So long, website...

Hello NEW WEBSITE!

Alright, I am shutting down operation of this specific blog. No longer will you be able to come here and read my take on sports or any news I see relevant. Instead, you'll have to go to my new site, which is still without an awesome template, but has some other cool features.

Busy summer, working on new blogsite. updates few and far between until players report in a week or so.

Leach article

Here's an article about Mike Leach from Chip Brown at the DMN.

Update time

Back in town until Monday, so here are some updates from the week...

• Vote for Crabtree (scroll to bottom) for Big 12 Men's Performance of the Year

• Tech lands a great committ in Friendswood QB Jacob Karam. This is huge for Leach and company because he is a very legitimate talent who can easily battle for the quarterback position in 2009 against Potts, Loucks and Doege. Karam doesn't have the high school passing numbers like some of the other quarterbacks already on campus, but his athleticism (and lack of knee surgeries) adds a lot of promise. Story from Friendswood on Karam. Karam is highly ranked in the state and has a 14-7 record in 2 years for the Mustangs.
  

• Danny Amendola survives first round of cuts by Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys trimmed their roster to 79 players, with Amendola being included in that 79. Good luck Danny!

• The College World Series in Omaha has kicked off, and Rice is already back in Houston, dropping games to unranked Fresno State and 7th ranked LSU.
  

Cedric Benson, shame on you.

You heard it here first folks, Cedric Benson is sitting in the Travis County Jail tonight after being arrested for a drunk driving. The current time is 3:42 CST.

Story from AAS posted 5 hours after my blog :)

Draft Day 2!

Round 7:

210. Jordan Danks, OF, Texas - Chicago AL (Brother John is starting P for CWS)
217. Cole St. Clair, LHP, Rice - Los Angeles NL
221. Luis Flores, C, Oklahoma State - Chicago NL
222. Nate Ten Brink, 3B, Kansas State - Seattle
225. Adam Zornes, C, Rice - San Diego

Round 8:

251. James Leverton, LHP, Texas Tech - Chicago NL
255. Beemer Weems, SS, Baylor - San Diego

Round 9:

264. Matt Hague, 3B, Oklahoma State - Pittsburgh
268. Dan Jennings, LHP, Nebraska - Florida
275. Aaron Luna, OF, Rice - St. Louis
285. Kyle Thebeau, RHP, Texas A&M - San Diego

Round 10:

311. Alex Wilson, RHP, Texas A&M - Chicago NL
313. Robert Weinhardt, RHP, Oklahoma State - Detroit
321. Donnie Webb, OF, Oklahoma State - Cleveland

Round 11:

332. Jacob Priday, OF, Missouri - Houston
347. Kyle Walker, LHP, Texas - Colorado
351. Matt Langwell, RHP, Rice - Cleveland

Round 12:

371. Jake Opitz, 2B, Nebraska - Chicago NL
372. Kenn Kasparek, RHP, Texas - Seattle

Round 13:

391. Blake Stouffer, 2B, Texas A&M - Washington
403. Jared Gayhart, RHP, Rice - Detroit

Round 15:

446. Jason Gurka, LHP, Angelina JC - Baltimore (Texas Tech signee)
448. Johnny Dorn, RHP, Nebraska - Florida

Round 16:

493. Thad Weber, RHP, Nebraska - Detroit
500. Luke Anders, 1B, Texas A&M - New York AL

Round 18:

549. Bobby Bell, RHP, Rice - Toronto

Round 19:

569. Mace Thurman, LHP, Baylor - Cincinnati
590. Mitch Abeita, C, Nebraska - New York AL

Round 20:

613. Ryan Lollis, OF, Missouri - Detroit

Round 21:

638. Lucas Luetge, LHP, Rice - Milwaukee

Round 22:

659. Byron Wiley, OF, Kansas State - Cincinnati
663. Trevor Hurley, RHP, Kansas State - Texas
670. Dane Carter, 3B, Texas A&M - Atlanta

Round 23:

697. Brian Ruggiano, 2B, Texas A&M - Los Angeles NL
703. Michael Gosse, 2B, Oklahoma - Detroit
712. Seth Garrison, RHP, TCU - Boston

Round 24:

717. Wes Musick, LHP, Houston - San Francisco
721. Chris Kelley, RHP, Rice - Washington
739. Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Georgetown HS - Los Angeles AL (Texas signee)

Round 25:

761. Rebel Ridling, 1B, Oklahoma State - Chicago NL
766. Dan Edwards, RHP, Kansas State - Philadelphia

Round 26:

777. Ryan Lormand, 2B, Houston - San Francisco

Round 27:

805. Timothy Huber, LHP, Nebraska - Kansas City
810. Doug Thennis, 1B, Texas Tech - Chicago AL
819. Bryan Kervin, SS, TCU - Toronto
827. Tim Matthews, RHP, Baylor - Colorado
832. Hunter Cervenka, LHP, Sterling HS (Houston) - Boston (Texas signee)

Round 28:

858. Adam Smith, SS, Klein HS - Arizona (Texas A&M signee)

Round 29:

870. Randall Thorpe, OF, Heritage HS (Colleyville, TX) - Chicago AL (Texas A&M signee)
874. Justin Murray, RHP, Kansas State - Oakland
877. Jonathan Runnels, LHP, Rice - Los Angeles NL

Round 30:

901. Casey Whitmer, RHP, Texas - Washington
909. Cody Dunbar, RHP, TCU - Toronto

Round 32:

956. Brandon Loy, SS, Rowlett HS - Baltimore (Texas signee)
964. Ben Hornbeck, LHP, Kansas State - Oakland
965. Sam Freeman, LHP, Kansas - St. Louis
968. Colt Farrar, RHP, First Baptist Academy (Royse City, Tx) - Milwaukee (Texas Tech signee)
971. Kurt Calvert, OF, Missouri - Chicago NL

Round 33:

987. Ryne Price, OF, Kansas - San Francisco
1004. Neil Medchill, OF, Oklahoma State - New York NL

Round 34:

1033. Bryan Pounds, 3B, Houston - Detroit

Round 35:

1052. Nick Czyz, LHP, Kansas - Seattle

Round 37:

1109. Randall Linebaugh, RHP, Baylor - Cincinnati
1112. Kirkland Rivers, RHP, Texas A&M - Houston
1123. Nick Cassavechia, RHP, Baylor - Detroit

Round 38:

1152. Andres Esquibel, RHP, Kansas - Seattle
1155. Zach Herr, LHP, Nebraska - San Diego

ROUND 40:

1222. Sam Stafford, LHP, Collins HS (Klein, TX) - Boston (Texas signee)

Round 42:

1266. Riley Boening, LHP, Texas - Minnesota

Round 44:

1321. J.P. Padron, 1B, Rice - Washington

Round 46:

1377. Lee Fischer, SS, Missouri - Chicago AL
1380. Erik Morrison, SS, Kansas - Texas
1391. James Cesario, 2B, Houston - Colorado

Round 48:

1425. Owen Brolsma, RHP, Texas Tech - Pittsburgh

The Draft Looms

Today is draft day in the MLB. I will try to keep a semi-realtime update going on today, but can't promise anything. I'll focus most on Big 12 players.

For the Red Raider fans, expect to see Roger Kieschnick, Zach Stewart and James Leverton taken fairly early today.

Longhorn fans can expect to see Kyle Russell, Jordan Danks and Preston Clark on the board today.

The Aggies can expect Jose Duran, Blake Stouffer and Kyle Thebeau to be safe bet picks.


UPDATE

Round 1:

9. Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri - Cincinnati
19. Andrew Cashner, RHP, TCU - Chicago NL
45. Bryan Price, RHP, Rice - Boston

Round 3:

79. Jordy Mercer, SS, Oklahoma State - Pittsburgh
82. Roger Kieschnick, OF, Texas Tech - San Francisco
84. Zach Stewart, RHP, Texas Tech - Cincinnati
93. Kyle Russell, OF, University of Texas - Los Angeles NL
98. Benjamin Pribanic, RHP, Nebraska - Seattle

Round 6:

174. Robert Grossman, CF, Cy-Fair HS (Houston) - Pittsburgh (Texas signee)
188. Jose Duran, SS, Texas A&M - Milwaukee


That's all for today, folks. I only had a list of signees for Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M, so I can't comment on any other Big 12 signees who were taken.


Also, I am not a fan of having this on ESPN. It has taken 3 hours to get through the first round. Baseball America did a much better job with much better analysis when they did their live stream.

Larry Hays steps down, Spencer head coach

On Monday, Larry Hays officially announced his retirement from Texas Tech University. Hays had served as the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team for the previous 22 years of his 38-year career in coaching.

Dan Spencer will take over as the head coach for the Raiders.

Texas Tech Official Release

Lasting Impression - Don Williams (LAJ)

I've got like 3 unfinished projects saved that i need to finish and post, but i've been doing a lot of work around the house and outside. I'll get it posted before I'm gone for another week.

Oh yeah...

Kenn Kasparek threw a no-hitter or something...

