OKLAHOMA at No. 5 TEXAS TECH
Lubbock, Texas | Rip Griffin Park
May 19-21, 2022
Texas Tech Game Notes (PDF) | Oklahoma Game Notes (PDF)
STARTERS
A Big 12 regular season championship is on the line for Texas Tech in its final series of the season when Oklahoma visits Lubbock starting on Thursday night. If Texas Tech can win all three games versus Oklahoma, the Red Raiders will win the Big 12 regular season title outright, winning two-of-three would mean a share of the title alongside TCU and potentially Oklahoma State if they were to sweep Baylor in Waco this weekend. TCU has completed its Big 12 schedule and hosts a nonconference series versus Santa Clara to finish its season.
Coverage will be provided via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. John Haris will have the call, alongside Mike Gustafson providing the analysis, from inside Rip Griffin Park. The broadcast can be accessed from any desktop or laptop computer, any personal cellular device and television streaming services using the ESPN app. Registration for the subscription service can be found at ESPNPlus.com.
Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game over 46 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico as Geoff Haxton will have the call alongside analyst, Jamie Lent.
TEXAS TECH IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
- D1Baseball: No. 5
- Baseball America: 6
- NCBWA: No. 6
- Collegiate Baseball: 12
- USA Coaches: No. 7
- Perfect Game: No. 5
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
- Thursday, May 19: RHP Andrew Morris (3.71 ERA, 7-0) vs. LHP Jake Bennett (3.66 ERA, 5-3)
- Friday, May 20: RHP Brandon Birdsell (2.12 ERA, 8-2) vs. RHP David Sandlin (5.86 ERA, 5-3)
- Saturday, May 21: RHP Chase Hampton (5.04 ERA, 4-3) vs. RHP Cade Horton (5.59 ERA, 2-1)
LAST TIME AGAINST OKLAHOMA
On April 12, earlier this season, Oklahoma defeated then-No. 4 Texas Tech 14-9 in a nonconference neutral site contest in Amarillo, dubbed the Red Dirt Rivalry. The 4-hour, 28-minute Tuesday night contest was an evening that multiple runs were expected as high winds pushed upwards of 30 to 40 mph to right-field, the Red Raiders were on the wrong end of the final result after 23 runs crossed the plate between the two teams. Texas Tech allowed a season-high five home runs on the blustery evening while also walking nine batters. TTU also committed four errors, matching a season-high set on one other occasion this season (at Rice, March 12). Whether it was a home run in the fourth, walks (1st, 2nd, 6th), an error (3rd), or a hit-by-pitch (5th), the Sooners’ leadoff batter reached base in the first six innings, pushing the Red Raiders’ pitching staff to limit the damage in each frame. TTU used eight pitchers out of the bullpen behind starter Andrew Devine who closed a scoreless outing in three innings pitched.
FATE IN OWN HANDS
With three games remaining on the regular season schedule, Texas Tech is in control of its own destiny to win its fourth Big 12 title since 2016. After sweeping then-No. 3 Oklahoma State in Stillwater last weekend, the Red Raiders maintained control of their own destiny to win a Big 12 title while jumping the Cowboys in the league standings. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, TCU is 16-8 (.667) but cannot improve its position having completed its Big 12 slate of games. Tech is 14-7 (.667) and can jump in front of TCU with three wins versus Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State, 13-8 (.619), can jump back into the picture with a sweep over Baylor in Waco if Tech were to lose one game against the Sooners.
RPI vs. POLLS
Texas Tech is the only school in the country that has hosted an NCAA Regional five consecutive times since 2016, if it is to extend to six, the Red Raiders need their RPI rank to catch up with the respect they’re receiving from the national polls. While Tech moved from No. 9 to No. 5 in the D1Baseball poll this week, Tech’s most recent RPI ranking was No. 32 (as of games through May 17). Tech checked in at No. 41 prior to the series in Stillwater. Tech’s final opponent, Oklahoma ranks No. 40 in the RPI.
COMING TOGETHER AS A TEAM ON THE ROAD
Texas Tech started out the season 22-5 in the months of February and March before a turbulent April going 9-10 during the month. While more than nine wins would have been preferred, all nine wins came in Big 12 play which kept the Red Raiders in the conference race.
