College Roundup: Texas Tech Tallies 27 Runs In Shootout

This weekend, Texas Tech will host first-place Texas Christian in one of the biggest, if not the biggest, series in the country.

But before that, the Red Raiders tuned up by unleashing an offensive onslaught against a tough New Mexico team on the road Wednesday night. Bouncing back from a loss the previous night in Albuquerque, Texas Tech put together a whopping 27 hits in a 27-15 win over the Lobos.

The 27 runs were the most ever for the Red Raiders on the road and the most since they scored  27 against Howard on Feb. 7, 1999.

How the Top 25 Fared

(1) Oregon State: off

(2) Louisville: won, 6-4, vs. Northern Kentucky

(3) North Carolina: won, 7-1, vs. Campbell

(4) Texas Christian: off

(5) Auburn: off

(6) Clemson: off

(7) Texas Tech: won, 27-15, at New Mexico

(8) Mississippi State: off

(9) Long Beach State: off

(10) Kentucky: won, 6-0, vs. Xavier

(11) Florida: off

(12) Virginia: off

(13) Arizona: off

(14) Cal State Fullerton: off

(15) Louisiana State: off

(16) Arkansas: off

(17) Wake Forest: won, 12-6, at Davidson

(18) Stanford: off

(19) Texas A&M: off

(20) Houston: off

(21) Maryland: off

(22) St. John’s: lost, 4-2, vs. Princeton

(23) Michigan: off

(24) Mercer: lost, 4-3, at Georgia Southern in 10 innings

(25) West Virginia: off

All 10 position players who had an at-bat Wednesday recorded a hit, and five different players homered. Second baseman Brian Klein homered and drove in six runs on four hits, while both first baseman Hunter Hargrove and shortstop Orlando Garcia homered and drove in four runs on four hits. The Red Raiders did much of their damage late in the game, scoring seven runs in the sixth and following that up with an eight-run seventh.

The Lobos, of course, had a strong offensive showing, too, scoring 15 runs of their own on 18 hits. The two teams combined for the most runs in a game since Texas Tech played Dallas Baptist on May 7, 2005.

Other Top 25 scores around the country Wednesday were a bit more tame in comparison, with Wake Forest’s 12 runs at Davidson the only other double-digit score.

In Lexington, Kentucky blanked visiting Xavier, riding six scoreless innings from freshman lefty Zack Thompson. Kole Cottom, his catcher, homered for the third straight game, and first baseman Evan White drove in three runs on his birthday in a complete 6-0 win.

Getting ready to host Clemson in another Top 10 showdown this weekend, North Carolina won its second straight midweek game, topping Campbell, 7-1. Junior shortstop Logan Warmoth, a potential first-rounder in June, drove in three runs on three hits, while five UNC pitchers combined to limit the Camels to one run.

In Louisville, a day after junior Brendan McKay hit four home runs against Eastern Kentucky, third baseman Drew Ellis homered twice against Northern Kentucky in a 6-4 win. That was the second two-homer performance for Ellis in the last five days, as he also posted a two-homer game against Duke. Ellis now leads the Cardinals with 12 home runs.

Lastly, there were a pair of upsets Wednesday against teams in the back end of the Top 25. Mercer, who joined the poll this week at No. 24, lost against Georgia Southern, 4-3, in 10 innings. It was the Bears’ second consecutive loss. Princeton, meanwhile, used a four-run second inning to put away No. 22 St. John’s on the road. It was just Princeton’s 10th win of the year.