Tech Swats College of the Southwest Around

Texas Tech completed another sweep, this time a two-gamer, as
the Raiders bounced the Mustangs by 26-0 and 16-4 counts this week.

Tech, rested after coming home from the debacle in Austin, took out
any lingering frustrations on College of the Southwest, and improved
to 39-9 on the season, staying 11-7 in conference play with Houston
coming to Dan Law this weekend. The Raiders, ranked no. 9 in the
Baseball America poll this week and no. 14 in Collegiate Baseball,
stayed on track to receive a possible regional site in the NCAA
playoffs. Tech continued on that course, with staff ace Matt Miller
pitching several innings of no-hit ball in the opener, and Clint Bryant
muscling two doubles in the series finale.

1996 Season Archives

The Texas Tech baseball season is off and running and the Red Raiders are
enjoying one of the best starts in conference history. Coach Larry Hays has
assembled one of the finest college baseball clubs in the Nation and is poised
to lead the Raiders into the post season for perhaps the first College World
Series birth for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders hope to pick up where the team left
off last season after a 51-9 campaign. Texas Tech fell to the Stanford Cardinal
in the championship game of the Midwest Regional in Wichita, Kansas.

After losses of key personnel in the way of first baseman, Randy DuRoss (All Conference);
second baseman Jason Totman (All Conference); and pitcher Travis Smith (All SWC Tourn).
Coach Hays hopes that some key sophomores, freshmen, and Junior College transfers will help
to fill the void. Junior pitchers Matt Miller and Jeff Peck will be the nucleus of a pitching
staff that will be the envy of most pitching coaches in the league if Frank
Anderson (pitching coach) has anything to say about it. Anderson is also counting on
contribution from Ryan Brewer and senior leadership from Jimmy Frush; last season's save leader.
The biggest pitching question marks lie at the feet of the four freshmen pitchers. Monty Ward
(Lubbock Monterrey),Brad Ralston (Lubbock Coronado), Chad Reynolds (Frenship), and Zane Kemp
(Weatherford).

Texas Tech began the season cold, so cold in fact that it forced Tech to move the season opener
with San Diego State from Lubbock to San Diego. The change must have thawed out the Red Raiders'
bats as they swept the Nation's 29th ranked team in San Diego. Texas Tech spent the next week in
Florida at the Olive Garden Classic in Kissimmee taking on three teams that spent all or part of
the season in the Top 25. Tech opened with an impressive win over North Carolina 12-1,followed by
wins over Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. Texas Tech then traveled back across the country to Arizona
to participate in the Arizona State Classic. Tech posted wins over Nebraska, Northwestern, and the
host Arizona State before dropping a 17-16 decision to Arizona State for its first loss of the season.
That loss seemed to faze the Raiders as they lost the next game to Grand Canyon University 6-3 before
beating the Antelopes the next day 11-6. After a one day layoff, Tech finally returned to the friendly
confines of Dan Law Field for a much needed 14 game home stand in which they would face the likes
of New Mexico, Eastern Michigan (six times), New Mexico State, West Texas A&M (DH), and the Air Force
Academy (DH).

With little trouble, the Red Raiders posted 14 consecutive wins in route to a streak of 17 in a row.
Tech then hit the road to Houston for the final SWC First pitch tournament.

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