Red Raider Baseball Blog

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012 – 5:57 AM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Alabama A&M Preview

ALABAMA A&M
- March 13, 6 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- March 14, 1 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)

2011 Overall Record: 10-37
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 5th place - East, 6-18 (Southwestern Athletic)2011 Post-Season: N/A
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: No. 298

Interim Head Coach: Michael Tompkins
Career Record: 0-0, 1st year
Record at Alabama A&M: 0-0, 1st year

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Just after the start of the new year, Alabama A&M had a coaching shake up as Ed McCann, who was hired in 2010-2011, resigned due to health reasons. McCann guided the Bulldogs to a 10-37 record last season with a 6-18 conference mark. Following the announcement of McCann’s resignation, the university named Michael Tompkins as the program’s interim head coach for the 2012 campaign.

HIGHLIGHTING THE BULLDOGS:
With a new look in the dugout with Tompkins as the team’s coach for this season, the Bulldogs will have some familiarity on the mound with all three starting weekend pitchers returning. Also back are five starting position players.

WHY ALABAMA A&M IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
You just never know what can happen in midweek competition. Alabama A&M will have a touch stretch heading into Lubbock as they head to Stillwater for a three-game series the weekend before they play Tech. Although, the Bulldogs will have a chance to get some wins under their belts playing 10 of their first 11 games at Bulldog Field in Huntsville, Ala.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
OF – Sanchez Tucker (.266, 2 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 9 BB, 14 SO, 9-14 SB)
OF – Juan Lopez (.245, 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 33 SO, 12-14 SB)
C – Chris Thomas (.243, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 13 BB, 31 SO, 1-6 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
LHP – Sanchez Tucker (3-10, 8.42 ERA, 18 APP, 13 GS, 1 SV, 87.2 IP, 53 SO/64 BB)
RHP – James Brown (2-1, 9.11 ERA, 20 APP, 1 GS, 0 SV, 54.1 IP, 27 SO, 23 BB)
RHP – Joshua Blocker (1-3, 11.03 ERA, 7 APP, 4 GS, 0 SV, 23.2 IP, 12 SO, 15 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
In 63 years of baseball at Texas Tech the Red Raiders have faced the Bulldogs twice heading into this season. Tech took care of business in 2010 with a home doubleheader sweep over Alabama A&M (18-4, 3-0). The Red Raiders will have the opportunity to move this record to 4-0 after a midweek home series when Alabama A&M visits Lubbock in mid-March.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012 – 6:57 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Oklahoma State

OKLAHOMA STATE
- April 20, 6:30 p.m. (Stillwater, Okla.)
- April 21, 2 p.m. (Stillwater, Okla.)
- April 22, 1 p.m. (Stillwater, Okla.)

2011 Overall Record: 35-25
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 4th place, 14-12 (Big 12)
2011 Post-Season: NCAA Nashville Regional, 0-2 (#2 Seed)
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: No. 45

Head Coach: Frank Anderson
Career Record: 297-183, 8 years
Record at Oklahoma State: 297-183, 8 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
After failing to reach the Big 12 Championship in back-to-back years (2009-2010) the Oklahoma State baseball program rebounded last season with a 35-25 overall record and fourth-place Big 12 finish and was rewarded with a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament at the Nashville Regional, hosted by Vanderbilt. The Red Raiders took 2-of-3 from the then-No. 22 Oklahoma State Cowboys in Lubbock last season, which was the final Big 12 series of the season for both squads before the Red Raiders and Cowboys advanced to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Championship.

HIGHLIGHTING THE COWBOYS:
Oklahoma State is a hard team to figure out on paper before the start of the season. They return 14 letterwinners while losing 10. OSU returns four starters, lost five and returns seven pitchers while losing 11. It sounds pretty bad as far as losing the majority of their depth, but at the same time they bring back one of the top starting pitchers in the Big 12 (LHP Andrew Heaney) and also return reliever Randy McCurry, who two years ago tied the school record with 10 saves – as a freshman. OSU also returns third baseman Mark Ginther (.292, 10 HR, 33 RBI) who is one of the league’s top power hitters.

WHY OKLAHOMA STATE IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Oklahoma State seems to be back in the mix. Frank Anderson, a former Red Raider assistant coach, has won 61 percent of the game he has coached at OSU and is 14-10 against Texas Tech since taking over at OSU in 2004. Texas Tech has won three of its last five series in Stillwater, but don’t kid yourself, playing at OSU late in the conference schedule will be a big task for the Red Raiders.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
3B – Mark Ginther (.292, 17 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 33 RBI, 16 BB, 34 SO, 0-0 SB)
OF – Gabe Weidenaar (.280, 12 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 14 BB, 51 SO, 5-6 SB)
C/OF – Jared Womack (.282, 17 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 14 BB, 46 SO, 0-0 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
LHP – Andrew Heaney (7-4, 4.03 ERA, 20 APP, 9 GS, 0 SV, 67.0 IP, 51 SO/23 BB)
RHP – Blake Barnes (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 23 APP, 0 GS, 0 SV, 45.1 IP, 30 SO/9 BB)
RHP – Gabe Weidenaar (0-0, 0.42 ERA, 15 APP, 0 GS, 3 SV, 21.2 IP, 18 SO/6 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
As much as Oklahoma State has brought back, it lost that same amount. The Cowboys will need to figure out who will replace 2011 starters LHP Mike Strong (5-1, 3.61 ERA, 13 GS, 70 SO) and RHP Brad Propst (7-6, 3.66 ERA, 16 GS, 3 CG). Also a huge hit to the Cowboys was the departure of DH Dane Phillips (.339, 4 HR, 32 RBI). One huge bright spot to the list of Cowboy newcomers is that of LHP Kyle Ottoson, who is from Greeley, Colo., and is a transfer from Arizona State. Ottoson was a dominating JUCO pitcher at South Mountain CC where he went 17-6 with a 2.40 ERA with 192 strikeouts during two seasons. Last year he went 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 15 appearances (9 starts) at ASU with 48 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched.