:)

What hasn't happened today?

So yesterday I saw that Tech has named Dan Spencer the Head Coach Designate for the baseball team. Whenever Larry Hays decides to hang 'em up, Spencer will be the man.

Texas Tech press release

The Dallas Mavericks fired head coach Avery Johnson after losing their 3rd straight playoff series.

CBS Sports

The Phoenix Suns shifted all the blame on Mike D'Antoni, sending him looking for a new job. If I remember correctly, it wasn't D'Antoni who makes the trades.

SI

Dallas Cowboys, holla

So the draft has come and gone once again, lets see how the Cowboys did...

In round one, the Cowboys had to wait until pick 22 to get their feet wet. When their turn finally came around, they nabbed Arkansas RB Felix Jones. Good pick, IMO. Jones will provide much need support to Marion Barber III. While I was high on Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall, friends made the good point that there is no need to have two running backs with the same style on a team. That being said, Jones has the speed to create an outside presence, and should compliment the straight ahead style that Barber prefers.

The Cowboys traded up from their 28th spot to grab CB Mike Jenkins out of South Florida at #25. Another solid choice by the Cowboys. The one thing that has hurt them in recent years has been Roy Williams...err...secondary. With the drafting of Jenkins and the addition of CB Adam "Pacman" Jones from Tennessee, the Cowboys shouldn't have to worry about Roy Williams attempting to cover an opposing WR. A DB was Dallas' most needed position, and they got a good one. Jenkins was ranked as high as 3rd among fellow cornerbacks. He is also one year removed from an arrest, a perfect fit in Dallas!

With their last pick on the first day, the Dallas Cowboys drafted a legend. Now, this legend is not a legend because of his on-field abilities, but rather an internet message-board legend because of the text message he recieved from LSU QB Ryan Perrilloux during his announcement on signing day a few years ago. Martellus Bennett, HOLLA!

I'm not too thrilled about this pick. Dallas needed a TE, but I think that Michigan State TE Kellen Davis was a better selection than Money-B (Oh yeah, I forgot to add that Martellus is a "rapper"...hip-hop lifestyle, holla!) Money-B is very talented, but extremely raw. Coming from Dennis Franchione's "system" at A&M, Martellus has a lot of catching up to do. Luckily for everyone, he wasn't converted to an oversized RB, and stayed at his TE spot, where he gained a lot of valuable experience as a blocker and running around without the ball.

47/3 =15.7

A seven game losing streak for the Red Raiders quickly turned into a three game win streak. After celebrating a series win over then #2 Missouri, Texas Tech followed up by sweeping A&M-Corpus Christi to give Coach Larry Hays his 1,500th overall win. It took a span 13 games until they got to 1,502. Tech suffered weekend sweeps at Nebraska and Kansas, and a midweek sweep in Las Vegas against UNLV. Tech's only win during that span was a 10-0 gem against the New Mexico Lobos, who split their midweek series with a Wednesday victory. It took until game 3 against the Kansas State Wildcats for Tech to break out of the funk.

Since that 19-4 run-ruling by the Raiders, Tech has defeated New Mexico State twice, scoring 12 and 16 runs, respectively.

During their 1-12 stretch, Tech scored 51 runs, or 3.9 runs per game. Since that drought was snapped, Tech has plated 47 runs in 3 games, or 15.7 runs per game. Much of this is in large part due to the re-emergence of Texas Collegiate League Player of the Year Chris Richburg, who returned to the lineup after a 6 week absence. Richburg broke his left fibula while rounding second base against Central Arkansas.

In the 3 game streak, Richburg is 8 for 10 with 8 runs and 6 RBIs. He has collected 5 extra base hits, including becoming only the 5th player in Texas Tech history to hit for the cycle, a feat he accomplished in Tech's 16-10 victory over New Mexico State in Roswell. On the year, Richburg is hitting at .329, the second highest average among Tech starters.

The hitting is going great for the Raiders, but that doesn't mean anything if the pitching cannot keep up. With a season ERA sitting at an even 6.00, the pitching staff is forcing the bats to win games, which is causing the Red Raiders to lose games. The problem with the staff is not one single player or group of players, but rather one position: starting pitcher. In Tech's 46 games this season, the starting pitchers have amassed a group ERA of roughly 7.12, while the bullpen stays at approximately 4.46. Not good.

Couple those numbers with the recent loss of veteran AJ Ramos, and Tech could be in for a bad ending if the hitting fizzles out. It's all up to the bats to pull the rabbit out of the hat now.

Augustin and Abrams testing NBA waters...might be too cold for one of them.

Both DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams are declaring for the NBA draft, but won't hire agents. They can still withdraw their names by June 16th, unless they sign an agent.

I think this is a great move for DJ, because, honestly, why the hell not? 19.8 ppg in the Big 12 and the winner of the Bob Cousy Award...sounds good to me. He has great moves, can shoot, and has very good court awareness. I predict 1st round and a better rookie season than Acie Law.

AJ, on the other hand should withdraw his name. He just seems too spotty to be NBA calibur. His only real tool is his 3-point shooting. He isn't good at making his own shots, defense, or shooting inside the arc. That spells NBDL all the way.

Spurs improve to 2-0, Mavericks improve to 0-2

The Spurs were the Spurs while the Mavericks were the Mavericks.

It should be no surprise to anyone that San Antonio has taken both games on their home court to jump out to a 2-0 start over the Phoenix Suns. They played their game, came back from a large deficit and held on to frustrate Amare Stoudemire and his team. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs. The first half featured 3 points from Brent Barry and 51 from the Big 3, while the second half saw they others score 20 of the 48 Spurs points. Regardless, the Spurs took the lead with a series of scoring spurts and held on in the end to take the 2 game series lead.

While this was happening, Dallas was keeping up their current trend of playoff woe. Since taking a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA Finals, Dallas has successfully lost 10 of their last 12 playoff games, including 6 of 8 in the first round, as well as their last 8 on the road. Unfortunately for the Mavs, they would need two wins at New Orleans Arena to move on to the quarterfinals. It just doesn't seem plausible for New Orleans to allow this to happen, especially with the level of play that Chris Paul has been experiencing.

Pacman a Cowboy

Well, it finally happened, the Cowboys and Titans agreed, in principle, to a deal that will send 6-time arrestee Adam "Pacman" Jones to the Dallas Cowboys. The teams have not released all the terms of the deal, but I have a feeling that it probably involved a few late draft picks.

This could be interesting. The upsides are that the Cowboys get a need position for cheap (hopefully), and bring in a veteran who has game-changing ability on defense and special teams. The downside is that Pacman brings a troubled past with him. Either way, it isn't a huge gamble if the speculated 4th and 6th round picks are indeed what the Cowboys gave up for Jones.

Let's talk NFL Draft

So the first pick is already locked up. The Miami Herald is reporting that Jake Long has agreed to a deal, in principle, with the Dolphins for 5 years. So with that done, we move on to pick #2, which is held by the Rams. Honestly, I don't know who the Rams are going to pick, only they do. As I peruse all these sports sites, I am bombarded with MOCK DRAFTS! In my opinion, mock drafts are about as useful as an asshole on your elbow. People who make mock drafts are up there with those people who think that they are all knowing due to their March Madness picks. Its all about guessing right, and usually without any real knowledge, just luck.

Now I'm sure there are people out there who really can tell you what options a team has when picking their draft pick, but once you get past pick 10, every pick is dependent on those before it, so you have such a large pool of variants, that it really does come down to lucky guesses.

With that stated, most of the expert picks for the Cowboys have them taking a RB and CB, or a WR and CB, or a WR and RB...the trend is nearly endless. CBS offers 3 mock drafts, all have the Cowboys picking 6 different players with their 2 picks. That just furthers my point of variants in the late round. Its comical.

If I were to guess at who the Cowboys were going to pick, I wouldn't be able to give you a name, but rather a position. Personally, with what I saw last year, there is one area that the Cowboys must address immediately, and that is secondary. They have good cornerbacks in Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry, and one Pro-Bowl caliber safety in Ken Hamlin, but they have that huge hole in Roy Williams. The guy should be paying Brett Robin millions for making him a superstar fraud. Williams just doesn't cut it, and he needs to be replaced, badly.

One option I have heard was moving Henry to Williams' safety spot and selecting a CB at #22. I can see that strategy working very well. There should be a few solid corners left at that junction. Aqib Talib, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Antoine Cason, Brandon Flowers, Reggie Smith and Justin King would all be safe picks.

After shoring up that pick, Dallas can now look past filling gaps, and find a player that can give them an immediate impact. There will really be no glaring needs on the defensive side, which leaves the door wide open for an offensive player, be it a strong RB or a playmaking WR. Personally, I think that it would be best to find a good sized WR who can help out Owens and Glenn. I have a leaning towards Limas Sweed and James Hardy. Both are tall, can catch and Sweed has excellent speed. Or they can take a small slot receiver who can catch the ball and take a hit, like that Danny Amendola kid from Texas Tech...alright, maybe a little bit of a stretch, but someone should take him in the late rounds solely because of Welker's success.

