Taking on all comers: OSU first up on Tech's tough early Big 12 slate
Big 12 baseball coaches forecast Texas Tech to finish third in the conference in their preseason poll that came out in late January.
The Red Raiders had best be ready to back up that prediction. Tech's first four series in Big 12 play are against the other four teams picked to finish in the top five.
"Isn't that fun? Doesn't that sound like fun?" Tech coach Tim Tadlock said this week. "Now, I don't want to say it's like the American League East or anything like that, but it's good baseball. You've got to enjoy good baseball.
"I think our guys really like preparing. They really like playing baseball, and usually guys that like doing that like playing good competition, and you want everybody to play at their best if you can."
No. 18 Tech (16-3) begins the gauntlet hosting No. 13 Oklahoma State (15-3 with a 12-game win streak) in games scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Red Raiders play at Texas (11-7) from March 24-26 in Austin, host No. 15 TCU (9-7) from March 31 through April 2 and play at Oklahoma from April 14-16 in Norman.
Though Texas and Oklahoma are unranked at the moment in the weekly poll by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, both were College World Series teams last year. The challenging stretch is broken up by some non-conference series, including a two-gamer April 10-11 at No. 10 Stanford (10-5).
Tech has won 14 of the past 16 games with Oklahoma State dating to the 2018 season. That fails to capture how intense and competitive the games have been, however. Eight of the 12 meetings since 2019 and five of the six the past two years have been decided by two runs or fewer.
In a memorable 2019 super regional in Lubbock, the Red Raiders beat the Cowboys 8-6, lost 6-5 and won 8-6 to advance to the College World Series.
"We've had some battles with those guys," Tadlock said. "I'm sure we'll have some more this weekend. They've pitched good. They've hit good. Just like every year.
"(Pitching coach) Rob (Walton) and (head coach) Josh (Holliday), all those guys do a good job with their guys, and I'm sure it'll be a good challenge for us."
Tech and Oklahoma State rank first and second in the Big 12 in team batting average, hits, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage. Tech first baseman Gavin Kash, a sophomore transfer from Texas, is batting .487 with seven home runs and 33 runs batted in, leading the conference in those three offensive categories and four others.
Nolan Schubart, a 6-foot-5, 227-pound freshman left fielder, leads the Cowboys with six homers and 24 RBI.
Oklahoma State starting pitcher Juaron Watts-Brown (2-0, 1.99 earned-run average) is the Big 12 pitcher of the week and was the coaches' preseason pick for Big 12 pitcher of the year and newcomer of the year. The sophomore righthander was the NCBWA national pitcher of the month last May for Long Beach State when he went 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 33 innings. He leads the Big 12 with 35 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.
Among Cowboys relievers, Nolan McLean (0-0, 1.29) leads the conference with six saves and Isaac Stebens (3-0, 1.21) leads the conference in ERA and opponent batting average (.156). McLean, a semifinalist last year for the John Olerud Award that goes to the nation's top two-way player, also is batting .309 with four homers and 18 RBI, the latter figure second on the team.
"Rob Walton does a great job with that staff, always will," Tadlock said. "He's been one of the best pitching guys in the league for a long time. Any time he's involved, guys are going to have a plan and go out and try to execute the plan. ... We'll need to be ready to go."
College baseball
Who: Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park
Records: Oklahoma State 15-3, 0-0 in the Big 12; Texas Tech 16-3, 0-0
Rankings by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association: Oklahoma State No. 13, Texas Tech No. 18
Starting pitchers: Friday, Oklahoma State RHP Brian Hendry (1-0, 4.09 ERA) vs. Texas Tech RHP Brendan Girton (2-0, 2.95). Saturday, Oklahoma State RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (2-0, 1.99) vs. Texas Tech LHP Mason Molina (2-0, 2.21). Sunday, both teams' starters to be announced.
Online streaming: ESPN+
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Taking on all comers: Cowboys first up on Tech's tough early Big 12 schedule
