Series Details

Dates: Thursday, April 13th – Saturday, April 15th
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (29-7, 6-3)
Bad Guys: Kansas State Wildcats (16-16, 1-8)
Location: Tointon Family Stadium | Manhattan, Kansas
Game Notes: Preview | PDF
TV/Stream: WatchESPN
Radio/Stream: Broadcast Affiliates
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Kansas State is a pretty good pitching team, but not so great hitting the ball and not a team that knocks the ball out of the ballpark. Kansas State was okay in non-conference, but has been swept by Texas and by TCU, and then lost 2 of 3 to Oklahoma State. This would be a series that Texas Tech needs to sweep this series. Texas Tech is sitting second behind TCU and tied with West Virginia at 6-3 overall. As an aside, TCU is playing West Virginia this weekend, in Morgantown, and Texas Tech takes on TCU in two weekends, starting April 28th.

News, News, News, News

  LAJ’s Nicholas Talbot previews the series writes that we should expect thunderstorms (which is true, there’s a 50% chance or greater for rain on Friday and Saturday) and really good pitching:

“There were some good baseball games (for Kansas State against TCU),” Tadlock said. “Heskett is a handful on Friday. And Rigler has thrown a no-hitter and is a nephew of a good friend of mine, Ryan Franklin, and has some pitching background.

At the plate, the Wildcats (16-16, 1-8 Big 12) are led by Cameron Thompson, who leads the team with a .346 average and 24 runs. Jake Scudder, who is hitting .269, leads the team with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Steve Serratore isn’t far behind Scudder. He has five homers, a .261 average and 28 RBIs.

“It has never been easy going to Manhattan. There are nine teams in our league that can play baseball,” Tadlock said. “It has always been that way. You have to understand you have to earn wins and there are no easy ones.”

 K-State Collegian’s Scott Popp looks at the series from a Kansas State perspective:

This year’s Wildcat team sits at 16-16 and at 1-8 in the Big 12 through the same number of games and will need to turn it around like that team a year ago did to make the Big 12 tournament.

They will get their chance to turn their fortunes around this weekend against Texas Tech when they host the Red Raiders for three games at home.

“All of them are big series,” head coach Brad Hill said to K-State Sports. “We’ve just got to look at it as a great opportunity … Guys are playing hard and competing, doing the little things. We just need a break to go our way. And, probably more than anything else, we need that big hit to kind of take some pressure off.”

Stats

Key Texas Tech Hitters:

Key Kansas State Hitters:

Team Stats:

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Thursday, April 13th @ 6:30 pm
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: Jacob Patterson (4-0, 2.89)
Kansas State Starting Pitcher: RHP Justin Heskett (3-2, 2.66)
Final Score & Box Score: Kansas State 5, Texas Tech 3 (Recap | Box Score)

It always stinks losing the first game of a series because there’s only one way to win it from here on out. Jacob Patterson got the start and went 4 innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, walking 3 and striking out 5. The problem is that Erikson Lanning came in to pitch the 5th and promptly gave up 2 more runs and that was the difference in the game. Caleb Freeman pitched the final 3 frames, allowing just 4 hits and if you wanted to find a guy that might start next week if Davis Martin isn’t ready to go, Freeman might be your guy.

The offense didn’t pick things up, generating only 10 hits and leaving 10 on base and that’s the problem. Cody Farhat continues to rake and the idea of Tanner Garnder at DH while he still heals a bit is a good idea. Farhat went 3 for 3 with a run scored. A little surprised that Michael Berglund didn’t start at catcher and you wonder if something is wrong with him (injury wise). Michael Davis went 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI and Anthony Lyons pinch hit for a RBI for Grant Little, who also had an RBI.

Game 2: Friday, April 14th @ 6:30 pm
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: LHP Steven Gingery (6-0, 1.00)
Kansas State Starting Pitcher: LHP Parker Rigler (2-3, 2.70)
Final Score & Box Score: Texas Tech 7, Kansas State 4 (Recap | Box Score)

Whew. Another start and another win for Steven Gingery, moving to 7-0 on the year and went 6.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 runs, walking 1 and striking out 10 en route to throwing 105 pitches to the win. Gingery got into a little bit of troublein the 7th inning, allowing a 2-run home run and that was hi day. Mushinski Mushinski went out and struck out the final out of the inning and then had a clean 8th inning (it was adventurous as he walked a batter and also had a wild pitch). John McMillon earned his 4th save of the year by pitching a clean 9th inning.

Michael Davis and Cody Farhat each homered yesterday, Davis actually tripled as well, was 2 of 5 on the day with 2 run scored and 3 RBI. Farhat continues to do his thing by continuing to rake and was 1 of 3 with an RBI. The top of the order was a murder’s row, Grant little was 2 for 5 with a run scored, Josh Jung was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, the aforementioned Davis, Hunter Hargrove was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Orland Garcia was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI who also had a triple as well.

Two more asides. The announcers apparently did not announce “Gingery” correctly and in case you were wondering, that first “G” is with a hard “g”. Michael Berglund also didn’t start again and that makes 3 straight games that Texas Tech’s starting catcher didn’t play.

Game 3: Saturday, April 15th @ 2:00 pm
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: RHP Ryan Shetter (2-0, 3.50)
Kansas State Starting Pitcher: RHP Hudson Treau (0-1, 3.38)
Final Score & Box Score: Texas Tech 12, Kansas State 8 (Recap | Box Score)

Another series win? I’ll take it. Ryan Shetter got the start, but only lasted 2 innings, allowing 4 runs, only 2 earned (although it was Shetter’s throwing error that allowed a runner to advance). It didn’t matter because of a 2-run K-State home run in the first and in the second inning, a double, who advanced to third on a bunt, then a walk, who stole second and a single to score both runs. That was Shetter’s day. Caleb Killian came in and pitched very well and earned his third win of the year, going 3 innings, walking 3 and only striking out 1, but didn’t allow any hits. Jose Quezada had a rough 6th inning, allowing 2 hits and 3 runs, to go along with 2 walks and a strike out, and then Parker Mushinski pitched a clean 7th inning before Dylan Dusek pitched the 8th and 9th, allowing 3 hits, a run and a strikeout.

The offense was pretty spectacular, pounding out 14 hits, 2 more home runs and every player had a hit except for Grant Little at the top of the lineup and Tanner Gardner who is DH’ing. Josh Jung went 1 for 5 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored and had one of those home runs while the absolutely incredible Cody Farhat is playing some fantastic baseball (watch the video for a terrific catch) going 2 for 4 with 2 runs and ann RBI and the other home run. Orlando Garcia, Michael Davis and Kholeton Sanchez each had 3-hit games.

Up next is New Mexico State in Midland on Tuesday and then we get back to our regular weekend series with Oklahoma State in Lubbock for 3 games, all games will be on FSSW+.

Texas Tech is 8-4 in conference and TCU is 9-2 and these two teams play in 2 weeks.