Connecticut at Texas Tech
WHEN: 2 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. Monday
WHERE: Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park
RECORDS: UConn 4-6, Texas Tech 10-3
LAST MEETING/SERIES: The teams have played just one game with the Huskies prevailing 1-0 in 11 innings in a tournament in Orlando in 2013.
RANKINGS: Texas Tech – No. 9 DIBaseball.com, No. 7 USA Today (coaches) | RANKINGS ROUNDUP
RADIO: 97.3-FM | TuneIn Radio App
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
INTERNET: RedRaiderDugout.com
TWITTER: @RandyRosetta | @RedRaiderDugout | @KeithBPatrick
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – UConn Rh Ben Casparius (1-1, 20.2 IP, 2.61 ERA, 24 SO/9 BB, .160 BAA) vs. Texas Tech RH Brandon Birdsell (1-0, 9.2 IP, 6.52 ERA, 8 SO/4 BB, .278 BAA)
Saturday – UConn RH Joe Simeone (0-1, 11 IP, 4.91 ERA, 10 SO/6 BB, .238 BAA) vs. Texas Tech LH Patrick Monteverde (2-0, 18 IP, 0.00 ERA, 23 SO/2 BB, .105 BAA)
Sunday – UConn RH Austin Peterson (1-0, 15 IP, 3.00 ERA, 18 SO/4 BB, .224 BAA) vs. Texas Tech LH Mason Montgomery (1-0, 15 IP, 1.80 ERA, 16 SO/5 BB, .167 opponent BAA)
Monday – UConn TBD vs. Texas Tech RH Micah Dallas (1-1, 13.2 IP, 1.98 ERA, 14 SO/5 BB, .224 BAA)
OUT OF THE BULLPEN
UConn
LH Caleb Wurster (2-0, 10 IP, 0.00 ERA, 17 SO/4 BB, .143 opponent BA)
RH Andrew Marrerro (0-0, 4.1 IP, 2.08 ERA, 5 SO/2 BB, .125 opponent BA)
RH Kenneth Haus (0-2, 5.2 ERA, 6.35 ERA, 8 SO/6 BB, .105 opponent BA)
Texas Tech
RH Conner Queen (1-0, 1 save, 5.1 IP, 1.69 ERA, 5 SO/2 BB, .211 opponent BA);
RH Hayde Key (1-0, 6.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 10 SO/3 BB, .167 opponent BA);
RH Brendan Girton (0-0, 7.1 IP, 3.68 ERA, 12 SO/1 BB, .276 opponent BA);
RH Ryan Sublette (1-0, 7.2 IP, 5.87 ERA, 10 SO/3 BB, .222 opponent BA)
LINEUP LEADERS
UConn
2B Christian Fedko (.317/.391/.439, 9 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs)
1B Reggie Crawford (.310/.348/.762, 8 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 17 RBIs)
SS Zach Bushling (.294/.429/.500, 10 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs)
DH/C Pat Winkel (.286/.319/.548, 8 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs)
Texas Tech
2B Jace Jung (.404/.516/.851, 15 R, 3 2B, 6 HR, 23 RBIs, 12 BB
SS Cal Conley (.339/.383/.554, 10 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBIs, 4-5 SB)
CF Dylan Neuse (.318/.500/.500, 13 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 15 BB, 6-7 SB)
LF Dru Baker (.315/.403/.370, 16 R, 3 2B, 4 RBIs, 4-5 SB)
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
AROUND THE HORN
- In seven homes games this season, the Red Raiders have outscored opponents 76-16.
- Texas Tech is looking to extend its 10-game winning streak. With a win Friday, the Red Raiders would have their longest run without a loss since a 14-game streak to open 2018.
- Jace Jung has a hit in every game but one this season with five multi-hit games. In his last 10 games, the Red Raider 2B is hitting .477 (21-for-44) with 12 runs and 13 RBIs.
- Patrick Monteverde is the first Red Raider pitcher with three consecutive scoreless starts since Dylan Dusek in 2014. He has gone 15.1 innings without issuing a walk, the longest by a Tech hurler since Caleb Kilian’s 16 innings in 2019.
- UConn hitters have drawn only 33 walks in 414 plate appearances over 10 games while striking out 116 times. One result of that is a .341 team OBA.
- Husky pitching has been effective, allowing opponents to hit just .219 this season with 73 hits – 28 for extra bases. Friday night starter Ben Casparius has been tough as nails: Hitters are swinging at a paltry .160 clip.
- The Huskies have made six NCAA Tournament appearances under longtime coach Jim Penders and pushed Oklahoma State to the limit in 2019 before losing in the 2019 Oklahoma City Regional.
- Similarly like Texas Tech, UConn was pegged as the pre-season favorite in the Big East Conference and features the league’s pre-season Player of the Year – Kyler Fedko.
- The Huskies began the season at 5th-ranked Virginia and lost two of three, but all three games were decided by either one or two runs. UConn split a mid-week set at Coastal Carolina earlier this week. All six of the Huskies’ losses are by one or two runs.
