Baylor at Texas Tech
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Dan Law Field
RECORDS: Baylor 24-12, 5-7 Big 12 Conference; Texas Tech 26-8, 7-5 Big 12 Conference
RANKINGS: Texas Tech – No. 5 DIBaseball.com, No. 6 USA Today/coaches’ poll
LAST MEETING/SERIES: The teams have split the last eight games, with the Red Raiders winning the last series, 2-1 in Lubbock in 2019. In fact, Tech is 9-3 at Dan Law Field vs. the Bears since 2013 to take an 89-82 edge in a series that dates back to 1928.
LAST TIME OUT: The Red Raiders rode Mason Montgomery’s career performance to a 10-1 victory to clinch a road series win at West Virginia on Sunday. The Bears dropped a 3-2 decision to Kansas in the teams’ series finale on Sunday.
WVU RECAPS: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Series Wrap Up
RADIO: 97.3-FM | TuneIn Radio App
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
INTERNET: RedRaiderDugout.com
TWITTER: @RandyRosetta | @RedRaiderDugout | @KeithBPatrick
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – Texas Tech LH Patrick Monteverde (6-1, 52.1 IP, 2.24 ERA, 59 SO/9 BB, .199 BAA) vs. Baylor LH Tyler Thomas (4-2, 55.1 IP, 1.95 ERA, 54/24 BB, .192 BAA)
Saturday – Texas Tech RH Micah Dallas (1-2, 32 IP, 3.66 ERA, 35 SO/10 BB, .250 BAA) vs. RH Hayden Kettler (3-2, 38.1 IP, 3.99 ERA, 29 SO/6 BB, .252 BAA)
Sunday – Texas Tech LH Mason Montgomery (2-1, 39.1 IP, 3.66 ERA, 48 SO/18 BB, .201 BAA) vs. TBA
OUT OF THE BULLPEN
Baylor – Luke Boyd (0-2, 8 saves, 18.1 IP, 1.47 ERA, 26 SO/9 BB, .172 BAA); Jimmy Winston (6-2, 39 IP, 2.31 ERA, 43/14 BB, .180 BAA); Logan Freeman (1-1, 17 IP, 2.65 ERA, 14 SO/14 BB, .218 BAA); Jacob Atkinson (3-0, 2 saves, 25 IP, 3.24 ERA, 23 SO/9 BB, .263 BAA); Oliver Hambleton (2-0, 23 IP, 3.52 ERA, 20 SO/9, .244 BAA)
Texas Tech – RH Ryan Sublette (4-1, 1 save, 24 IP, 3.38 ERA, 34 SO/9 BB, .220 BAA), RH Chase Hampton (1-0, 1 save, 18.1 IP, 3.44 ERA, 12 SO/9 BB, .167 BAA), RH Brendan Girton (1-0, 1 save, 15 IP, 4.20 ERA, 15 SO/10 BB, .271 BAA); LH Derek Bridges (0-0, 5.2 IP, 4.76 ERA, 7 SO/0 BB, .318 BAA); RH Connor Queen (1-0, 4 saves, 11 IP, 4.91 ERA, 9 SO/5 BB, .310 BAA), LH Eli Riechmann (1-0, 5 IP, 5.40 ERA. 5 SO/4 BB, .278 BAA) RH Josh Sanders (0-0, 8.1 IP, 3.24 ERA, 8 SO/2 BB, .286 BAA)
LINEUP LEADERS
Baylor – Jared McKenzie (.386/.444/.627, 45, 10 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 24 RBIs); Antonio Valdez (.333/.429/.487, 15 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 16 RBIs); Jack Pineda (.319/.427/.464, 33 R, 12 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBIs, 23 BB); Andy Thomas (.316/.364/.507 32 R, 8 2B, 6 HR, 42 RBIs); Tre Richardson (.296/.388/.452, 30 R, 11 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 24 RBIs)
Texas Tech – LF Dru Baker (.405/.474/.526, 36 R, 16 RBIs, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13-15 SB); 2B Jace Jung (.386/.500/.803, 34 R, 50 RBIs, 8 2B, 15 HR, 30 BB); SS Cal Conley (.340/.406/.560, 25 R, 34 RBIs, 10 2B, 7 HR, 5-6 SB); C Braxton Fulford (.274/.379/.575, 23 R, 23 RBIs, 7 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR); 3B Parker Kelly (.268/.391/.296, 14 R, 7 RBIs, 2 2B, 14 BB)
UP NEXT
New Mexico at Texas Tech, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 28
AROUND THE HORN
- Although Baylor comes in with a sub-.500 league record, the Bears are among the hottest teams in the Big 12 with an 11-2 mark since back-to-back weekends vs. Texas and TCU when they won only once. BU has notched a pair of shutouts in that span and has allowed more than 3 runs in only three games.
- Cal Conley’s home runs from each side of the plate in the series finale at WVU was the first time a Red Raider had done that since April 10, 1998 when former Tech standout Josh Bard did so against Kansas.
- Jace Jung comes into the weekend tied for the national lead in home runs (15) and RBIs (50). The Red Raiders have bashed the most homers in the league (54), which ranks fourth in the country.
- Baylor’s record doesn’t match up with its statistics. The Bears own the Big 12’s best team batting average (.298) and second-best team ERA (3.53). BU’s Jared McKenzie has matched Jung with the best average by a freshman (.386) and top the Big 12 with 45 runs.
- Late-game situations might favor the Bears’ pitching. Senior Luke Boyd is tied for the Big 12 lead with 8 saves, while Texas Tech has 9 as a team, led by Connor Queen’s 4.
- Three of the league’s top starting pitchers in terms of opponent batting average will be on the bump this weekend – with two squaring off in the series opener. Baylor’s Tyler Thomas is third in the Big 12 with a .192 BAA, while Patrick Monteverde is sixth at .199. Red Raider’ Sunday starter Mason Montgomery weighs in at eighth (.201), while BU reliever Jimmy Winston is second, allowing foes to hit only .180.
- After an abysmal start at Kansas State, Montgomery has been nearly untouchable in two appearances since – one in long relief and the best start of his career last weekend. Over 11.2 innings, the southpaw has given up only 3 hits and has logged 19 strikeouts with only 2 walks.
