Tech opens Big 12 play with weekend set vs. KU

Friday, March 13

6:30 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

Kansas

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Texas Tech puts its Guns Up following the win over No. 24 UTSA

Tech opens Big 12 play with weekend set vs. KU

March 12, 2026 | Baseball

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The Red Raiders will open Big 12 play for the fifth time in six seasons at home

By: Andrew Stern

LUBBOCK, Texas – Winners of 11-of-13, Texas Tech Baseball opens Big 12 Conference play this weekend when the Jayhawks of Kansas visit Rip Griffin Park for a three-game series this Friday-through-Sunday.

The series will conclude the Red Raiders extended 15-game homestand and starts with Friday's 6:30 first pitch. The series will continue on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. first pitch, before the 1 p.m. Sunday series finale.

Getting off to a good start at home this season, the Red Raiders improved to 10-2 at "The Rip" and with a series victory can equal last season's 25-game home win total.

INSIDE THE SERIES:
GAME ONE:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (11-5, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Kansas (10-6, 0-0 Big 12)
DATE: Friday, March 13, 2026
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Lukas Pirko (2-1, 5.31 ERA) vs. RHP Mason Cook (0-0, 3.60 ERA)

GAME TWO:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (11-5, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Kansas (10-6, 0-0 Big 12)
DATE: Saturday, March 14, 2026
TIME: 2 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Connor Mohan (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Dominic Voegele (2-2, 9.72 ERA)

GAME THREE:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (11-5, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Kansas (10-6, 0-0 Big 12)
DATE: Sunday, March 15, 2026
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Jackson Burns (1-1, 7.04 ERA) vs. RHP Mathis Nayral (2-1, 4.74 ERA)

HEADLINES IN 1-2-3:
* Texas Tech closes out a 15-game homestand this weekend when it welcomes Kansas for the start of Big 12 Conference play. The Red Raiders and Jayhawks will meet for the first time since 2024 and for the first time in Lubbock for the first time since 2023. Texas Tech will open Big 12 play at home for the fifth time in six seasons. The Red Raiders opened Big 12 play last season at Houston.

* After going a disappointing 12-13 at Rip Griffin Park a season-ago (tied for most home losses in ballpark history), the Red Raiders could equal (with a series win) or pass their 2025 home win total this weekend (with a sweep). So far this season, the Red Raiders are hitting .416 at the friendly confines of Rip Griffin Park. Tech is 10-2 through the first 12 home games of the season and are outscoring opponents by 90 total runs (156-68). In total, every Tech starter (started in at least eight games) is hitting over .364 led by Jesse Rusinek and Caden Ferraro who are both hitting .500.
* In addition to the success that the Red Raiders have enjoyed on the homestand, the offense has also taken a major step forward this season, as the Red Raiders have now scored eight or more runs in 13-straight contests (new program record) and are ranked first in the country in doubles, second in average (.379), scoring (11.8) and are third in on-base percentage (.486). The Red Raiders are also third in the country in slugging percentage (.627).

SERIES NOTES:

HOME COOKIN'

Texas Tech continues to enjoy the fruits of a 15-game, 25 day homestand that is the longest homestand in program history. So far 12 games through the 15-game swing, the Red Raiders are 10-2 and have won six of the 10 contests in run-rule fashion. So far on the homestand, the Red Raiders are outscoring opponents 156-68. On the homestand, the Red Raiders are hitting a blistering .416 (172-for-413) and have scored at least eight runs in all 12 games and have reached double figures in nine of those contests. In total, seven Red Raiders are hitting at least .400 on the homestand led by Caden Ferraro who is 15-for-30 (.500) with 15 runs scored and 11 RBIs. Ferraro has walked 13 times and struck out just five times, recording an on-base percentage of .644. The Red Raiders second-leading hitter on the homestand is Freshman Jesse Rusinek who has hit .500 (17-for-34) with a home run and 14 RBIs. Rusinek has also stolen all four bases he's attempted.

TWO-WAY STANDOUT

A week after being named to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List, Freshman Jesse Rusinek continues to cement his status as one of the nation's best two-way players, as Ruisnek has started 17 for his first 34 at the plate with three doubles, two triples and a home run. Rusinek has driven in 14 and scored 11 runs. On the mound, Rusinek has also flashed as one of the Red Raiders best pitchers, as the freshman has allowed just two runs (on a two-run home run at UTRGV) in 5.2 innings pitched. Opposing hitters are hitting just .158 against him.

