Red Raiders Look to Extend Winning Ways Against Texas
April 23, 2015 | Softball
Texas Tech closes its home slate at Rocky Johnson Field this weekend, hosting Texas in a three-game series that begins with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday evening.
April 23, 2015
INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas Tech and Texas will meet for the 40th time in program history during Friday's series opener. The Longhorns have historically controlled the series against the Red Raiders with a 32-7 all-time advantage, including a 15-2 mark in games played in Lubbock. The Red Raiders, who last defeated their in-state rival at home on April 11, 2012, with a 5-2 victory, enter the series having lost five of the past six games against Texas dating back to the 2013 season.
The Red Raiders had a chance to claim their first series win over the Longhorns in school history a year ago after downing Texas, 6-5, in the second game of the series. Texas rebounded, however, with a 7-3 victory in the finale. The Longhorns previously posted an 8-6 victory to open the series. Similar to this weekend's matchup, neither of the two teams were ranked in the top 25 of the NFCA poll when they faced each other a year ago. This is the first time in series history where the two teams have both been unranked entering the series in back-to-back seasons.
LEADING OFF...
? The Red Raiders are coming off a three-game sweep over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech's first series win over the Cowgirls in Stillwater since the 2007 season. It was the third three-game sweep of a Big 12 opponent in school history.
? The sweep of Oklahoma State followed a series win the weekend before against then-No. 25 Kansas, marking the first time Texas Tech had defeated a ranked opponent since defeating No. 15 Baylor, 6-4, in the final game of the 2013 season. The Red Raiders had previously dropped each of their past 15 games against top-25 foes prior to the Kansas series opener.
? Texas Tech is looking to win three-straight Big 12 weekend series for just the second time since the 1998 season. The Red Raiders previously claimed series wins last year over Oklahoma State, Kansas and Iowa State in consecutive weekends.
? The Red Raiders enter the Texas series riding a season-best four game winning streak. Texas Tech also won four-straight games on Feb. 20-21 this year during the UT Arlington Invitational.
? Texas Tech will be looking to extend its winning streak to five-straight games on Friday. It would mark the fourth time in school history where the Red Raiders have won five-straight games in Big 12 play. Tech also picked up five-straight wins over conference foes in 2008 and 2014 and recorded a school-record six game winning streak in 1998.
? The Red Raiders are 2-2 so far this season in Big 12 Conference series openers. Texas Tech has struggled in middle games, though, going on 1-3 thus far.
? Texas Tech will honor its five seniors - Kristi Belshe, Cara Custer, Derryn Hebert, Lea Hopson and Chandler Moore - in a ceremony following Sunday's series finale. Belshe and Hopson both transferred to Tech prior to the 2014 season while Custer, Hebert and Moore have spent their entire collegiate career as Red Raiders.
