Two weeks of regular-season series remain for the Texas Tech baseball team. It’s up to the Red Raiders whether they have any postseason.
Tech (24-24, 7-17 in the Big 12) hosts Brigham Young (24-23, 12-12) this week in the Red Raiders’ final home series of the season and finishes up with a three-game set May 14-16 at Cincinnati (32-17, 13-11).
The Big 12 tournament, May 19-23 in Surprise, Arizona, will have 12 teams. Tech and Arizona (16-30, 7-17) are tied for 12th place, and if they finish in a two-way deadlock, the Red Raiders’ series victory in Tucson gives them the tiebreaker.
The Tech-BYU games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7; 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 8; and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park.
“I think the guys know,” Tech coach Tim Tadlock said after his team’s 9-7 home victory Tuesday against Dallas Baptist. “Reality’s reality. I think they know we can win, and I think the urgency to do that every day has been there. I don’t think that’s going to change based on what you get to do if you win games, but you’d like to win as many as you can, right?”
Tech has lost six consecutive Big 12 series for the first time since 2013. By salvaging the last game of a three-game series last weekend at Baylor, Tech snapped a nine-game losing streak against Big 12 opponents. That matched a nine-gamer in 2007 for the program record in the 30-year history of the Big 12.
Tech missed the NCAA tournament each of the past two years, but at least made it to the Big 12 tournament. Now even that’s in jeopardy.
“We’ve had a sense of urgency,” Tadlock said. “We just haven’t played great at times, right? But I think Sunday was big [beating Baylor 8-3], getting that game. They know we need to win a few.”
Of the seven Texas Tech pitchers who’ve been out recently, Tadlock said starter Jackson Burns, who missed last weekend, is closest to returning, though not against BYU.
“He’d be the one,” Tadlock said. “I think by maybe next week, we can get him.”
The Red Raiders will stay with the same rotation as last weekend: Righthanders Kaysen Raineri, Adam Hayes, and Donovan Becerra, the latter coming off his best outing of the season. Becerra took a shutout into the sixth inning at Baylor, departing after he gave up a leadoff homer.
“He located his fastball and a couple of secondary pitches,” Tadlock said, “and made pitches when he needed to.”
Texas Tech baseball vs. Brigham Young
∎ When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7; 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 8; 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9
∎ Where: Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park
∎ Records: BYU 24-23, 12-12 in the Big 12; Texas Tech 24-24, 7-17
∎ Rankings in USA TODAY Sports coaches poll/RPI: BYU unranked/69; Texas Tech unranked/126
How to watch Texas Tech baseball vs. BYU
∎ Online streaming: All games on ESPN+
Texas Tech baseball vs. BYU starting pitchers
∎ Thursday, Texas Tech RHP Kaysen Raineri (4-1, 7.14 ERA) vs. LHP Wayland Crane (2-3, 5.66)
∎ Friday, Texas Tech RHP Adam Hayes (2-4, 7.98) vs. RHP Garrison Sumner (3-3, 7.26)
∎ Saturday, Texas Tech RHP Donovan Becerra (0-0, 8.64) vs. starter to be announced
Texas Tech baseball upcoming schedule
All times CDT. Home games in ALL CAPS. An asterisk (*) denotes Big 12 games.
∎ Thursday, May 7: BYU*, 6:30 p.m.
∎ Friday, May 8: BYU*, 6:30 p.m.
∎ Saturday, May 9: BYU*, 2 p.m.
∎ Thursday, May 14: at Cincinnati*, 5 p.m.
∎ Friday, May 15: at Cincinnati*, 5 p.m.
∎ Saturday, May 16: at Cincinnati*, noon
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball vs. BYU: Preview, how to watch Big 12 series
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