Oklahoma State has always recruited well. This is a year they will have had to done well to repeat what they accomplished last season. With 22 JUCO players on its roster, OSU will have experience, only time will tell how ready they all are for competition in the Big 12.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2012 – 9:47 AM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY/ALUMNI GAME VIDEO

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY PHOTO GALLERY

ALUMNI GAME RECAP/POST-GAME INTERVIEWS/PHOTO GALLERY

For Texas Tech baseball fans who weren’t in attendance or for fans who would just like to go back and re-live some of the events that took place last week with Texas Tech baseball can with a Red Raider Weekly video package that highlights the Tech baseball stadium ribbon cutting ceremony and also the Tech third-annual alumni game.

It only gets better as this is the week everyone has been waiting for, Opening Day, which is this Friday at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park against Missouri State at 4 p.m.

Guns Up!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 – 2:37 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 TEXAS TECH BASEBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL PAGE

Texas Tech baseball fans can look forward to a one-stop shop for Red Raider Baseball information this season with the 2012 Texas Tech Baseball Gameday Central Page.

Here you will find information about Tech’s upcoming opponent, video highlights, interview footage of Tech players and head coach Dan Spencer, Tech’s live in-game blog, the most recent headlines and you will also have links to information regarding tickets, promotions, fan guide, weather, parking and gameday services.

Fans can also stay connected with Tech’s social media platforms with links to the Red Raiders Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr (glad you found it!) pages.

Don’t forget to check out the GameTracker link to follow all of the action live as it happens and you can also head to RaiderVision All-Access to watch the Red Raiders home games and listening to all of the games by subscribing to RaiderVision All-Access’ monthly or yearly packages. But don’t forget, there are plenty of free options on RaiderVision All-Access as well.

It will be the one place you will want to be during the 2012 baseball season as it provides news, rosters, schedule/results, statistics, game notes and media guide links for both the Red Raiders and their opponents.

Why look anywhere else? Check out the gameday central page and get familiar with your home for Red Raider baseball for the 2012 season.

Guns Up!

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 – 7:47 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Road to the NCAA Tournament – New Mexico State Preview

NEW MEXICO STATE
- March 27, 4 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- May 1, 5 p.m. (Las Cruces, N.M.)

2011 Overall Record: 34-24
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 6th place, 9-15 (Western Athletic Conference)
2011 Post-Season: N/A
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: No. 158

Head Coach: Rocky Ward
Career Record: 334-351-2, 12 years
Record at New Mexico State: 334-351-2, 12 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Off the schedule a year ago, New Mexico State jumps back on the Red Raiders non-conference schedule and the Aggies will bring with them one of the most potent offensive lineups in the country. Last season New Mexico State led the nation with a .337 batting average and ranked second in scoring (8.5 runs/game), third in walks and third in runs scored. But what really hurt the Aggies and eventually kept them out of the post season was their pitching. New Mexico State’s pitching staff ranked 281^st (out of 292 teams) in the country with a 7.48 ERA. So as many headaches as the Aggies hitters gave opposing pitchers, that same headache was felt by the Aggies pitching staff while also ranking in the bottom 10 programs in the nation giving up an average of 5.6 walks per nine innings and 12.2 hits per contest.

HIGHLIGHTING THE AGGIES:
It isn’t hard to highlight this team, you just start and end with its hitters. New Mexico State returns not only its top three hitters from a year ago, but the entire Western Athletic Conference’s top three hitters from last season. Catcher Zac Fisher led the league batting .398 and tallied eight homers, 16 doubles and 56 RBI. Infielder Parker Hipp ranked second in the league batting .396 with six homers and 58 RBI while senior outfielder Tanner Waite ranked third in the league – behind only his teammates – with a .389 batting average with 43 RBI.

One highlight on the mound for the Aggies is returning junior left-handed pitcher Ryan Beck, who was by far the team’s most consistent arm while racking up a 10-5 record with a 5.96 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 90.2 innings pitched. Also back is closer RHP Scott Coffman, who went 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 43 innings with nine saves.

WHY NEW MEXICO STATE IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Two reasons: they can really hit, and sometimes in the midweek whoever doesn’t hit gets beat and also the fact that especially at home the Aggies are really hard to beat. Last season New Mexico State went 26-6 at home and just 8-18 away from Presley Askew Field (1,000 capacity). The Aggies return 16 letterwinners and two of their three starting pitchers but also welcomed in 20 newcomers.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
C – Zac Fisher (.398, 16 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 18 BB, 27 SO, 0-0 SB)
INF – Parker Hipp (.396, 10 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 58 RBI, 39 BB, 17 SO, 7-8 SB)
OF – Tanner Waite (.389, 12 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 43 RBI, 44 BB, 27 BB, 4-5 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
LHP – Ryan Beck (3-2, 1.13 ERA, 38 APP, 0 GS, 19 SV, 55.2 IP, 61 SO/12 BB)
RHP – Scott Coffman (3-0, 1.88 ERA, 25 APP, 0 GS, 9 SV, 43.0 IP, 36 SO/11 BB)
RHP – Tyler Mack (6-5, 9.68 ERA, 15 APP, 11 GS, 0 SV, 61.1 IP, 52 SO/55 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
This program can hit, and it has year after year. The big test will be when the Red Raiders open their final road swing of the season, a five-game trip that begins in Las Cruces on May 1. That isn’t saying when the Aggies come to town it won’t be a challenge, but the Red Raiders are 28-5 all-time against New Mexico State in Lubbock and just 4-7 on the road.  

