Preview and Game Thread: Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma

#10 Texas Tech travels to Norman to take on the Sooners for the first conference series of the year. All three games are on television, so depending on your television package, you might be able to watch all three games.

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
Series Details:

Dates: Friday, March 20th – Sunday, March 22nd
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-6, 0-0)
Bad Guys: Oklahoma Sooners (15-8, 0-0)
Location: L. Dale Mitchell Park | Norman, OK
TV/Stream: Friday – FCS Pacific; Saturday – Fox Sports Net; Sunday – FCS Central
Radio/Stream: Broadcast Affiliates and TuneIn App

The official site has your official preview if you need any additional information.

The Sooners have a team batting average of .281 and a team ERA of 2.74, compared to Texas Tech’s .297 batting averages, which leads the Big 12, and a team ERA of 3.29. Friday night starter Jake Elliott is one of the top pitchers in the Big 12, 10th in ERA, and is allowing opponents to only hit .193 off of him. Sooner CF Craig Aikin is hitting .368 at the top of the order and is problematic because he’s getting on base at a .421 clip, has 14 RBI and 10 walks as well.

Texas Tech is led by newcomer Cory Raley, who is hitting .411 and slugging .548 thus far. He’s been terrific as a transfer into Texas Tech. Texas Tech needs a good start from Moseley on Friday night and it’s interesting that I think Dylan Dusek was a TBA starter last weekend, but this is the second week that this is the case.

Probable Starters:

Outfield: LF: Tyler Neslony| CF: Hunter Hargrove or Zach Davis or Stephen Smith | RF: Stephen Smith or Tanner Gardner
Infield: 3B: Michael Davis or Orlando Garcia or Ryan Long | SS: Tim Proudfoot | 2B: Cory Raley or Bryant Burleson | 1B Eric Gutierrez | C: Tyler Floyd or Bryant Burleson | DH: William Hairston or Quinn Carpenter or Tanner Gardner

Game Details:

Game 1: Friday, March 20th @ 6:00 pm
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: RHP Ryan Moseley (1-2, 4.26)
Oklahoma Starting Pitcher: RHP Jake Elliott (3-1, 2.76)
Final Score & Box Score: Texas Tech 6, Oklahoma 1 (recap and box score)

Ryan Moseley mowed down the Sooners, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 1 run and 3 hits for the entire night. He was fantastic, throwing 61 of his 95 pitches for strikes, striking out 6 and walking 2. Corey Taylor, who has been lights out, pitched the final two frames, facing the minimum of six batters, striking out 1 and it was game over.

The offense was a bit here and there. Eric Gutierrez is hit by a pitch in the 4th, steals second, Tanner Garner grounds out to first advancing Gutierrez and then Ryan Long then doubles to left field scoring Gutierrez. In the sixty inning, Tyler Neslony walks and Gardner doubles to right field. OU intentionally walks Long (I’m guessing this hasn’t happened all that much, and then Tim Proudfoot, who has been a bit quiet this year, singles to right scoring Gardner and Neslony. Oklahoma would score a run in the 6th, but Texas Tech would answer in the seventh as Gutierrez singles, scoring Corey Raley, who has been on fire. Texas Tech would score two more insurance runs in the eighth inning as Hunter Hargrove singles to start the inning, but gets to second on a passed ball and third on a bunt. Zach Davis pinch runs for Hargrove and Proudfoot walks, steals second and then Raley comes through again with a single scoring Davis and Proudfoot.


Game 2: Saturday, March 21st @ 2:02 pm
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: LHP Cameron Smith (2-1, 3.29)
Oklahoma Starting Pitcher: RHP Alec Hansen (2-2, 3.81)
Final Score & Box Score: Oklahoma 5, Texas Tech 2 (recap and box score)

Oklahoma’s Alec Hansen was dealing on Saturday afternoon and he only allowed 3 hits all game and both runs, but Texas Tech was off-balance by the superb pitching from Hansen. Cameron Smith got the start for Texas Tech, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs, striking out 4 and walking 1. Dalton Brown allowed two more runs and didn’t register an out, while, Jacob Patterson and Matt Custred pitched in relief to keep the game relatively close, but it didn’t matter that much as the offense didn’t have an answer for Hansen. The only players that managed a hit was Tyler Neslony, Tanner Gardner and Tim Proudfoot and managed to score both runs on a wild pitch in the 5th inning. That actually gave Texas Tech the lead, but Oklahoma would answer and that’s all OU would need.


Game 3: Sunday, March 22nd @ 1:00 pm
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: TBA
Oklahoma Starting Pitcher: TBA
Final Score & Box Score: Oklahoma 3, Texas Tech 2 (recap and box score)

A pretty tough loss for sure as Texas Tech pitched well enough to win, but those bats can sometimes be a feast or famine situation. Dominic Moreno got the start, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, in 5 innings, 8 hits, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. It wasn’t a big inning that was a problem for Moreno, but he did allow a run in the first, third and fifth innings and that was it. The Texas Tech offense knocked out Oklahoma starter without registering an out, but Robert Tasin came in relief as well as the rest of the bullpen, and only allowed 3 more hits and 1 more run the rest of the way. The Texas Tech batters struck out 20 times on Saturday and Sunday. That’s a lot of swinging bats. Only Stephen Smith, Hunter Hargrove and Tyler Neslony managed any hits, Smith and Hargrove both had two hits. Eric Gutierrez managed the only RBI.

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