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Weekly Baseball ReleaseTexas Tech enters Big 12 Tournament with 40-13 record
May 17, 1999 LUBBOCK, Texas - WEEKLY TEXAS TECH BASEBALL RELEASE (for Big 12 Tournament) No. 10 Texas Tech (18-8 Big 12, 40-13 overall) travels to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Tournament. Texas Tech will enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed and will play Texas at the Ballpark in Bricktown at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Should Texas Tech defeat Texas, it would play the winner of the Baylor-Missouri game on Thursday at 8 p.m. Should the Red Raiders lose, Tech would play at 1 p.m. Thursday. The tournament has eight teams- Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Tech is 7-3 in Big 12 Tournament play and has advanced to the championship game in the first two seasons of Big 12 tourney play. Tech won the 1998 tournament title and was runner-up in 1997. TEXAS TECH REACHES 40-WIN TOTAL Texas Tech received its 40th season victory Friday evening with a 4-3 victory against Oklahoma. Texas Tech has won 40+ victories in each of the past seven seasons. HAYS REACHES 500-VICTORY MILESTONE AT TEXAS TECH With the 10-2 victory against Nebraska on Friday, Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays reached the 500-victory milestone at Texas Tech. In his 13 years at Texas Tech and coupled with the 16-4 victory vs. Wayland Baptist and 4-3 win vs. OSU, Hays is 502-255-1 overall. HAYS NEEDS THREE WINS TO REACH 1,200 COACHING VICTORY MILESTONE Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays needs only three more victories to reach career victory number 1,200. He currently is 1197-636-2 combined in his career at Lubbock Christian and Texas Tech. Should he win 1,200 career victories, he would become only the ninth coach in college baseball coaching history to achieve such a feat. AMERICAN-STATESMAN NAMES ALL-BIG 12 TEAM Three Texas Tech players-Josh Bard, Jon Weber and Brandon Roberson- where named to the Austin American-Statesman all conference first team team. Weber was selected the newspapers Newcomer of the Year while Marco Cunningham and Ryan Ruiz both were named to the second team. BARD NAMED ONE OF 12 ROTARY SMITH AWARD SEMIFINALISTS Texas Tech junior All America catcher Josh Bard has been selected one of 12 national semifinalists for the Rotary Smith Award, honoring college baseballs top player. The award is a national project of the Rotary Club of Houston which raises money for Rotary national charities, Texas Childrens Hospital and the Karl Young League. Six previous winners of the award are currently playing major league baseball - 1988 winner Andy Benes of Evansville (Arizona Diamondbacks), 1991 winner Bobby Jones of Fresno State (New York Mets), 1993 winner Darren Dreifort of Wichita State (Los Angeles Dodgers), 1994 winner Jason Varitek of Georgia Tech (Boston Red Sox), 1995 winner Mark Kotsay of Cal.-State Fullerton (Florida Marlins) and 1996 winner Kris Benson of Clemson (Pittsburgh). The honor has been awarded for the past 12 years. SIDs will now cut the list from the 12 semifinalists to 3 finalists in the next stage of balloting within the next month. The final voting stage, to pick the 1999 winner, will end following the conclusion of this years College World Series (June 11-19). The winner will be named at a dinner at the Doubletree-Post Oak Hotel in Houston the evening of Monday, June 28. For more information on this years Rotary Smith Award, call Twin Spin Design at (713) 667-8101 or check out the awards website at http://smithaward.collegesportsnews.com. For ticketing information, please call the Rotary Club of Houston at (713) 973-9936. 