Red Raider Baseball Welcomes UTA

The Red Raiders are set to host UT Arlington in a two-game midweek series before opening conference play against OSU this weekend. The Mavericks come to Lubbock with a 7-8 season record with a loss and a win to No. 10 TCU.

Pitching

Tuesday’s game will see true freshman RHP Zane Petty start on the mound for the Red Raiders. Petty has made three appearances on the mound for the Red Raiders in relief and enters this game with a 9.00 ERA, with 2 full innings pitched. Petty has allowed three hits, three runs, and three walks while recording two strikeouts for the Red Raiders. The Mavericks are expected to start RHP Andrew Lucas. Lucas has three appearances on the mound for the Mavericks in relief and enters the game with a 4.50 ERA, with two full innings pitched. Lucas has allowed two hits, one run, and two walks without recording a strikeout. 

Wednesday pitchers have not been announced for either team.

Batting

The Mavericks enter the series with three regular batters batting above .300. Ryan Black leads the Mavericks with a .364 average after starting in 14 of UTA’s 15 games, he leads the team in runs scored with 14 and comes in second in both hits and RBI at 20 and 13. Tyson Pointer is second on the team with a .339 average after playing in all 15 games and starting in 14. Pointer leads the team in hits (21), RBI (16), and doubles (10). Matt Cavanagh is the third Mavericks batter batting over .300 at .306. Cavanagh comes to Lubbock with 15 hits, 12 runs, and 7 RBI. 

This midweek series should serve as an easy segue into conference play this weekend. It is likely we will see some young arms get more substantial innings under their belts as seen by naming Zane Petty as the starter for the first game. It will also allow the Red Raiders to attempt to adapt to the loss of Dillon Carter after he suffered an injury in the final game of the Iowa series.