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2012 – 8:37 AM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Texas Preview

TEXAS
- April 5, 6:30 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- April 6, 6:30 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- April 7, 2 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)

2011 Overall Record: 49-19
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): T-1st place, 19-8 (Big 12)
2011 Post-Season: NCAA College World Series, 0-2
2011 Final Ranking: No. 6
2011 RPI: No. 11

Head Coach: Augie Garrido
Career Record: 1,817-825-9, 43 years
Record at Texas: 666-301-2, 15 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Pitching wins. If you don’t believe me ask the Texas Longhorns. Even though Texas lost the National Player of the Year (RHP Taylor Jungmann) and another one of the Big 12’s top pitchers (RHP Cole Green), the Longhorns return the nation’s top closer and several other pitcher who would be considered among the league’s best arms. Texas advanced to the College World Series last year for the 34^th time in program history, although the Horns lost back-to-back games for an early exit. Texas managed to win 49 games with a .269 batting average. But don’t forget they pitched at a 2.35 earned run average and posted a remarkable .982 fielding percentage. In college baseball when your opponent averages below three runs per game (2.8), chances are you will likely win. That figure plays right into what Texas does offensively, manufacture a few runs a game. Texas averaged just over five runs a game and used a nation-leading 111 sacrifice bunts to move runners into scoring position and then score a run here and a run there throughout the season. Not a bad idea when you only have to score 3-4 runs a game to win.

HIGHLIGHTING THE LONGHORNS:
Texas, who is known for its pitching on an annual basis, does return one of the best position players in the Big 12 with returning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Erich Weiss. Not too many freshmen come into the Big 12 and hit in the three-hole– don’t forget, Barrett Barnes did this for the Red Raiders in 2010 – but that is exactly what Weiss did in 2011 while batting .348 with 12 doubles, seven triples, four homers and 45 RBI with a conference-leading .483 on-base percentage. Weiss drew 53 walks and took 10 hit-by-pitch while striking out just 37 times in 224 at-bats.

On the mound, once again, Texas is loaded. Returning are All-American closer Corey Knebel (1.13 ERA, 19 saves), preseason All-American LHP Sam Stafford (6-2, 1.77 ERA, 91 SO) and junior LHP Hoby Milner (7-4, 84.1 IP, 2.45 ERA). Overall, Texas returns 17 letterwinners with five position starters back and 6-of-11 pitchers returning.

WHY TEXAS IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Texas is always one of the best teams in the country. This probably won’t change this season. They have won three consecutive Big 12 regular season titles and four of the last five championships overall.

Texas went 36-9 last season at home, one of those losses came against the Red Raiders. On the road, Texas posted a 10-6 record. With that being said, Texas played just 34 percent of its games away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Red Raiders get the Longhorns in Lubbock this season. Tech took 1-of-3 from Texas in Lubbock in 2010 and also defeated them in the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. The Red Raiders were the only Big 12 team that season to defeat Texas more than once.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
3B – Erich Weiss (.348, 12 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 53 BB, 37 SO, 11-13 SB)
RF – Mark Payton (.263, 11 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 25 RBI, 31 BB, 34 SO, 6-10 SB)
DH – Jonathan Walsh (.254, 16 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 25 BB, 35 SO, 6-8 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
RHP – Corey Knebel (3-2, 1.13 ERA, 38 APP, 0 GS, 19 SV, 55.2 IP, 61 SO/12 BB)
RHP – Sam Stafford (6-2, 1.77 ERA, 19 APP, 17 GS, 0 SV, 81.1 IP, 91 SO/42 BB)
RHP – Hoby Milner (7-4, 2.45 ERA, 32 APP, 9 GS, 1 SV, 84.1 IP, 62 SO/33 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
This is the marque home series for the Red Raiders this season. Other Big 12 home series include playing Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas State, while all of those are big series, this is the one most Red Raider fans will have circled on their schedules. Look for great crowds for this series as it lands on Easter Weekend while playing back-to-back 6:30 p.m. games on Thursday and Friday and then a 2 p.m. game on Saturday. Tech will be looking for its first series win over Texas since taking 2-of-3 from the Horns in Lubbock in 2002.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012 – 4:27 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Angelo State Preview

ANGELO STATE
- April 3, 5 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)

2011 Overall Record: 25-23
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 7th place, 19-17 (NCAA D-II – Lone Star Conference)
2011 Post-Season: N/A
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: NCAA D-II (N/A)

Head Coach: Kevin Brooks
Career Record: 265-149, 8 years
Record at Angelo State: 265-149, 8 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Angelo State is the one non-NCAA D-I team on the Red Raiders schedule. The Rams play in the Lone Star Conference (NCAA D-II) and are a member of the Texas Tech University System. A lot of fans often ask why the Red Raiders don’t play games against Lubbock Christian. The same thing applies to playing Angelo State, it can only hurt Texas Tech, not help them. To explain, the NCAA allows each D-I program to schedule two non-NCAA D-I games a season. But for RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) purposes winning that game does not benefit the D-I school, but a loss is crippling with their RPI. So a D-I program scheduling a nationally-ranked NAIA or D-II school is really risking it because a win does nothing for them and a loss will devastate their RPI.

Angelo State will take on the Red Raiders for the first time since 2005, the only all-time meeting between these two schools, as Tech knocked off Angelo State 11-6 in Lubbock.

