No. 24 Tech heads to Baylor for weekend set

Friday, March 15

Waco, TX

6:30 p.m. CT

Texas Tech Athletics

Baylor

No. 24 Tech heads to Baylor for weekend set

March 14, 2024 | Baseball

Game Notes (at Baylor) Stream (Fri) Stream (Sat) Stream (Sun) Fri Stats Sat Stats Sun Stats

The weekend series will kick off on Friday night with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch

By: Andrew Stern

WACO, Texas – Fresh off a midweek sweep of New Mexico State, No. 24 Texas Tech Baseball hits the road for the first time in Big 12 play when they head to Waco to face Baylor this weekend.

The weekend gets going on Friday night with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch from Baylor Ballpark. The middle game of the series is set for a 2 p.m. start with Sunday's series finale set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

Tech enters the weekend having won back-to-back series over Baylor.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:

GAME ONE:
MATCHUP: No. 24 Texas Tech (13-4, 1-2 Big 12) at Baylor (5-11, 0-3 Big 12)
DATE: Friday, Mar. 15, 2024
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Baylor Ballpark (Waco, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Kyle Robinson (2-2, 8.00 ERA) vs. RHP Mason Marriott (0-2, 5.68 ERA)

GAME TWO:
MATCHUP: No. 24 Texas Tech (13-4, 1-2 Big 12) at Baylor (5-11, 0-3 Big 12)
DATE: Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024
TIME: 2 p.m.
LOCATION: Rip Griffin Park (Lubbock, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Mac Heuer (2-0, 2.76 ERA) vs. RHP Collin McKinney (1-2, 6.88 ERA)

GAME THREE:
MATCHUP: No. 24 Texas Tech (13-4, 1-2 Big 12) at Baylor (5-11, 0-3 Big 12)
DATE: Sunday, Mar. 17, 2024
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Baylor Ballpark (Waco, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Jack Washburn (1-0, 7.80 ERA) vs. LHP Mason Green (0-1, 5.14 ERA)

1-2-3 HEADLINES:

* Fresh off a midweek sweep of New Mexico State, No. 24 Texas Tech hits the road for the first time in conference play when they head to Waco for a weekend series with Baylor. The weekend begins on Friday night with a 6:30 p.m. contest. The weekend continues on Saturday with a 2 p.m. game before the finale is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

* The Red Raiders are looking to rebound in conference play after dropping a weekend series to Texas last weekend. In that series the Red Raiders rebounded to take Saturday's second game 7-2. In that game freshman Mac Heuer shoved to the tune of six innings pitched and eight punchouts.

* The Red Raider offense has been on fire as of late, as Tech enters the weekend series with a streak of 14 straight game scoring at least seven runs. The last time the Red Raiders didnt score seven or more runs in a game was Feb. 21 against Oregon State when the Red Raiders managed just four runs in a setback to the Beavers.

WEEKEND NOTES:

BRAVO. DAMIAN BRAVO.
Damian Bravo has been on fire through the seasons first 17 games. Bravo is hitting .471 so far with 32 hits in 68 at-bats. Bravo leads the country in doubles per game and in total doubles. Bravo leads the Big 12 Conference in average, on-base percentage and doubles.

DYLAN TO THE MAX
Catcher Dylan Maxcey has seized his opportunity for extended playing time with Kevin Bazzell sidelined. Maxcey led the Red Raiders in batting average over the week, as the catcher hit 5-for-12 with four runs scored a homer run and seven RBIs. Maxcey drove in three runs in the win over New Mexico last Tuesday when he pinch-hit. In Saturday's win over Texas, Maxcey drove in four runs and hit his second home run of the season. In the midweek against NM State, Maxcey went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Since Bazzell has gone down, Maxcey is 11-for-28 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.

TWO WITH 25
The Red Raiders currently have two players in Damian Bravo and TJ Pompey with at least 25 RBIs. Pompey recorded his 25th RBI in the win over NM State. Bravo has driven in 29 runs this season through the first 17 games. Bravo leads the Big 12 in RBIs, while the duo are the only two players in the Big 12 to each record 25 RBIs.

ROLLIN' IN THE DEEP
Another pitcher who changed his warmup song in 2024 was senior Josh Sanders, who will now warmup to Adelle's Rolling in the Deep. So far it seems the warmup song is working for Sanders, as the righty has pitched 9.1 innings thus far, allowing just seven hits and four runs (two earned). Sanders has now struck out 13 batters in his 9.1 innings of work. Sanders has struck out 14 batters in is 11.2 innings pitched and has allowed just two runs. Hitters are hitting just .186 against him.

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 has started 13 of the 15 games this season and is currently hitting .327 with three home runs and nine RBIs. In the Red Raiders Sunday victory over TX Southern, Washburn hit a pair of home runs and drove in five to help his older brother Jack earn his first career win. Washburn's on-base percentage sits at .431 through his first 49 at-bats.

MCGEES BEEN ON BASE A LOT
Former Freshman All-American and Gonzaga transfer Cade McGee continues to provide a different and unique approach to the lineup this season. McGee has played and started in every game yet only has recorded 48 official at-bats because he has walked 19 times and been hit by 13 pitches. When you add it up, McGee has come to the plate 80 times through the first 17 games of the season and he has reached base safely in 46 of those at-bats. His on-base percentage sits at an eye-popping .561.

RETURN OF THE MAC
Freshman Mac Heuer will once again take the ball for the Red Raiders for a weekend start, after throwing five one-run innings in last Saturday's 29-3 victory over Gardner-Webb. Heuer earned his first career victory in the game against the Bulldogs and has pitched to a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched. Last weekend, Heuer took the ball for his first Big 12 start of his career, pitching a career-high six innings with eight strikeouts. Heuer was a 16th-round selection by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2023 MLB Draft.

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). On Sunday against Texas Southern, Washburn earned his first career victory as a Red Raider and his first college win since May 20, 2023 against Texas A&M. Washburn struck out a career-best eight batters in the Red Raiders run-rule win over the Tigers.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return home for a Tuesday night midweek against Abilene Christian. First pitch from Rip Griffin Park is set for 2 p.m. The midweek against the Wildcats starts the Red Raiders second five-game homestand of the month of March, as Tech will host BYU next weekend and Stephen F. Austin a week from Tuesday.