So there you have it.

Let's Make It Official

We (I) here at Absolutely Obknoxious are ready to announce which NBA team will be our favored club throughout the NBA Playoffs. We (I) have done extensive research, comparing endless pages of statistics for weeks to figure out which team is worthy of being crowned the World Champions of basketball. We (I) spent sleepless nights trying to decide if Steve Nash would be the man to jockey his team to the Finals, or if the newly re-made Celtics would weather the storm and win 16 games. After all of this, we (I) decided that it was pointless since I'm a huge Spurs homer!

GO SPURS GO!

I am so biased about this that it isn't even funny. I will be rooting on the Spurs and rooting off the Mavs. Hopefully I will be able to proudly display my Dirk logo once the Hornets dismantle Dallas.

AJ Ramos out for the year

Unfortunately, AJ Ramos is no longer in service for the remainder of the year. Ouch.

The official release says that it is the result of a torn UCL, suffered earlier in the season. This will leave Tech struggling to find another weekend starter, who won't struggle.

Official Release

PICTURES!

The first batch is from a home game against Central Arkansas, while the last 4 are from Coach Hays' 1500 career victory.

Tech falling faster than Britney Spears

6 conference games in a row, and 7 of the last 8. Texas Tech just isn't getting it done. I'm not sure if the team has quit on themselves, or if they are in a team-wide slump, but it hasn't been pretty at all lately. I'll let the box scores and 1 hitter speak for themselves, rather than writing a rant. It seems that Kansas has our number this year.

Kansas bats power Jayhawks past Tech, 9-5

Jayhawks crush Red Raiders, 9-1 (1 hit, but 7 walks, and only 1 run)

Kansas "complets" weekend sweep. (no typo on my part.)

Texas managed to steal a game from the Missouri Tigers today, and didn't give up double digit runs doing it! Of course, in the 3 game series, the Longhorns were outscored 46-23. On a positive note, Kyle Russell hit 2 more home runs, bringing his yearly total to 7, up from 2 weeks ago. his batting average has also jumped to around .250, its highest since week 2. One thing troubling me about the Longhorns is their ERA, which is above 5.00. I don't think Texas has had a staff ERA this high since around 2001. Very troubling, especially if they want to get past the Regionals for the first time since the 2005 Championship.

How to ruin an ERA, Longhorn style.

Aaron Crow gave up 9 runs in 5 innings, after going 42+ straight scoreless innings. He also picked up his 8th win.

Texas jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, before Missouri went on a 28-3 run to close out the game. Highlighting the offensive plague was Jacob Priday, who collected 4 home runs and 9 RBIs. Missouri hitters collected a total of 7 home runs off the Texas staff, trumping Kyle Russell's pair.

Let me be the first to say, "What the &*$&!" The 31 runs allowed in a single game is a new record for the Longhorns, breaking the previous high of 26 that Texas Tech collected in 1995.

4 of the 7 pitchers in orange each gave up 6 runs in a combined 5.2 innings pitched. The "good pitchers" only allowed 8 runs in their 2.1 innings.

I don't have much more to say, I'm in that much shock.

Tech lost too, but the only surrendered 9 runs.

Tech swept by Nebraska, Texas beats OU twice

This is gonna be quick. I was unable to follow or see any games this weekend due to a funeral, but here is a quick rundown.

Nebraska swept Texas Tech in 3 games to stay atop the Bog 12 leaderboards. The Huskers beat Tech by scores of 6-2, 5-2 and 5-3. While the sweep is nothing to enjoy, the fact that the Raiders did not get blown out, or give up tons of runs are both positives to take away from the weekend. Nebraska's pitching staff was dominant, or Tech's bats became anemic and strikeout riddled during the road series. I'm not sure which choice fits the hole better, but that was the best synopsis from my quick boxscore review.

Texas managed to win their series against the Sooners, taking the Friday and Sunday games, while surrendering the Saturday contest. Kyle Russell may have jumped out of his slump, hitting 2 home runs over the weekend, including a grandslam. For the Longhorns' sake, lets hope this is his way of informing his fans that his .209 average and 1 home run are a thing of the past.

Tech plays a series this week againts New Mexico, battling tonight and Wednesday night, while the Longhorns face off against their I-35 rivals from San Marcos. UT vs. Texas State is scheduled for a 6:00 first pitch.

I have some pictures from Coach Hays' 1500 win that I will upload as soon as I remember to get my camera. I was awarded as the fan of the game, recieving Rudy's BBQ "Sause" and a $10 gift card. That makes 2 prize winnings for me, and 1 that was actually worth something.

Doug Thennis named Big 12 POW

5-10 with 7 RBIs, including the game winning grand slam on Sunday and the game tying RBI single on Saturday was enough to get Doug the Player of the Week award for the 2nd time in his career. Congrats.

Texas Tech release

A-mazing

So I'm here to gladly eat my crow. Texas Tech, in dramatic fashion, beat the Missouri Tigers in two of the three games this weekend. Both wins for the Raiders came in the bottom of the 9th inning, a 3-2 win Saturday and a 15-11 win on Sunday.

Friday's game was a heartbreaker. Missouri's Aaron Crow did what Aaron Crow do. He shut out the Raiders for 8 innings, helping Missouri to a 1-0 win. Tech's starting pitcher, Nathan Karns, had his best outing of the season, giving up one run in the 1st inning and walking only a single batter, well below his season average.

Saturday's game would start off the same. Missouri scored one in the 1st, but was answered by the Raiders with a single score of their own. The game continued at 1-1, seeing great pitching from Tech's AJ Ramos and Missouri's Ian Berger, until a bases loaded, full count walk gave Missouri a 2-1 lead. It was a strike, by the way. Tech seemed destined to lose another 1 run game, until the 9th inning decided to be all drama-like. Monk Kreder's 1-out walk, followed by consecutive singles from Jason Seefeld and Doug Thennis tied the game at 2. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Tech LF Taylor Ashby ripped a single up the middle, making way for Jason Seefeld to score the winning run, albeit on a horrible slide that sidelined him for Sunday's game.

Sunday would be a goose of a different feather. Missouri's 4 run 1st inning paved the way for a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th. Tech pieced together a 3-run rally to knot the game at 7. Missouri, being the #2 team in the nation, picked the 8th inning to score another 4 runs in an attempt to spit in the face of their hosting opponent. The Red Raiders would have none of their tomfoolery. A 2-run 8th inning kept Tech within reach of making my sunburn worthwhile. Tech reliever Zach Stewart held the Tigers in check in the 9th, bringing up the meat of Tech's lineup for the final at bat. A walk, single and a sacrifice bunt gave Tech runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. 2B Willie Rueda ripped a triple into left center to tie the game at 11. With the winning run on 3rd, and only 1 out, Missouri opted to load the bases, hoping for a double play to end the threat. Instead, Doug Thennis lifted a would be game-winning sacrifice fly into the gusting wind and over the left field wall for a walk-off grand slam. It was very dramatic. Tech won 15-11.

So, this weekend was huge. Not only does Tech finally put it together, but they avoid losing their 3rd straight conference series to open the year. Winning 2 of 3 against the best pitching staff in the nation also helps. The confidence from both the wins could be what the Raiders needed to turn their hard luck around into soft luck, assuming soft luck is the good kind that wins games.

Video of Thennis Grand Slam

On another note, Texas won their game against Nebraska, salvaging a win to put them at 5-4 in conference play. Their basketball team decided not to win, losing to Memphis by more than I care to write down. Stupid Memphis, with their free throws and make-out parties.

On a sad note, the starting QB for the Hub City Bulls, a semi-pro team that plays in Lubbock, suffered a broken neck on the first play from scrimmage in Saturday's game against the opponent (I honestly never knew who they were playing). I haven't heard any updates on his condition, but it did not look good at all. Prayers are with him and his family. The Bulls won 21-16 to go to 2-0.

Tech sets up for battle with #2 Missouri

Tomorrow marks the first game of the 3 game series between Texas Tech and #2 Missouri at Dan Law Field in Lubbock. The only positives I see right now is that Tech is getting their harder series done with first. Already gone is Texas A&M and Texas, so that leaves the easier part of the conference schedule after this weekend. Unfortunately, Missouri is coming off a weekend that saw them allow only 2 runs on 8 hits against 14th ranked Baylor, shuting out the Bears twice.

Missouri is stacked on the mound. SP Aaron Crow is possibly the best pitcher in the Big 12, and combines with SPs Kyle Gibson and Ian Berger to give Missouri one of the top rotations in the nation. In 5 starts, Crow is 5-0 with a 1.03 ERA and 2 complete game shutouts. In his 35 innings, he has struck out 51 batters and walked only 7. Crow will face off against troubled Tech pitcher Nate Karns on Friday. AJ Ramos and Ian Berger will pitch Saturday's contest, while Sunday belongs to Chad Bettis and Kyle Gibson.