HIGHLIGHTING THE RAMS:
Angelo State returns 14 players off of its 2011 squad that went 25-23, including a 19-17 conference record. Angelo State tallied a .301 batting average last season while posting a 5.93 ERA with a .942 fielding percentage. Infielder Zach Cohen batted .382 last season with 12 doubles, 32 RBI and had an incredible .529 on-base percentage due to 25 walks and 25 hit-by-pitch. Outfielder Tate Allison (.310, 11 2B, 7-12 SB) returns as does infielder/catcher Toby Semler (.273, 25 RBI). The Rams also bring back one of their top starters and its closer from last season. James Conlee (5-3, 4.53 ERA, 7 saves) and Rick Renya (5-4, 6.75 ERA, 14 starts) are the anchors of the Rams pitching staff.

WHY ANGELO STATE IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
You can never underestimate D-II schools when they have the opportunity to come over and play a big D-I program. Angelo State is off to a 4-0 start to the season and play a very challenging D-II schedule, so if anyone believes they are going to come into Rip Griffin Park to get steam rolled they better think again. The Rams will be fired up and the Red Raiders better make sure and come ready to play.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
INF – Zach Cohen (.382, 12 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 32 RBI, 25 BB, 19 SO, 8-14 SB)
OF – Tate Allison (.310, 11 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 16 BB, 20 SO, 7-12 SB)
INF/C – Toby Semler (.273, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 11 BB, 18 SO, 2-3 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
RHP – James Conlee (5-3, 4.53 ERA, 28 APP, 1 GS, 7 SV, 53.2 IP, 33 SO/17 BB)
RHP – Rick Renya (5-4, 6.75 ERA, 14 APP, 14 GS, 0 SV, 64.0 IP, 50 SO/37 BB)
RHP – Bren Schuehler (1-4, 5.74 ERA, 11 APP, 4 GS, 0 SV, 31.1 IP, 27 SO/12 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Right-handed pitcher Bryant Rutledge will miss the entire season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery over the summer. This is a big blow for the Rams considering Rutledge went 5-4 with a team-leading 4.29 ERA last season in 11 starts and 65.0 innings pitched with a team-leading 65 strikeouts. Angelo State does have potential replacements for Rutledge as Texas A&M transfer RHP Jake Feckley, Eastfield College transfers RHP Michael Weatherly and RHP Travis Stavinoha along with Gateway CC transfer RHP Michael Lange are expected to compete for big roles on the Rams roster this season.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012 – 11:07 AM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Between now and Opening Day we are going to take a look at all 23 of the Red Raiders opponents for the 2012 season, in no particular order.

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Houston Preview

HOUSTON
- March 4, 2:30 p.m. (Houston, Texas – Minute Maid Park)
- April 13, 6:30 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- April 14, 5 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- April 15, 1 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)

2011 Overall Record: 27-32
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 6th place, 12-12 (Conference-USA)
2011 Post-Season: N/A
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: No. 63

Head Coach: Todd Whitting
Career Record: 27-33, 1 year
Record at Houston: 27-33, 1 year

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Houston handed the reins over to Todd Whitting in 2011, the former associate head coach at TCU while helping lead the Frogs to the College World Series in 2010. Whitting immediately guided the Cougars to within a run of reaching the NCAA Tournament a year ago after Rice defeated the Cougars in extra-innings in the Conference USA Tournament championships game. As it was a year ago, this team is young. Twenty newcomers join just 14 returning letterwinners while 13 high-school prospects and seven JUCO newcomers have joined the team. This is an opponent Tech will be very familiar with at the end of the season while taking on the Cougars in Houston at the Minute Maid tournament and also playing them in Lubbock for a three-game series that would have been the weekend Tech was traveling to Lincoln, Neb., so thank goodness for that!

HIGHLIGHTING THE COUGARS:
Although young, Whitting’s team returns several of their top performers from a year ago. Offensively junior Chase Jensen, a C-USA Preseason All-Conference pick, is the top threat after hitting .320 with 12 doubles, three triples, three homers and 45 RBI a year ago. Also back is sophomore speedster Landon Appling (OF) who notched 22-of-24 stolen bases in his first collegiate campaign while batting .265 with 31 RBI and a .360 on-base percentage that was helped by 15 walks and 21 hit-by-pitch. I’d bet either Appling or Tech’s Jamodrick McGruder (25 HBP in 2011) reaches base via a hit-by-pitch in one of the meetings this season. Just a hunch.

Senior lefty Jordan Lewis emerged as the team’s ace last season and he is back after posting a 5-3 record with a 3.75 ERA in 15 starts (81.2 IP) with 55 strikeouts. Senior right-handed pitcher Jared Ray will be a key piece to the puzzle this year for the Cougars after he missed the majority of last season rehabbing his pitching shoulder after surgery. When he was back last season he made a huge impact while being named to the C-USA All-Tournament team when pitching eight innings against Rice in the championships game. He only made five appearances last season, but during his Houston career he has earned several C-USA all-conference and all-tournament team honors.

