Texas Tech (15-17, 4-5) vs. Oklahoma St. (17-10, 2-4)
Location: Allie P. Reynolds Stadium : Stillwater, OK
Radio: Affiliates
| Date | Start Time | Texas Tech Starting Pitcher |
Oklahoma St. Starting Pitcher |
Result |
| 4.9.10 | 6:30 p.m. | Louis Head 1-1, 7.40 |
Thomas Keeling 2-3, 4.26 |
- |
| 4.10.10 | 2:00 p.m. | Bobby Doran 1-2, 5.36 |
Tyler Lyons 2-1, 4.26 |
- |
| 4.11.10 | 1:00 p.m. | TBA - |
Andrew Heaney 3-0, 6.67 |
- |
Outfield:
LF - Michael Reed (Sr.); CF - Taylor Ashby (Sr.); RF - Scott LeJeune (So.)
Infield:
SS - Joey Kenworthy (Sr.) 2ND - Jamodrick McGruder (Fr.);
3RD - Nick Popescu (Jr.) 1ST - Barrett Barnes (Fr.)
C - Jeremy Mayo (Jr.)
DH - Kevin Whitehead (So.)
*Click on the score for boxscore. Texas Tech series preview (pdf).
Preview: Unfortunately, the Red Raiders will be without their normal Friday starter as John Neely has a broken hand and will be out for the rest of the year (LAJ's George Watson and DT's Adam Coleman). Watson writes that the incident that broke his hand was an off-field incident:
Sophomore right-hander John Neely suffered a season-ending break to his pitching hand following last Friday's game against Kansas State in what head coach Dan Spencer termed an off-field incident. Spencer did not go into further detail, saying only that Neely will be allowed to compete for a spot on the team next year.
And as desperate as this staff was for pitching, Neely was actually one of the better pitchers thus far this year. Here's Spencer and Watson on the overall lack of depth:
"We didn't have many to start with and now we've got one less," said Spencer, who lost three pitchers before the season started with elbow injuries. "We have to be creative now and get some extra innings out of some more guys, and we have to be very efficient."The loss of Neely (1-1, 5.92 ERA) reduces Tech to just 11 healthy hurlers and further stretches a staff that has been inconsistent at best throughout the season. The Red Raiders rank last in the Big 12 with a 6.62 ERA and hit the road for a three-game conference series starting today at Oklahoma State (17-10, 2-4 in Big 12), which ranks second in the conference in batting average.
And Coleman writes that the Cowboys are a predominantly left-handed lineup and staff:
But Spencer said statistics don’t truly show what makes this lineup unique. Six players in the Cowboys’ starting lineup are left-handed batters, which will give Tech pitchers an unusual and different look."They can hit," Spencer said. "That’s a concern. But I think everybody in our league can hit to a certain extent. Oklahoma State presents some different challenges for us because they’re a predominantly left-handed lineup. Even with Neely, it would’ve been a different deal."
Additionally, the Cowboys are left-handed on the mound. All three of the Cowboys’ starters this weekend are left-handed pitchers. Tyler Lyons is expected to pitch Saturday and Andrew Heaney is expected to pitch Sunday.