1999 ROTARY SMITH AWARD SEMIFINALISTS JOSH BARD, C, Texas Tech; ANDREW BEINBRINK, IF/OF, Arizona State; AGGERT BOZIED, 1B/3B, San Francisco; MATT DIAZ, OF, Florida State; CASEY FOSSUM, P, Texas A&M; KEN HARVEY, 1B, Nebraska; BOBBY HILL, SS, Miami; JASON JENNINGS, P/DH, Baylor; ERIC MUNSON, C, USC; MARIO RAMOS, P, Rice; ALEX SANTOS, P, Miami, FL; DAMON THAMES, SS, Rice BARD HOMERS ONLY IN BIG 12 GAMES Josh Bard has hit 12 home runs on the season. Interestingly enough, all 12 of his shots have come in Big 12 Conference play. In comparing his conference statistics with his season statistics, Bard has 50 Big 12 RBI out of his 86 season RBI and has scored 23 of his 47 runs vs. the Big 12. RALSTON BREAKS TEXAS TECH CAREER APPEARANCES RECORD Senior Brad Ralston broke the Texas Tech career record for appearances with his 83rd of his career Tuesday vs. Eastern New Mexico. Ralston ran his record to 9-0 and surpassed Jimmy Frushs previous record of 82 set from 1994-1997. OSU BREAKS TEXAS TECHS 12-GAME BIG 12 HOME WIN STREAK Oklahoma State broke Texas Techs 12-game home Big 12 Conference winning streak dating back to last years wins against Oklahoma at Dan Law Field. Tech is 26-3 at home this season. ROBERSON BREAKS TEXAS TECH SEASON SAVE RECORD Junior closer Brandon Roberson broke the Texas Tech season save record vs. Oklahoma with his ninth save on the season. The junior from Fort Worth, Texas, broke the previous record of eight saves set by Tom Black in 1976. Roberson has 10 saves on the season and needs only five more saves to break the Texas Tech school career record of 14 set by Brad Ralston. The Big 12 season and career save record is 11 set by Kansas States David Johnson in 1997. Roberson is also 9/10 in save opportunities and only one runner that he has inherited has scored. WRIGHT BREAKS INNINGS RECORD Shane Wright broke the Texas Tech record for career innings pitched. Wright broke Rodney Stephs (1988-91) former record of 335.0 innings pitched. TEXAS TECHS 27-GAME HOME WIN STREAK, 35-GAME WIN STREAK VS. NON-NCAA DIVISION I TEAMS FALL A 7-4 loss to College of the Southwest at Dan Law Field broke a 27-game home winning streak for Texas Tech. The loss also snapped a 35-game winning streak against non-NCAA Division I schools. College of the Southwest also broke Texas Techs spotless record at home this season. The Mustangs handed Tech its first loss at home this season after 21 victories and dropped Techs home record to 21-1. The Red Raiders had their 27-game home winning streak in tact since last losing at home 15-1 to Oklahoma on April 24, 1998. Texas Tech has had six straight .800+ seasons at Dan Law Field and is well on its way to recording its ninth straight .800+ winning season. That proves that Dan Law Field is one of the toughest venues to win at for an opponent. The all-time home winning streak record is 30 straight games set from 4/28/95-4/27/96. The 27-game winning streak is the second best ever by a Tech team. TECH TIES SEASON SAVE RECORD Texas Tech has accumulated 12 saves on the season. The Red Raiders need only one more save to break the team season record of 12 saves set back in 1976. BARD HITS 40-HOMER MILESTONE, LOOKS TO BREAK CAREER HR RECORD Junior Josh Bard reached the 40-career home run milestone Saturday against Kansas State. He hit his 40th homer of his career to put Tech up 9-8 in the ninth inning of a victory over Kansas State in Wichita. Only four players in Texas Tech history have hit 40+ home runs including Bard (42), Mike Humphreys (41), Joe Dillon (43) and Clint Bryant (44). Bard needs only three more home runs to break the Texas Tech career record of 44 set by Clint Bryant from1993-1996. TECH BECOMES FIRST BIG 12 TEAM TO REACH 20 VICTORIES With its 5-1 victory on March16 against West Texas A&M, Texas Tech became the first team in the Big 12 to reach 20 wins. At the time, Texas had 19 wins while Baylor had 17. Several other schools around the nation already had won 20+ games including Rice, Auburn, Florida International and Arizona State among others. CUNNINGHAM, RUIZ MOVING UP THE CHARTS IN SEASON STEALS Leadoff hitter Marco Cunningham and No. 2 hitter Ryan Ruiz are listed as the top two base stealers in the Big 12. Ryan Ruiz has 33 steals while Marco Cunningham has 35 on the season through 53 games. Ruiz is ranked seventh while Cunningham is sixth on the all-time Texas Tech season steals list. The Texas Tech season record is 51 set by Matt Kastelic. RUIZ RANKED IN BASES-ON-BALLS Outfielder Ryan Ruiz has now totaled 52 walks in 53 games and is already ranked fourth among season