WHY HOUSTON IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Houston made a big turnaround in year-one for Whitting and he will look for another jump in the victory column again this year, but with 20 newcomers it will once again be a challenge. The Cougars own the all-time series lead over the Red Raiders (44-38), but only seven of those meetings have come since the breakup of the Southwest Conference. Since 1997, Houston owns a 5-2 record over the Red Raiders, including a 4-1 record in games played at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
SS – Chase Jensen (.320, 12 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 6 BB, 44 SO, 5-7 SB)
OF – Landon Appling (.265, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 31 RBI, 15 BB, 43 SO, 22-24 SB)
C – John Cannon (.284, 8 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 29 BB, 42 SO, 0-1 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
LHP – Jordan Lewis (5-3, 3.75 ERA, 16 APP, 15 GS, 0 SV, 81.2 IP, 55 SO/28 BB)
RHP – Jordan Mannisto (4-4, 3.78 ERA, 24 APP, 1 GS, 4 SV, 52.1 IP, 23 SO/24 BB)
RHP – Jared Ray (1-1, 3.28 ERA, 5 APP, 5 GS, 0 SV, 24.2 IP, 12 SO, 7 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Even with Jensen and Appling back, Houston does have big shoes to fill on the position player side of things. Jensen will look to improve on last season when he committed 30 errors (.906 fielding percentage) from the shortstop position and his 44 strikeouts verses six walks will also need to improve. With that being said, batting .320 with 45 RBI gives you some room for error in your first division I season (transferred from Weatherford College). A shocking stat to me on the pitching side for Houston was their strikeout and walk totals. An area where you would want a 2/1 ratio of strikeouts/walks, Houston posted 313 strikeouts to 223 walks. The Cougars 313 strikeouts were the fewest by a pitching staff in the C-USA and their 233 walks were the second most given up. In my opinion, those two numbers (strikeouts & walks) will need to separate significantly for improved success, especially with so many newcomers. Whitting has an eye for talent – which was evident by his years at TCU – so only look for more and more success from this Houston program down the road.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012 – 9:27 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Between now and Opening Day we are going to take a look at all 23 of the Red Raiders opponents for the 2012 season, in no particular order.

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Arkansas Preview

ARKANSAS
- March 2, Noon (Houston, Texas – Minute Maid Park)

2011 Overall Record: 40-22
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 1st place Western Division, 15-15 (SEC)
2011 Post-Season: NCAA Tempe Regional, 2-2 (#2 Seed)
2011 Final Ranking: 20
2011 RPI: No. 14

Head Coach: Dave Van Horn
Career Record: 944-441, 23 years
Record at Arkansas: 359-201, 9 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
If you have been paying attention to the blog, it won’t surprise you that Tech plays another top-notch non-conference opponent. Let’s just add Arkansas to that list. The Razorbacks return just about all of their pitching staff, including many of their top arms from a year ago. Also back are the Razorbacks top hitter and other key pieces of their 2011 SEC Western Division championships team. Tech will only be playing Arkansas once at the Houston College Classic, as this matchup will open the tournament at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.

HIGHLIGHTING THE RAZORBACKS:
Arkansas returns a stellar pitching staff, possibly one of the best in the country. Returning are junior RHP D.J. Baxendale (10-2, 1.58 ERA, 85.1 IP, 77 SO) who was the ace of the staff as a sophomore last season and also RHP closer Nolan Sanburn (2-4, 8 saves, 3.62 ERA), among others. The Hogs tallied a 3.20 ERA last year in the SEC. That will win you some games even when your team batting average was just .270. Take into consideration that Arkansas won 40 games, was consistently in the top 25 all year long and won the SEC West and ended up with a 15-15 conference record. Yep, that is what it was like playing in a division that had five of six teams with at least 30 overall wins. Oh and don’t forget, Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia and the back-to-back College World Series champion South Carolina play in the SEC East. Overall, 8-of-12 SEC programs last season won at least 30 games. That is why the SEC is so difficult in the postseason, they are battled tested each and every week.

And you can’t forget the Razorbacks leading hitter from a year ago who is back, Dominic Ficociello, and batted .335 with 15 doubles, four home runs and 50 RBI. Ficociello is a 6-foot-4, switch-hitting first baseman who tied the Arkansas freshman school-record with 75 hits during his freshman campaign last season while being named to every Freshman All-America team. One stat that did jump out on Ficociello is the fact that he walked just six times in 224 at-bats last season while striking out 45 times. That explains a .335 batting average and .364 on-base percentage. But please don’t get me wrong, he had a tremendous season. That is just rare to average one walk every 37 at-bats. But hey, whatever works.

Another area that Arkansas excels is running the bases. If they can catch a team napping behind the plate, go ahead and just move the runner into scoring position. Last season the Hogs posted 122-of-149 stolen bases while five players had at least 11 stolen bags.

WHY ARKANSAS IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Dave Van Horn won at Nebraska and now he is winning at Arkansas. He has led Arkansas – his alma mater – to a pair of College World Series appearances, the most recent in 2010, and has averaged 40 wins a season. His teams always have balance, they always have high-end arms with position players who are gritty and play the game the way it should be played – hard. His team won the SEC West last season while batting .255 in league games. They only outscored their opponents by two runs (113 to 111), but they also pitched at a 3.34 ERA in league games and allowed fewer base hits than innings pitched. That always helps!

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
1B – Dominic Ficociello (.335, 15 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 50 RBI, 6 BB, 45 SO, 5-6 SB)
INF – Bo Bigham (.291, 7 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 18 BB, 37 SO, 17-22 SB)
INF/OF – Tim Carver (.232, 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 16 BB, 19 SO, 24-29 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
RHP – D.J. Baxendale (10-2, 1.58 ERA, 19 APP, 12 GS, 3 SV, 85.1 IP, 77 SO/21 BB)
RHP – Nolan Sanburn (2-4, 3.62 ERA, 24 APP, 0 GS, 8 SV, 32.1 IP, 35 SO/15 BB)
LHP – Trent Daniel (2-0, 2.91 ERA, 26 APP, 0 GS, 4 SV, 43.1 IP, 48 SO/22 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Arkansas, an old Southwest Conference foe for the Red Raiders, holds a 42-14 advantage of the Red Raiders, including a 9-2 record since 1988. Tech won the most recent meeting which dates all the way back to the Red Raiders first-ever regional in Wichita in 1995 when Tech defeated Arkansas 14-10. This will be the first game for both teams at the weekend tourney so expect the Red Raiders and Razorbacks to both be throwing No. 1 pitchers as this game should be a fun one for all in attendance.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2012 – 6:07 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Between now and Opening Day we are going to take a look at all 23 of the Red Raiders opponents for the 2012 season, in no particular order.

