No. 19 Tech closes stay in Arlington vs. UTA, No. 7 Oregon State

ARLINGTON, Texas – Fresh off a pair of wins over Nebraska and Oregon, the No. 19-ranked Texas Tech Baseball program closes a week-long stay in Arlington Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon with games against UTA and Oregon State.

With a pair of wins, Texas Tech (2-1) can equal the amount of wins (4) that the program had at Globe Life since the stadium opened in 2020.

First pitch against UTA is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, while Wednesday's matinee affair will begin at Noon.

There's no stream available for either game, but fans can listen to all the action on the Texas Tech Sport Network from LEARFIELD or on 'The Varsity' App.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS

MATCHUP: No. 19 Texas Tech (2-1) at UT Arlington (2-2)
DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 20
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Brady Trombello (High School) vs. LHP Austin Wallace (0-1, 13.50 ERA)

MATCHUP: No. 19 Texas Tech (0-0) vs. No. 7 Oregon State (4-0)
DATE: Wednesday, Feb. 21
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: TBA vs. TBA

STORYLINES:

LIVING THE GLOBE LIFE

The Red Raiders will spend the opening week of the 2024 season in Arlington/at Globe Life Field, starting with Friday's season-opener against No. 9 Tennessee. The weekend continues with a Saturday afternoon game against former Big 12 foe Nebraska, before concluding with a contest against 2023 Super Regional participants Oregon. After an off day on Monday (Feb. 19), the Red Raiders return to action with a midweek contest against UTA (Feb. 20) before closing with Noon clash with No. 7 Oregon State. The Red Raiders five-game road swing is the longest to open a season since 2008 when the Red Raiders opened up with eight games away from Rip Griffin Park
(4 in San Antonio, 1 in Albuquerque, 3 in Houston). The Red Raiders are 2-1 so far this week at Globe Life and could win four games this week at Globe Life. For perspective, the Red Raiders were just 4-9 all-time at Globe Life since the building opened in 2020.

NO PROBLEMS AFTER NIGHT ONE

After striking out 17 times in opening night against No. 9 Tennessee and scoring just two runs, the Red Raiders struck out just 20 combined times against Nebraska and Oregon. Tech scored 17 runs in those two contests including 11 in Sunday's win over the Ducks. As a team, the Red Raiders went 24-for-71 in the two victories, hitting six doubles and two home runs.

GREENS HEATIN' UP

After taking a tough 0-for-4 on Friday night against the Vols, Austin Green caught fire in the final two games of the weekend, going 5-of-7 in the two wins. After not starting the game against Nebraska on Saturday, Green entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, recording a double in that frame and an RBI single in the ninth inning. The outfielder got the start in Sunday's win over Oregon, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. The blast was the Red Raiders first home run of the season. Green has now homered twice at Globe Life Field in in seven games played (25 at-bats).

POMPEY SHINES ON OPENING WEEKEND

Tech SS TJ Pompey turned in a strong opening weekend, as the freshman went 4-for-10 at the plate with a pair of extra-base hits in hist first 10 college at-bats. Pompey drove home the Red Raiders lone two runs against Tennessee when tripled home a pair to bring Tech to within 3-2. The infielder drove in three runs, scored twice and did not make an error in the field in five defensive chances.

THE 'PEN IS DEEP

The strength and depth of the Red Raiders was on full display this weekend, as 10 Tech relivers pitched on the first weekend of the season. Those 10 relievers allowed just seven totals runs in 17.1 innings pitched, as nine of those 10 relievers allowed one run or fewer. Tech's bullpen ERA sits at 3.71 as the relievers struck out 22 batters in the 17.1 innings.

A HUFF AND PUFF DOES IN THE DUCKS

Abilene Christian transfer Max Huffling shined on Sunday afternoon, as the lefty helped close out an 11-7 victory for his first save as a Red Raider. Huffling struck out seven batters and recorded zero walks in the three innings he threw. Huffling's seven total Ks tie his career-high ironically enough set against the Red Raiders last season.

