Preview, how to watch Texas Tech baseball at Kansas in Big 12 Conference play
The Kansas Jayhawks rank among the most improved baseball teams in the Big 12 this year, pitching being perhaps the main reason why.
No. 1 and No. 2 starters Reese Dutton (7-2, 3.05 earned-run average) and Dominic Voegele (5-2, 2.89) have given the Jayhawks one of the best Friday-Saturday combos in the conference this season. They could have made a claim for having the deepest rotation, too, until No. 3 starter Patrick Steitz (2-2, 2.16) missed the past month.
That's what confronts the Texas Tech baseball team this weekend.
Kansas (22-15, 9-9) hosts Tech (29-14, 12-9) at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, weather permitting, in Lawrence, Kansas. The National Weather Service forecast puts precipitation chances at 80 percent on Friday, 70 percent on Saturday and 80 percent on Sunday.
Tech scored its biggest series victory of the season last weekend, sweeping then-Big 12 co-leader West Virginia and lost a non-conference game Tuesday to New Mexico.
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Kansas won two of three last weekend at Baylor and beat Nebraska on Tuesday.
The Jayhawks were 25-32, 8-16 last year, so they've already topped their conference wins total from last season in two fewer series.
Second-year KU coach Dan Fitzgerald spent 2022 as an assistant at LSU and nine years before that at Dallas Baptist.
"I know Dan does a good job up there," Tech coach Tim Tadlock said. "He's in his second year. They've pitched better based on what we've followed through the year."
Dutton, a transfer from USC Upstate, is the Big 12 pitching wins leader. He and Voegele, a freshman from Illinois, rank tied for third in the conference in innings pitched, each with 56 innings in 10 starts, and third and fifth in the Big 12 in ERA.
Senior catcher Jake English, batting .346 with 12 home runs and 41 runs batted in, leads the Big 12 in OPS at 1.183.
Tech boasts three of the conference's top 10 run producers in second baseman T.J. Pompey (.324-8-45), center fielder Damian Bravo (.419-4-40) and right fielder Austin Green (.341-6-40).
How to watch Texas Tech baseball at Kansas
When: 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: Hoglund Ballpark, Lawrence, Kansas
Records: Texas Tech 29-14, 12-9 in the Big 12; Kansas 22-15, 9-9
Ranking in USA TODAY Sports Top 25 coaches poll: Texas Tech receiving votes; Kansas unranked
RPI ranking: Texas Tech No. 33; Kansas No. 73
Starting pitchers: Friday, Texas Tech LHP Ryan Free (5-0, 5.10 earned-run average) vs. Kansas RHP Reese Dutton (7-2, 3.05). Saturday, Texas Tech RHP Kyle Robinson (4-4, 3.76) vs. Kansas RHP Dominic Voegele (5-2, 2.89). Sunday, RHP Mac Heuer (4-3, 5.27) vs. Kansas starter to be announced.
Online streaming: All games on ESPN+
Texas Tech baseball recent results, upcoming schedule
Home games in ALL CAPS. Asterisk (*) denotes Big 12 game.
April 12: at TCU*, W 7-1
April 13: at TCU*, L 4-2
April 14: at TCU*, L 4-3
Tuesday: at Arkansas, L 9-8
Wednesday: at Arkansas, L 5-4
Friday: WEST VIRGINIA*, W 15-2
Sunday: WEST VIRGINIA*, W 6-4
Sunday: WEST VIRGINIA*, W 3-1
Tuesday: NEW MEXICO, L 17-3
Friday: at Kansas*, 6 p.m.
Saturday: at Kansas*, 2 p.m.
Sunday: at Kansas*, 1 p.m.
April 30: UT-RIO GRANDE VALLEY, 6:30 p.m.
May 3: OKLAHOMA*, 6:30 p.m.
May 4: OKLAHOMA*, 2 p.m.
May 5: OKLAHOMA*, 2 p.m.
May 10: at Oklahoma State*, 6 p.m.
May 11: at Oklahoma State*, 6 p.m.
May 12: at Oklahoma State*, 2 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Preview, how to watch Texas Tech baseball at Kansas in Big 12 series