Offensively, Missouri is led by Jacob Priday and Aaron Senne. Senne is tied for 2nd in the Big 12 in home runs with 6, and trails only Roger Kieschnick (TTU) and Brandon Belt (UT) in RBIs, with 32. Priday leads the Tigers with a .387 average and 7 doubles.

The only true weakness in Missouri's armor seems to be their baserunning, being thrown out 10 times in 27 stolen base attempts. This probably won't become a factor in the series, due to their superb ability to do everything else.

I don't see this being a good weekend for the Red Raiders. Crow average 13 Ks per game, while Tech seems to like striking out with runners in scoring position. I predict a sweep for the Tigers.

Tech Football updates

The NCAA has cleared transfer DT Chris Perry to play in the fall. Perry, who transferred from Miami, sat out last season with a knee injury. Perry will likely battle for a starting position with incumbents Colby Whitlock and Rajon Henley. The addition of Perry will help Tech in the middle, a position that gave Tech troubles last season against the run.

DMN

Tech began their spring practices on Wednesday. Some positin changes have taken place already, according to reports. So. LB Brian Duncan has been moved from the outside to the middle, his position in high school. LA Reed has been moved from WR to S. His production at WR last year was dismal, while his hitting ability on special teams was tops on the team. This move could help out a lot if Reed can make the adjustment to defense. RB Jarred Flannel, a RS Fr. has moved to CB. He will battle for the starting spot opposite Jamar Wall, but won't likely get it.

Also back in action was WR Todd Walker, a former HS All-American from Pflugerville who sat out last season with an injury.

Fox 34 Video

My worlds collide today

So today kicks off the annual baseball series between Texas Tech and the University of Texas. I am always at a loss whenever this day arrives. I'm a student of one school, and a lifelong fan of the other. Either way, I win, but I also lose. Usually though, I'm obliged to root for the Red Raiders, since I'm paying them.

So here we go. #13 in the Nation vs. #7 in the Big 12. I wonder how this will turn out. From an unbiased standpoint, I will have to say that the Longhorns will take 2 of the 3 games. The inconsistent pitching that has been plaguing the Tech starters will haunt them against the able-hitting Longhorns.

Tech's best hope is a to play mistake-free baseball. This means no base running blunders, no errors and no free passes. If all of those fall into place, Tech can easily overcome the Longhorns and win the series. The best chance for Tech is Saturday, when Chad Bettis takes the mound. Bettis is a perfect 3-0 in 4 starts with a 3.25 ERA. He stiffled the Aggie offense on Sunday to help avoid a sweep in College Station, and could easily do the same in Lubbock.

For the Longhorns to win, they will have to play their brand of baseball. Dan Law Field is perfectly designed for Augieball. A decent bunt on astroturf is an amazing bunt on fieldturf. Jordan Danks, Travis Tucker and Michael Torres could be the three best weapons for Texas this week. A leadoff single can easily turn into a runner on 2nd with 1 out, a scenario that has always been positive for the 5-time National Champs.

Tech and Okie State close to Dallas game?

It seems that this ongoing drama is taking yet another exciting turn. Hopefully, this is a turn for the better. According to Texas Tech AD Gerald Myers, it seems that the game is a go, except for deciding where it will be played. The two options on the table are the dilapidated, yet renovated Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, or the monstrosity that is slowly growing south of Interstate 30 in Arlington. Which stadium would be better?

The Cotton Bowl, originally the Fair Park Bowl, has been sitting in South Dallas since 1934. As historic as the stadium is (Cotton Bowl game, Texas/OU, Styx concerts), it is also one of the most outdated facilities that I have ever been to. The bathroom setup at Oso Little League in Corpus Christi, Texas was more uriner-friendly than the enormous lines that await you inside the State Fair's centerpiece. Now, with the new renovations that are bumping the seating from 76,000 to 92,107, the bathroom problems could be fixed, so that helps out the Cotton Bowl. Getting to the Cotton Bowl (and subsequently leaving) are seemingly nightmares. I sat in traffic longer than I sat in the Cotton Bowl all 3 times I've seen a game there (2002 and 2003 Red River Shootout, 2006 Cotton Bowl). So the Cotton Bowl is not in a bad location and has plenty of seats, but the traffic problems are a huge sad face sticker on their report card.

The "Sponsor to Come Later" Dallas Cowboys Stadium would be ready by the game's planned start date in 2009. It will be state-of-the-art and dwarf any building I've ever seen in person. It is currently planned to hold only 80,000, but honestly, when was the last time a Tech or OSU home game came close to 80,000? Parking and the such shouldn't be a problem, thanks to the location of the stadium. Plus, being between Fort Worth and Dallas, and in Arlington increase the amount of adequate hotel rooms for fans. This is a huge plus. Did I mention that it is state-of-the-art? Personally, I think it is hard to go wrong with a $1 billion plus stadium.

My vote goes to Jerry World. I think it will be a great option for both teams to play in a major venue, and the central location helps out a lot. Plus, I have been to the Cotton Bowl, but haven't been to Jerry World (duh). Although I did drive past it on Saturday afternoon, and was simply mesmerized by the enormity of it.

This whole scenario sits very well with me. We are finally getting a game in Dallas, against a team that will make it a fun event. I hate OSU more than I hate 8 of the other schools in the conference, plus, with the Tech fanbase in the metroplex, there is no way this will fail. Look at the TCU and SMU games over the past 2 seasons (with myself in attendance) and try and estimate what percentage of those crowds donned Scarlet and Black (hint, more than 50%).

The added revenue from this game will far surpass the paultry amount we get every other year from hosting the game in Lubbock. Sure, it will hurt the economy a bit, but in the long run could improve the overall talent of the team through recruiting, which could help in wins, which aides attendance, which begats profit for local businesses. Problem solved through a PROACTIVE solutin, rather than our typical reactive route.

Avalance-Journal

Jerry World

Cotton Bowl

End of season review, Texas Tech fan style.

Well, it wouldn't be a risky reach to say that the Texas Tech basketball season is over, and thank God it is. Now, there might be an NIT appearance in store for the Red Raiders, but that's basically an insult anywhere outside of College Station (oh snap!!1).

It was an entertaining season, to say the most. High expectations at first turned into a slow and steady downward spiral that was momentarily stopped with a win against high-ranked Texas, and ended again with a 2 game losing streak to finally put the Raiders down for the count.

We began the season with The General at the helm, doing his same old song and dance, and ended the year with a glimmer of hope that his son can emulate at least half of what Bobby was able to do in his career. Stumbles against Centenary and Sam Houston State stung the most, even more than the 44 and 58 point losses to Texas A&M and Kansas. At least Kansas and Texas A&M had the personnel and resume to hand over those types of defeats to the oft out-matched group from Lubbock.

The most pleasant surprises were the emergence of the whitest basketball shooter since Brandy Perryman lit up the Erwin Center. Yes, Alan Voskuil, the unsuspecting shooting guard who made quite a name for himself with his accurate shooting and Dawson's Creek-esque looks. Voskuil made good on exactly 50% of his 3-pointers (68-136, including today's game against OSU). Voskuil will have to be a focal point next year, as teams will probably que up on him to limit his production on wide open shots.

Another reason to not walk away with a frowny face is the play of a few newcomers. Freshmen John Roberson and Mike Singletary showed glimpses of All-Conference calibur play, while transfer Trevor Cook was a solid candidate for All-Lubbock. With Roberson taking control of the offense after a good season under his belt, there is hope. He showed great poise in the motion offense, hitting 40% from beyond the arc, and finishing 3rd on the team with 12.2 points per game.

Singletary looked like a third-world PJ Tucker. He could've been a PJ Tucker clone with the right coaching philosophy, but we can't get everything we want. He showed glimpses of offensive goodness (not greatness) with his 7.3 points in varying amounts of playing time. His 2.9 rebounds per game were "good enough" for 4th on the team.

All I can really say about this season is that I'm very sad to see Martin Zeno leaving. He played his heart and soul out for 4 very good years, never complaining and always being ready to play. He is the kind of person that everyone should want on their team. I'm also hoping that, in true Texas Tech fashion, we can truly "wait for next year." We return 3.5 starters (I honestly don't even know who would qualify as starters on this club) and only lose 2.5 players (Rizvic still has half a year of eligibility, Longar.) Pat Knight has also gained commitments from 5 players, 2 in the JuCo ranks, who could contribute immediately or be the next Ricardo De Bem.

So, in closing; this year was subpar. We lost games we shouldn't have and won games we shouldn't have. We almost upset 3 top 10 teams, but could only muster out wins against 2 of them. We lost to 2 schools who are smaller than my high school class, and lost by the largest margin in Tech history, twice, within a week, sandwiched around a win against Texas. The best I can predict next year is that we will be a team that will either run you out of the building, or absolutely crash under the pressure of having to rebound and shoot. Regardless, we will still beat A&M in Lubbock. Wreck 'Em!

Incoming Recruits ... Plus One!

