KU Hosts Texas Tech in Big 12 Weekend Series

April 14, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

FIRST PITCH
Kansas softball begins a seven-game home stretch Saturday with a weekend Big 12 Conference series against Texas Tech. The Jayhawks (21-20, 2-6) and Red Raiders (18-24, 4-4) will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon at Arrocha Ballpark. The Jayhawks are looking for a win after two straight losses (#18 Baylor, Missouri) to end their five-game road stint. Tech took a break from league action for two non-conference doubleheaders mid-week and has won its last three contests. The Red Raiders swept Iowa State and upset then-ranked #15 Texas A&M and #21 Oklahoma in Big 12 play this season.

Sunday is Easter and Family Day at Arrocha. Two adults and two youth can watch the game for just $12 and after the game, children can run the bases and get autographs. Fans can also participate in an Easter egg hunt. Live Gametracker is available for all KU games.

KANSAS QUICK HITS
-Kansas returns eight letterwinners and six starters in 2006, including four All-Big 12 selections in Destiny Frankenstein (Sr., SS), Jessica Moppin (Sr., 2B), Heather Stanley (Sr., OF) and Serena Settlemier (Sr., P/DP).
-Settlemier holds the KU all-time home runs record with 39. Frankenstein is next with 30 for her career, while Moppin (28) and senior Nettie Fierros (15) also rank in KU’s career Top 10.
-With her win over Oklahoma State on April 1, head coach Tracy Bunge picked up her 300th victory at Kansas and is just five wins away from her 400th as a head coach overall.
-KU has made nine trips to the NCAA Regionals in the last 25 years and gone three times under Bunge in the past nine seasons (most recently in 2005).
-The Jayhawks broke two program records last season when they hit 54 home runs and boasted a .973 fielding percentage. KU has 40 homers and is fielding .957 through 41 games this season.

SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech (18-24, 4-4 Big 12) took a break from league action for two non-conference doubleheaders mid-week and has won its last three contests. Despite an overall record below .500, the Red Raiders swept Iowa State and upset then-ranked #15 Texas A&M and #21 Oklahoma in Big 12 play this season and are currently fifth in the conference standings. The Tech offense is hitting .245 on the season, which ranks eighth in the league, and .225 in Big 12 contests. The Red Raiders’ ERA improved to 2.89 after Tech pitchers gave up just five runs in four games last week.

RED RAIDER LEADERS
Freshman outfielder Montana Patin leads the Tech offense with a .309 batting average through 33 games. Whitney Riley, a sophomore outfielder, is hitting .291 with 32 hits and a .445 slugging percentage this season. Junior centerfielder Ashley Parker leads the league with 31 stolen bases. Red Raider ace Erin Crawford (11-10) paces the pitching staff with 101 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA in 34 appearances (139.2 innings). Senior hurler Julie Hauck (6-9) has made 21 appearances in the circle this season and has 54 strikeouts through 83.2 innings of work.

THE KU-TECH SERIES
KU leads the all-time series against Texas Tech, 18-10, and holds a five-game win streak against the Red Raiders. The Jayhawks’ last loss to Tech was May 1, 2003 (5-1) in the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla.

UP NEXT: MISSOURI REMATCH
After a 4-0 defeat by their Border Showdown rivals on April 12, the Jayhawks will look for revenge against the Tigers on their home turf Wednesday. Missouri used eight hits to defeat KU, who managed just one hit off MU starter Jen Bruck through seven innings.

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