Since April 29, every contest has been on the road and the Red Raiders are 6-1 during that stretch. It started with a series at Baylor, April 29-May 1, and continued on the road at Abilene Christian on May 3 before a week-plus break for spring exams held May 5-10 at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have made great use of the break, since 2016 Tech has won each of its series following the final exam break, including three sweeps.
SCOUTING – OKLAHOMA
- Oklahoma is 31-19. The Sooners are 6-6 in true road games, but 6-3 in Big 12 road games. Oklahoma’s last Big 12 road series was a trip to TCU and won two-of-three, May 6-8.
- A look at the Sooners’ 2022 Big 12 schedule:
- Big 12 Series #1: Won 2-of-3 versus Baylor at home.
- Big 12 Series #2: Lost 2-of-3 versus Texas at home.
- Big 12 Series #3: Lost 2-of-3 at Oklahoma State.
- Big 12 Series #4: Swept Kansas on the road.
- Big 12 Series #5: Won 2-of-3 versus Kansas State at home.
- Big 12 Series #6: Won 2-of-3 at TCU.
- Big 12 Series #7: Won 2-of-3 versus West Virginia at home.
- Big 12 Series #8: at Texas Tech
- Oklahoma is in its fifth season under the direction of head coach Skip Johnson (including the 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Johnson, who spent the 2017 season on staff as an assistant coach, has led the Sooners to a 143-99 record since taking over as head coach prior to the 2018 season.
- Oklahoma ranks 6th nationally in stolen bases with 118 (on 151 attempts). In a comparison of styles, Texas Tech has 27 stolen bases (on 30 attempts).
- Five different Sooners own double-digit steals; in comparison, Tech’s leading base stealer owns four (four-tied).
- In a vote of the league’s head coaches, Oklahoma was selected to finish sixth in the 2022 Preseason Big 12 Baseball Coaches’ Poll.
- Peyton Graham was the Sooners’ one honoree on the Big 12 preseason team. He is hitting .335 this season and owns a team-leading 49 RBIs.
TEXAS TECH-OKLAHOMA SERIES HISTORY
- Thursday’s meeting will be the 96th all-time between the two programs.
- Tech trails the all-time series 44-50-1 but is 22-12 in home games versus Oklahoma.
- The series dates back to 1976 as Oklahoma won six of the first nine games before the Big 12.
- Since the formation of the Big 12, Tech is 41-44-1 against the Sooners
- Since Tim Tadlock took over prior to 2013, Tech is 17-12 against the Sooners
- Tech has won 5-of-8 regular-season series against OU since 2013, including a sweep in Norman in 2019.
THIS-N-THAT
- The Red Raiders are 20-3 in home games this season, and 15-13 in all other games (road & neutral).
- Tech is 19-0 at home this season when scoring three or more runs.
- Tech is 14-1 at home this season when scoring first.
- Tech is 17-0 at home this season when limiting its opponent to five runs or less.
- Texas Tech went 22-5 in the months of February and March.
- Texas Tech went 9-10 in April – while more than nine wins would have been preferred, Tech won nine games that mattered as all nine were Big 12 wins, posting a 9-5 record in conference games.
- Tech has scored six runs or more in 36 of 51 games this season.
- TTU is 32-4 in those games.
- Tech has scored in double-digits 18 times out of 51 games.
- TTU is 17-1 in those games. Tech lost with double-digit scoring for the first time at UNM (11-10) on April 19.
- Tech is t-9th in the NCAA in runs scored with 468.
- Tech has hit seven grand slams. If Tech hits an eighth this season, they will enter the NCAA record book in a tie for 12th place all-time, sharing eight with Eastern Ill. (2002), Florida (1998), Florida St. (1996), Hardin-Simmons (1989), North Carolina (1987), Virginia Tech (1986) and FIU (1983). Texas Tech surpassed six grand slams in a single season for the first time since 2004, hitting numbers six and seven in back-to-back games at Oklahoma State. The most in a single season in NCAA history is 14, set by Arizona State in 2003.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, will be hosted at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 25-29. For info on attending and tickets, visit Big12Sports.com.
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