Big 12 Standings (3/10)

BIG 12 STANDINGS (3/10)

TEAM	W	L	WIN %	STREAK	LAST 10
#12 Baylor	10	1	0.909	W3	9-1
Oklahoma	12	2	0.857	W9	9-1
#14 Missouri	9	2	0.818	W4	8-2
Nebraska	9	2	0.818	W8	9-1
#23 Texas A&M	11	3	0.786	W2	9-1
#25 Oklahoma State	9	3	0.750	L1	7-3
#10 Texas	9	4	0.692	L2	6-4
Kansas	8	5	0.615	W6	7-3
Texas Tech	7	6	0.538	W1	6-4
Kansas State	6	6	0.500	W3	6-4

Texas Tech and Texas both had their games today rained out. No make-up dates have been announced for the Texas game, while the Texas Tech game has been canceled.

Kieschnick named Big 12 Player of the Week (March 10th)

Phillips 66 and the Big 12 announced that Roger Kieschnick has been named their Player of the Week for March 10th. Kieschnick had 4 home runs and 11 RBIs in 5 games, while batting .524.

Kieschnick is currently hitting .429 (T5th in Big 12) with 7 home runs (1st), 24 RBIs (1st) and a 1.000 SLG percentage (1st). His 16 extra base hits are also #1 in the Big 12.

Big 12 release

Texas Tech wins 2 out of 3 in San Marcos, final game rained out

Well, today's game against Texas State has been rained out. Nothing bad since it gives the guys a day off before playing in Albuquerque tomorrow.

Tech managed to take both game against Northern Illinois this weekend, but lost their contest against the Texas State Bobcats. Saturday's game against the Huskies was a good showing for the Red Raiders. AJ Ramos finally pitched a game where the run support was more than one run, and picked up his first win on the year. Tech's bats were alive, and accounted for 11 total hits in the 11-5 victory. The one bad note is the pitchers' control issues. 2 Tech pitchers combined for 5 HBPs and a wild pitch with 4 walks to boot. Of those 9 free passes, it allowed NIU to add 3 of their runs. The wild pitch also allowed a Huskie run to score. Let's hope Dan Spencer gets those control problems worked out.

The game against the Bobcats was the worst one for Tech this year. A 14-3 loss that saw 6 Tech starters go hitless, including Roger Kieshcnick and Taylor Ashby (11 game hitting streak ended). Unable to answer with big hits, all of Tech's run were scored via the sacrifice fly.

Game 3 on Sunday proved to be much better than game 2 was. Chad Bettis provided a strong starting effort for the Raiders, picking up his 2nd win of the year. He was backed by great hitting from Roger Kieschnick and Tanner Rindels, who both collected 3 hits. Kieschnick collected his 7th home run of the season on Sunday which is tops in the Big 12.

Texas Tech and Illinois cancel series

Texas Tech had to cancel their 2nd home series of the year versus a team from Illinois. This weekend's cancellation isn't quite like the previous one, but it still translates to 4 more home games lost. The Illinois baseball team was unable to get a flight out of Chicago due to the heavy snow up there. Luckily, the Raiders were informed in time, and made a deal with the Texas State Bobcats to play in San Marcos this weekend. San Marcos was anticipating the same situation as Tech was facing because their opponent was Northern Illinois, but the Huskies managed to get a flight out of Chicago before the airport was shut down.

Tech plays UNI at 2 pm today, and Texas State at 7 pm. Tomorrow, Tech and UNI square off again at noon. The Raiders close out the series on Monday at 2:30 against the Bobcats.

So what does all of this mean? It means that the Raiders have lost 8 home games out of 10 so far on the year. This hurts financially, as the Raiders have had to make 2 weekend trips to the San Antonio area and haven't brought in money from the lost games. It also means that Tech's game against Texas on March 20th will mark their 3rd home game. In retrospect, Texas A&M will have played 21 home games in the same stretch.

Tuesday could prove dreary for the Raiders since they will have to play in Albuquerque for the second time this year after being in Central Texas. So they have 4 games in 3 days in San Marcos, and have to immediately get to New Mexico to play the Lobos the very next day. That's a lot of baseball and travel for the team.

Update soon

I'll update this soon. I've been swamped with school, life and baseball games.

Catching up with 2006-2007 Texas recruits

After coming off their 6th National Championship in school history, Texas signed arguably one of their best classes ever, inking 16 players. Baseball America ranked the class as the 3rd best in the nation. Everything looked golden for the 2006 Longhorns, until the draft.

Of the 16 players, only 9 made it onto campus. Of those original 9, only 4 remain Longhorns in 2008. One member of the 2006 class, Brandon Belt, is now a Longhorn after spending his freshman season at San Jacinto College in Houston.

Here's the class breakdown, with an update for each player that I could track down:

Brandon Belt - University of Texas (San Jacinto College)
Belt opted to spend his freshman season at San Jacinto College after being drafted in the 11th round by the Boston Red Sox. Belt went 7-2 with a 2.82 ERA on the mound, and hit .421 with 57 RBIs and a team leading 9 home runs. Belt is now the starting 1B for Texas, after transferring between the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Michael Demperio - University of Georgia (University of Texas)
Demperio was one of the 9 Longhorns who made it to campus. After recovering from the removal of a brain tumor prior to the 2007 season, Demperio appeared in 33 games for the Longhorns, starting 11 in the infield. He hit .156 with 4 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. After the season, Demperio elected to return back to his home state and play for the Georgia Bulldogs. He is currently their starting 2B, hitting .182 with 2 stolen bases.
Carmine Giardina - University of Central Florida
Giardina was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 28th round of the MLB draft. Instead of signing with the Red Sox or attending Texas, he opted to stay closer to home and enroll at University of Central Florida. Giardina made 8 appearances for the Knights in 2007, starting 4 contests. He accrued a record of 1-2 with a 4.97 ERA. He struck out 28 batters in his 25.1 innings. 2008 has not started well for Carmine. In his only appearance to date, he managed only 1/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs for a 54.00 ERA.
Taylor Hammack - University of Houston (San Jacinto College)
Hammack's name was on the long list of pitchers who spurned Texas after pitching coach Tom Holiday left for the head gig at North Carolina State. After being drafted in the 46th round by the Houston Astros, Hammack enrolled at San Jacinto College. As a pitcher, Hammack pitched 16 innings, striking out 13 batters, with a 6.19 ERA. He had more success at the plate, hitting .301 with 4 home runs and 41 RBIs. After his freshman year, Hammack signed with the University of Houston, and now enjoys a starting role for the Cougars. Hammack has made 1 start this season, giving up only 1 run in 4 innings, striking out 6 batters. Hammack is scheduled to start against the Longhorns on Sunday in the Minute Maid Classic.
Nathan Karns - Texas Tech University (NC State)
Karns followed his recruiter, Tom Holiday, to North Carolina State, after being a 10th round pick of the Houston Astros. With the Wolfpack, Karns was 3-2 with a .267 ERA. He started 8 of the 9 games in which he pitched. Karns decided to transfer to Texas Tech University in the fall, with the arrival of former Oregon State pitching coach Dan Spencer in Lubbock. Karns has started one game for the Red Raiders, striking out 7 batters. In 4 innings, he has given up 3 runs, giving him a 6.75 ERA. Karns is slated to start on Saturday against Tennessee in the Minute Maid Classic.
Marcus Lemon - Texas Rangers
Lemon, son of former Detroit Tiger Chet Lemon, was scheduled to take over in the infield for the Longhorns. Unfortunately, the Texas Rangers had the same idea when they drafted him in the 4th round. Lemon chose to sign with the Rangers, and spent 2006 season with the Rangers' rookie league team in Arizona. Lemon hit .310 in 28 games. In 2007, Marcus was moved up to Single A with the Clinton Lumberjacks. he finished the season hitting .261 in 128 games. Lemon scored 62 runs with the Lumberjacks.
Kyle Lusson - University of Texas
Lusson spent his freshman year as a backup outfielder for the Longhorns, playing 15 games with 4 starts. Lusson completed the season with a .240 batting average. So far in 2008, Lusson has made 1 start for the #3 Longhorns. Kyle has a .500 average in 2 at bats.
Pat McCrory - University of Texas (Navarro College)
McCrory wasn't supposed to come in until 2008, but decided to leave Navarro a year early and join the Longhorns. He began 2007 as the starting SS for the Longhorns, but was eventually moved to the bullpen in favor of Josh Prince. As a batter, he hit .067 in 12 games. On the mound, he collected 1 win in 19 appearances with a 3.65 ERA. So far in 2008, he has hit 1 double in 2 at bats, but hasn't seen action as a pitcher.
Russell Moldenhauer - University of Texas
Moldenhauer came to Texas after getting drafted in the 3rd round by the Angels of Anaheim. In his first season, he saw extensive playing time as the Longhorns' DH. He hit .278 with 6 home runs and 32 RBIs on the year. In 2008, Moldenhauer has seen the field as a DH and in LF. He is currently batting .235 with 5 RBIs and a triple.
Josh Prince - Tulane University (University of Texas)
Prince came to Texas as Dooley Prince's younger brother. It didn't take long for him to be known as simply Josh Prince. Josh took over the SS job midway through the season, and went on to hit .371 for the Longhorns. After the season, he decided to take his game closer to his Louisiana home, and transferred to Tulane University. Prince is the Green Wave's starting SS this year, and is currently batting at a .133 clip with 1 RBI.
James Russell - Chicago Cubs (University of Texas)
James Russell came to Texas from Navarro College with pitching coach Skip Johnson. In 2007, he claimed a role as the #2 starter behind Adrian Alaniz. Russell's 8 wins were good for third on the Longhorns' staff. He maintained a 3.86 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 109.2 innings. Russell was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the June draft. He signed with the Cubs 2 months later. Russell pitched 3 games in the Cubs' system in 2007, giving up no runs and 3 hits in 9 innings.
Clint Stubbs - Louisiana Tech (University of Texas)
Clint Stubbs came in as another Longhorn sibling legacy. His older brother, Drew Stubbs, needs no writeup. Clint was expected to see time as a speedy outfielder, but couldn't manage to get any starts behind Jordan Danks. Stubbs played in 12 games collecting 2 hits in 8 at bats. After the season, he opted to transfer to Louisiana Tech, where he is currently batting .400 in 6 games, 2 starts, with the Bulldogs.
Jess Todd - St. Louis Cardinals (University of Arkansas)
Todd was supposed to be another Navarro pitcher in burnt orange, but ended up in Razorback cardinal. With Arkansas, Todd finished the year 2nd in wins and 1st in strikeouts. His 9-3 record in 93.1 innings with 128 strikeouts combined with his 2.89 ERA to earn him the honor of being the 82nd player taken in the MLB draft (2nd round). With the Cardinals Organization, Todd pitched in 16 games, 7 starts, collecting a 4-1 record for the Batavia Muckdogs. He struck out 69 batters in 58.1 innings for the Muckdogs.
Travis Tucker - University of Texas (McLennan Community College)
Travis Tucker started all 63 games for Texas in 2007, hitting .307 with 34 RBIs. In 2008, Tucker has moved to 3rd base, and continued his strong play. As the Longhorns' lead off hitter, Tucker is hitting .222 with 6 runs scored.
Jordan Walden - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Grayson Community College)
Walden was supposed to be the gem of the 2006 class. As a senior who hit 99 mph on the radar, his draft stock flew up the charts. Many organizations figured that Walden may follow the lead of Jordan Danks and stick with his commitment, they were half right. Walden was taken in the 12th round by the Angels, but found his way to Grayson Community College to play for Viking head coach Dusty Hart. Walden was 9-2 for the Vikings in 11 starts, with a 1.85 ERA, earning NJCAA All-American honors. After the season, Walden took advantage of the MLB's draft and follow rule, signing with the Angels. Walden started 15 games for the Orem Owlz, going 1-1 with a 3.08 ERA.
Blake Williams - ?? (University of Texas)
Blake Williams made it to Texas as a freshman in 2007. He was redshirted by the staff, and never saw the mound. He isn't on the 2008 roster, and I cannot find anything about him transferring or quitting.

