The Texas Tech baseball team just ended an albatross of a losing streak last weekend in its last home series of the season. The Cincinnati Bearcats, on the other hand, are riding high on a streak they’d like to extend.
Two teams that have been going in opposite directions for more than a month are meeting in the last week of Big 12 play. Cincinnati (35-18, 15-12 in the Big 12) hosts Tech (26-25, 9-18) in a three-game series at UC Baseball Stadium in Cincinnati. It’s the Tech baseball program’s first trip to The Queen City.
Game times — all CDT — are 5 p.m. Thursday, May 14; 5 p.m., Friday, May 15; and noon Saturday, May 16. Saturday is the last day of the regular season, and then the top dozen Big 12 teams will go to the conference tournament May 19-23 in Surprise, Arizona.
Tech is in 12th place in the conference with a one-game lead plus a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage on Arizona, one spot behind. Because Tech won two of three this season at Arizona, the Wildcats must finish ahead of the Red Raiders in the standings to make the Big 12 tournament. Arizona’s last series is at No. 23 Oklahoma State.
By winning two of three against Brigham Young, including 15-11 last Saturday on senior day, Tech snapped a streak of six consecutive Big 12 series losses. It was the program’s longest such streak since 2013, its first year under Tim Tadlock as head coach, when the Red Raiders also lost six consecutive conference series.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, pulled out of a tailspin at midseason and has been rolling since. After being swept by Oklahoma State from April 3-5, the Bearcats had a five-game losing streak in the Big 12 and a 4-8 conference record. They’ve since won five Big 12 series in a row against Baylor, Central Florida, No. 11 West Virginia, Houston and Kansas State, going 11-4 in those series.
Cincinnati’s in seventh place in the conference, two games behind Arizona State and UCF, who are tied for third, and one game behind Oklahoma State and TCU, who are tied for fifth.
Sophomore first baseman Quinton Coats, batting .335 with 25 home runs and 67 runs batted in, broke the Bearcats’ single-season record for homers earlier this month. He ranks tied for fifth in NCAA Division I in homers and tied for 10th in RBIs.
For Tech, left fielder/first baseman Logan Hughes (.368-16-67) and third baseman/right fielder Connor Shouse (.359-10-64) are tied for third and a solo sixth in the Big 12 in RBIs. Shortstop Linkin Garcia (.350-4-56) and second baseman Tracer Lopez (.366-1-35) are second and tied for third in the conference, respectively, in hits with 75 and 74. Lopez leads the Big 12 in doubles with 20 and sacrifice flies with nine.
Texas Tech baseball at Cincinnati
∎ When: 5 p.m. Thursday, May 14; 5 p.m. Friday, May 15; noon Saturday, May 16
∎ Where: UC Baseball Stadium, Cincinnati
∎ Records: Texas Tech 26-25, 9-18 in the Big 12; Cincinnati 35-18, 15-12
∎ Rankings in USA TODAY Sports coaches poll/RPI: Texas Tech unranked/130; Cincinnati receiving votes/21
How to watch Texas Tech baseball at Cincinnati
∎ Online streaming: All games on ESPN+
Texas Tech baseball at Cincinnati starting pitchers
∎ Thursday: Texas Tech RHP Kaysen Raineri (4-1, 6.35 earned-run average) vs. RHP Nathan Taylor (5-2, 3.92)
∎ Friday: Texas Tech starter to be announced vs. RHP Logan Knight (4-3, 4.77)
∎ Saturday: Texas Tech starter to be announced vs. RHP Connor Blue (4-1, 4.64)
Texas Tech baseball recent results, upcoming schedule
All times CDT. Home games in ALL CAPS. An asterisk (*) denotes Big 12 games.
∎ Saturday, May 2: at Baylor*, L 8-1
∎ Saturday, May 2: at Baylor*, L 10-9
∎ Sunday, May 3: at Baylor*, W 8-3
∎ Tuesday, May 5: DALLAS BAPTIST, W 9-7
∎ Thursday, May 7: BRIGHAM YOUNG*, W 2-1
∎ Friday, May 8: BRIGHAM YOUNG*, L 12-3
∎ Saturday, May 9: BRIGHAM YOUNG*, W 15-11
∎ Thursday, May 14: at Cincinnati*, 5 p.m.
∎ Friday, May 15: at Cincinnati*, 5 p.m.
∎ Saturday, May 16: at Cincinnati*, noon
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball at Cincinnati preview, how to watch Big 12 series