ACU will face No. 22 Texas Tech in Lubbock on Tuesday

LUBBOCK, Texas The ACU baseball team will face a top-25 opponent for the first time in the 2023 season when it heads to Lubbock to face No. 22 Texas Tech. The Wildcats are off to a 22-6 start, their best since 2007 through 28 games, and are riding a six-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s game. ACU ends its five-game non-conference streak with the first of two games with the Red Raiders this season; Texas Tech comes to Abilene on April 25th. The game begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park and will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Game No. 29
ACU (22-6, 7-2 WAC) at #22 TEXAS TECH (20-9, 4-5 BIG 12)

Tuesday, April 4| 18:30 | Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park (4,432)
Planned appetizers: TBA
Watch: The Big 12 now on ESPN+
Live statistics | Bunting

SEE ACU

The Wildcats enter the week with a record of 22-6 and 7-2 in WAC play. ACU is coming off a five-game break from conference play that began with a 5-2, 11-inning win over Baylor last Tuesday night in Waco. ACU then went 3-0 this weekend at Crutcher Scott Field, including a pair of wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a win over Nebraska. The Wildcats have won six in a row over the last two games in the Sacramento State series and now open a four-game road trip this week that ends in a three-game sweep at Sam Houston. ACU will play just its sixth true road game of the season on Tuesday night.

SCOUTING #22 TEXAS TECH

After a 2-2 week between the trip to New Mexico and hosting TCU, the Red Raiders remained in all six primary national baseball Top 25 rankings released on April 3. Of the six polls – D1Baseball, Baseball America, NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, USA Today Coaches and Complete Game – Texas Tech has been ranked in the top 25 in all six polls, except for a week off the D1Baseball poll on March 6 and the Week 3 poll. Texas Tech begins six straight non-conference games, taking a break from Big 12 play all the way to a trip to Oklahoma on the 14th-16th. April.

WITHIN THE SERIES

Since 2014: 10th meeting (Texas Tech leads, 8-1)
Last Meeting: #9 Texas Tech 16, ACU 12 (5/3/2022-Abilene)
Pipe: Texas Tech, w1
At Abilene: Texas Tech leads 3-0
At Lubbock: Texas Tech leads 3-1
Neutral site: Texas Techleads, 2-0
Postseason: n/a

HISTORICAL BEGINNING

ACU’s 22 wins in the first 28 games are the most since the 2007 season. That team also started the season 22-6 and finished 47-13 en route to the Lone Star Conference championship game. This is ACU’s best start for a Division I program since baseball began in the spring of 2014. ACU’s 7-2 start in conference play is also its best start since 2010. ACU has also won all seven of its series so far this season, which has not occurred after the 2000 campaign.

LAST TUESDAY’S WIN AT WACO

The 2023 season has seen plenty of drama so far, and Tuesday night was the latest example. The Wildcats led the Big 12’s Baylor Bears 2-0 in the ninth inning, gave up the lead, then Tatrow delivered a three-run home run in the 11th inning to win 5-2. This is ACU’s first-ever win over Baylor and the second win over a Big 12 team this season. After a scoreless 10th and Tatrowgave ACU led the 11th, Zach Smith recorded the final three outs in his first save to get the ‘Cats out of Waco with the win.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND

ACU has won every tgree game this past weekend at home, beating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday night 9-7 before defeating Nebraska 5-3 Saturday. At the end of the weekend, beat Corpus Christi 10-9. It was a wild weekend. ACU was down 5-1 in the third period Friday night before responding with a comeback victory. The ‘Cats 5-1 after four innings and stayed on top of the Big Ten’s Cornhuskers late, then gave up an 8-1 lead in two innings only to Maddox Man walk in the bottom of the ninth to give the Islanders a 10-9 victory.

NUMBERS OF THE WEEK

ACU hit .287 as a 4-0 team in the week, led by a .487 batting average Grayson Tatrow. The Wildcat outfielder has hit his stride this season, hitting three home runs and driving in eight, both team-highs. Tatrow and Logan Britt each hit three blasts, and Britt hit all three Friday night against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, tying the all-time ACU record (Joel Wells vs. Tarleton in 2006). Britt hit .400 for the week with seven runs. He also stole all three sacks for ACU this week. Britt led the way with seven runs, while Miller Stock Saw also scored six goals in four wins. Breck Eichelberger had one against spectacular on the mound and pitched 5.1 innings of one-run ball Saturday against Nebraska. Adam Stephenson struck out 13 batters in 6.2 innings out of the bullpen in two appearances.

LATE-INNING HEROICS
Maddox Man has been a dramatic flare so far during his freshman campaign. The third baseman beat Oklahoma, had a Grand Slam to top Southeast Missouri and finished the weekend with a semifinal against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Sunday. The freshman has been huge so far for ACU and has been a big part of a team that is outscoring its opponents 82-61 in the sixth inning this season.

EYE ON THE BOUNDARIES

Tatrow leads ACU with a current seven game winning streak Garrett Williams a 15-game regular season is underway. Bash Randle has hit in six straight games Eric Martin has reached base safely in eight straight games.

TEAM LEADERS

Williams leads the ‘Cats with a .393 batting average, but a total of six men are over .300 on the season, including Tatrow (.384), Britt (.336), Ladusau (.327), Miesse (.313), and Tanner Tweed (.302). Tatrow paces the offense with nine home runs and 39 RBIs. Eichelberger’s 3.31 earned run average in seven starts leads the pitching staff. by Tyler Morgan 52 strikeouts leads staff.

PRE-SEASON VOTING / AWARDS

The Western Athletic Conference announced the preseason poll and all-conference selections for the upcoming season, and the Wildcats are tied for fourth in the 13-team league. Junior Bash Randle and seniors Grayson Tatrow and Tanner Tweed all were named to the all-conference list before the season as well. Grand Canyon was named the conference winner, followed by Sam Houston and California Baptist. ACU is tied with UTRGV and Sacramento State for fourth overall.

BACK ONE BIG LEAGUE

The WAC will revert to a traditional format in 2023. All 13 teams are in the same standings and there is no division this season. There will be 30 league games against 10 of 12 possible opponents, and the 2023 WAC tournament begins May 24 in Mesa, Ariz.

ORDER ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE

The 2023 slate includes 55 games, including 30 Western Athletic Conference games (10 three-game series) and 25 non-conference games (four series and 11 singles). In all, the team hosted 35 times at Crutcher Scott Field, the most Rick McCarthy era. ACU will play 21 games against teams ranked in the top 100 in the RPI in 2022, nine games against Power 5 opponents (Oklahoma, TCU x2, Baylor x2, Nebraska, Texas Tech x2, Texas) and 14 games against 2022 regional teams vs. (Oklahoma, Southeast Missouri, Oral Roberts, TCU, Texas Tech, Texas, Grand Canyon). The slate includes the first five opponents (Southeast Missouri, Sacramento State, Nebraska, California Baptist, Utah Tech) and four home games against Power 5 opponents (Nebraska, TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor).

COACH

The head coach Rick McCarthy is in his fifth season as ACU’s head man and earned his 100th career win on opening day. He has 121 career wins at ACU, including a regular season championship and tournament runner-up finish.