Rocky Johnson Field in Lubbock will be the sight of a Wednesday night showdown between ACU and Texas Tech. The Wildcats are coming off a dominant weekend that included a three-game sweep of the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders.
ACU has pushed its record to 21-14 and 11-1 in conference, while the Red Raiders are 16-17 on the season and 3-3 in the Big-12.
Catcher Donnelle Johnson said she is optimistic about Wednesday’s match up.
“We have faced Tech before so we know what to expect,” Johnson said. “It’s all about getting our minds right and playing the game we know we can play.”
The Red Raiders dropped all three games at Baylor last weekend and will be looking to turn things around with a win. Tech’s largest win of the season came against Iowa State March 24, when they beat Iowa, 18-4. Tech has several returning players that set records in 2016. Outfielder Kierra Miles started 55 games last season for the Raiders and led the team in home runs with 17, (first in the Big-12) RBI (50), on base percentage (.420) and slugging percentage (.724). Miles has two home runs this season and is batting .316.
“We plan to go out and give them our best game,” freshman Sidney Holman said. “They’ve taken two from us and we are ready to get them back.”
Pitcher Mattison Maisel led the team in 2016 in ERA with 5.07 and appeared in 47 games, pitched 156 innings, recorded 47 strikeouts and posted a 7-12 record. Pitcher Dominque Alcocer led the team in wins with 8.
Junior Peyton Hedrick leads the Wildcats in batting average (.336) and home runs (11) and is second on the team in hits with 37.
“They’re a good team, but we are prepared for them and we are looking really good right now,” Hedrick said.
The Red Raiders have faced the Wildcats twice this season and have claimed both games. Tech won 3-0, February 11 after Kiana Workman and Raina O’Neal hit homers in the fourth and fifth innings at the Centurylink Classic at Texas State. A homer by Jessica Hartwell and an O’Neal RBI gave Texas Tech the 2-1, March 7 in Abilene.
“It’s all about the little things,” junior Holly Neese said. “We just need to take care of business.”
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in this non-conference match up.