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Kansas Preview

KANSAS
- March 30, 6 p.m. (Lawrence, Kan.)
- March 31, 2 p.m. (Lawrence, Kan.)
- April 1, 1 p.m. (Lawrence, Kan.)

2011 Overall Record: 26-30
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 10th place, 9-18 (Big 12)
2011 Post-Season: N/A
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: No. 106

Head Coach: Ritch Price
Career Record: 917-691-3, 33 years
Record at Kansas: 299-250-2, 9 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The Jayhawks finished 9-18 last season in Big 12 play and missed the Big 12 Championship along with Nebraska, who has exited the league for the Big Ten. The Red Raiders swept the Jayhawks in Lubbock last season – Tech’s first Big 12 series sweep since 2006 – while Kansas struggled on the road with a 5-16 record. One advantage the Jayhawks have to start the 2012 season is their non-conference schedule is fairly soft with Bowling Green, Belmont, Lipscomb, Mississippi Valley State, Gonzaga, North Dakota, Stoney Brook, Indiana State and Stoney Brook, among others, on the schedule before Big 12 play begins in the second to last weekend of March. Kansas opens Big 12 play at Baylor (Mar. 23-25) before hosting the Red Raiders in the final weekend of March for its conference home opener.

HIGHLIGHTING THE JAYHAWKS:
Kansas will look to 17 returning letterwinners and 13 newcomers to help turn the tide as only two of the top five hitters are back along with just 5-of-12 pitchers who saw action last season. The top hitter back for Kansas is senior third baseman Zac Elgie (.297, 22 2B, 7 HR, 37 RBI) while senior first baseman Jake Marasco (.286, 9 2B, 2 HR, 23 RBI) was also among the team’s leaders a year ago. Two of the Jayhawks top arms return with junior RHP Tanner Poppe (3.66 ERA, 71.1 IP) and junior 6-foot-4 RHP Taylor Thomas (5-3, 57 IP, 54 SO).

WHY KANSAS IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Kansas has been very strong under Price during the last several years. With Tech heading to Lawrence in the end of March, that will probably be a little bit of a different climate than what Tech has been playing in for most of the season. Think about it, Tech’s furthest north destination prior to playing at Kansas will be Fort Worth in the second weekend of March. The Jayhawks have won two of the last three series over Tech in Lawrence, including sweeping the Red Raiders in 2008. But Tech is currently riding its longest winning streak over Kansas with five straight wins, which dates back to its series win over Kansas its last time visiting Lawrence in 2010.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
3B – Zac Elgie (.297, 22 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 10 BB, 37 SO, 4-6 SB)
1B – Jake Marasco (.286, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 17 BB, 36 SO, 1-4 SB)
C – Alex DeLeon (.320, 5 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 12 BB, 27 SO, 0-1 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
RHP – Tanner Poppe (3-6, 3.66 ERA, 14 APP, 13 GS, 1 SV, 71.1 IP, 47 SO/35 BB)
RHP – Taylor Thomas (5-3, 4.74 ERA, 18 APP, 8 GS, 0 SV, 57.0 IP, 54 SO/13 BB)
RHP – Frank Duncan (0-3, 3.09 ERA, 24 APP, 0 GS, 2 SV, 46.2 IP, 35 SO/24 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Kansas lost a lot of its production on the mound last season, including Team USA ace T.J. Walz (6-5, 3.97 ERA, 90.2 IP, 85 SO). But, that actually could be a good thing. Sometimes after a rough season it is good to get new blood out on the field and to start fresh. The Jayhawks will rely heavily on Poppe and Thomas since both threw more than 50 innings a year ago, and offensively they will also be looking to newcomers to help fill some holes. Price has done an outstanding job at KU, look for the Jayhawks to get back over the 30-win mark this season and to push opponents, especially in Lawrence where the Red Raiders will face KU in late March.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2012 – 4:47 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

VIDEO LINK

The one big question that every Texas Tech baseball fans wants to know is: When will the stadium be done… The next question they ask is who will start at shortstop.

The $5 million renovation will be ready by Opening Day, I can tell you that. Who will start at shortstop? I can give you one bit of insight, and it doesn’t take an expert to know this, it will be a freshman.

Three Red Raider freshmen are vying for the starting position as Bryant Burleson, Tim Proudfoot and Matt Eureste are all in competition for the starting spot.

In this video you will hear Coach Spencer talk about all three of the talented newcomers and you will also hear from each of the freshman shortstops.

Guns Up!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 – 11:37 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Between now and Opening Day we are going to take a look at all 23 of the Red Raiders opponents for the 2012 season, in no particular order.

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Tennessee Tech Preview

TENNESSEE TECH
- February 18, 4 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- February 19, 10 a.m. (Lubbock, Texas)

2011 Overall Record: 25-29
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 4th place, 12-12 (Ohio Valley)
2011 Post-Season: N/A
2011 Final Ranking: NR
2011 RPI: No. 209

Head Coach: Matt Bragga
Career Record: 194-238-2, 8 years
Record at Tennessee Tech: 194-238-2, 8 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
For the first time the Red Raiders will take on Tennessee Tech this season – a pair of TTU’s – while the Golden Eagles are just the second Ohio Valley Conference team ever to play Texas Tech (Jacksonville State, 2010 – Red Raiders went 2-0). The Golden Eagles might play in a smaller conference, but they don’t shy away from playing stiff competition with the Red Raiders, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State and Clemson on the schedule this season. Tennessee Tech returns the majority of its players as 16-of-24 letterwinners return while eight of the team’s starters are also back in 2012.

HIGHLIGHTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES:
Head coach Matt Bragga enters his 10^th year at the helm of the program. Recently he led his program to the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship and to the 2010 OVC regular season title. Tennessee Tech returns both pitchers who led them in wins a year ago while also bringing back its top power hitter, Zach Stephens, who batted .310 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 2011.

