Tech Softball On to New Mexico
By: Matt Dowdy - Texas Tech University
Updated: February 14, 2013
LUBBOCK, Texas - After
a
3-2 start to its season last weekend in Las Vegas, Texas Tech returns
to the road Friday when the Red Raiders open the Troy Cox Classic hosted
by New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M.
Texas
Tech will face Colorado State, UMKC, Penn State and the host Aggies in
the three-day event that will be played at the NMSU
Softball Complex. This is the Red Raiders' first trip to Las Cruces
since the 2002 season when Tech went 4-2 on the weekend with a pair of
victories over No. 17 Florida State. Tech also made trips to New Mexico
State for tournaments in 1996, 1997, 1999 and
2000 as well. The Red Raiders are 16-15 all-time when traveling to Las
Cruces for tournament action.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, February 15
Texas Tech vs. Colorado State_________ 10:30 a.m.
Penn State vs. Colorado State_________ 12:30 p.m.
Texas Tech vs. UMKC___________________ 3 p.m.
New Mexico State vs. UMKC_____________ 5 p.m.
New Mexico State vs. Penn State_________ 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 16
Texas Tech vs. UMKC________________ 10:30 a.m.
Texas Tech vs. Penn State____________ 12:30 p.m.
New Mexico State vs. Penn State_________ 3 p.m.
New Mexico State vs. Colorado State______ 5 p.m.
UMKC vs. Colorado State________________ 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 17
UMKC vs. Penn State___________________ 10 a.m.
New Mexico State vs. Colorado State__ 12:30 p.m.
New Mexico State vs. Texas Tech______ 2:30 p.m.
INSIDE THE COLORADO STATE SERIES
Texas
Tech and Colorado State will be meeting for the fifth time in history
as the two teams have split the four previous meetings.
The Red Raiders took a 17-5 five-inning victory over the Rams in their
last meeting on March 17, 2001, where Tech drew a school record 18 walks
in the rout. This is the second time Tech and Colorado State have met
at the Troy Cox Classic as the Red Raiders
took a 7-5 victory on March 2, 1996, in the tournament finale.
INSIDE THE UMKC SERIES
The
Red Raiders will face UMKC for the first time since 2010 and the sixth
time in history Saturday as Tech is 4-1 all-time against
the Kangaroos. Tech swept UMKC over three games in 2010 and then also
took an 11-2 victory on March 11, 2005. The Kangaroos' only win in the
series came on March 4, 2000, when UMKC edged Tech, 3-2, at the Bash at
the Bay tournament held in Corpus Christi, Texas.
INSIDE THE PENN STATE SERIES
Texas
Tech is 1-2 all-time against Penn State as the two teams have not met
since the 2001 season. The Red Raiders downed the Nittany
Lions, 2-0, on March 10, 2001, for their only win in the series. Penn
State took 2-1 and 5-2 victories during the 1999 and 2000 series. All
three meetings between the two schools have been played at a neutral
site.
INSIDE THE NEW MEXICO STATE SERIES
Texas
Tech will be renewing one of its longest series against a
non-conference opponent Sunday when New Mexico State hosts the
Red Raiders. The two schools have met 30 times since 1996 with the Red
Raiders controlling a 20-10 all-time advantage. This will be the first
time the two schools have met since the 2011 NCAA Tucson Regional where
Tech overcame a first-game loss to defeat the
Aggies in an elimination. The Red Raiders are 7-5 against the Aggies
when playing in Las Cruces where the two teams have not met since the
2004 season.
HAYS BECOMES ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH ON OPENING WEEKEND
Shanon
Hays became the winningest coach in Texas Tech history on opening
weekend when the Red Raiders topped Central Florida, 12-4,
for Hays' 122nd victory. The win helped Hays pass Renee Luers-Gillespie,
UCF's current head coach who also led Tech to a 121-133-1 record in
just over four seasons from 1996 to several weeks into the 2000 season.
Hays is now 124-53 during his three-plus seasons
in the Tech dugout.
JAMES, KENNEY NEARING CAREER RBI RECORD
Sandy
James and Mikey Kenney have a chance to break the Texas Tech career RBI
record this weekend as the two seniors are within
10 RBI of Paula Workman (1997-2000) and Emily Bledsoe's (2009-12) mark
of 114. James enters this weekend two off the record with 112 RBI that
is tied for third all-time with Logan Hall. Kenney, meanwhile, has 106
career RBI which is good for seventh all-time
in school history. James and Kenney both opened with four RBI each last
weekend with Kenney connecting on a pair of home runs, giving her a
school-record 34 for her career.
ELKINS HAS SUCCESSFUL START TO COLLEGIATE CAREER
As
a collegiate athlete for just over a month, Lexie Elkins probably
couldn't imagine such a successful opening weekend. The 17-year-old
freshman went 4-for-8 at the plate with a pair of doubles and two RBI
while making three starts behind the plate. She became the first
freshman to earn the opening-day start at catcher since Holley Gentsch
in 2009. Gentsch went on to Tech's primary catcher
behind the plate during her four-year career before becoming Tech's
graduate student manager this season.
RED RAIDERS FIND SUCCESS IN THE OPENING INNING
If
one thing was evident at the Sportco Kick-Off Classic last weekend in
Las Vegas, the Red Raiders were ready from the beginning as Texas Tech
plated at least one run in the opening inning four times in five games.
In three of those games, the Red Raiders opened with significant leads
thanks to four first-inning runs. Tech scored in the first inning 24
times a year ago and was 20-4 in those games.
The Red Raiders finished 2-2 last weekend when scoring in the opening
frame.
