to a close after its exit in the regional round, Texas Tech finished inside the Top 25 of all six national polls in the end-of-season rankings, extending a streak that started in 2016. Expectations remain the same in 2023 as the Red Raiders landed inside the Top 25 for the third-straight time on Monday, Feb. 27.
- D1Baseball: No. 24
- Baseball America: 18
- NCBWA: No. 16
- Collegiate Baseball: 13
- USA Coaches: No. 16
- Perfect Game: No. 12
HOT START
Head coach Tim Tadlock's 11th season at the helm of the Red Raiders baseball program is off to a 10-0 start. It is the second 10-0 start in his tenure but the 2023 squad has work to do to match his 2018 CWS team's 14-0 start to the season. According to WarrenNolan.com (as of Thursday, March 2), Texas Tech is one of nine Division-I programs remaining with a 100.0% winning percentage. During his tenure, Tadlock has built his alma mater into a national powerhouse, leading the Red Raiders to four College World Series since 2014, being one of six schools in the nation to advance to the CWS in the past nine years.
NO. 1 IN THE NATION
Number one in the nation: The Red Raiders own the nation's top mark in three statistical categories entering this week's tournament - double plays (16), doubles (32) and sacrifice flies (18). Texas Tech is second in the nation in runs scored (121), third in hits (121) and fourth in triples (6).
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE FOR TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech is off to a 10-0 start, which includes six wins versus NCAA Regional teams from the 2022 season in Gonzaga (4) and Air Force (2). Gonzaga was the 2-seed in the Blacksburg Regional last season while Air Force pushed Texas to the brink in the Austin Regional coming two wins away from the program's first Super Regional appearance before losing to host Texas. In fact, eight of the Red Raiders' first 13 games pit them against teams that appeared in the regionals last season. The last of those 13 games is the first of four Top 25 opponents that currently reside in the Top 25 in Texas A&M.Â
SERIES HISTORY - RICE
- Texas Tech and Rice have played each other 119 times dating back to 1958. The core of the two program's meetings dates back to sharing affiliation with the Southwest Conference - which disbanded in 1996.
- Texas Tech and Rice have previously met eight times at Minute Maid Park. The first was in 2001 for the Astros College Classic, shortly after the stadium debuted on April 7, 2000 for its first MLB game.
- The two programs met just last year for a three-game series at Rice. Texas Tech swept the road series to push its streak to seven wins over the Owls.
- Tech is 112-85 all-time against members of Conference USA.
SERIES HISTORY - MICHIGAN
- Texas Tech and Michigan have played each other 10 times in their respective histories with six meetings since 2019.
- Texas Tech and Michigan met last year for each of their respective 2022 season openers. The game was the first of a tournament played at the State Farm College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. In his first collegiate game, then-true freshman Owen Washburn connected for a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the ninth lifting the Red Raiders to a 7-6 win.
- The two programs had a busy 2019 season. Texas Tech swept a three-game series in Lubbock but the Wolverines got the best of the Red Raiders in the College World Series later that season. Michigan defeated Tech, 5-3, in the opening game of the CWS and six days later handed the Red Raiders its second loss, ending their CWS run.
- Tech is 42-38 all-time against members of the Big Ten.
SERIES HISTORY - TEXAS A&M
- Texas Tech and Texas A&M have played each other 155 times dating back to 1929. The core of the two programs meetings date back to sharing affiliation in Southwest Conference - which disbanded in 1996 - but unlike Rice, the series moved for as the two joined the Big 12 as charter members in 1996.
- The last time the two programs met was also at Minute Maid Park, also for the 2017 Shriners Children's College Classic. It's the only time the two programs have met since Texas A&M joined the SEC.
- Tech is 110-188 all-time against members of the SEC. Excluding Texas A&M from that record, the Red Raiders are 53-90.
SHRINERS CHILDREN'SÂ COLLEGE CLASSICÂ ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
A 13-player all-tournament team will be announced the week following the tournament. The team will consist of a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, designated hitter, three outfielders and four pitchers. The Most Outstanding Player also must be a member of the 13-man, all-tournament team.
SHRINERS CHILDREN'SÂ COLLEGE CLASSICÂ TOURNAMENT RULES
Due to the number of games per day scheduled at Minute Maid Park, the College Classic uses the mercy rule, which terminates play when one team is ahead by 10 or more runs after seven innings (6½ innings if the home team is winning).
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.
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