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The Texas Tech baseball team plays its first Big 12 road series of the season this weekend at Arizona.
A year ago, that would have sounded daunting. It might still be, given the Red Raiders' 7.29 team earned-run average, worst in the Big 12 by nearly a full run per game. Worse even than the past two years' 6.00-plus ERAs that got longtime pitching coach Matt Gardner dismissed.
Arizona has issues of its own, though. The Wildcats, after going 44-21 last year and reaching the College World Series, are far below .500 five weeks into this season.
Arizona (7-13, 1-2 in the Big 12) hosts Texas Tech (13-7, 2-1) at 8 p.m. CDT Friday, March 20; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22.
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Though Arizona was picked second in the preseason Big 12 coaches' poll, the Wildcats are a shell of the team that won the 2024 Pac-12 and 2025 Big 12 tournaments. Of the nine position players who started more than 40 games last year for Arizona, only three returned, and one, outfielder Easton Breyfogle, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the first week.
The Wildcats are last in the Big 12 in runs (102), on-base percentage (.346), and slugging percentage (.382), and next to last in batting average (.255). Tech leads the Big 12 in all four categories.
Arizona also lost Tony Pluta, one of college baseball's top relief pitchers, to Tommy John elbow surgery. Pluta was 3-0 with 14 saves and a 1.46 ERA last season, earning multiple all-America recognitions and the stopper of the year award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The Wildcats returned three starting pitchers from the team that last year won Oregon's regional and North Carolina's super regional: righthanders Owen Kramkowski (9-6, 5.48 last season), Smith Bailey (3-3, 3.94), and Collin McKinney (0-2, 3.98).
Tulane transfer Luc Fladda, a senior lefthander, has taken the Sunday start the past three weekends, bumping McKinney to a midweek starter. Fladda started 30 games the past two years for Tulane, going 9-9 with a composite 5.69 ERA.
In a three-game series against Arizona last year in Lubbock, Tech won games McKinney and Smith started 12-3 and 9-3 and lost 2-1 against Kramkowski, who allowed one run in seven innings.
∎ When: 8 p.m. Friday, March 20; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22
∎ Where: Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Arizona
∎ Records: Texas Tech 13-7, 2-1 in the Big 12; Arizona 7-13, 1-2
∎ Rankings in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll/RPI: Texas Tech receiving votes/151; Arizona unranked/221
∎ Online streaming: All games on ESPN+
∎ Friday: Texas Tech RHP Lukas Pirko (3-1, 5.19 earned-run average) vs. RHP Owen Kramkowski (1-2, 5.87).
∎ Saturday: Texas Tech RHP Connor Mohan (0-1, 5.74) vs. RHP Smith Bailey (2-0, 2.76).
∎ Sunday: Texas Tech RHP Jackson Burns (1-2, 8.53) vs. LHP Luc Fladda (2-0, 3.00).
Home games in ALL CAPS. An asterisk (*) denotes Big 12 games. All times CDT.
∎ Friday, March 13: KANSAS*, W 11-4
∎ Saturday, March 14: KANSAS*, W 10-9
∎ Sunday, March 15: KANSAS*, L 18-7 (8 innings)
∎ Tuesday, March 17: at Dallas Baptist, L 16-10
∎ Friday, March 20: at Arizona*, 8 p.m.
∎ Saturday, March 21: at Arizona*, 8 p.m.
∎ Sunday, March 22: at Arizona*, 2 p.m.
∎ Tuesday, March 24: NEW MEXICO, 2 p.m.
∎ Friday, March 27: at TCU*, 6 p.m.
∎ Saturday, March 28: at TCU*, 2 p.m.
∎ Sunday, March 29: at TCU*, 1 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball at Arizona preview, how to watch Big 12 series
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A year ago, that would have sounded daunting. It might still be, given the Red Raiders' 7.29 team earned-run average, worst in the Big 12 by nearly a full run per game. Worse even than the past two years' 6.00-plus ERAs that got longtime pitching coach Matt Gardner dismissed.
Arizona has issues of its own, though. The Wildcats, after going 44-21 last year and reaching the College World Series, are far below .500 five weeks into this season.
Arizona (7-13, 1-2 in the Big 12) hosts Texas Tech (13-7, 2-1) at 8 p.m. CDT Friday, March 20; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22.
More: 3 talking points from Texas Tech baseball series win vs Kansas
More: Dallas Baptist outslugs Texas Tech baseball team
Though Arizona was picked second in the preseason Big 12 coaches' poll, the Wildcats are a shell of the team that won the 2024 Pac-12 and 2025 Big 12 tournaments. Of the nine position players who started more than 40 games last year for Arizona, only three returned, and one, outfielder Easton Breyfogle, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the first week.
The Wildcats are last in the Big 12 in runs (102), on-base percentage (.346), and slugging percentage (.382), and next to last in batting average (.255). Tech leads the Big 12 in all four categories.
Arizona also lost Tony Pluta, one of college baseball's top relief pitchers, to Tommy John elbow surgery. Pluta was 3-0 with 14 saves and a 1.46 ERA last season, earning multiple all-America recognitions and the stopper of the year award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The Wildcats returned three starting pitchers from the team that last year won Oregon's regional and North Carolina's super regional: righthanders Owen Kramkowski (9-6, 5.48 last season), Smith Bailey (3-3, 3.94), and Collin McKinney (0-2, 3.98).
Tulane transfer Luc Fladda, a senior lefthander, has taken the Sunday start the past three weekends, bumping McKinney to a midweek starter. Fladda started 30 games the past two years for Tulane, going 9-9 with a composite 5.69 ERA.
In a three-game series against Arizona last year in Lubbock, Tech won games McKinney and Smith started 12-3 and 9-3 and lost 2-1 against Kramkowski, who allowed one run in seven innings.
Texas Tech baseball at Arizona
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∎ When: 8 p.m. Friday, March 20; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22
∎ Where: Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Arizona
∎ Records: Texas Tech 13-7, 2-1 in the Big 12; Arizona 7-13, 1-2
∎ Rankings in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll/RPI: Texas Tech receiving votes/151; Arizona unranked/221
How to watch Texas Tech baseball at Arizona
∎ Online streaming: All games on ESPN+
Texas Tech baseball vs. Arizona pitching matchups
∎ Friday: Texas Tech RHP Lukas Pirko (3-1, 5.19 earned-run average) vs. RHP Owen Kramkowski (1-2, 5.87).
∎ Saturday: Texas Tech RHP Connor Mohan (0-1, 5.74) vs. RHP Smith Bailey (2-0, 2.76).
∎ Sunday: Texas Tech RHP Jackson Burns (1-2, 8.53) vs. LHP Luc Fladda (2-0, 3.00).
Texas Tech baseball recent results, upcoming schedule
Home games in ALL CAPS. An asterisk (*) denotes Big 12 games. All times CDT.
∎ Friday, March 13: KANSAS*, W 11-4
∎ Saturday, March 14: KANSAS*, W 10-9
∎ Sunday, March 15: KANSAS*, L 18-7 (8 innings)
∎ Tuesday, March 17: at Dallas Baptist, L 16-10
∎ Friday, March 20: at Arizona*, 8 p.m.
∎ Saturday, March 21: at Arizona*, 8 p.m.
∎ Sunday, March 22: at Arizona*, 2 p.m.
∎ Tuesday, March 24: NEW MEXICO, 2 p.m.
∎ Friday, March 27: at TCU*, 6 p.m.
∎ Saturday, March 28: at TCU*, 2 p.m.
∎ Sunday, March 29: at TCU*, 1 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball at Arizona preview, how to watch Big 12 series
Continue reading...