SLAMMED THE DOOR SHUT

The Red Raiders turned to two different relievers this weekend to nail down the save in a pair of victories over Nebraska (6-3) and Oregon (11-7). On Saturday in the ninth against Nebraska, Tech turned to Freshman Parker Hutyra who fired a scoreless frame, before giving the ball to Huffling for the aforementioned three inning save on Sunday afternoon.

BACK WITH THE WASH

Former Team USA standout and 2022 national champion Jack Washburn is back and healthy for the 2024 season, as the right-hander made his much anticipated Red Raider debut. Pitching for the first time since June of 2022 for Ole Miss, Washburn went over 600 days without an appearance. Washburn got off to a roaring start in the start against the Ducks, striking out four batters in the first two innings he pitched. Washburn retired the first seven batters before running out of gas in the fifth. In the end, Washburn went four innings plus allowing six hits, three runs (all earned). Washburn struck out six, one shy of his career high of seven.

BRAVO. DAMIAN BRAVO.

Known for his power and quick bat, outfielder Damian Bravo also had a strong start to the 2024 season, as the Haltom City native recorded five hits in his first 10 at-bats of the season. On Sunday, Bravo turned in one of the best performances of his young career, finishing 3-for-4 with three doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored. Bravo now had six of his career nine hits go for extra-bases. Bravo had just four hits all of 2023, but three of those left the ballpark.

THEY SCORED, WE ANSWERED

Oregon scored in three different innings on Sunday (fifth, sixth and seventh). In all three instances, the Red Raiders answered with at least one run scored. On the weekend, Tech was 4-8 in answering the opponent when they scored in an inning.

THE OTHER WASHBURN IS ALSO BACK

After being limited to just 18 games (52 at-bats) due to various injuries in 2023, Tech outfielder Owen Washburn is back and healthy in 2024. Owen started in all three games this weekend (two DH, one OF) and went 6-for-12 and scored three runs in his first game action since Apr. 8 of last season.

KNOW YOUR FOES:

KNOW YOUR FOE - UTA

• The Mavericks enter Tuesday's midweek contest against Texas Tech fresh off a four-game series split with American Conference foe UTSA in San Antonio. UTA earned the split by using a two-run eighth inning to flip a 3-3 tie into a 5-3 lead. UTSA used an RBI double to pull to within a run, and had both the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position with nobody out, but a costly double play on a grounder to first base combined with a grounder to second proved to be the difference.

• UTA won the opening game of the four-game set on Friday night, scoring in each of the first five innings of the contest. The Mavs slugged three homers in the games first four innings, including a three-run blast from Garrison Berkley that gave the visitors a 7-0 lead at the time. Despite being up by as many as nine runs twice (9-0; 10-1) in both the fourth and fifth, UTSA scored eight unanswered runs to pull to within 10-9 with three outs to play with, before using a groundout a pair of flyouts to seal the opening night win.

• On Saturday, the Mavs dropped a pair of contests to the Roadrunners falling in both ends of a doubleheader: 7-2 and 2-1. In the opening game of the doubleheader, UTSA used three early runs to hold on for the seven-inning victory. In the nightcap, UTSA used a lead-off double and a two-out single to walkoff the Mavs.

• At the plate five different Mavs left opening weekend with at least a .300 batting average (min. 10 at-bats) led by Tyson Pointer, who had a team best six hits in 16 at-bats. Pointer was one of four UTA hitters with at least five hits over the weekend joining Tate Bethel, Ryan Ellis and Parker Airhart. Airhart is the Mavs leader in home runs (2), RBI (4), runs scored (4) and total bases (11) through the seasons first four games.

• On the mound, UTA used 11 different arms through the four game weekend including starting pitchers: Caylon Dygert, Caden Noah, Zach Norris and Aaron Calhoun. The four UTA starters combined to go 22.1 innings this weekend, allowing 12 earned runs. Dygert was by far the best of the Mavs starters as the true freshman went 8.0 innings allowing just one unearned run. As a staff the Mavs pitched to a 5.51 ERA during opening weekend recording just 18 striekouts in 32.2 innings.

• Berkley was the lone UTA player to earn Preseason All-WAC honors as the TCU transfer started an appeared in all 58 games a season ago, hitting .365 with 20 doubles, four home runs and 38 RBIs. So far this season, Berkley is hitting just .176 with the one home run and three RBIs in 17 at-bats. The Mavs were picked to finish fifth in the WAC Baseball Coaches poll trailing GCU, Utah Valley, CBU and Abilene Christian.

