Big Weekend Awaits Tech Softball
May 01, 2008 | Softball
May 1, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LUBBOCK, Texas -
On Deck
In perhaps its biggest games of the season to date, Texas Tech welcomes Oklahoma State to Rocky Johnson Field for a weekend battle that will determine seeding for the Big 12 Tournament next weekend. The first game is set for Saturday at 2 p.m., while first pitch Sunday is scheduled for noon.
Depending on what happens with this series and the Kansas-Iowa State series this weekend, Tech could end up anywhere from the fourth to the seventh seed for the tournament.
On Air
Fans can follow all of Texas Tech's home games via 1420 AM in the Lubbock area. Matt Driskill will call the action, while Harley Chambliss provides color commentary.
Tech vs. Oklahoma State
The Red Raiders and Cowgirls have met 29 times coming into this weekend. OSU holds a 20-9 advantage in the all-time series, including a 10-3 mark in Lubbock. Tech won all three meetings last year, including two to end the regular season and the play-in game in the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders have never swept a home series with the Cowgirls.
Scouting the Cowgirls
OSU enters the weekend with a .292 team batting average and five players hitting .300 or better. Alysia Hamilton tops the Cowgirls with a .350 avg., while Mariah Gearhart is close behind at .342 to go along with 24 stolen bases. Kim Kaye paces the team in the power department with 13 dingers and 36 RBI on the season. Anna Whiddon leads OSU with a 1.87 ERA and 10-8 record on the season.
Possible Scenarios
With Texas losing to Texas A&M and Kansas splitting its double header with Nebraska Wednesday night, the Longhorns sit at 9-9 in conference play, while the Jayhawks are 6-10. Depending on what happens in Tech's series and in the Jayhawk-Cyclone series, a couple different ties could result. The conference has a tie-breaking system it uses to determine the seeding if this happens.
Big 12 Tie-Breaking System
From the Big 12 conference: The won-loss percentage record of teams following the Conference schedule shall be used for seeding placement into the tournament bracket. Should ties occur, the following procedure will be used: 1. Head-to-head competition of tied team(s); 2. Run differential of tied team(s); 3. Run differential of all conference games; 4. Won-loss record versus the highest-standing team or teams not involved in ties, commencing with the highest-standing team; 5. Overall record; 6. Coin toss.
New Mexico Wrap Up
Tech and UNM split Monday's double header, with the Red Raiders claiming game one 4-3. Montana Patin had 3 RBI in the game, including her first career triple that scored the potential game-winning triple.
Cyclone Wrap Up
Tech swept ISU last weekend by scores of 6-1 and 4-3... Sunday's game saw the Red Raiders fight back from two late deficits to pull out the win in 10 innings... Whitney Riley hit her first home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and send it into extra frames... Montana Patin finished the series a combined 4-7 with two doubles, a homer and four RBI while slugging 1.286... Tech's 13 hits Sunday tied their best output of the season.
Bear Sweeping
Tech swept perennial-power Baylor two weekends ago by scores of 4-1 and 4-3 to mark the Red Raiders' first regular-season sweep over the Bears since 1998. It was also the first time since 2003 that Baylor had been swept at home in a conference series.
Numbers to Note
The Red Raiders' seven conference wins this season is the most since 2001, when they won 10 games... Tech has won 12 home games this season, which marks the most home wins under Teresa Wilson and the most home wins in program history... The Red Raiders went 6-2 over their last eight games last year as part of their Cinderella run to the Big 12 Championship game.
Rockin Robyn
Senior Robyn Wike went on a seven-game hitting steak from .368 average with two homers, two doubles, four RBI and a .789 slugging percentage over the last seven games. Coming into this stretch, she was hitting just .187. During this stretch, she has raised her season average 31 points. Her two dingers in there equal her career high from 2006.
In Perspective
Twenty-four of the Red Raiders' losses this season have come against teams that are either ranked in the Top 25 or have been receiving votes. Fourteen losses have come against Top 25 teams, while 15 losses have been by two runs or less.
Can You Say Strength of Schedule?
Eight of Tech's 2008 opponents are currently ranked in the Top 25, while at least one other is receiving votes... Twelve teams on the Red Raiders' schedule were ranked in the preseason polls.
