Baseball: Season In Review
June 01, 2006 | Baseball
June 1, 2006
TEXAS TECH BASEBALL
2006 Season In Review
Complete Season Review in PDF Format
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RED RAIDERS CONCLUDE 2006 SEASON
The 2006 season was a rollercoaster ride for the Red Raiders but Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays fully understands the potential that his team will have in 2007.
Texas Tech wrapped up the 2006 season with an overall record of 31-26-1 and finished with a 9-16-1 record in Big 12 play. Tech's 9-16-1 record in league play was good enough for an eighth place finish in the conference standings and the final berth in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. Despite a 9-13-1 record in Big 12 play heading into the regular-season finale at Oklahoma State, the Red Raiders were still in contention for an at-large berth into the NCAA Regionals. A series win at Oklahoma State and a pair of wins in Oklahoma City, would have most likely given Tech a chance at the NCAA Tournament. That, however, was not meant to be as the Red Raiders ended the season on a six-game losing streak which is the longest by a Tech team since the 1992 season. Tech was swept at #13 Oklahoma State (third series sweep of the season and most since 1992) and the finished 0-3 in the Big 12 Championships with losses to #6 Texas, #11 Nebraska and Baylor.
Perhaps the biggest story of the season was the play of one of the most impressive groups of freshmen to come to Texas Tech in several years. Roger Kieschnick, James Leverton, Willie Rueda, AJ Ramos, Miles Morgan, and Drew Evans combined for 199 starts. Kieschnick became the most heralded freshman since Josh Bard as he was named the consensus Big 12 Freshman of the year after finishing the season with a .359 average, 14 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 55 RBI. Miles Morgan was named the Big 12's Freshman Pitcher of the Year after logging 106 2/3 innings as Tech's Friday night starter and complied a 6-7 record, a 3.92 ERA and 103 strikeouts.
Of Texas Tech's 26 players that made up the postseason roster, 19 will return in 2007.