Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech run-rules CSU Bakersfield for 6th-straight win
February 27, 2026 | Baseball
Redshirt Freshman Jackson Burns earned his first career win while Davis Rivers and Logan Hughes combined for three homers and 10 RBIs
LUBBOCK, Texas – Freshman Jackson Burns tossed 4.1 innings of three-run ball to earn his first career win, while juniors Davis Rivers and Logan Hughes homered three times and each drove in five to propel Texas Tech to a Friday afternoon 17-4 run-rule win over CSU Bakersfield on a sunny and warm 75-degree February day at Rip Griffin Park.
As they have all season to date, the Texas Tech (6-3) bats shined at the plate, scoring 17 times over the middle three innings of Friday's rout. The Red Raider bats struck out just three times worked five walks and recorded 17 hits marking the sixth-straight contest with double-digit hits.
After CSUB (4-6) struck for three runs to open a 3-0 lead after 2.5 innings of play, the Red Raider offense was jumpstarted by a 115 MPH, 447-foot solo home run from Rivers. The blast, his first of the season, clanged off the engineering building way beyond the 380-foot wall in right center.
With one out in the frame, a high flyball off the bat of Tracer Lopez was misplayed in LF by CSUB and turned into a double that placed the tying runs in scoring position.
Following a strikeout that put the innings second out on the board, Hughes won an eight-pitch battle against CSUB starter Ryan King and worked a free pass.
The very next Texas Tech batter, freshman Linkin Garcia, made the Roadrunners pay for the gift double, ripping a 105 MPH single through the CSUB shift and into left-center. The knock plated both freshman Jesse Rusinek from third and Lopez from second, tying the game at three-all.
Rusinek in his first-career start in center, went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored three runs. He is now hitting a blistering .615.
After another full-count walk re-loaded the bases, catcher Matt Quintanar worked a five-pitch walk to drive in the innings fourth run.
Batting around in the frame, Rivers delivered the keynote for the six-run explosion, when he doubled home both Garcia and right fielder Caden Ferraro to give the Red Raiders a 6-3 lead.
Staked to the lead for the first time, Burns used two strikeouts and a lazy grounder to third to set the Roadrunners offense down in order in the fourth.
In their half of the frame, the Red Raiders continued to pour it on, using an RBI single from Connor Shouse, a two-RBI single from Hughes and an RBI double from Garcia to take a 10-3 lead into the fifth.
Despite a lead-off three-base throwing error on a bunt play, Burns limited the damage in the fifth, winning a 2-2 battle with CSUBs Carlos Cordero to put the innings first out on the board. The grounder scored UCSB catcher Kanoa Morisaki from third.
The pitch was the final that Burns would throw on the afternoon as he was lifted for sophomore Will Jordan.
He went 4.1 innings in his third-straight Friday start and struck out four. Burns located 38 of his 56 pitches for strikes and walked just one.
Jordan continued his strong start to 2026 retiring all five Roadrunners he faced in 1.2 scoreless innings. He threw just 18 pitches (13 strikes) and whiffed two.
Up by just six, the Red Raider offense slammed the door shut in the fifth, when a should-have been inning ending fielders choice was dropped at second base to put runners on the corners for Hughes.
On the third pitch the All-American saw from CSUBs Ethan Minaker, Hughes ripped a 100 MPH, 371-foot blast into the trees in right field for his third home run of the season. The homer scored Shouse from first and Rusinek from third and gave Tech a 13-4 lead.
After a single from Garcia, a 110 MPH rocket from Ferraro hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double placing two in scoring position for Quintanar.
On the first pitch he saw from Minaker, Quintanar ripped a two-RBI single to left that scored both Ferraro and Garcia. The base hit gave Tech a 15-4 lead.
Tech's 11-run advantage ultimately reached 13 just two pitches later, when Rivers cleared the batters eye in center field for a two-run blast. The ball left his bat a 104 MPH and traveled 434 feet.
All seven runs Tech scored in the fifth, were unearned by virture of the muffed throw error at second.
On the day, Rivers went 3-for-4 with the double and two home runs, the first two home runs he has hit this season.
After the teams traded zeros in the sixth, senior Jacob Rodgers whiffed two and needed just nine pitches to record the final three outs of the Red Raiders second-straight run-rule win.