Spurs beat Mavs, Barry coming back

So the Spurs beat the Mavs last night by 3 points in an exciting finish (for Spurs fans). The game was incredibly close, and came down to the final shot. Unfortunately for Dallas, that shot was blocked by Bruce "Everyone Outside of San Antonio Hates Me" Bowen.

The Spurs won double when Brent Barry announced that he would resign with the Spurs after he clears waivers on Tuesday. Barry was included in the trade that brought Kurt Thomas to San Antonio, and will be cut by the Sonics.

Link

Former players update

Longhorns
Michael Demperio hit a double in the first inning off Atlanta Braves' starter Charlie Morton in an exhibition with the MLB team on Wednesday. Demperio finished the day 1-3 with a double and strikeout. On the season for Georgia, Demperio is batting .182 through 3 games against highly ranked Arizona. He has started all 3 games at 2B, stolen 2 bases and been perfect in the field on 9 chances.

Josh Prince is batting .133 in 5 games for the Tulane Green Wave. Prince has been perfect at SS, not commiting and error in his 17 attempts.

Clint Stubbs has started 2 games and appeared in all 6 for the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech. He is batting .400 in 10 at bats with 3 runs, 2 RBIs and a double.

Red Raiders
Geoff Byrns has started 3 of 4 games for the St. Mary's Gaels. He has a .400 average with 2 doubles, a triple and a home run. The Gael's are 3-1 since Geoff joined the squad.

Collin Auten has yet to appear in any of the 4 games TCU has played. Auten registered 5 saves in 21 appearances for the Red Raiders in 2007.

Big 12 Standings (2/27)

BIG 12 STANDINGS (2/26)

TEAM	W	L	WIN %	STREAK	LAST 10
#3 Texas	5	0	1.000	W5	5-0
#22 Baylor	4	0	1.000	W4	4-0
#24 Oklahoma State	4	0	1.000	W4	4-0
#16 Missouri	3	1	.750	L1	3-1
Oklahoma	3	1	.750	W3	3-1
#29 Texas A&M	4	2	.667	W3	4-2
Texas Tech	2	3	.400	L1	2-3
Kansas	2	4	.333	L2	2-4
Nebraska	1	2	.333	L1	1-2
Kansas State	0	2	0.000	L2	0-2

Texas rolls to 5-0 with win over UTPA

Dominant.

That is how this Texas pitching staff has looked against much weaker competition. Today, a freshman and 2 transfers combined for a 3 hit shutout in 7 innings. They allowed 4 base runners in total while striking out 10. Albeit against a lower level of competition than they will face this weekend in Houston, Texas has cruised to easy victories because of this entire staff.

With a 1.88 ERA after 5 games, it appears that they have what it takes to make a long run towards Omaha in 2008. The production is coming from almost everyone who has been on the mound. 7 of the 12 pitchers used have yet to give up an earned run, and opponents are batting only .201 with a .239 slugging %. 52 strikeouts to only 11 walks in 43 innings are great numbers, and they've only yielded 6 extra base hits, all doubles.

With the new start date and condensed schedule that teams are facing this season, the team with the deepest and most dominant staff will have the best chance at winning the championship. Currently, only Oklahoma State has a better staff ERA in the Big 12, with a 1.25, but they have walked more and struck out less in fewer innings. Look for these pitchers to keep the Longhorns' opponents from succeeding.

The hitting hasn't been shabby either. Texas is tops in the Big 12 with a .333 average and 48 runs scored. An OBP of .460 has helped Texas immensely, giving them more opportunities to score their runs. They are also 11-11 in sacrifice hits, doing exactly what Augie asks of each batter to help the team.

Back to today's game. Chance Ruffin, Casey Whitmer and Marcus Tackett gave no mercy to the Bronco hitters, while Brandon Belt and Russell Moldenhauer had timely extra base hits that helped the run production. Belt's 2 ground rule doubles gave him 5 for the season, 2 better than any batter in the Big 12. Texas is now 5-0, ranked #3 and plays Tennessee at 7 pm (time schedule to change due to games before it) at Minute Maid Park on Friday.

Box Score

Texas Tech falls to UNM

Texas Tech fell to 2-3 after struggling with the Lobos in a 7-3 loss. New Mexico jumped out to an early lead thanks to a pair of home runs, and cruised to victory over the Red Raiders in Albuquerque on Wednesday afternoon.

Jason Seefeld brought Tech within 5 with his 2-run blast in the 7th, but the Raiders just could not rally. Part of the problem for Texas Tech was the lack of pitch selection by hitters. Too many times they swung at the first pitch, and didn't reach base. UNM's starting pitcher threw 6.1 innings and only 81 pitches. That's less than 5 pitches per out, and only 3.25 for each batter he faced.

The pitching for Tech was also a weak point today. Russ Fornea just couldn't keep the Lobo batters from getting hits, and Owen Brolsma's performance did not help. James Leverton, Sam Janca and Zach Stewart did a great job in their relief innings, but the hitting couldn't overcome the defecit.

This weekend could end up being a bad one for the Raiders if their woes continue. With games against Tennessee, Houston and Rice, they could easily come back to Lubbock with a 2-6 record. Let's hope they cure their problems and win a game or 2 this weekend.

Box Score

Brian Duncan named finalist for Sullivan award

Very cool of Brian. The Sullivan Award is given by AAU, and recognizes community service and leadership contributions.

Texas Tech release

Tech sets up for midweek game with New Mexico

Time for game #5, and the last tune up before the Minute Maid Classic in Houston.

Texas Tech travels to Albuquerque to take on the New Mexico Lobos at Isotopes Park. Game time is set for 4:00 pm. The starting lineup for the Red Raiders should be as follows:

C Monk Kreder
1B Doug Thennis
2B Joey Kenworthy
SS Chris Hall
3B Jason Seefeld
RF Roger Kieschnick
CF Taylor Ashby
LF Chris Richburg
DH Juan Rodriguez

Starting on the mound will be Jr. RHP Russ Fornea, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin, making his first career start in the scarlet and black. Fornea appeared in one game over the weekend, throwing a perfect 1 1/3 innings with 1 strikeout.

