Texas Tech University Athletics
Friday, February 20
Lubbock, TX
2 p.m.
Texas Tech Athletics
2-3
16
vs
8
UAlbany
0-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Albany
2
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
8
8
4
Texas Tech
0
2
4
2
0
0
5
3
16
14
1
Tech doubles up UAlbany, 16-8 in home opener
February 20, 2026 | Baseball
The Red Raiders scored 11 unanswered runs to erase an early 5-2 deficit
LUBBOCK, Texas – An early Connor Shouse home run (his first as a Red Raider) jump started the Texas Tech offense, as the Red Raiders used 14 hits and 13 free passes (11 walks and two hit-by-pitches) to down the Great Danes of UAlbany 16-8 Friday afternoon in the home opener at Rip Griffin Park.
A game after he went 5-for-6 and reached base six times, Shouse homered and got on base three times to jumpstart a four-run third inning and start a 11-0 Texas Tech (2-3) run from the bottom of the third to the seventh.
Shouse's home run traveled 409 feet and clanged off the old radar gun screen attached to the Coca-Cola bottle in right center. The ball exited off the bat at 107 and shattered the screen on the display.
After UAlbany (0-1) struck first in the first inning off starter Jackson Burns, the Red Raiders got a two-RBI single in the second from catcher Davis Rivers that scored shortstop Linkin Garcia and right fielder Caden Ferraro to tie the game at two.
In his first start of the season, Rivers went 3-for-5 with the two runs driven in, while Garcia went 3-for-6 with four runs scored, three RBIs and his third home run in the last two games.
After the Great Danes chased Burns in the third when they went ahead 5-2, veteran lefty Ryan Free limited the damage by striking out back-to-back batters.
Burns went just 2.1 innings on Friday afternoon and allowed six hits, five runs (four earned) and walked three. He struck out four batters and tossed 66 pitches.
Despite walking four, Free went 2.2 scoreless innings in his return to The Rip and struck out four batters to earn his first win as a Red Raider since the 2024 Big 12 Tournament against Cincinnati.
After the Shouse home run, the Red Raider bats continued to grind out quality at-bats against UAlbany starter Dylan Banner.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Banner looked to secure the third and final out of the frame, but a fielding error scored both Ferraro and catcher Matt Quintanar to tie the game at five.
For the third straight contest, Quintanar reached base multiple times, as the catcher turned DH Friday went 4-for-4 with a walk in his home debut.
Armed with a slim 6-5 lead, Free tossed the strongest inning of his outing in the fourth, retiring the UAlbany side in order to send the game to the home half of the frame, where the Red Raiders used a pair of sacrifice flies to go ahead 8-5.
The game remained 8-5 Tech until the bottom of the seventh when back-to-back doubles from Preseason All-American Logan Hughes and Garcia plated the innings first four runs. Hughes'
double, a three-RBI bases clearing knock, was hit 110 MPH, while Garcia's RBI double was clocked at 108 off the bat.
After the Great Danes answered with three runs off freshman Jake Spindler in the top of the eighth to pull to within 13-8, sophomore Brady Trombello stranded a runner in scoring position on an inning-ending groundout.
The Red Raiders immediately answered the three-spot with three runs of their own, when a pair of stolen bases and throwing error scored Kyeler Thompson from third. The innings final two
runs came around to score on a 110 MPH, 396-foot two-run homer from Garcia. The blast gave Tech an 16-8 lead.
In the ninth, Trombello returned, tossing a 1-2-3 frame, ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the win, the Red Raiders also got two scoreless innings from Logan Bevis who allowed just one hit and did not walk a batter.
With today's 16 run barrage, the Red Raider offense has now exploded for 37 runs and 34 hits over their last two contests.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return to action tomorrow afternoon for Games Two and Three of the series with UAlbany. First pitch for the first game of the double dip is set for Noon, with the nightcap slated for 45 minutes following the conclusion of G1.
Â
A game after he went 5-for-6 and reached base six times, Shouse homered and got on base three times to jumpstart a four-run third inning and start a 11-0 Texas Tech (2-3) run from the bottom of the third to the seventh.
Shouse's home run traveled 409 feet and clanged off the old radar gun screen attached to the Coca-Cola bottle in right center. The ball exited off the bat at 107 and shattered the screen on the display.