leaders. Keith Ginter broke the record last season with 78. RUIZ TIES HIT BY PITCH RECORD Ruiz tied the Texas Tech season hit-by-pitch record of 11 when he was plunked vs. Wayland Baptist. He currently has been hit 11 times this season and could break the season record held by Kevin Jordan (1998) and Jess Olivares (1997) of 11 with one more. BARD NINTH ON SEASON RUNS BATTED IN LIST Josh Bard raised his season RBI total to a team-leading 86 vs. Oklahoma State. He is now ranked fourth on the all-time season RBI list. The record is 100 RBI held by Clint Bryant in 1996. BARD MOVES TO 2ND IN CAREER RBI With Bards 79 season RBI, that brought his career total to 219, good for second place on the schools all-time career RBI leaders. He trails school leader Clint Bryant whose career record is 271. BARD MOVES TO 2ND IN DOUBLES Josh Bard has moved into second place on the Texas Tech school career doubles list. Upon entering this weekend, Bard has 25 doubles on the season, giving him 70 doubles in his three-year career. Clint Bryant (1993-96) holds the career record for doubles- 73 in his four-year career. Bard also needs five more doubles to break the school season record held by Jason Landreth (29 in 1997). RUIZ MOVES TO 6TH IN CAREER STEALS Ryan Ruiz moved into sixth place on the all-time Texas Tech career steals list. He currently has 32 steals on the season and 54 in his career. The all-time steals leader is Matt Kastelic (1995-96) with 97. HONORS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS Head Coach Larry Hays wins 500th career victory at TTU Won 40 victories for seventh consecutive season Ended third straight regular season of placing within the top three teams in the Big 12 Conference First Big 12 team to reach 20 victories Completed 27-game home win streak Went 21-0 through first 21 games at home Earned first Big 12 road sweep since 1997 (OU) Won 18 of 19 during one stretch of season Swept Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa State, Texas A&M (2) Ended 35-game win streak vs. non-Division I opponents HONORS EARNED Austin American-Statesman All Conference Newcomer of the Year: Jon Weber First Team: Josh Bard, Jon Weber, Brandon Roberson Second Team: Ryan Ruiz, Marco Cunningham Rotary Smith Award (college baseballs MVP) Josh Bard (1 of 12 semifinalists) Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week Jon Weber (week of February 1) Big 12 Baseball Player/Pitcher of the Week Jon Weber (week of February 1) Shane Wright (week of February 22) Kevin Tracey (week of March 8) Collegiate Baseball Preaseason All America Shane Wright (First Team), Josh Bard (Second Team) Baseball America Preseason All America Josh Bard (Second Team) Baseball America Preseason All Big 12 Josh Bard, Shane Wright, Miles Durham, Brennan Burns Collegiate Baseball Preseason "Players to Watch" Shane Wright, Josh Bard, Brad Ralston, Ryan Ruiz Baseball America Preseason Top Prospects (1999) Josh Bard Baseball America Preseason Top Prospects (2000) Miles Durham Baseball America Best Big 12 Tools Best Pure Hitter- Josh Bard; Fastest Runner- Chris Sampson; Catcher/Best Arm- Josh Bard; Best Control- Shane Wright Big 12 Commissioners Semester Honor Roll List Cade Allison, Josh Bard, Brennan Burns, Clancy Fossum, Jason Huth, Ben Long, Trey Lunsford, David OKeeffe, Brad Ralston, Chad Reynolds, Steve Rowe, Ryan Stonerock, Kevin Tracey Big 12 All Academic Nominees Steve Richardson, Josh Bard, Brad Ralston, Jason Huth SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN Shane Wright- career victories Shane Wright- career complete games Shane Wright- career innings pitched Brad Ralston- career pitching appearances Brandon Roberson- season saves Ryan Ruiz, season hit-by-pitch Jon Weber, season triples Jon Weber, fourth player in TTU history to hit for cycle Ryan Ruiz, game bases-on-balls vs. Howard 2/6/99 (5) Texas Tech, game bases-on balls vs. Howard, 2/6/99 (17) Texas Tech, runs-inning (11) vs. Iowa State, 4/3/99, 2nd BIG 12 RECORDS BROKEN Jon Weber- Big 12 RBI (series), 20 vs. Howard (4 games) Texas Tech, game bases-on-balls vs. Howard, 2/6/99 (17) |
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