Texas Tech has won the last 10 of 11 games in the series against UNM. They lead the all-time series 54-31-1.

Notes

• Tech coach Larry Hays is 14 wins away from 1,500 career wins. He is 9 wins away from 800 wins at Tech. He has led Tech for the past 22 seasons.
  
• Roger Kieschnick's 41 doubles is good for 6th all-time at Tech
• Kieschnick's 8 triples ties him for 9th all-time at Tech
  

DJ Augustin named to Academic All-American First Team

For the second time in school history, Texas has an Academic All-American in basketball. DJ Augustin was picked by ESPN The Magazine as a first team selection on this year's squad. To even be a nominee for the award, you have to be a starter or significant bench player, have a career GPA of 3.20 and be a sophomore or higher. Augustin easily fit all 3 categories, thanks to his 3.64 GPA (4.0 in the Fall 07).

DJ is also the only player on the first team that I've heard of. The others hail from Drake, Belmont, Coastal Carolina and North Dakota State. Congrats to DJ.

TexasSports.com

Workman K's 11 in Texas victory

Brandon Workman did a hell of a job in his first start as a Longhorn. The freshman from Bowie, Texas pitched 6 innings and struck out 11 UTPA batters, earning his first victory in the 10-3 Texas win.

For the first time all season, Texas actually trailed an opponent. They gave up the first run on a slow roller up the 3rd base line. Travis Tucker opted to not field the ball in the hopes that it would roll foul, but it stayed fair and the runner on 3rd scored, giving UTPA a 1-0 lead. Texas tied the game, but UTPA scored another run, taking a 2-1 lead this time. Texas decided that that would just not work for them, and outscored the Broncs from that point on 9-1, thanks in most part to the lack of control by the Pan Am staff. Texas picked up 11 walks and 3 HBPs in the contest. 7 of the 14 batters ended up scoring, with 2 picking up RBIs for their effort.

Brandon Belt set a career high with 4 RBIs on the day. He also collected 2 of the 9 Longhorn hits. Travis Tucker was successful on 3 stolen base attempts out of 4. He stole 2nd in the first inning, but was subsequently thrown out trying to steal 3rd.

Texas and UTPA close out their 2 game stand today at 2:30 at Disch-Falk Field.

Big 12 Standings

BIG 12 STANDINGS (2/26)

TEAM	W	L	WIN %	STREAK	LAST 10
#22 Baylor	4	0	1.000	W4	4-0
#24 Oklahoma State	4	0	1.000	W4	4-0
#3 Texas	4	0	1.000	W4	4-0
#16 Missouri	3	1	.750	L1	3-1
Oklahoma	2	1	.750	W2	2-1
#29 Texas A&M	3	2	.600	W2	3-2
Texas Tech	2	2	.500	W1	2-2
Kansas	2	3	.400	L1	2-3
Nebraska	1	2	.333	L1	1-2
Kansas State	0	2	0.000	L2	0-2

Texas Tech revises 2008 football schedule

Due to a request by the Big 12 for reasons relating to the TV schedule, Texas Tech has announced that they have pushed back the dates of their final 2 football games. The Red Raiders were initially set to travel to Norman, Oklahoma on November 15th to battle the Oklahoma Sooners, and back to Lubbock for their contest against the Baylor Bears on November 22nd. Now, Texas Tech will take the 15th off, travel to Norman on the 22nd and play host to Baylor on November 29th, after Thanksgiving.

This new schedule gives Tech 2 open dates (September 27th and November 15th). I personally don't like the game on November 29th because it will shorten my break.

Texas Tech also has their Red-Black game scheduled for April 19th.

THE NEW POLLS ARE HERE!

The NCBWA poll came out today. It's the one that I use to track the Big 12 teams.

The Big 12 went from 3 teams among the top 25, to 4.

Texas jumped 3 spots from 6th to 3rd.

Missouri moved up one from 17th to 16th.

Baylor went from 26th to 22nd.

Oklahoma State is now 24th, moving up 5 spots.

Texas A&M dropped out of the top 25 to 29th. They were 20th before splitting their series with Northern Colorado in College Station.

Texas Tech finishes weekend 2-2

Texas Tech finished their weekend at the UTSA Tournament tied for 2nd place with a 2-2 mark. Tech led off their season in poor fashion, getting 1-hit by Louisiana-Lafayette. The 4-0 defeat was not blamed on pitching, as Tech starter AJ Ramos struck out 10 batters in his 7 innings. Texas Tech had a better outing against Army on Sunday morning. Tech kicked off the game with a 7-run first inning, and cruised to a 16-2 victory, highlighted by Roger Kieschnick's 4 extra base hits. Kieschnick recorded 2 doubles, a triple and a home run, coming up just a single shy of the cycle.

Tech followed up the victory with a disappointing loss to tournament champions Oral Roberts. Tech held a 2-run advantage before giving up 3 2-out runs in the bottom of the 7th, dooming the Red Raiders to a 7-6 loss and a losing record. Not to go out on bottom, Tech answered back with a vengeance against the host team. With 10 runs in the first frame, Tech set the pace for the day, finishing with a 16-6 victory and a 2-2 record.

A 2-2 record is good for this team. They proved a lot of what critics panned them for before the season was empty cynicism. The brightest spot for the Red Raiders was their pitching staff. The starters were phenomenal, going a combined 2-1 with 25 strikeouts in 22 innings. Although the ERA for the starters was a 4.09, most of those runs were scored in the final innings against them. The relievers did a fair job, with Brian Cloud and Robert Kilcrease being the 2 that stood out the most.

On the offensive side, 3 players distinguished themselves from the pack. Roger Kieschnick hit .350 with 10 RBIs and 6 of his 7 hits going for extra bases. Jason Seefeld, a surprise starter after tearing his ACL in the fall, led the way with a .455 average and .625 OBP. Doug Thennis, Tech's leadoff man hit .353 with a .476 OBP. Another bright spot was Joey Kenworthy, not for his swinging, but rather his lack of swinging. Kenworthy led the team with 8 walks and 8 runs scored. As a team, Texas Tech was patient enough to draw 32 walks, which helped them to score their 38 runs on the weekend.

This weekend was good for Tech. They showcased pitching and hitting, and got that first weekend out of the way. They did struggle with the bullpen against Oral Roberts, but that is not something that should bother anyone too much, seeing as how only 2 pitchers of the 13 used (9 in relief) made multiple appearances, with 7 making their first appearances of their Tech career. Wednesday's game at New Mexico should be a good one for the Raider faithful if the team continues their strong hitting.

Texas completes sweep of VCU

Texas successfully swept VCU this weekend in their 3 game set. Friday's game was pretty good for a team's first game. Some players started off slow, except Preston Clark, who collected 4 RBIs on the day. The middle infield duo of newcomers Michael Torres and David Hernandez proved to be worth something. They both managed to lay down sacrifice bunts twice, and had some great defensive plays. The pitching was excellent, with Austin Wood striking out 6 over 6 innings of work. Brandon Workman and Kyle Walker both provided adequate relief pitching, combining for 5 strikeouts in the final 3 innings. Texas won the game 6-2.

Saturday was all about Texas. They scored a season high 17 runs (harr!) on 15 hits. Torres helped the effort with 5 RBIs in his second game in burnt orange. Belt got his first 4 hits of the season, with 2 doubles. The pitching was great, save for a bad inning by Keith Shinaberry, but Chance Ruffin came in and closed out the game for the Longhorns, and recorded his first career save (Texas was only up 4 when he entered). Kyle Russell hit his first home run with a long shot off the scoreboard in left center. That won't be the last one Kyle hits, either.

Sunday saw the triumphant returns of Kenn Kasparek and Riley Boening from injuries that kept them out of 2007. They combined for 8 k's in 7 innings, both giving up an unearned run. Kyle Russell continued to add to his offensive numbers, putting up 3 RBIs, while Jordan Danks hit a double and triple. Preston Clark took the day to rest, giving freshman Cameron Rupp his first start at catcher. Kyle Lusson started for Kevin Keyes in LF, after Keyes left Saturday's contest following a knock to the head from a VCU fastball.

So Texas is sitting well at 3-0. They didn't show any real weakness this weekend and never trailed the Rams. The offense looked impressive, and the pitching staff seemed to do almost everything right. If they continue their level of play, they won't have anything to worry about come playoff time.

Tuesday's game against UT-Pan American is set for a 3:15 start. Wednesday's was said to be 3:15, but might have been moved back to its originally scheduled time.

Big 12, day 3

Texas Tech defeated Army, 16-2, in San Antonio.

