Baseball Faces West Texas A&M
February 05, 2001 | Baseball
Feb. 5, 2001
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THE RED RAIDERS
Texas Tech entered the Astros College Classic with a perfect 2-0 record but managed just one win over the weekend to give the team an overall mark of 3-2. Texas Tech's lone win in the Astros College Classic came on Friday against TCU when the team took a 5-4 decision from the Frogs. Tech snapped a two-game losing streak to TCU that dated back to the 2000 season.
The Red Raiders had problems in every aspect against Rice and Houston as the squad gave up 27 hits, 24 runs and committed eight errors. Texas Tech lost to Rice 13-6 on Saturday and fell to Houston 11-5 on Sunday.
Tech's 3-2 record is the worst start since the 1995 season in which Tech also went 3-2 after losing two games to Arizona State to open the season. Tech rebounded that season and won 51 games en route to a school-best record of 51-14 and a birth in the NCAA Regional Championship game in which they lost to Stanford.
The Tech pitching staff gave up 29 runs and 29 hits over the weekend. The Tech bullpen placed 13 pitchers on the mound in three games.
Junior transfer Chris Phillips was the bright spot of the Tech pitching staff as he went 8 2/3 innings giving up eight hits and striking out four.
Senior leftfielder Jason Rainey and junior rightfielder Kerry Hodges were named to the all-tournament team for their performances over the weekend. Rainey went 5-12 with two RBI while Hodges went 4-12 with four RBI and a three-run home run.
LOOKING AHEAD
Texas Tech comes home to the friendly confines of Dan Law Field this week for a four-game homestretch. Tech plays West Texas A&M on Tuesday and Cal-State Northridge in a three-game series this weekend. Following Tech's four-game home appearance, the Red Raiders will hit the road again where they will face New Mexico in Albuquerque on Tuesday Feb. 13 and will play in the Greater San Diego Tournament Feb. 15-17. Texas Tech will leave Albuquerque and travel straight to San Diego for the tournament. The Red Raiders will play UC-Riverside, Oregon State, San Diego State and San Diego on the campus of San Diego State University.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Tuesday: Blake McGinley, LHP
Friday: Chris Phillips, RHP (2-0)
Saturday: Brandon Roberson, RHP (0-1)
Sunday: Chad Ertel, RHP
RAIDERS ON THE AIR
For the eighth consecutive season, the entire Texas Tech baseball game schedule will be broadcast live on the Red Raider Radio Network and made available to its statewide affiliates. Play-By-Play voice of the Red
Raiders Mark Finkner will make the call in this his sixth season. He will be joined by popular color commentator Ryan Hyatt who will be in the broadcast booth for his fourth season. Finkner and Hyatt will host a 20-minute pregame show and will have postgame interviews with players and coaches. Tech baseball games can be heard locally on KKAM 1340 AM.
PHILLIPS TURNS A FEW HEADS
Junior transfer Chris Phillips had an impressive performance on Friday against the TCU Horned Frogs. Phillips pitched 8 2/3 innings while giving up eight hits and striking out four. He earned his second consecutive win of the season since tossing 6.0 innings against Howard in the second game of the doubleheader. Phillips has an ERA of 2.45 and a perfect record of 2-0.
RAINEY LOOKING FOR 100
Senior Jason Rainey made his debut last season at Texas Tech after transferring from Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. Rainey finished the 2000 season with 76 hits. He got his first hit of the 2001 season against TCU on Feb. 4 when he hit a two-run home run to win the ball game. He now has 81 hits in his career meaning he needs just 19 to reach the century mark.
TECHSTERS MAKE ALL-TOURNEY
Senior leftfielder Jason Rainey and junior rightfielder Kerry Hodges were named to the Astros College Baseball Classic All-Tournament team for their performances over the weekend. Rainey went 5-12 with two RBI while Hodges went 4-12 with four RBI and a three-run home run. Rainey hit a two-run home run to help Tech win its game against TCU.
TECH PLAGUED BY ERRORS
Texas Tech found out about the costliness of errors the hard way this weekend as Tech put up nine in three games. Tech committed five errors against Rice that led to a 13-6 loss to the Owls. The Red Raider defense gave up three against Houston on Sunday in an 11-6 loss. Tech's five errors against Rice were the most in a single-game since committing five against Kansas State on April 2, 2000.
RAIDERS EDGE TCU 5-4
Senior Jason Rainey hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning that helped secure a 5-4 win over the TCU Horned Frogs on Friday afternoon in the Astros College Classic at Enron Field.
With the win, Texas Tech improves to 3-0 on the season while TCU fall to 2-1. The victory by Tech snapped a two-game losing streak to TCU dating back to last season.
Junior right-handed pitcher Chris Phillips went 8 2/3 innings before being replaced by Blake McGinley in the bottom of the ninth. Phillips (2-0) struckout six batters and gave up eight hits and three walks to help him earn his second straight win of the season. Senior lefthander Blake McGinley struckout the final batter of the ninth inning that earned him his first save of the season.
Texas Tech scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning when Tyler Carson was sent home after a balk was called against TCU pitcher Chris Bradshaw. TCU tied the score in the bottom of the second inning when Walter Olmstead connected on a solo home run over the right field fence.
TCU took the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Olmstead hit a double to left field which scored shortstop Erick Macha.
The Red Raiders took the lead for good in the top of the sixth when Jason Rainey punched out a two-run bomb to right field. The home run was Rainey's first home run and first hit of the 2001 season. Tyler Carson sealed the win in the top of the seventh when he scored on a passed ball. TCU got one final run in the bottom of the ninth before McGinley struckout the final batter of the inning.
TECH SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
Texas Tech and Rice played in front of 14,997 fans on Sat. Feb. 3 making the game the largest non-conference crowd to watch the Red Raiders play. During the Astros College Classic at Enron Field in Houston, 39,618 fans watched the Red Raiders play in three games.