KNOW YOUR FOE: OREGON STATE

• Oregon State heads to Arlington this weekend with a perfect 4-0 record and ranked as the No. 7 team in the country in Monday's D1 Baseball Top-25 poll. Oregon State went undefeated in the College Baseball Classic defeating New Mexico (15-6) on Friday morning, Minnesota on Saturday morning (6-4), CSU Bakersfield (15-2) on Sunday morning and Minnesota (6-1) on Monday afternoon. Oregon State ran through the weekend outscoring its three opponents 42-13 over the wrap around weekend tournament. Currently hitting .351 as team, five different OSU hitters made it through the opening weekend with at least a .400 average, led by Travis Bazzana and Trent Caraway who were a combined 17-for-32 in the seasons first four games with five home runs and nine RBIs. As a team, Oregon State recorded 47 total hits over the four-game weekend, as 14 of those 42 hits left the yard. Nine different OSU players had a home run as four Beavers had multiple homers.

• The Beavs are led by their stellar infield that consists of a pair potential First Round picks in Bazzana and SS Elijah Hainline. A Second Team ABCA Second Team All-American and All-Pac 12 First Team selection, Bazzana hit .374 in 61 games in 2023 with 34 extra-base hits (20 doubles, three triples and 11 home runs) and 55 RBIs. Bazzana's on-base percentage was an even .500, as the infielder recorded 59 total walks and struck out just 47 times in 238 official at-bats. So far this season, Bazzana is hitting .563 (9-for-16) with five extra-base hits (three home runs, one double and one triple) and seven RBIs. Bazzana was named Pac-12 Player of the Week (based on the season's first three games) after going 7-for-13 over the season's first three games. Bazzana hit three homers on the week including a pair in the Beavs 15-2 win over CSU Bakersfield on Sunday. A transfer from Washington State, Hainline struggled during the opening weekend of the season, going just 1-for-11. The shortstop did however walk four times, scoring four runs.

• The Beavers success was not just limited to what they did at the plate, as OSUs pitching staff as a whole shined through the season's opening week, pitching to a 1.75 ERA in 36.0 innings pitched. Led by its quartet of starting pitchers: Aiden May, Jaren Hunter, Eric Degura and Jacob Kmatz, OSU allowed just seven earned runs during opening weekend. May was the lone starter from the group listed above to earn a victory, as the righty from Albuquerque fired 5.1 innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts. Just one Oregon State pitcher, Kyle Scott, has earned a save so far in 2024, as the Seal Beach, Calif. native earned that save in the 6-4 victory over Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.

• Following Wednesday's contest against the Red Raiders, the Beavers will stay in Arlington through the end of the weekend, as they will participate in the Kubota College Baseball series against Arkansas (Friday, 7 p.m. CT), Michigan (Saturday, 3 p.m. CT) and Oklahoma State (Sunday, 5 p.m. CT) before finally returning home for a weekend series next weekend with North Dakota State.

• A dark horse pick for Omaha, the Beavers were chosen as the Pac-12s pick to win the league as the they earned eight of the 10 first place votes. OSU began the season ranked inside the top-10 of all five major polls and currently is ranked inside the top-eight of all of those polls. Led by Bazzana and May, five total Beavers were selected to the Preseason All-Pac 12 team: May, Kmatz, first baseman Mason Guerra, Bazzana and outfielder Micah McDowell. The Pac did a 33-man All-Conference team ahead of the season.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return home for the 2024 home opener on Friday afternoon when the Tigers of Texas Southern pay a visit to Lubbock. First pitch for the weekend series is set for 2 p.m. The game will start a six-game homestand and a stretch of 11-of-12 games at the friendly confines of Rip Griffin Park.

No. 19 Tech closes stay in Arlington vs. UTA, No. 7 Oregon State

Players Mentioned

Damian Bravo

Austin Green

Max Huffling

Parker Hutyra

TJ Pompey

Brady Trombello

Jack Washburn

Owen Washburn

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