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The Texas Tech baseball team traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, aware it was facing a hot opponent. Kansas State started the weekend unbeaten at home and tied for the Big 12 lead.
The Red Raiders did nothing to change that, getting swept in a three-game series. Kansas State, trailing all game after Robin Villeneuve's two-run homer in the first inning, rallied for three runs in the ninth to beat Tech 5-4 in Sunday's finale at Tointon Family Stadium. Shintaro Inoue ended it with a two-run single off Zach Crotchfelt, who replaced Trendan Parish (0-4) with no outs, the bases loaded and a run in.
Kansas State won Friday's game 10-5 and Saturday's 6-3.
Kansas State (19-8, 8-1 in the Big 12) improved to 10-0 at home. Dating to last season, the Wildcats have won five Big 12 home series in a row and six of seven. They moved into sole possession of first place Friday night when No. 20 Arizona lost to Baylor.
More: Texas Tech baseball's Brady Trombello returns to pitch after life-threatening injury
More: Plans exist for a new-look Texas Tech baseball stadium, but will it happen?
Tech (8-16, 4-5) has a four-game losing streak in conference play. Villeneuve's homer, his fifth this season, and Logan Hughes' RBI single in the second staked Tech to a 3-0 lead. After K-State's Keegan O'Connor hit a two-run homer in the sixth, Tech's Antonelli Savattere delivered a two-out RBI single in the seventh for a 4-2 edge.
Here are key developments from the weekend:
Tech's 6.51 team ERA is next-to-last in the Big 12, and it's unlikely to improve if Mac Heuer's lost for any length of time. The Red Raiders' usual Friday night starter didn't pitch this weekend, though Tech characterized it more as a precautionary move to keep his arm sound over the season long term.
Tyler Boudreau cracked the rotation with his six shutout innings March 5 against UC San Diego, but the junior righthander hasn't made it through four innings in three starts against Big 12 opponents. Boudreau threw a total of nine innings against Houston, TCU and Kansas State and allowed 15 runs, sending his ERA to 8.20.
On the bright side, day-one starter Jack Cebert came in behind Boudreau and pitched well in each of those three games, posting a 2.03 ERA over 14⅓ innings. So do the Red Raiders put Cebert back into the rotation or leave him as the bulk-innings long reliever, a role he's taken to?
The Red Raiders failed to cash in on another solid outing from their Sunday starter. Petty left Sunday's game with a 3-0 lead and one out in the sixth. Parish allowed an inherited runner to score, so Petty's final line included one run on two hits and four walks. The junior righthander from Corsicana has not allowed more than two runs in his past four starts, during which time his ERA is 2.37.
The Red Raiders' freshman shortstop from Tomball has taken advantage of T.J. Pompey's recent four-game absence opening some space on the left side of the infield. On Sunday, Ryan had his fourth two-hit game in five starts dating to March 22 against TCU. He's raised his average from below .200 in early March to .314. There's not much slug in Ryan's game — two extra-base hits in 30 at-bats — but he can bunt for base hits and has nearly as many walks as strikeouts.
Texas Tech plays former Big 12 foe Oklahoma (22-5) in a nonconference game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Frisco. The Sooners, who won last year's Big 12 regular-season title, were No. 9 in last week's USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball loses lead late, gets swept at K-State: Takeaways
Continue reading...
The Red Raiders did nothing to change that, getting swept in a three-game series. Kansas State, trailing all game after Robin Villeneuve's two-run homer in the first inning, rallied for three runs in the ninth to beat Tech 5-4 in Sunday's finale at Tointon Family Stadium. Shintaro Inoue ended it with a two-run single off Zach Crotchfelt, who replaced Trendan Parish (0-4) with no outs, the bases loaded and a run in.
Kansas State won Friday's game 10-5 and Saturday's 6-3.
Kansas State (19-8, 8-1 in the Big 12) improved to 10-0 at home. Dating to last season, the Wildcats have won five Big 12 home series in a row and six of seven. They moved into sole possession of first place Friday night when No. 20 Arizona lost to Baylor.
More: Texas Tech baseball's Brady Trombello returns to pitch after life-threatening injury
More: Plans exist for a new-look Texas Tech baseball stadium, but will it happen?
Tech (8-16, 4-5) has a four-game losing streak in conference play. Villeneuve's homer, his fifth this season, and Logan Hughes' RBI single in the second staked Tech to a 3-0 lead. After K-State's Keegan O'Connor hit a two-run homer in the sixth, Tech's Antonelli Savattere delivered a two-out RBI single in the seventh for a 4-2 edge.
Here are key developments from the weekend:
Mac Heuer scratched from a start
Tech's 6.51 team ERA is next-to-last in the Big 12, and it's unlikely to improve if Mac Heuer's lost for any length of time. The Red Raiders' usual Friday night starter didn't pitch this weekend, though Tech characterized it more as a precautionary move to keep his arm sound over the season long term.
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Could another rotation change be in the offing?
Tyler Boudreau cracked the rotation with his six shutout innings March 5 against UC San Diego, but the junior righthander hasn't made it through four innings in three starts against Big 12 opponents. Boudreau threw a total of nine innings against Houston, TCU and Kansas State and allowed 15 runs, sending his ERA to 8.20.
On the bright side, day-one starter Jack Cebert came in behind Boudreau and pitched well in each of those three games, posting a 2.03 ERA over 14⅓ innings. So do the Red Raiders put Cebert back into the rotation or leave him as the bulk-innings long reliever, a role he's taken to?
Zane Petty doing his part
The Red Raiders failed to cash in on another solid outing from their Sunday starter. Petty left Sunday's game with a 3-0 lead and one out in the sixth. Parish allowed an inherited runner to score, so Petty's final line included one run on two hits and four walks. The junior righthander from Corsicana has not allowed more than two runs in his past four starts, during which time his ERA is 2.37.
Coleman Ryan heating up
The Red Raiders' freshman shortstop from Tomball has taken advantage of T.J. Pompey's recent four-game absence opening some space on the left side of the infield. On Sunday, Ryan had his fourth two-hit game in five starts dating to March 22 against TCU. He's raised his average from below .200 in early March to .314. There's not much slug in Ryan's game — two extra-base hits in 30 at-bats — but he can bunt for base hits and has nearly as many walks as strikeouts.
Next up
Texas Tech plays former Big 12 foe Oklahoma (22-5) in a nonconference game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Frisco. The Sooners, who won last year's Big 12 regular-season title, were No. 9 in last week's USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball loses lead late, gets swept at K-State: Takeaways
Continue reading...
