FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
DAN SPENCER COMMENTS (VIDEO)LUBBOCK, Texas – A total of 14 NCAA Regional teams from 2009 highlight Texas Tech’s 2010 baseball schedule that was announced today by second year head coach Dan Spencer.
A total of 54 games (maximum amount of 56 is allowed) are on the current schedule and Texas Tech will announce the addition of two more games once those details have been finalized.
"I think this is a great schedule and one that is really going to push us," said Texas Tech head coach Dan Spencer. "I am not one of these people that think playing the Big 12 schedule is enough if you are trying to get better and have a goal of going to Omaha. It think it’s important to be tested in the non-conference so that you are ready to go to battle in the Big 12 and you position yourself well for the NCAA Tournament."
Texas Tech’s non-conference schedule will consist of six teams that earned bids in last year’s NCAA tournament: Texas State, TCU, Bethune-Cookman, Gonzaga, Washington State and Rice. A total of eight Big 12 teams advanced to last year’s post-season tournament (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas State and Baylor) including all five squads that Tech will play at Dan Law Field during the home portion of the league schedule.
The Red Raiders will open the 2010 season with a 10-game homestand and opening day is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 19. Tech opens up its season at 4 p.m. against Alabama A&M in what will be the second game of the Red Raider Classic (Feb. 19-21). The classic will also feature the Michigan Wolverines and the three teams will play a round-robin format. Michigan and Alabama A&M will both be making their first-ever trips to Dan Law Field and will also be meeting Texas Tech on the diamond for the first time on opening weekend.
Texas Tech continues its homestand the following Tuesday as the Red Raiders will welcome the New Mexico Lobos to Dan Law Field for the first midweek match-up of the season. Tech and New Mexico will throw out the first pitch at 3 p.m. on Wed, Feb. 23.
The Brooks Wallace Memorial Classic, a tournament established this year in memory of former shortstop Brooks Wallace, will commence on Thursday, Feb. 25 when the Red Raiders take on Bethune-Cookman. Washington State will be Tech’s other opponent in the tournament and just like the Red Raider Classic, the event will follow a round-robin format.
Following another midweek match-up against Dallas Baptist (March 2), the Red Raiders will hit the road for the first time as they head to south Texas for the 2010 Astros College Classic at Minute Maid Park. The Houston Astros will be hosting this event for the 10th straight year and the classic has become the most prestigious non-conference tournament in college baseball. Tech will take on TCU, Rice and Houston over the course of three days beginning on Friday, March 5.
The Red Raiders will return home from Houston and begin a grueling stretch of four consecutive series against NCAA teams from a year ago as Tech will face Gonzaga, TCU, Texas State and Texas A&M over a 15-day period. Tech will host Gonzaga at Dan Law Field (March 9-10) before heading back on the road for a three-game series at TCU in Fort Worth. Texas State will come to Dan Law Field for a midweek game on Tuesday, March 16 and then the Red Raiders will open up Big 12 Conference play in College State against Texas A&M (March 19-21).
Texas Tech will open the home portion of the Big 12 schedule against rival Texas March 26-28 at Dan Law Field and the three-game series will be the first of five league series set for 2010. The Big 12 home slate consists of Texas, Kansas State (April 1-3), Oklahoma (April 16-18), Missouri (April 30-May 2) and Baylor (May 14-16). Tech’s Big 12 travel schedule includes Texas A&M (March 19-21), Oklahoma State (April 9-11), Kansas (April 23-25) and Nebraska (May 21-23).
"I think our home Big 12 schedule is going to be very entertaining for our fans," said Spencer. "I don’t think there has ever been a time in the history of this league when five Big 12 teams came to Dan Law Field a year after going to the NCAA Tournament."
Texas Tech will return to the Permian Basin this season as the Red Raiders will face the New Mexico State Aggies in a midweek matchup at Citibank Ballpark (home of the Midland Rockhounds) on Tuesday, April 30. The Red Raiders will also make midweek trips to UNLV (April 6-7), Dallas Baptist (April 14), New Mexico (April 27) and Northern Colorado (May 18).
The 2010 Big 12 Baseball Championship is scheduled for May 26-30 at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. The NCAA Tournament gets underway with the regionals June 4-7 and continues with the super regionals June 11-14. The 2010 NCAA College World Series will be played for the final time this season at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha before the event moves to downtown Omaha beginning in 2011. The college world series is set for June 19-29/30.
Season tickets for the 2010 season will go on sale to the public the first week of December. For the latest information on Red Raider Baseball, season tickets and the 2010 schedule, log on to www.texastech.com.
Schedule Breakdown
Total Home Dates: 30
Road Dates: 24
Games In Texas: 41 (first 31 games are in Texas)
Games Out Of State: 13
Home Big 12 Series: Five
2009 NCAA Tournament Teams: 14