• Roger Kieschnick was 4-6 with 6 RBIs. Kieschnick's 4 hits included 2 doubles, a triple and a home run.
• Fr. SP Chad Bettis made his first career start, lasting 6 innings and giving up 1 earned run.
• 1B Doug Thennis was 3-4 with 3 runs, 2 RBIs and 2 doubles.

Texas Tech dropped their 2nd game to Oral Roberts, 7-6. Oral Roberts scored 3 runs with 2 outs in the 7th inning.

• Roger Kieschnick hit his 2nd home run of the day with a solo shot in the 5th.
• Chris Richburg connected on his first home run of the season, a 2-run blast, in the 3rd inning.
• Nathan Karns pitched 4 innings, striking out 7 batters and allowing only 2 hits. He also gave up 3 runs and walked 4.
  

#6 Texas defeated VCU, 10-2, completing their weekend sweep of the Rams.

• 5 Longhorns made their debut today. Cameron Rupp started at C for Preston Clark while Tant Shepherd, Kawika Emsley-Pai, Stayton Thomas and Marcus Tackett all subbed in during the contest.
• RF Kyle Russell finished the day 2-4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs
• CF Jordan Danks went 2-4 with 2 runs, 1 RBI, a double and a triple.
• SP Kenn Kasparek made his season debut, striking out 5 batters in 5 innings of work.

Baylor outlasted Purdue, 2-1, sweeping the Boilermakers in Waco.

• RP Nick Cassavechia earned his 2nd save of the year.
• LF Ben Booker went 2-4 witha run

#20 Texas A&M defeated Northern Colorado, 5-2, splitting their 4 game series.

• 3B Dane Carter hit a 2-run home run in the 8th inning for the Aggies, their 2nd of the weekend.
• SP Scott Migl lasted 6.1 innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 5 batters, improving his record to 1-0
• RP Travis Starling picked up his first save of the season.
• 2B Blake Stouffer is still searching for his 1st hit of the season. He is currently 0-12.

Kansas lost their first game to Hawaii-Hilo, 4-3. In game 2, Kansas answered with a 16-4 victory over the Vulcans.

Oklahoma State swept Gonzaga in a double header, 3-1 and 10-3.

Nebraska fell to Stanford, 4-2, in Palo Alto.

#17 Missouri outlasted tournament host Stetson, 9-5, in DeLand, Florida.

• Missouri SP Kyle Gibson earned his first win, striking out 10 batters in his 6 innings of work.
  

Oklahoma's game with #19 UCLA was cancelled due to rain.

Kansas State's game against California was cancelled due to rain.

BIG 12 STANDINGS

TEAM	W	L	WIN %	STREAK	LAST 10
Oklahoma State	3	0	1.000	W4	4-0
Baylor	3	0	1.000	W3	3-0
#17 Missouri	3	0	1.000	W3	3-0
#6 Texas	3	0	1.000	W3	3-0
#20 Texas A&M	2	2	.500	W1	2-2
Oklahoma	1	1	.500	W1	1-1
Kansas	2	3	.400	W1	2-3
Nebraska	1	2	.333	L1	1-2
Texas Tech	1	2	.333	L1	1-2
Kansas State	0	2	0.000	L2	0-2

Zach Thomas a Cowboy!

The Cowboys signed veteran LB and former Red Raider Zach Thomas to a one-year, $3 million deal on Saturday. Thomas played his first 12 years in Miami, reaching 7 Pro Bowls and recording the 2nd most tackles in NFL history.

DMN

Big 12, Day 2

Texas Tech lost to Louisiana-Lafayette 4-0 in San Antonio.

• Texas Tech was held to 1 hit for the game, a single by So. Taylor Ashby
• Jason Seefeld started the day as the Tech DH. Seefeld tore his ACL in fall practice, and wasn't expected back until later.
• SP AJ Ramos struck out 10 Cajuns over 6 innings, but picked up the loss.

#6 Texas defeated VCU 17-4.

• Jr. RF Kyle Russell hit his 1st home run of the season, and 39th of his career
• So. 1B Brandon Belt went 4-5 with 4 runs and 2 doubles
• So. 2B Michael Torres was 3-6 with 2 runs and 5 RBIs
• Fr. DH Kevin Keyes left the game in the 8th inning after being struck in the head by a fastball. It didn't appear to be a serious injury.
• Fr. SP Cole Green picked up the win in his first start of his career
• Fr. RP Chance Ruffin retired all 9 batters he faced, striking out 4, and earning the first save of his career.

#20 Texas A&M lost to Northern Colorado 3-1 in 7 innings of their first game of a double header.

• A&M SP Kyle Thebeau picked up the loss after throwing 5.1 innings and striking out 5. Thebeau gave up all 3 Northern Colorado runs.
• 1B Luke Anders finished the game 1 for 2 with a 3B and an RBI.
• Preseason All-American Blake Stouffer remains hitless through the first 2 games of the season. Stouffer is 0-4.

#20 Texas A&M was swept in a double header by Northern Colorado, losing the 2nd game 4-2.

• Blake Stouffer continued his season opening slump, going 0-4. He is now 0-8 in 3 games this season.
• Brian Ruggiano hit a solo home run for the Aggies, his first of the season
• SP Barret Loux struck out 9 batters in 5 innings during the first start of his career.
• RP Clayton Ehlert picked up the loss for A&M

#17 Missouri defeated Michigan State 14-9 at the Stetson Tournament in DeLand, Florida.

• Sr. DH Jacob Priday was 2-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs
• So. LF Aaron Senne was 1-3 with 3 runs, 1 RBI and a double.
• SP Rick Zagone struck out 7 batters over 4 innings of work
• Missouri's bullpen gave up 5 runs in 6 innings of work.

Oklahoma State defeated Gonzaga 12-2, improving their record to 2-0

• SS Jordy Mercer went 1-4 with 3 RBIs and 1 run
• 3B Matt Hague, a transfer from Washington, went 2-5 with 3 RBIs, 1 run and a 3B.
• LF Neil Medchill went 3-4, scoring 3 runs and batting in 2 more.
• SP Tyler Lyons picked up his first win, going 5 innings for the Cowboys

Kansas lost to Hawaii-Hilo 4-3, in Kona, Hawaii.

• CF Nick Faunce led the Jayhawks with 2 hits. He finished the game 2-3 with 2 runs.
• 1B Preston Land went 1-3 with 2 RBIs.

Hawaii-Hilo completed their sweep of Kansas today with a 12-4 victory.

• SS Erik Morrison was 2-5 in game 2, with 1 run
• CF Casey Larson was 1-4 with 2 RBIs
• RP Thomas Marcin struck out 3 batters in 2.1 innings of work.

Kansas State lost to Santa Clara 9-2 in the first game of a double header, the second game was postponed due to inclement weather. The game has yet to be rescheduled.

• Evan LeBlanc and Gabe Alcantar both had 3 RBIs for Santa Clara.
• 3B Nate Tenbrink hit his 1st home run of the year for the Wildcats.

Oklahoma lost to #19 UCLA, 7-5, in the bottom of the 9th.

• UCLA's Gabe Cohen hit a walk-off 2-run home run off OU's Jake McCarter in the 9th inning.
• OU 2B Mike Gosse finished the game 1-5 with a 2-run home run
• OU C JT Wise went 2-4 with 2 runs

Oklahoma defeated #19 UCLA, 3-2, to split the double header.

Baylor defeated Purdue 11-10 on a Ben Booker fielder's choice in the bottom of the 11th.

• 3B Shaver Hansen finished the contest 3-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs, including a Grand Slam
• CF Paul Miles was 3-6 with 1 run and 1 RBI
• SP Shawn Tolleson lasted only 2.1 innings in his first appearance for Baylor. Tolleson redshirted in 2007 after Tommy John surgery.
• RP Nick Cassavechia, a pre season All-American, gave up 1 hit and struck out 2 in 2 innings of relief work.

Stanford and Nebraska were scoreless in the 3rd inning when inclement weather forced the game to be suspended. The game will be continued tomorrow.

BIG 12 STANDINGS:

TEAM	W	L	WIN %	STREAK	LAST 10
Baylor	2	0	1.000	W2	2-0
#17 Missouri	2	0	1.000	W2	2-0
Oklahoma State	2	0	1.000	W2	2-0
#6 Texas	2	0	1.000	W2	2-0
Nebraska	1	1	.500	W1	1-1
Oklahoma	1	1	.333	W1	1-1
Kansas	1	2	.333	L2	1-2
#20 Texas A&M	1	2	.333	L2	1-2
Texas Tech	0	1	0.000	L1	0-1
Kansas State	0	2	0.000	L2	0-2

FORMER LONGHORN/RED RAIDER UPDATES

Josh Prince led off and played SS for Tulane. He finished 0-4

Michael Demperio led off and played 2B for Georgia against Arizona. He was 2-3 with 2 walks and a strikeout. He was 2-2 on steals.

Clint Stubbs started in RF for Louisiana Tech. He was 0-2 with a sacrifice in the 13-1 victory over McNeese State.

Geoff Byrns walked in his appearance as a pinch hitter for St. Mary's against Towson.