With the win, Tech now improves to 6-1 this season (lone loss vs. Arkansas) when recording at least three runs in a singular inning and to a perfect 6-0 when scoring three-or-more runs in multiple innings.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will again turn to Lukas Pirko on Saturday afternoon for the middle game of three-game weekend set. First pitch from Rip Griffin Park is once again set for 2 p.m.
As they have all season to date, the Texas Tech (6-3) bats shined at the plate, scoring 17 times over the middle three innings of Friday's rout. The Red Raider bats struck out just three times worked five walks and recorded 17 hits marking the sixth-straight contest with double-digit hits.
After CSUB (4-6) struck for three runs to open a 3-0 lead after 2.5 innings of play, the Red Raider offense was jumpstarted by a 115 MPH, 447-foot solo home run from Rivers. The blast, his first of the season, clanged off the engineering building way beyond the 380-foot wall in right center.
With one out in the frame, a high flyball off the bat of Tracer Lopez was misplayed in LF by CSUB and turned into a double that placed the tying runs in scoring position.
Following a strikeout that put the innings second out on the board, Hughes won an eight-pitch battle against CSUB starter Ryan King and worked a free pass.
The very next Texas Tech batter, freshman Linkin Garcia, made the Roadrunners pay for the gift double, ripping a 105 MPH single through the CSUB shift and into left-center. The knock plated both freshman Jesse Rusinek from third and Lopez from second, tying the game at three-all.
Rusinek in his first-career start in center, went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored three runs. He is now hitting a blistering .615.
After another full-count walk re-loaded the bases, catcher Matt Quintanar worked a five-pitch walk to drive in the innings fourth run.
Batting around in the frame, Rivers delivered the keynote for the six-run explosion, when he doubled home both Garcia and right fielder Caden Ferraro to give the Red Raiders a 6-3 lead.
Staked to the lead for the first time, Burns used two strikeouts and a lazy grounder to third to set the Roadrunners offense down in order in the fourth.
In their half of the frame, the Red Raiders continued to pour it on, using an RBI single from Connor Shouse, a two-RBI single from Hughes and an RBI double from Garcia to take a 10-3 lead into the fifth.
Despite a lead-off three-base throwing error on a bunt play, Burns limited the damage in the fifth, winning a 2-2 battle with CSUBs Carlos Cordero to put the innings first out on the board. The grounder scored UCSB catcher Kanoa Morisaki from third.
The pitch was the final that Burns would throw on the afternoon as he was lifted for sophomore Will Jordan.
He went 4.1 innings in his third-straight Friday start and struck out four. Burns located 38 of his 56 pitches for strikes and walked just one.
Jordan continued his strong start to 2026 retiring all five Roadrunners he faced in 1.2 scoreless innings. He threw just 18 pitches (13 strikes) and whiffed two.
Up by just six, the Red Raider offense slammed the door shut in the fifth, when a should-have been inning ending fielders choice was dropped at second base to put runners on the corners for Hughes.
On the third pitch the All-American saw from CSUBs Ethan Minaker, Hughes ripped a 100 MPH, 371-foot blast into the trees in right field for his third home run of the season. The homer scored Shouse from first and Rusinek from third and gave Tech a 13-4 lead.
After a single from Garcia, a 110 MPH rocket from Ferraro hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double placing two in scoring position for Quintanar.
On the first pitch he saw from Minaker, Quintanar ripped a two-RBI single to left that scored both Ferraro and Garcia. The base hit gave Tech a 15-4 lead.
Tech's 11-run advantage ultimately reached 13 just two pitches later, when Rivers cleared the batters eye in center field for a two-run blast. The ball left his bat a 104 MPH and traveled 434 feet.
All seven runs Tech scored in the fifth, were unearned by virture of the muffed throw error at second.
On the day, Rivers went 3-for-4 with the double and two home runs, the first two home runs he has hit this season.
After the teams traded zeros in the sixth, senior Jacob Rodgers whiffed two and needed just nine pitches to record the final three outs of the Red Raiders second-straight run-rule win.
With the win, Tech now improves to 6-1 this season (lone loss vs. Arkansas) when recording at least three runs in a singular inning and to a perfect 6-0 when scoring three-or-more runs in multiple innings.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will again turn to Lukas Pirko on Saturday afternoon for the middle game of three-game weekend set. First pitch from Rip Griffin Park is once again set for 2 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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C
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Postgame Press Conference: CSU Bakersfield G1
Friday, February 27
Preview Presser: CSU Bakersfield
Thursday, February 26
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Sunday, February 22