After UAlbany (0-1) struck first in the first inning off starter Jackson Burns, the Red Raiders got a two-RBI single in the second from catcher Davis Rivers that scored shortstop Linkin Garcia and right fielder Caden Ferraro to tie the game at two.
In his first start of the season, Rivers went 3-for-5 with the two runs driven in, while Garcia went 3-for-6 with four runs scored, three RBIs and his third home run in the last two games.
After the Great Danes chased Burns in the third when they went ahead 5-2, veteran lefty Ryan Free limited the damage by striking out back-to-back batters.
Burns went just 2.1 innings on Friday afternoon and allowed six hits, five runs (four earned) and walked three. He struck out four batters and tossed 66 pitches.
Despite walking four, Free went 2.2 scoreless innings in his return to The Rip and struck out four batters to earn his first win as a Red Raider since the 2024 Big 12 Tournament against Cincinnati.
After the Shouse home run, the Red Raider bats continued to grind out quality at-bats against UAlbany starter Dylan Banner.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Banner looked to secure the third and final out of the frame, but a fielding error scored both Ferraro and catcher Matt Quintanar to tie the game at five.
For the third straight contest, Quintanar reached base multiple times, as the catcher turned DH Friday went 4-for-4 with a walk in his home debut.
Armed with a slim 6-5 lead, Free tossed the strongest inning of his outing in the fourth, retiring the UAlbany side in order to send the game to the home half of the frame, where the Red Raiders used a pair of sacrifice flies to go ahead 8-5.
The game remained 8-5 Tech until the bottom of the seventh when back-to-back doubles from Preseason All-American Logan Hughes and Garcia plated the innings first four runs. Hughes'
double, a three-RBI bases clearing knock, was hit 110 MPH, while Garcia's RBI double was clocked at 108 off the bat.
After the Great Danes answered with three runs off freshman Jake Spindler in the top of the eighth to pull to within 13-8, sophomore Brady Trombello stranded a runner in scoring position on an inning-ending groundout.
The Red Raiders immediately answered the three-spot with three runs of their own, when a pair of stolen bases and throwing error scored Kyeler Thompson from third. The innings final two
runs came around to score on a 110 MPH, 396-foot two-run homer from Garcia. The blast gave Tech an 16-8 lead.
In the ninth, Trombello returned, tossing a 1-2-3 frame, ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the win, the Red Raiders also got two scoreless innings from Logan Bevis who allowed just one hit and did not walk a batter.
With today's 16 run barrage, the Red Raider offense has now exploded for 37 runs and 34 hits over their last two contests.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return to action tomorrow afternoon for Games Two and Three of the series with UAlbany. First pitch for the first game of the double dip is set for Noon, with the nightcap slated for 45 minutes following the conclusion of G1.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Free, Ryan (1-0)
L: Banner, Dylan (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Stephens, Kyle 1 ; McAllister, Levi 2 ; Maggio, Michael 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Filippi, Luke 2 ; Loyal, Cooper 2 ; Mazzara, Victor 2 ; McAllister, Levi 1 ; Mravlja, Zach 1
SB: Filippi, Luke 1 ; McAllister, Levi 1 ; Maggio, Michael 1
HBP: Filippi, Luke 1 ; Mazzara, Victor 1 ; Hurd, Justin 1
Batting:
2B: Hughes, Logan 1 ; Quintanar, Matt 1 ; Garcia, Linkin 1
HR: Garcia, Linkin 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1
RBI: Hughes, Logan 3 ; Rivers, Davis 2 ; Ferraro, Caden 2 ; Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1 ; Garcia, Linkin 3 ; Shouse, Connor 1
SF: Ferraro, Caden 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Logan 2 ; Rivers, Davis 1 ; Ferraro, Caden 2 ; Thompson, Kyeler 2 ; Quintanar, Matt 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1 ; Lopez, Tracer 1 ; Garcia, Linkin 4 ; Orfi, Luke 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1
SB: Thompson, Kyeler 2
HBP: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
4
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
ss/3b
AB
6
R
4
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
CF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballPostgame Press Conference: UAlbany (Game One)
Friday, February 20
Highlights: UAlbany (Game One)
Friday, February 20
Win Cam: UTRGV
Wednesday, February 18
Postgame Press Conference: UTRGV
Wednesday, February 18