WHY TENNESSEE TECH IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
Tennessee Tech will play the Red Raiders in games two and three this year. Early season games usually go the way of the favorite, but you never know and with as many returners as the Golden Eagles have expect them to put up a fight in these early season contests.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
1B/DH – Zach Stephens (.310, 13 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 22 BB, 59 SO, 0-1 SB)
INF/C – Evan Frazier (.309, 9 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 21 BB, 36 SO, 0-0 SB)
2B/SS – Chad Hayes (.297, 7 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 30 RBI, 7 BB, 33 SO, 4-4 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
RHP – Tristan Archer (7-4, 5.68 ERA, 16 APP, 14 GS, 1 SV, 88.2 IP, 67 SO/22 BB)
RHP – Nick Price (4-4, 6.14 ERA, 19 APP, 8 GS, 0 SV, 58.2 IP, 38 SO, 33 BB)
RHP – Cullen Park (3-3, 4.20 ERA, 28 APP, 1 GS, 4 SV, 60.0 IP, 69 SO, 27 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Texas Tech has a lot of non-conference games. The games against Tennessee Tech – essentially – are just as valuable as the non-conference games against Rice, Arkansas and TCU. At the end of the season people are going to be judging the Red Raiders value as a potential NCAA Tournament team. If you can get in the neighborhood of 37 or 38 regular season wins – while playing in a league like the Big 12 – you are going to be in good shape. Last season the Red Raiders won 33 regular season games. It would be easy to look back and see some games lost against opponents such as BYU, UNLV, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Dallas Baptist and New Mexico and think, if we had only beat…

The Red Raiders don’t want to look back on any game and think that. With that being said, the games against Tennessee Tech are just as valuable as the games against any of their other 23 opponents on its 2012 schedule.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012 – 6:37 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Between now and Opening Day we are going to take a look at all 23 of the Red Raiders opponents for the 2012 season, in no particular order.

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Arizona State Preview

ARIZONA STATE
- March 6, 7:30 p.m. (Tempe, Ariz.)

2011 Overall Record: 43-18
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 2nd place, 17-10 (Pac-10)
2011 Post-Season: NCAA Austin Super Regional, 1-2
2011 Final Ranking: No. 9
2011 RPI: No. 7

Head Coach: Tim Esmay
Career Record: 308-263-1, 10 years
Record at Arizona State: 95-28, 2 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Texas Tech baseball fans need to look at and appreciate this matchup as if the Red Raiders football team was going to play at Florida State for a September non-conference game. This is a marque midweek matchup for Texas Tech and for college baseball, by far the biggest midweek test of the season for the Red Raiders. The Sun Devils, one of the most heralded college baseball programs over the last 45 years, will be ineligible for the 2012 postseason due to NCAA violations. But that doesn’t mean the Arizona State baseball program is down by any means.

The violations that are preventing the Sun Devils from postseason play happened several years ago under a previous head coach and with previous ASU players on the roster. So unfortunately this coaching staff and team will have to suffer the consequences. All head coach Tim Esmay has done at the helm of the program is win 95 games in two seasons while taking the Sun Devils to a Super Regional last season and to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament with a 51-8 overall record while making an appearance in Omaha.

And I haven’t even had a chance to mention the top player at Arizona State, who is arguably the top position player in the country, SS Deven Marrero. And oh by the way, Arizona State has two other preseason All-Americans… I’ll get to those guys in a minute.

HIGHLIGHTING THE SUN DEVILS:
You can’t get very far here without mentioning Marrero, who is considered by many the top collegiate position player in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft and is a player who is as defensively sound as they come at the shortstop position. Several baseball publications have Marrero listed as high as No. 2 on their MLB Draft board for this coming June.

Marrero isn’t bad at the plate either while hitting .315 (69-for-219) last season with 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 20 RBI and grabbed 10-of-15 stolen bases. Rated the No. 1 prospect from the prestigious Cape Cod League during last summer, his coach at Cotuit said he was the best defensive player he has ever seen – and that was right away comparing him with and saying he was better at this age than Walt Weiss… The coach went on to say that “I think he’s Omar Vizquel at 20.”

That my friends is a high, high, high praise.

WHY ARIZONA STATE IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
The Sun Devils return 5-of-8 starters in the field and 7-of-11 pitchers who saw action last season. ASU also returns designated hitter Joe DeMichele, who last season won the Pac-10 batting crown with a .368 batting average to go along with seven triples, nine home runs and 51 RBI. The Sun Devils also return preseason All-American right-handed pitcher Brady Rodgers who went 9-4 last season with a 2.75 ERA with 87 strikeouts and just NINE WALKS… That’s right, he made 15 starts and threw 98.1 innings and walked just nine batters. That is what you call impeccable control.

The Devils also return seven-game winning Jake Barrett, a junior who last season made 14 starts and struck out 72 batters. Arizona State also welcomes in three of its top newcomers (C Max Rossiter, INF Drew Stankiewicz & LHP Adam McCreery), who were all selected in the 2011 MLB Draft but decided on a collegiate career first in Tempe.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
SS – Deven Marrero (.315, 14 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 14 BB, 30 SO, 10-15 SB)
DH – Joey DeMichele (.368, 16 2B, 7 3B, 9 HR, 51 RBI, 14 BB, 27 SO, 6-8 SB)
OF – Andrew Aplin (.284, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SO, 3-8 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
RHP – Brady Rodgers (9-4, 2.75 ERA, 15 APP, 15 GS, 0 SV, 98.1 IP, 87 SO/9 BB)
RHP – Jake Barrett (7-4, 4.14 ERA, 14 APP, 14 GS, 0 SV, 76.0 IP, 72 SO, 21 BB)
RHP – Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.50 ERA, 32 APP, 0 GS, 39.2 IP, 35 SO, 6 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
If the Red Raiders have the type of season most are expecting them to this one game on their massive 56-game schedule will probably come back to really help them later on in the year. Going on the road and playing in an environment like Arizona State at Packard Stadium is going to be a great experience for this veteran bunch, one that will prepare them for the type of atmosphere that will await them in an NCAA Regional in June. Even though they will be facing midweek pitching and throwing their own, Tech will use this also as a test during an unbelievable stretch away from Lubbock where they play Arkansas, Rice, Houston and then following the trip to Tempe, a three-game series awaits at TCU in Fort Worth.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012 – 3:37 PM