PROGRAM RECORD FALLS AS TECH SHOOTS UP THE NATIONS LEADERBOARDS

The Red Raiders led by the blistering weekend against Penn State where they outscored the Big 10 foe by a 50-17 margin, are hitting .379 as a team. In total, 10 different Red Raiders are hitting over .360 this season led by Ferraro's impressive .429 mark. As a team, the Red Raiders are first in the country in total doubles (53) and doubles-per-game (3.31). Tech is second in batting average (.379), second in scoring (11.8), third in on-base percentage (.486) and third in slugging percentage (.641). The Red Raiders have also scored the fourth-most runs in the country (188) and the most runs in the Big 12. On the individual side, Logan Hughes ranks eighth in the country in total walks (20), 12th in walks-per-game (1.25) and 27th in total doubles (8). Hughes is also fifth in the country in runs scored (28) and 23rd in the nation in RBIs (26). In addition to Hughes ranking fifth in the country in total runs scored, the player hitting behind him, Garcia, ranks sixth in the country in total runs (27) and sixth in the country in runs-per-game (1.69). Hughes ranks second in the country in runs-per-game at 1.75.

COMPETITION WILL TAKE A STEP UP

After facing a trio of teams under .500 to start the homestand, the Red Raiders took a jump up in competition for the final five games of the 'stand against No. 24 UTSA and KU. UTSA entered the week ranked in three of the five major College Baseball polls (D1, Baseball American and Perfect Game) and receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll and NCBWA poll. Not ranked in a major poll, KU does however check into the weekend series at No. 47 in the RPI.

SHOUSE, HUGHES AND GARCIA FORM QUITE THE 3-4-5

Batting in succession in the Texas Tech batting order, the trio of Connor Shouse (three hole), Logan Hughes (cleanup) and Linkin Garcia (five slot) have formed quite the trio this season. All three players have scored at least 20 runs and have driven in at least 20 runs. The trio have hit 11 home runs this season and have driven in 81 of the Red Raiders 188 runs this season, and scored 77 of the Red Raiders 188 runs scored. Led by team-leader in RBIs Linkin Garcia (28), the trio of Shouse, Hughes and Garcia are the only trio in the country to have driven in 25 runs so far this season. In fact, Tech is one of two teams (Georgia Tech) entering the weekend action to have multiple players with 25 runs batted in. And while the Red Raider trio has gotten it done driving in runs, they also have done the job scoring runs as well, as trio each have scored 20+ runs as well. Hughes, Garcia and Shouse (entering the weekend) are the only trio in the country with 20+ hits, 20+ runs scored and 25+ RBIs.

FRESHMAN PHENOMS

As the season inches towards its fifth weekend of 14 regular season weekends, the Red Raiders pose not only two of the best Freshmen in the Big 12 Conference but the nation. Named a Preseason Player to Watch by Baseball America for Preseason National Freshman of the Year, Linkin Garcia has only strengthened his case to earn the award, as through the first 16 games and 65+ ABs of his career, Garcia has slashed .403/.461/1.118 thus far. Garcia is the Red Raider leader in RBIs, and is second on the team in runs scored, trailing Logan Hughes by just one. Garcia's classmate, Jesse Rusinek, has hit .500 (17-for-34) at the plate with six extra-base hits and has pitched to a 3.18 ERA on the mound. Garcia was named to the 100 Player Brooks Wallace Award List while Rusinek was named to the John Olerud Award Watchlist awarded to the nation's top two-way player.

MOST THE MOST OF HIS FIRST CHANCE

After catcher Matt Quintanar started four straight games, and six of seven, fellow JUCO transfer AJ Goytia earned his first career start behind the dish on Wednesday night against No. 24 UTSA. In his first chance to get extended ABs (Goytia had just two at-bats (2B, BB) prior to starting the series finale against the Roadrunners. On Wednesday night, Goytia went 1-for-2 with two walks drawn. The one hit for Goytia was a big one, a sixth inning two-run home run off the videoboard in right-center field. The blast was Goytia's first career D1 Home Run (he hit seven in JUCO) and was the first home run hit by a Texas Tech Catcher whilst starting at catcher in 33 games. The last Red Raider home run by their catcher came last April 19 when Davis Rivers homered twice in the Red Raiders 12-8 win at Arizona State.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders open a four-game road trip on Tuesday night when they head to Dallas Baptist. First pitch from Horner Ballpark is set for 6:30 p.m.