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This week, the Houston-based Tigers of Texas Southern visit Lubbock for a pair of games before the Red Raiders head to Norman for a big matchup with the Sooners. Can Tech stay hot against a lower-tier team as they get ready for a big conference matchup? In this past weeks Air Raid podcast, we spoke about how Tech has played down to their competition in the past, with losses against UTA and close games against UNLV in Lubbock just a week ago. However they were able to take care of business in Wichita over the weekend, running their winning streak to eight.
The Tigers of Texas Southern
Texas Southern plays in the West division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Other teams in their conference include Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Prairie View, Jackson State, and Mississippi Valley State. They are currently in first place in their division, with an 8-3 conference record, but are 0-12 out of conference, with losses to teams such as Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Lamar.
Sophomore outfielder Olajide Oloruntimilehin leads the Tigers in RBI’s and has 4 of their 12 home runs this year. However, he also leads the team in strikeouts, and it’s not very close, with 10 more than the next highest. Redshirt junior infielder Jose Camacho is also a threat with 23 hits and 13 RBI’s this year. On the mound, Michael Villanueva leads the team with 4 wins, however he has only started a single game. Most of the pitchers for tSU have a high ERA, with a team ERA over 7, and have allowed opponents to hit almost .300.
Series Info
This will be a two-game series, with the game on Tuesday set for a 6:30 pm first pitch and a Wednesday afternoon game set for 2:00. The games will be broadcast on the radio at 97.3 FM in Lubbock, and also on the TuneIn app. The Red Raiders looked to John Henry Gonzales (2-1, 3.38 ERA) and Caleb Freeman (0-0, 7.71 ERA) in last week’s close games against UNLV and they could start this series as well. Relievers to also look for are Erikson Lanning, Ty Harpenau, and Dylan Dusek. There severe thunderstorms expected on Tuesday, and rain extends into Wednesday, so there is always a chance for a weather delay or postponement.