Scott Lacefield (Twitter: @ScottLacefield)

2012 SCHEDULE  I  TICKETS

Road to the NCAA Tournament – Oklahoma Preview

OKLAHOMA
- March 23, 6:30 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- March 24, 5 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)
- March 25, 1 p.m. (Lubbock, Texas)

2011 Overall Record: 41-19
2011 Conference Finish (Conf.): 3^rd place, 14-11 (Big 12)
2011 Post-Season: NCAA Fort Worth Regional, 0-2 (#2 Seed)
2011 Final Ranking: No. 16
2011 RPI: No. 30

Head Coach: Sunny Golloway
Career Record: 596-291-1, 14 years
Record at Oklahoma: 261-135-1, 7 years

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The past few years the Oklahoma Sooners have been among the top three teams in the Big 12 conference and just two years ago advanced to the College World Series in Omaha. A big part of the reason why the Sooners have been so successful had to do with recruiting. The Sooners recruiting coordinator since 2005, Tim Tadlock, is now a Texas Tech Red Raider. Tadlock helped guide the Sooners to five NCAA Tournaments in a six-year span and just a few months ago returned to where he was a college shortstop and is now the Red Raiders associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

That is just part of – What You Need To Know – the rest is the fact that Oklahoma is still going to be a very strong team this season. Coming off a third consecutive 40-win campaign in 2011, the Sooners will be looking to reload. Twenty of the team’s 35 players are underclassmen, with several top recruits – all under Tadlock’s watch as recruiting coordinator – helping give the Sooners the No. 4 ranked recruiting class (for this season) in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

It is even more amazing when you consider how hard Oklahoma got hit in the MLB Draft last year (10 signed recruits were drafted – 3 of which showed up to campus) while the 2011 team had 11 players drafted, while only Jordan John (LHP – 28^th round) returned to campus. So overall, Oklahoma had essentially had 21 players drafted (including signed recruits) while only four of those made the trip to Norman for classes this school year.

HIGHLIGHTING THE SOONERS:
The Sooners have 11-of-15 letterwinners returning and just 4-of-11 pitchers back, but out of the 21 newcomers expect several to make an impact immediately. Highlighting the list of newcomers are sophomore RHP Jonathan Gray (Eastern Oklahoma State), freshman C Hunter Lockwood (Bedford, Texas), junior RHP (closer) Damien Magnifico (Howard College), junior INF Garrett Carey (McClennan CC), sophomore INF Matt Oberste (Connors State), sophomore LHP/OF Ty Taylor (Weatherford JC) and junior LHP Steven Okert (Grayson College). In fact, just for Okert to be on campus is a major accomplishment considering what the Milwaukee Brewers were offering him as a signing bonus following the draft and before school started in August.

And you also can’t forget about several Sooners who return who have been impact players in the Big 12 since the start of their careers, including infielder Caleb Bushyhead (.288, 18 RBI), outfielder Max White (.286, 20 RBI) and left-handed reliever and spot starter last season Dillon Overton (8-4, 2.30 ERA, 74.1 IP).

WHY OKLAHOMA IS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT:
With as much as Oklahoma lost on the mound (returns just 32 percent of its innings pitched from last season) and considering they return just two of the team’s top seven hitters, it is amazing how they will once again be viewed as one of the teams to beat in the Big 12. But there is a reason why: they are always good. A big reason why they had the No. 4 ranked recruiting class is because they brought in really good players. They brought in the caliber of player that we will be talking about at the end of the season as some of the best players in the Big 12, those are impact recruits. It doesn’t take impact recruits long to adjust to this level of major college baseball. Those are the types of players Tadlock and the OU staff brought in to Norman. These players will be in place and by the time the Sooners make the trip to Lubbock we will be talking about some of these newcomers as if they were household names. This team will once again be very difficult to beat.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:
2B – Caleb Bushyhead (.288, 9 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 21 BB, 31 SO, 3-6 SB)
OF – Max White (.286, 11 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB, 28 SO, 6-9 SB)
OF – Cody Reine (.306, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 10 BB, 32 SO, 3-5 SB)

TOP RETURNING PITCHERS:
LHP – Dillon Overton (8-4, 2.30 ERA, 23 APP, 7 GS, 0 SV, 74.1 IP, 59 SO/33 BB)
LHP – John Jordan (4-2, 2.35 ERA, 20 APP, 7 GS, 0 SV, 61.1 IP, 54 SO/18 BB)
RHP – Jack Mayfield (0-1, 3.68 ERA, 11 APP, 1 GS, 3 SV, 22.0 IP, 18 SO/12 BB)

THE BOTTOM LINE:
The Sooners have been hard to beat over the last few years, considering Tech is 4-10 against the Sooners since 2008. Although, Tech did take 2-of-3 against Oklahoma back in 2010, the Sooners College World Series team. Oklahoma returned nearly its entire CWS team last season and finished the season dropping both games at the Fort Worth Regional. This OU team will have a lot of new faces, but look for similar results out of the Sooners this season.