Red Raiders Set for Big 12 Softball Championship
May 08, 2006 | Softball
May 8, 2006
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LUBBOCK, Texas - After playing the toughest schedule in the program's history and taking another step in the development of the program under second-year head coach Teresa Wilson, the Texas Tech softball team will hit the road for Oklahoma City this week to take part in the 2006 Softball Championship. The event will be held at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, the home of the USA National team.
The Red Raiders enter the tournament as the No. 10 seed after completing the regular season with an overall record of 19-34 and a conference mark of 4-13. Tech will face off against seventh-seeded Missouri in the play-in round of the tournament on Wednesday, with the winner earning a match-up with the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the double-elimination portion of the event. The Texas Longhorns captured the top seed at the tournament after they won the 2006 Big 12 Championship with a 15-2 mark in conference play.
Sophomore Jennifer Corkin has shaken off some early struggles this season to emerge as a force in the Red Raider line-up, showing the same form she did as a freshman in 2005, when she led the team in batting average, home runs and RBI. The Avondale, Ariz., native has hit safely in 15 of her last 18 contests to raise her batting average to .288 on the year. Redshirt freshman Montana Patin has also been impressive with the bat, leading the team with a .290 average this season, including a .288 clip in Big 12 play.
On the basepaths, Ashley Parker enters the tournament looking to put a exclamation point on her record breaking season. The junior outfielder has set the single season record for stolen bases by swiping 34 bases, shattering the old mark of 26, which was set on two different occasions by former Red Raider outfielder Sandy Butler. The 34 steals places Parker first in the Big 12 and third nationally.
Butler, who's playing career at Tech ended after the 2001 season, also made news this week as she was named to the All-Big 12 Softball Tenth Anniversary Team.
In the circle, Senior Erin Crawford has draw most of the work for the Red Raiders with 10 starts in Big 12 play. On the year, the Leander, Texas, native has compiled a 2.33 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 180 innings of work. Sophomore Sarah Losleben has also been impressive in her recent outings for Tech, including a 10-strikeout performance against UTSA on April 26.
Texas Tech holds an all-time record of 8-15 at the Big 12 Softball Championship.
