Tech Softball Hits the Road for the Rest of March
By: Matt Dowdy - Texas Tech University
Updated: March 12, 2013
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Texas
Tech
will begin its week-long stay in San Diego, Calif. Wednesday morning
with a doubleheader against Bryant and Fairfield at the Santee Sports
Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.
The
doubleheader is the first of seven games for the Red Raiders in
Southern
California as Tech opens the San Diego State Classic on Friday morning.
The Red Raiders will face Fairfield once again Friday before taking on
Seton Hall, Buffalo, Marist and host San Diego State in the three-day
event.
This is Texas Tech's first trip to San Diego since 2009 when the Red Raiders finished 0-4 in the San Diego State Classic. Tech
also played a pair of non-tournament games during that trip with a doubleheader sweep of South Dakota State.
INSIDE THE BRYANT SERIES
Texas
Tech and Bryant will be meeting for the fourth time in school history
as the Red Raiders swept a three-game set in 2011 at
Rocky Johnson Field. Tech ended all three games via run-rule as the Red
Raiders outscored the Bulldogs, 28-2, during the Texas Tech
Invitational.
INSIDE THE FAIRFIELD SERIES
This
is the first-ever meeting between Texas Tech and Fairfield. The Stags
are the third first-time opponent for the Red Raiders
this year, joining IPFW and Troy. Tech will also face one more
first-time opponent this week on Saturday when the Red Raiders take on
Buffalo.
ON DECK
The
Red Raiders continue their week-long stay in Southern California this
weekend as Texas Tech opens the San Diego State Classic
on Friday morning with a doubleheader against Fairfield and Seton Hall.
Tech will also face Buffalo, host San Diego State and Marist from there
for a total of five games.
RED RAIDERS IN THE MIDST OF BUSIEST STRETCH OF THE SEASON
Texas
Tech continues its busiest stretch of the season this week as the Red
Raiders will play a total of seven games over five
days in San Diego. The Red Raiders are coming off a seven-game weekend
where Tech went 6-1 overall in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic
hosted at Rocky Johnson Field. In all, the Red Raiders are int he midst
of a 14-game stretch that takes place in only
10 days.
CAMELLO, PEREZ RETURN TO FAMILIAR GROUNDS
Samantha
Camello and Adriana Perez will be playing in their home state this week
for the first time in a Red Raider uniform. Camello
hails from Temecula, Calif., which is roughly an hour north of San Diego
while Perez' hometown of Lancaster is just north of Los Angeles, a
three-hour drive from San Diego. Both Southern California standouts have
started in all 27 games this year for the Red
Raiders.
HAYS PICKS UP CAREER WIN NO. 250 AGAINST IPFW
Texas
Tech head coach Shanon Hays earned his 250th career victory as a
collegiate softball coach last Saturday when the Red Raiders
rolled past IPFW, 12-4, in six innings. Hays already became the
winningest coach in Texas Tech history already this year with a
season-opening win over Central Florida. The fourth-year skipper is now
254-75 in six seasons as a collegiate coach and 140-59 while
at Texas Tech.
PEREZ CONTINUES TEAR ON OPPOSING PITCHERS WITH 12 HOME RUNS
Through
27 games this year, it is easy to say that Adriana Perez is likely
bound for a record-breaking season as the senior is
among the national leaders with 12 home runs already this year. Perez
lifted home run No. 11 and 12 last weekend during the Jeannine McHaney
Memorial Classic as she is now just four shy of Sandy James'
single-season school record that was set in 2011. The Lancaster,
Calif. native ranks second in the country entering this week in home
runs as she only trails Oklahoma's Lauren Chamberlain, who has totaled
13 home runs already this season. Perez is also hitting .393 on the year
with a team-high 40 RBI that ranks first currently
in the Big 12 Conference. The single-season mark for RBI belongs to Kim
Martinez, who drove in 70 runners in 1997. Perez has now hit 27 home
runs in just over a season at Tech, moving her into a tie for third with
Martinez on the school's career chart.
JOHNSON CONTINUES TO REACH BASE IN RECORD-SETTING WEEKEND
Through
27 games this season, Shelby Johnson has done exactly what Shanon Hays
envisioned when he recruited the junior college
transfer - reach base. The Jefferson, Ga. native is the only Red Raider
to reach base in all 27 games, marking the longest streak for a Red
Raider to start a season since Emily Bledsoe reached in the first 34
games of the 2011 campaign. Johnson is coming off
her best weekend yet in a Red Raider uniform as she hit .652 in the
Jeannine McHaney Classic (15-for-22) with 10 runs scored, 10 RBI and
five stolen bases. The junior matched the Texas Tech single-game record
for hits with her 5-for-5 performance against IPFW
on Saturday where she also drove in a season-high six RBI. Johnson
matched the school record that was set by Stephanie Drewry on Feb. 27,
2009, against South Florida. She currently ranks among the Big 12
leaders in hits, runs scored, on-base percentage, walks,
and stolen bases.
RED RAIDERS BEGIN TO FIND POWER TO CLOSE HOMESTAND
Texas
Tech belted 12 home runs during the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic,
giving the Red Raiders 34 now through 27 games this
season. The Red Raiders are currently on pace to snap the school's
single-season record set just a year ago when Tech totaled 66 home runs.
The 2012 club only had 27 home runs through the first 27 games before
eventually snapping the school record that was
also broke in 2011 as well. Tech's 12 home runs last weekend marked its
most in a tournament this season.
--TECH--
